PETER (SIMON) 757
the scribes and one of the ὄχλος (Jn 749), an ‘am ha-'a: see especially Weber, Die Lehren des τάμα Φ11, ‘Der plato Character der 11, Religiositit"). Compare the gaying of the Fathers : ‘ No boor isa sin-fearer, nor is the vulgar (am ha ‘drez) pious’ elhod Aboth, ed. Taylor, p. 30). Thus the words are strictly relative to the point of view of the high priests. Th = pay: ea oho specially called forth by the ἀροῦν ness in expounding a Ὁ of Scripture in the presence and in application to, thie ules ᾿ ν Ὁ
8. The calls of St. Peter.—{i.) The apostle’s first meeting with the Lord, and the call to Sriendshyp. — The history is recorded only in St. John (1-*), Andrew and John (for he clearly is the unnamed actor in the scene)—one of each of the two pairs of brothers who together were in partnership—are expressly spoken of as belonging to the number (ἐκ) of the Baptist’s disciples (vv.%*), Since St. Peter and, as the language (πρῶτον, τὸν ἴδιον, v.*!) seems to imply, St. James were close at hand, it is a natural inference that St. Peter had become a disciple of the Baptist, and through the gate of this einetip passed into friendship with Jesus of Nazareth. It is more than probable, then, that St. Peter had been a witness Bas Lord’s baptism (Ac 1” 10°), On this day—which Edersheim (i. p. 3441.) gives some reason for supposing to have been a Sabbath—after Andrew fiat neard the Baptist’s witness (v.%) and had followed Jesus, he went in quest of Simon, and, telling him that he had found the Messiah, brought him to Jesus. Jesus fixes upon him that piercing, scrutinizing gaze (ἐμβλέψας) which was to rest upon him at a ater crisis of his life (Lk 22%), and greets him—it does not appear from the narrative whether Jesus had known Simon before or not (ef. v.)—Zv εἴ Σίμων ὁ vids ᾿Ιωάνου, σὺ κληθήσῃ Κηφᾶς (for the use of the patronymic on solemn occasions cf. Mt 16}7, Jn 21%), Thus the Lord receives him as bein just what he was in himself, as the product ait heir of a past over which he had had no control, as destined to a peculiar office. In the last clause the Lord does not bestow a new name (see Mt 16"); He rather reveals a character which He already claims for future service. As yet no permanent
bond united Jesus and the men whom He had gathered round Him. For, after being His com- nions in His journey to Galilee and again in
is visit to Jerusalem at the Passover, St. Peter and the rest resumed, as they did on a much later occasion (Jn 21), their work as fishermen.
(ii.) Zhe call to discipleship.—This call must be placed some time after, as the earlier call some time before, the first Passover of the sar fe It is not possible to decide what is the precise relation of the history of the call as related in Mt 4% Mk 1'** (clearly based on a common source) to that given in Lk 5'4, The essential points com- mon to the two accounts are that Jesus calls St. Peter while he is at work (see Plummer on Lk 5'*®), that he makes the apostle’s present work a parable of his future work, and that the apostle’s obedience is immediate. As to points of difference, Mt and Mk record the Lord’s summons δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου; Lk
uts the call in another setting—a miracle of fleeing leads up to the act of obedience.
It is possible that Mt and Mk on the one hand, and on the other Lk, give the history of tio ooccasions—one when the apostle followed the Lord then and there, but did not finally leave his occupation; the other when the decisive step of renunciation was taken, In support of this view it may be urged (1) that the two narratives seriously differ ; (2) that the Lord certainly did repeat on a later occasion the call ἃ κολούδι
4, When added experiences would interpret ite deeper mean- ng (Jn 211% 2%), But it is much more probable that Mt and Mk follow a document or a tradition which brought together in a summarized narrative the calling of the four chief aposties, and that thus the story of St. Peter's call is the same as that which Lk, on the strength of fuller information (cf. 4!®), narrates in detail. In either case, it is important to notice the vividness of
| Lk's narrative as itself a witness to ite truthfulness—especially the two sayings of St. Peter: (a) v.® (of. Jn 25); (6) ν᾿ ifm =... (an undesigned contrast to Jn ΟΕ, and an impulsive ory | which has parallels in St, Peter's later history).
PETER (SIMON)
In close connexion with this call (assuming that there was but one) to discipleship, on a Sabbath either just before it (Lk 455) or just after it (Mk 12.) * we must place the miracle which the Lord wrought in His disciple’s home—the healing of Peter's mother-in-law. From the phrase διηκόνει αὐτῷ (αὐτοῖς) in each of the three accounts we ma: infer that our Lord ate there that day; and it 18 likely enough that the disciple’s home was ‘the house’ where He regularly stayed when at Caper- naum (Mt 17%, Mk 95).