certainly never claimed any powers which did nol be- long equally to all his fellow-apostli -. (See below.) 'I his great triumph <>f Peter, however, brought other
■ bis character into Btrong relief. The distinc- tion which he then received, and it may be his con- sciousness of ability, energy, zeal, and absolute devo- tion t.. Christ's , ped a natu- ral tendency to rashness and forwardness bordering upon presumption. < in this occasion the < xhibition of such
brought n|'"ii him the strongest reproof ever addressed i" a disciple by our Lord, [n his affection and self-confidence Peter ventured to reject as impos- sible the am ncemenl of the Buffi rings and humilia- tion w hich Jesus predicted : and he heard the sharp words ■■ i .. i thee behind me, Satan, tl art an offence unto
■ thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." That was Peter's first fall;
minousone: ii"j a rock, but a stumbling-stone; fender, but an antagonist and deadly enemj oi the faith, when the spiritual Bhould u;i \ <• place to the lower nature in dealing with the things of God. It i- il |e that on other occasions when Peter signal- t iiih and devotion he displayed at the time, or itely afterwards, a more than usual deficiency l and consistency. Thus a few t that fall hi . ill, r with John
and Jan the transfiguration of Christ, but
the word-, which he then uttered prove that he was compli tc lv bewildered, and unable at the time to com- prehend the meaning ol the transaction. Thus again, when his zeal and courage prompted him to have the
1 walk on the Mall. xiv.
idden failure of faith withdrew the sustaining
il once r<-
• li h trait-, which
I unfrequently, prepare ua for his last
■ the resurri ction, when bis natural gil I and hia defii ii
plied bj "the power ti- n nigh." \\ '•• find a mix-
luct whin called upon to pay tribute-money for himself and his Lord. i h had the upper hand, and was rewarded by a
significant miracle (Matt xvii, 24 27). The question which about the same lime ivt-r asked our I the > st< m to whii h I
PETER
ried, indicated a great advance in spirituality from the Jewish standpoint, while it showed how far as yet he and his fellow -disciples were from understanding the true principle of Christian love (Matt, xviii, •_'! |. u '. find a similar blending of opposite qualities in the dec- laration recorded by the synoptical evangelists (Matt, six, 27; Mark x,28; Luke xviii, 28)," Lo, we have left all and followed thee." It certainly bespeaks a con- sciousness of sincerity, a spirit of self-devotion and Belf- sacrifice, though it conveys an impression of something like ambition; but in that instance the good undoubt- edly predominated, a- is shown by our Lord'.- answer, not reprove Peter, who Bpoke, as usual, in the name of the twelve, but takes the opportunity of ut- tering the strongest prediction touching the future dig- nity and paramount authority of the apostles,a fin-dic- tion recorded by Matthew only.
Towards the clo.-c of our Lord's mini-try (A.D.29) Peter's characteristics become especially prominent Together with hi- brother and the two son- of Zebedi e he listened to the last awful predictions and warnings di livered to the disciples in reference to the second ad-
enl i tfatt. sxiv, 3; Mark xiii, 3, who alone mentions these nanus; Luke xxi, 7). At the last supper Peter
ei ii is i" have been particularly earnest in the request that the traitor might be pointed out, expressing of course a general feeling, to which some inward con- sciousness of infirmity may have added force After the supper bis words drew out the meaning of the sig- nificant, almost sacramental acl of our Lord in washing in- disciples' feet— an occasion on which we find the same mixture of goodness and frailty, humility and deep affection, with a certain taint of self-will, which was al once hushed into submissive reverence by the
Voice Of JeSUS. Then tOO it Was that he made those re- peated protestations of unalterable fidelity, so soon to be falsified by his miserable fall. That event is, however, of such critical import in its bearings upon the charac- ter ami position of the apo-tle. that it cannot be dis- without a careful, if nol an exhaustive discus- sion. Judas had hft the guest-chamber when Peter put the question, Lord, whither goes! thou? words which modern theologians generally represent as savor- ing of idle curiosity or presumption, but in which the early fathers i as < Ihrj sostom and Augustine I recognised the utterance of love and devotion. The answer h aa a promise thai Peter should follow his Master, but accom- panied with an intimation of present unfitness in the
disciple Then came the first protestation, which < licit, d
the sharp and stem rebuke, and distinct prediction of Peter's denial (John xiii, 36-38). From comparing this account with those of the other evangelists (Matt xxvi, :;:; 35; Mark xiv. 29 31; Luke xxii. 33, 34), ii sen- ex idem that with some diversity of circumstances both the protestation and warning were thrice repeated. The tempter was to -ili all the disciples, our apostle's faith waa to be preserved from failing by the special in- tercession of ( ihrist, he being thus singled out either as the n presentative of the whole body, or, as seems more probable, because hi- character was one which had spe- cial m < i of supernatural aid. Mark, as usual, records two points which enhance the force of the warning and