The first miracle after Pentecost was wrought by Peter (Acts iii) ; and John was joined with him in that, as in most important acts of his ministry; but it was Peter who took the cripple by the hand, and bade him " in the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and walk," and when the people ran together to Solomon's porch, where the apostles, following their Master's example, were wont to teach, Peter was the speaker : he convinces the people of their sin, warns them of their danger, points out the fulfilment of prophecy, and the special objects for which God sent his Son first to the children of the old covenant. This speech is at once strikingly characteristic of Peter and a proof of the fundamental harmony between his teaching and the more developed and systematic doctrines of Paul ; differing in form, to an extent utterly incompatible with the theory of Baur and Schwegler touching the object of the writer of the Acts ; identical in spirit, as issuing from the same source. The boldness of the two apostles, of Peter more espe- cially as the spokesman, when "filled with the Holy Ghost" he confronted the full assembly headed by An- nas and Caiaphas, produced a deep impression upon those cruel and unscrupulous hypocrites : an impression enhanced by the fact that the words came from com- paratively ignorant and unlearned men. The words spoken by both apostles, when commanded not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus, have ever since been the watchwords of martyrs (iv, 19, 20).
This first miracle of healing was soon followed by the first miracle of judgment. The first open and deliber- ate sin against the Holy Ghosts — a sin combining ambi- tion, fraud, hypocrisy, and blasphemy — was visited by death, sudden and awful as under the old dispensation. Peter was the minister in that transaction. As he had first opened the gate to penitents (Acts ii, 37, 38), he now closed it to hypocrites. The act stands alone, with- out a precedent or parallel in the Gospel; but Peter acted simply as an instrument, not pronouncing the sen- tence, but denouncing the sin, and that in the name of his fellow-apostles and of the Holy Ghost. Penalties similar in kind, though far different in degree, were in- flicted or commanded on various occasions by Paul. Peter appears, perhaps in consequence of that act. to have become the object of a reverence bordering, as it
PETER
would seem, on superstition (Arts v. 15), while the nn- merous miracles of healing wrought about the same time, showing the true character of the power dwelling in the apostles, gave occasion to the second persecution. Peter then came in contact with the nobles! and most interesting character among the Jews, the learned and liberal tutor "i Paul, Gamaliel, whose caution, gentle- ness, and dispassionate candor standout in Btrong relief contrasted with his colleagues, but make a faint im- pression compared with the steadfast and uncompromis- ing principles of the apostles, who, after undergoing an illegal scourging, went f. >rt 1l rejoicing that they were counted worthy to sutler shame for the name of Jesus. Peter is not specially named in connection with the ap- pointment of deacons, an important step in the organi- zation of the Church; but when the Gospel was Bret preached beyond the precincts of Judaea, he and John were at once Bent by the apostles to confirm the eon- verts at Samaria, a very important statement at tliis
critical point, proving clearly his subordination to the whole body, of which he was the most active and able member.
Dp to this time it may be said that the apostles had one great work. viz. to convince the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah; in that work Peter was the master builder, the whole structure rested upon the doctrines of which he was the principal teacher; hitherto no words but his are specially recorded by the writer of the Acts. Henceforth he remains prominent, hut not ex- clusively prominent, anion-- the propagators of the Gos- pel. At Samaria he and John established the precedent for the most important rite not expressly enjoined in Holy Writ, viz. confirmation, which the Western Church has always held to belong exclusively to the functions of bishops as successors to the ordinary powers of the apostolate. Then also l'eter was confronted with Simon MagUS, the first teacher of heresy. Sec Simon M iGUS. As in the case of Ananias ho had denounced the lirst
sin against holiness, so in ibis case he lir^t declared the
penalty due to the sin called after Simon's name. About time year- later (comp. Acts ix. 26 and Gal. i. 17. 18) we have two accounts of the lirst meeting of Peter ami Paul In the Aits it is stated generally that Said was at first districted by the disciples, ami received by the apostles upon the recommendation of Barnabas. Prom the Galatians we learn that Paul went to Jerusalem especially to see l'eter; that he abode with him fifteen
days, and that .lames was the only Other apostle present at the time. It is important to note that this account, which, while it establishes the independence of Paul,
marks the position of Peter as the most eminent of the apostles, rests not on the authority of the writer of the Acts, but on that of Paul as if it were intended to ob- viate all possible misconceptions touching the mutual relation- of the apostles ol the Hebrews and the Gentiles. This interview was preceded by other events marking Peter's position- a general apostolical tour of visitation to the churches hitherto established (Supxo/ievov Sid iravrwv, A. is ix,32), in the course of which two gnat miracle, were wrought on /Eneas and Tabitha, and in connection with which the most signal transaction after