My Name Is Peter...
Reflections on Faith, Failure, and Forgiveness
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I am Simon, also known as Peter, a name given by our Lord Jesus, which means 'rock'. Once a simple fisherman from Bethsaida, I was called by Jesus to be a fisher of men. My life has been a tumultuous journey of faith, marked by both great victories and profound failures.
I was born in Bethsaida, a village in Galilee, and spent my early years in the trade of fishing, along with my brother Andrew. Our lives took a pivotal turn the day Jesus called us to follow Him. Leaving our nets, we embarked on a journey that would forever change us. “And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” (Luke 5:10, KJV)
Walking with Jesus, I witnessed countless miracles and heard teachings that revealed the very heart of God. I was there when the blind received sight, when the lame walked, and when the hungry were fed. In those moments, I knew I was in the presence of someone far greater than a mere teacher or prophet.
My journey with Jesus was not without its stumbles. I often acted impulsively, spoke hastily, and learned slowly. My desire to be near Jesus was genuine, but my understanding of His mission was initially clouded by my expectations of a political Messiah who would liberate Israel from Roman rule.
Perhaps the most harrowing moment of my life was my threefold denial of Jesus on the night of His arrest. The bitter tears I wept upon realizing my failure are etched in my memory. “And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.” (Luke 22:61, KJV)
Yet, in His infinite mercy and grace, Jesus restored me. After His resurrection, He asked me three times if I loved Him, mirroring my three denials, and each time He entrusted me with the care of His flock. “He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?... Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” (John 21:17, KJV)
As a leader in the early Church, I experienced the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and witnessed the growth of the Church amidst persecution and trials. My journey took me from Jerusalem to various parts of the Roman Empire, proclaiming the Gospel with boldness and fervor.
The Gospel of Mark, as tradition holds, reflects my eyewitness account and preaching, offering a vivid portrayal of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. My testimony was always Christ-centered, focusing on His divinity, His saving work, and His call to repentance and faith.
My earthly pilgrimage concluded in Rome, where I faced martyrdom under Emperor Nero. Tradition holds that I was crucified upside down, considering myself unworthy to die in the same manner as my Lord.
To all who follow Christ, I leave my story as a testament to God’s unending grace and forgiveness. In my weaknesses, His strength was made perfect. In my failures, His mercy was abundant. May you be encouraged to walk in faith, even amidst trials and setbacks. Remember, our faith is in a risen Savior, who calls us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
In the love and service of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Peter, an Apostle and servant of the Gospel.
You talk about the episode in John 21:15-17 where Jesus is confronting Peter. In this they use two Greek words for love, Agape and Philia, in a powerful juxtaposition. Most scholars will say that Jesus was trying to encourage Peter to rise to the level of the Godly type of Agape love, but Peter could not get above the friendship Philia love.
I think we could review this perspective. It was about two weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, that he called the Apostles out of their fishing boat to have breakfast with him on the beach: "When they had finished breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Johnas, do you love (Agape) me more than these?" Peter told him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love (Philia) you. "Jesus told him, "Feed my lambs." Then he asked him a second time, "Simon, son of Johnas, do you love (Agape) me?" Peter told him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love (Philia) you." Jesus told him, "Take care of my sheep." He asked him a third time, "Simon, son of Johnas, do you love (Philia) me?" Peter was deeply hurt that he had asked him a third time, "Do you love (Philia) me?" So, he told him, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love (Agape) you!" Jesus told him, "Feed my sheep”. (John 21:15-17)
While Agape is used in many important scriptures, it’s not strictly speaking “Godly” love, but (according to Strong’s Concordance) it’s more a general, social or moral love. In comparison, Philia is a more personal and intimate love, between friends. When Jesus first asked Peter if he loved him, in the social love of Agape, Peter responded with “I love you like a personal friend” with Philia. Jesus then repeated what he said, and Peter responded the same way. Then Jesus asked him a third time, but this time he used the word Philia. We are told that Peter was deeply hurt that he had asked him a third time, "Do you love (Philia) me?" Was this because Jesus asked Peter three times, reminding him of the three denials of Jesus just a few days before, or was it because Jesus questioned the genuineness of his Philia friendship?
The fact that Peter was so grieved at this third question, could imply that Jesus was asking Peter if he really was his friend. If this is the case, then we can see that Peter’s reply is his stricken understanding of Jesus’ deep insight into Peter’s mindset. It seems that Peter realized that he could not be truly considered to be Jesus’ Philia friend, but Peter did, however, love him in the social Agape sense.
Peter responded to the first two questions by saying “Yes, Lord, you know that I love (Philia) you”. It’s as if he’s saying, “of course Lord, I love you in the social Agape way, because you know that I love you as my close Philia friend”. Jesus then questions his friendship, and Peter is distraught. But in his amazing capacity to come back, Peter quickly realized that Jesus was teaching him the lesson, that God accepted and loved (Agape) him, even though Peter had failed him as his friend (Philia).