THE LAST SHALL
BE FIRST:
ST. PAUL'S
UNIQUE CALLING
By Pastor
Max Solbrekken, D.D.
St. Paul: A Prisoner of Jesus Christ
"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord;
and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, Who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. For we have this
treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God,
and not of us." (2 Cor.4: 5-7)
After his dramatic conversion and the Lord's personal
tutorage, Saul of Tarsus became a theologian of the highest degree, a great visionary and strategist for the promotion
of the Gospel of Christ. And among the most spiritual and humble of men!
He had been a self
promoter and testified that he had, "profited in the Jew's religion
above many of my equals in mine own nation."(Gal.1: 14) He had been a
proud Pharisee but was brought to his knees in the dust when Jesus Christ
arrested him! He wrote: "For we preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ
the Lord and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." He was now a
servant of Jesus and his fellow believers!
His life was radically changed and he became consumed by
Christ's Gospel. He states that Almighty God Who created the light in the
beginning has dispelled the darkness in our hearts by sending Jesus Christ to
this sinful world. The revelation of the Mystery of the Gospel that had
been hidden in God was revealed to St. Paul!
He declared: "Whereof I am made a Minister, according to
the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the Word of
God: Even the Mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations,
but now is manifest to His saints. To whom God would make known what is the
riches of the glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you
the hope of glory." (Col.1: 26, 27)
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? By faith every believer is baptized
into the Body of Christ - which is the Church - by the Holy Spirit. The Bible
states: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into the body of Christ,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all
made to drink into one Spirit." (1 Cor.12: 13) Jesus Christ comes and
lives in our hearts. He takes up residency in us!
CALLED AND CHOSEN!
As God created day and night by dividing the light from the
darkness, Jesus Christ has illuminated our beings and forced out the darkness
by residing within us through the Holy Spirit. The great Apostle declares,
"We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the
power may be of God, and not of us." Regarding Jesus Christ he states:
"In Whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."
(Col.2: 3)
The great 'Warrior of the Cross' reveals the doctrine
of the 'Mystery' and his response to it: "I am Crucified with
Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me and gave Himself for me." (Gal.2: 20)
JESUS made a statement that perfectly fits the life of St.
Paul. He stated: "So the last shall be first and the first last, for
many be called but few are chosen." (Matt. 20: 16). As an
hate-filled enemy of Christ and a religious terrorist, Saul of Tarsus
was the most unlikely candidate to spearhead the advance of the Gospel Message
among the Gentiles and to effect the unbelievable expansion of the Church across the known world!
He made a dramatic entrance onto the scene some time after
Jesus had chosen His twelve Apostles and His seventy Disciples, and even after
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church on the Day of
Pentecost. He was definitely CALLED and CHOSEN by the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself to lead the amazing and dramatic charge against the devil and
his emissaries.
The founding of Churches, the organizing and training of
Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers and Helps along with
Bishops, across the Middle East, Asia Minor and Europe was a direct result of
his MANDATE to make Christ known among the Gentiles!
ABOVE
EVERY NAME THAT IS NAMED!
St. Paul wrote: "That
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His
calling and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.
"And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to
usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He
wrought in Christ, when he raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own
right hand in the Heavenly places;
"Far above all principality, and power, and might, and
dominion, and EVERY NAME THAT IS NAMED, not only in this world
but also in that which is to come. And hath put all things under His feet, and
gave Him to be the head over all things to the Church, Which is His Body, the
fulness of Him that filleth all in all." (Eph.1: 17-23)
He stated: "But I certify you, brethren, that the
Gospel which was preached of me, is not after man. For I neither received it of
man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye
have heard of my conversation (life-style) in times past in the Jews religion how that beyond measure I
persecuted the Church of God, and wasted it.
"And profited in the Jew's religion above many of my
equals in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my
fathers. But, when it pleased God, Who separated me from my mother's womb,
and called me by His grace, to REVEAL HIS SON IN ME, that I might
preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
"Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were APOSTLES
before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then
after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see PETER, and abode with
him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, except JAMES the
Lord's brother.
"Afterwards came I into the regions of Syria and
Cilicia; and was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in
Christ: But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now
preacheth the faith which once he
destroyed. And they glorified God in me." (Gal.1: 11-24)
TO REVEAL HIS SON IN ME!
The key to the importance of St. Paul's Ministry at the very
beginning of the Christian Era is found here. He speaks about God 'revealing
His Son in me'. When someone tells you about Christ he is revealing Him To
you, but when Christ is revealed In you, He comes into you! Here is the
huge difference between preachers who only know about Christ and those really
KNOW Him intimately!
This great REVELATION helped to prepare St. Paul for the
mammoth task that laid before him. A task that would bring him heartache, pain,
beatings, scourging, imprisonment and martyrdom! A dyed-in-the-wool Pharisee
who hated believers in Christ and also despised the heathen would become the Leader
of the Church composed of mainly Gentiles.
The THREE YEARS Saul of Tarsus spent in Arabia
prepared him for the task of Church building! His theology became
Christ-centred as he pored over the Old Testament Scriptures and his spirit was
on fire with passion, love and devotion to the Crucified One, whom he had once
despised! Without doubt, our Saviour communed with him regularly, sharing with
him the amazing Plan and Purposes of
the Church which He had purchased with His own precious BLOOD!
St. Paul writes: "If ye have heard of the
dispensation of the Grace of God which is given me for you-ward: How that by
revelation He made known unto me the MYSTERY (as I wrote afore in few
words. Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the Mystery of
Christ)
THE ETERNAL PURPOSE OF
GOD!
"Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of
men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.
That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers
of His promise in Christ by the Gospel,
whereof I am made a Minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given
unto me by the effectual working of His power.
"Unto me who am less, than the least of all saints, is
this GRACE given, that I should preach among the Gentiles, the
unsearchable riches of Christ. And to make all men see what is the fellowship
of the MYSTERY, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in
God Who created all things by Jesus Christ. To the intent that now unto the
principalities and powers in Heavenly places might be known by the Church the
manifold wisdom of God,
"According to the ETERNAL PURPOSE which He
purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In Whom we have boldness and access with
confidence by faith of Him...For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom the whole family in Heaven and earth are named.
"That He would grant you, according to the riches of His
glory, to be strengthened by might in the inner man; That CHRIST MAY DWELL
IN YOUR HEARTS BY FAITH that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be
able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth,
and height; And to know the LOVE OF Christ, which passes knowledge, that
ye might be filled with all the
fullness of God.
"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Unto
Him be GLORY in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world
without end. Amen." (Eph.3: 2-21)
WHO ART THOU LORD? WHAT
DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?
Our Lord had said to Ananias: "Go thy way: for he is a
chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the
children of Israel: For I will show him how great things HE MUST SUFFER
for My Name's sake." (Acts 9: 15, 16). And testifying before
the Jews in Jerusalem, St. Paul stated: "And it came to pass, that,
as made my journey, and was come nigh
unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from Heaven a great light round
about me.
"And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying
unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest Me? And I answered, Who art Thou, Lord?
And He said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth Whom thou persecutest... And I
said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into
Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all the things which are appointed
for thee to do.
"And when I could not see for the glory of that light,
being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. And one
Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the
Jews which dwelt there, came unto me, and stood, and said unto me:
"Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And
the same hour I looked up upon him. And he said, The God of our fathers hath
chosen thee, that thou should KNOW His will and SEE that Just One, and should
HEAR the Voice of His mouth. For thou shall be His witness unto all men of what
thou hast seen and heard. And now, why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized,
and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts
22: 6-16)
St. Paul was carried into the third Heaven and saw and heard
such wonderful words that human tongue cannot articulate. (2 Cor.12: 1-5). Not
only was he given the amazing secret of God that had been hid from generations
and ages, called the "Mystery of God", but the Lord
gave him the great truth of the RAPTURE of the Church!
He writes: "But I would not have you ignorant,
brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others
which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so
them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by
the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain until the coming of
the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep.
"For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead
in Christ shall rise first: Then, we which are alive and remain shall be caught
up together with them in the clouds, to meet the lord in the air: and so shall
we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
(1 Cor.4:12-18)
PAUL TO BUILD THE CHURCH!
In His great wisdom the risen Lord Jesus Christ chose Saul of
Tarsus, a Jewish Pharisee and Roman Citizen, who was a brilliant theologian
trained under Gamaliel, to build His Church under the supervision of the
Blessed Holy Spirit! He wrote: "For through Him (Jesus Christ)
we both (Jews and Greeks) have access by one Spirit (Holy
Spirit) unto the Father.
"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners,
but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the Household of God: and are BUILT
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, JESUS CHRIST Himself
being the CHIEF CORNERSTONE; In Whom all the building (Church)
fitly framed together groweth unto an Holy Temple in the Lord. In Whom ye are
builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." (Eph.2:
18-22)
ST. PAUL again sets the record straight concerning the
Foundation upon which Christ's Church is built: "I have laid the
FOUNDATION, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take how he
buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that which is
laid, which is JESUS CHRIST.
"Now if any man build upon this foundation gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made
manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire.
And the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
"If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon,
he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer
loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye
are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man
defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is Holy,
which temple ye are." (1 Cor.3: 9-17)
ST. PAUL
WAS CALLED AND CHOSEN!
Studying the strategic moves of St. Paul's adventurous life and
missionary journeys, reveals the amazing wisdom of this rugged man as well as
the deliberate hand of God leading and directing him to the right places
and the Holy Spirit stopping and redirecting him, at other times!
In his studies under Gamaliel, his rise to prominence
as a Pharisee and a devout persecutor of believers in Jesus Christ, Saul
of Tarsus had been totally loyal to the rulers of Israel and the leaders of the
Sanhedrin. When he was arrested by the Glorified Christ in the blinding light on the Damascus Road,
he called Him LORD and immediately asked two questions! They were: "Who
are you, Lord?" and, "What do you want me to do?"
"And I said, What shall I do, Lord: And the Lord said
unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of
all things which are appointed for thee to do." (Acts 22: 10)
The amazing confrontation with Jesus Christ, the revelation
of Who Jesus of Nazareth really is and the three days of blindness, fasting and
soul searching that Saul experienced prepared him for life in the Holy Spirit
and the Christian Faith.
Some time during those three days and nights Saul of Tarsus
received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour and never looked back! Here are
the words of Holy Scripture on this matter:
"And the Lord said unto him (Ananias), rise and
go into the street called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one
called Saul of Tarsus, for, behold, he prayeth. And hath seen in a vision a man
named Ananias, coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive
his sight.
"And Ananias...said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even JESUS,
that appeared unto thee on the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou
mayest receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately
there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight
forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
"And when he had received meat, he was strengthened.
Then, was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And
straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
"And all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not
this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither
for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?
"But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded
the Jews which dwelt sat Damascus, proving This is VERY CHRIST. And
after many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him. But their
laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to
kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in
a basket.
"And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join
himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not
that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the
apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that
He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of
JESUS.
"And he was with them coming in and going out at
Jerusalem. And he spoke boldly in the name of the name of the Lord Jesus,
and disputed against the Grecians, but they went about to SLAY him. Which when
the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to
Tarsus.
"Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and
Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and
in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." (Acts 9: 11-31)
WHERE
CHRIST WAS NOT NAMED!
He wrote: "I will not dare to speak of those things
which Christ has not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word or
deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so
that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the
Gospel of Christ.
"Yea, so have I strived to preach the Gospel, not where
Christ was named, lest I should build on another man's foundation: But as it is
written, To whom He was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not
heard shall understand." (Rom. 15: 18-21)
The 'APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES' writes:
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. And that He was
buried, and that He rose from the dead according to the Scriptures:
"And that He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve;
After that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren, at once; of whom the
greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that
He was seen of James, then of all the
apostles.
"And last of all He was seen of me, also, as one born out
of due time. For I am the LEAST OF THE APOSTLES, that am not meet (qualified) to be called an apostle, because I
persecuted the Church of God, But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His
grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I LABOURED
MORE ABUNDANTLY than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was
with me. Therefore whether it were I, or they, so we preach, and so you
believed." (1 Cor.15: 3-11)
JESUS
FORETOLD PAUL'S SUFFERINGS!
St. Paul wrote: "We are troubled on every side,
yet not distressed; we are perplexed but not in despair. Persecuted but not
forsaken. Cast down but not destroyed. Always bearing about in the body, the
dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in
our body.
"For we which live are always delivered up to death for
Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal
flesh." (2 Cor.4: 8-11)
Just before his martyrdom St. Paul wrote to Timothy with this
solemn charge: "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus
Christ; Preach the WORD, be instant in season and out of season;
reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound
doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and
shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions,
do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy Ministry.
"For I am ready to be offered, and the time of my
departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I
HAVE KEPT THE FAITH: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:
and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."
(2 Tim.4: 1-8)
ST. PETER A PILLAR IN JERUSALEM!
Since St. Paul was commissioned by the Glorified Christ to
build His Church among the Gentiles, who was Simon Peter? A mighty man of God,
indeed! St. Paul refers to him as one of the pillars in the Church in Jerusalem
together with James and John:
"But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever
they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:)
for they who seemed to be to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: but
contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of uncircumcision (Gentiles) was
committed to me, as the gospel of circumcision (Jews) was unto Peter; (For
He that wrought effectively in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision,
the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles.
"And when JAMES, CEPHAS (Peter), and JOHN,
who seemed to be PILLARS, perceived the grace that was given to me, THEY
gave me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the
heathen, and they unto the circumcision...But when PETER was come to
Antioch, I WITHSTOOD HIM to the face because he was to be
blamed."
ST. PAUL CORRECTED PETER OPENLY!
"For before that came from JAMES (Pastor of
Jerusalem Church), he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were
come, he withdrew and separated himself, FEARING them which were of the
circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that
Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
"But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according
to the TRUTH of the GOSPEL, I said unto PETER before them
all, If thou being a Jew, livest after the manner of the Gentile, and not do
the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
"We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the
Gentiles. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by
the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might
be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by
the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. " (Gal.2: 6-16)
The Book of Acts records that St. Peter (Simon the son of
Jonas) became the leading spokesman after the Holy Spirit fell in the
Upper Room in Jerusalem. He was an outstanding 'Man of God' that
brought the powerful message on the Day of Pentecost that brought 3,000 souls
to Christ. (Acts 2: 14)
In Christ's name,
Peter and John healed the crippled man in front of the Beautiful Gate at the
Temple, bringing 5,000 men to Christ Jesus! (Acts 3:1) The Holy Spirit
used Peter's shadow to bring healing to the sick as he prayed for multitudes on
Jerusalem's streets! (Acts 5: 15)
Calling him a pope is a shameful characterization of such a
'Man of God' as Simon, the son of Jonas! He would be the first person
to accuse Rome of misrepresenting him
and teaching a 'Alice in Wonderland' theology!
St. Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, preached in Rome
for two years and wrote from Rome to a number of Churches, and not once is
Peter's name even mentioned. That he was the Bishop of Rome is utter nonsense
and a Roman Catholic invention, a total misrepresentation of the truth and a callous non fact.
St. Peter was an uneducated Jewish fisherman who spoke
Aramaic and Hebrew. He was sent to the Jews, while St. Paul who spoke Aramaic,
Hebrew, Greek and Roman was the man God used to build His Church among the
non-Jewish Gentiles!
As I see it, if God had not raised up Saul of Tarsus there
would not have been a Church today. It is true that St. Peter did an amazing
work among the Jews and many thousands were converted to Christ, however, the
Jews faded out of the picture to allow the Gentiles to be grafted in to the
True Vine, Jesus Christ (Romans 11).
Just ask yourself, "How many Jews are in the
Church of Jesus Christ today? Not very many! God knows the End from the Beginning! He knew that the Jewish Nation would reject Messiah Jesus and that is why He raised up Saul of Tarsus to the reach the Gentiles, who would gladly receive Him as their Lord and Saviour! O' the Wisdom of God that is beyond understanding! Praise the Lord forever and ever!
If the Pope, Cardinals and other Clergy would live by St.
Peter's teaching about Christ the Foundation of the Church and the Chief
Corner Stone, and the holiness God requires, they wouldn't have had a
culture of sexual child abuse and cover up of such gross behaviour for decades,
as charged by the United Nations!
St. Peter wrote: "Seeing ye have purified your souls
in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren,
see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being BORN AGAIN,
not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth
and abideth forever.
"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as
the flower of grass. The grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away:
But the Word of the Lord abideth forever. And this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto
you." (1 Peter 1: 22-25)
JESUS CHRIST IS THE ROCK!
St. Peter writes: "As newborn babes, desire the sincere
milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby: If so be that the Lord is
gracious; To Whom coming as unto a LIVING STONE, disallowed indeed of
men, but chosen of God, and precious. Ye also as Lively Stones, are
built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus
Christ.
"Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold
I lay in Sion, a CHIEF CORNERSTONE, elect, precious: and he that
believeth on Him shall not be offended. Unto you therefore He is precious:
but unto them which be disobedient, the Stone which the builders
disallowed, the same is made the head of the Corner, and a Stone
of stumbling, and a Rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the
Word, being disobedient, whereunto they also were appointed.
"But ye are a Chosen generation, a Royal priesthood, an
Holy nation, a peculiar (purchased) people; that ye should show forth
the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous
light." (1Peter 2: 9)
The Bible says: "Whom do men say that I the Son
of Man am? And they said, Some say that Thou art John the Baptist: some Elias;
and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, "But whom
saith ye that I am?
"And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the Living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him,
Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto
thee, but My Father which is in Heaven.
"And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter (gr. petros),
and upon this ROCK (gr. petra) I will build My Church: and
the gates of Hell shall not prevail
against it." (Matt.16: 13-18)
GET THEE BEHIND ME SATAN!
The Holy Scripture states: "From that time forth
Jesus began to show His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and
suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests and scribes, and be killed,
and be raised again on the third day.
"Then Peter took Him, and began to REBUKE HIM,
saying, Be it far from Thee Lord: this shall not be unto Thee. But He turned
and said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, SATAN: thou art an OFFENCE
unto Me: for thou savourest NOT the things that be of God, but those that be of
men." (Matt. 16: 21-24)
Immediately after our Lord Jesus commended Simon for
declaring the revelation God the Father had given him about JESUS, He was
overtaken by a spirit of pride. He actually took a hold of Jesus as you
would an unruly child and REBUKED him, saying that He didn't need to go to the
cross!
Would Jesus build His Church upon a human being whom he called
SATAN and was an OFFENCE unto Him. I don't think so! Jesus used similar
words addressing Satan in person after defeating him in the Wilderness
temptation. Here is the Holy Record on that:
"Then saith Jesus unto him, GET THEE HENCE, SATAN"
for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou
serve." (Matt. 4: 10)
St. Peter had an inherent weakness that was not found in
St. Paul or St. John. Jesus said, "You don't understand spiritual
things!" We see it where he wielded the sword in the Garden of
Gethsemane. (Luke 22: 50,51). His greatest weakness was cowardice, when He
cursed and swore denying that he even knew our Saviour!
"And as Peter
was beneath the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: And
when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou
also was with Jesus of Nazareth. But denied, saying, I know not, neither
understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock
crew.
"And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that
stood by, This is one of them. And he denied it again. And a little
after, they that stood said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of the: for
thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.
PETER BEGAN TO
CURSE & SWEAR!
"But he began to CURSE and to SWEAR, saying, I know not
this man of whom you speak. And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called
to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, you
will deny Me thrice. And when he thought thereon he wept." (Mark 14: 66-72; John 18: 15-27)
St. Luke adds a very important aspect to this tragic story:
"And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while
he yet spake the cock crew. 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. And Peter went out and WEPT
BITTERLY. " (Luke 22: 60-62)
I believe that had not JESUS turned and looked at Peter, he
may have very well gone out into the night in such remorse and guilt and looked for a tree like Judas to commit
suicide! Thank God for JESUS and the great compassion in His heart for us
all, regardless of the mistakes we all make in life!
Jesus had warned Simon the son of Jonas earlier: "And
the Lord said, SIMON, SIMON, Behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat
But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art
CONVERTED, strengthen thy brethren." (Luke 22: 31,32) Not as a Pope but a Brother to his Brethren!
PETER WAS NOT A POPE!
The Roman Catholic Church claims that St.
Peter was the first pope. That is scandalous. He did commit a serious
sin in denying Christ, but to compare him to some of the Popes down through
history is a stain on his person! When he repented and received the Holy Spirit
he became a mighty man of God!
In His warning to Peter, Jesus addressed him as SIMON!
The same is true after his restoration while appearing on the shores of the Sea
of Tiberias:
"This is now the third time that Jesus showed Himself to
His disciple, after that He was risen from the dead. So when they had dined,
Jesus said to Peter, SIMON, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He
saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him,
feed My lambs.
"He saith unto him the second time, SIMON, thou
son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him; Yea, Lord, Thou
knowest that I live Thee. He saith unto
him, Feed My sheep.
"He saith unto him the third time, SIMON, son of
Jonas, lovest thou Me? Peter was grieved because He saith unto him the
third time, Lovest thou Me? And he said unto Him, Lord, Thou knowest all
things; Thou knowest that love
Thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed My sheep." (John 21: 12-17)
PETER had denied his Lord three times and now JESUS asks him
three times if he really loved Him. He did not call him Peter. Three times He
called him by his given name SIMON!
Roman Catholic
Historian and Theologian, Peter DeRosa states: “It may jolt them
to hear that the great Fathers of the church saw no connection between it
(Matt.16:18) and the pope. Not one of them applies ‘Thou art Peter’
to anyone but Peter.
"One
after another they analyse it: Cyprian, Origen, Cyril, Hilary, Jerome, Ambrose,
Augustine. They are not exactly Protestants. Not one of them calls the Bishop
of Rome a Rock or applies to him specifically the promise of the Keys. This is
staggering to Catholics...The surprises do not stop there. For the
Fathers, it is Peter’s faith — or the Lord in whom Peter has faith —which
is called the Rock, not Peter” (Vicars of Christ, DeRosa, 24).
In Matthew
16:18, Jesus used two words for "Rock" in the original
Greek. This reveals that Jesus is NOT building His church on the "large
rock" of Peter, but on the "Rock as big as
Gibralter" (Jesus Himself).
"And I tell you, you are Peter (Greek, Petros--a large piece of
rock), and on this rock (Greek, petra--a huge rock like
Gibraltar) I will build My church, and the gates of
Hades, the powers of the infernal region shall not overpower it, or be strong
to its detriment or hold out against it." (Parallel
Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible Commentary)
Roman
Catholic Historian and Theologian Peter
DeRosa states: “We already noted that not a single Father can find any
hint of a Petrine office in the great biblical texts that refer to Peter. Papal
supremacy and infallibility, so central to the Catholic church today, are
simply not mentioned. Not a single creed, nor confession of faith, nor
catechism, nor passage in patristic writings contains one syllable about the
pope, still less about faith and doctrine being derived from him” (Vicars of Christ,
DeRosa, 206).
YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH!
JESUS SAID: "And ye shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free. If the Son therefore shall make you
free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8: 32, 36); "I am the
WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE and no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." (John
14: 6);
JESUS SAID: "Come
unto Me all ye who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matt.
11: 28); "I am the DOOR: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be
saved, and go in and out and find pasture. The thief cometh not but for
to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that that the might have life,
and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10: 9,10);
JESUS SAID: "I am the GOOD SHEPHERD: the good
shepherd giveth His life for the sheep." (John 10:11); "I am
the RESURRECTION, and the LIFE: he that believeth in Me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall
never die." (John 11: 25,26)
JESUS SAID: "Behold,
I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I
will come in unto him and sup with him and he with Me." (Rev. 3: 20).
Dear Friend, Call upon
the Name of the Lord today and you will be saved for time and eternity! Amen.
