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Pearls from Peter Part 2

TruthTalks: Pearls from Peter: Part 2

Pearls from Peter Part 2

In this TruthTalks episode, Dr Christopher Peppler looks at the various ways Peter uses stones to illustrate important biblical principles. Did you know that YOU are a small stone that forms part of a huge temple?

The book of Peter also references a tree. Why a tree? What is the symbolism here? Listen to the podcast to find out.

If you missed Part 1 of the Pearls from Peter series, no problem, just click HERE and listen to it now, otherwise please go ahead and press the play button below to listen to this weeks episode.

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Pearls from Peter: Part 2

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1 Peter 2:4-5  ‘As you come to him, the living Stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him, you also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ’.

First Reflection

Have you seen those gravity-defying, creative little stone pillars where a large stone balances on the point of a small stone, and then a succession of variously shaped stones continues upwards? Well, Peter’s use of the stone analogy is the very top of a biblical word-pillar. King David laid the foundational stone in Psalm 118:22 when he wrote that the coming Messiah would be ‘the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’. The prophet Isaiah expanded on this withfor both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall’ (Isaiah 8:14). Then he added to this in Isaiah 28:16 ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed’. Much later, Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22, and then Paul cited Isaiah in Romans 9:33. And then came Peter’s analogy in 1 Peter 2:4-5

The older I get, the more I realise how the Lord Jesus Christ is either a stumbling stone that people trip over to their eternal detriment or the foundation stone of a life-pillar that reaches to Heaven. Jesus said to the disbelievers of his day that “he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces…” (Matthew 21:4). Most unbelievers seem quite happy to listen to Christians talking about ‘God’, but their toes get bruised when we talk about salvation only in and through Jesus. Their toes get bruised because they stumble over the idea that Jesus is the only foundation of God-given spiritual life. Equally, Christians who try to build their faith-pillar on anything other than Jesus and his revelation of the Godhead run the risk of toppling their tenuous tower.

Second Reflection

Peter adds something important to the analogy when he adds the word ‘living’… Jesus is THE living stone, and we are living stones built into a spiritual temple. So the analogy expands from a stone to a stone temple, a living stone temple made of eternally alive beings and with the source of life, Jesus Christ, as its foundation stone. In an inspired leap of understanding, Peter expands the analogy into a temple full of priests offering spiritual sacrifices. The stone Temple of Jerusalem was a physical model of the spiritual reality, the church. The sacrificial system was a physical depiction of the true spiritual substitution and atonement of Jesus, the lamb of God.  The priests and their praises and service stood for Jesus-followers of all ages right through into eternity. It says something about our personal value, calling and destiny. It also says something about the church throughout time, continent and community.

1 Peter 2:24 ‘He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.’

Third Reflection

I am sure you will have noted the strange use of the word ‘tree’ when the cross is so obviously presented. In the book of Acts Luke also uses the word tree instead of cross. Why is this?

During one of my visits to Jerusalem, I visited a place where some of the original objects referenced in scripture were on display. They showed us an ancient threshing machine that had been excavated, a stone disk used to seal an ancient tomb, and so on. They also showed us how in biblical times, men were sometimes crucified on an actual tree and not a constructed wooden cross. It is unlikely that this would have been applied to Jesus because the Romans routinely used a vertical pillar to which a cross beam was attached. Furthermore, we know that Jesus was made to carry that cross beam all the way to Golgotha. No, the use of the word tree in reference to the cross of crucifixion must go deeper than that.

In Galatians 3:13, Paul referred to Jesus’ death on the cross as the act that broke the curse of sin and death. He wrote, ‘Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit’.  He referenced Deuteronomy 21:3, but the tree goes back in time to the very source of the curse, the tree in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge and thus lost the right to eat from the Tree of Life. They relied on the word of Satan instead of the word of God, rebelled against the Most High, and in their actions declared that they wanted to be gods. This was the source of the curse that separated all men and women from the presence, life, and knowledge of God.

Now, in Jesus and his atoning death, all who repent of rebellion, take God at his word once again, and confess Jesus as Lord, can request and receive a new spiritual life (New birth). The curse of death is broken and the blessing of eternal life imparted. Thus, in the book of Revelation, there is a symbolic depiction of the New Jerusalem (Heaven come to Earth), which reads:

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever’ (Revelation 22:1-5).

Fourth Reflection

Oh how the words ‘by his wounds you have been healed’ have been abused in our times.

This is a reference to Isaiah 53:5-6 ‘But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all’. The context of both Peter and Isaiah is the penalty borne by the Messiah Jesus for our sin of rebellion and disobedience. Despite this, a large portion of the modern church has interpreted the texts as a warrant for healing on demand. They claim that physical healing is in the atonement and therefore ours to enjoy in the same way that we enjoy our ‘saved’ status. “By his stripes I am healed!” has become an often-heard mantra in much of the Pentecostal and Charismatic world. But since when are we permitted to lift texts out of their inspired context, and since when may we claim or demand our salvation as if we had a right to it?!

However, and it might surprise you hearing me say this, in a sense bodily healing is ‘in the atonement’. Here is how I see it. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God and aspired to his status, they died spiritually. God’s warning to them was clear and unambiguous (Genesis 3:3). They were cast out of the Garden of Eden and thus out of God’s presence. This is why Paul reminded his followers that before receiving the grace of God in Christ Jesus, they ’were dead in your transgressions and sins’ (Ephesians 2:1). When we are born again of the Holy Spirit, we are made alive spiritually. The original death/spiritual separation from God was instant and affected the whole human race, and the new birth is also instant. Once born again, we are then transformed over time into the likeness of Jesus, and this takes the rest of our lives on this planet. In the Resurrection, we will be restored to full physical functionality.

Salvation is thus instant spiritually, progressive mentally, and eventual physically. In this sense, then, physical healing is part of our salvation, but it is only guaranteed when we enter the New HeavenEarth of resurrection glory. Healing in this life is a gift of grace and not a right. We ask to be healed and we ask for others to be healed (Gift of the Spirit), and the Lord manifests his grace as he sees fit.

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TruthTalks: Pearls from Peter: Part 1

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Are you on-board the Pearls from Peter train yet? If not, catch up now by listening to the audio version of Part 1 below.

You can also find the original article HERE, so hop on. Until next time, Admin

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Pearls from Peter: Part 1

I have had positive feedback on the Jewels from John series and so I am starting a new series along similar lines. The focus is once again on reflection rather than exposition. I emphasise what I perceive the Holy Spirit as saying rather than how we intellectually process the text. I will be selecting passages from Peter’s first letter.

This is not going to be a long series as I am planning something new and, for me, challenging … more about this soon.

1 Peter 1:1-2

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.”

First Reflection

This is Peter’s opening greeting to churches all over what is now Turkey. It is a complex salutation containing several profound ideas such as elect, strangers in the world, foreknowledge, sanctifying, and sprinkling by his blood.  All this from someone we know from the Gospels was a fisherman! Yet the way he writes, and what he writes in this letter, doesn’t sound much like a simple fisherman. However, from the church’s earliest days, all theologians and historians have determined that the letter was indeed written by Peter the Apostle. So, how can we account for the apparent anomaly of such wisdom from a ‘mere’ fisherman?

The Gospel authors portray Peter as impulsive and outspoken. For instance, his bold confession of Jesus as the Christ (Matthew 16:16) and his impulsive actions like his attempt to walk on water (Matthew 14:22–31), not to mention vehement rebuking Jesus (Mark 8:33). He seems to have had a passionate, though sometimes rash, temperament.  Later, in Acts, Peter emerged as a prominent leader. At Pentecost (Acts 2), he delivered a powerful evangelistic sermon. He led the early church and evidenced growth into a mature, authoritative figure. Yet, he was bold but quite harsh and judgmental in the way he handled people like Ananias and Saphira.  Even Paul had to rebuke him for compromising his position when the Jewish legalists challenged him (Galatians 2). Peter became a strong leader, but still had some issues and characteristics that Jesus would not have approved of. However, there is no evidence or indication that he had developed into a profound thinker and sophisticated communicator. Yet the letter of 1 Peter evidences both. What do you think happened to this man that changed him so?

As I reflect on this, I offer the following: Peter had walked with Jesus under his direct and constant instruction and grooming. He had been filled with a powerful anointing from the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. In the early days of the church he was flawed in several ways, yet when he wrote his letter he was decidedly changed. Why? Well, he was now in his sixties and had experienced many years of transformation. Paul describes this process as follows: ‘Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.’ Peter had slowly been transformed to be more like Jesus. In his later years he had also learned sound doctrine from the Holy Spirit through prayer, reflection, and study.

I love Peter because the record of his life and witness gives me so much encouragement. He was flawed and so am I; the Lord was gracious to him so he will also be towards me; He grew into the likeness of Jesus and I am too, albeit slowly.

Second Reflection

The word ‘elect’ in the above translation of 1 Peter 1:2 is theologically loaded, but I don’t need to consider it in this reflection. Why not? Well, although the NIV has inserted the word, it is not actually in the Greek manuscripts. The translators added it because they felt that it helped make sense of the statement. However, the HCSB translation simply says, ‘To the temporary residents of the Dispersion in the province of …’ For those unfamiliar with Reformed doctrine that God has only chosen some to be saved this difference might slip by unnoticed. The NIV tends to support this idea by the way it translates the Greek of this passage.

Should we distrust modern translations of the scriptures or do we need a D.Th to read them correctly? Neither. We have so many translations, all of them available on the internet, that we just need to read a few of them if a passage looks a little ‘out’ to us. In addition, God has given the church teachers (Ephesians 4:11-12) and we have access to them either in our local churches or in the commentaries they write. The Holy Spirit will also give us discernment if we are open to him.

I often thank God that I am living in the 21st century and have immediate access to so many sources of knowledge and understanding. I even have free access to Artificial Intelligence (My favourite is Perplexity.ai) and I can query it any time I like. Try it, The answers you get might surprise and delight you.

Third Reflection

Do you see the word ‘foreknowledge’ in 1 Peter 1:2? This is a word for another complex doctrine often tied to ‘Election’. Reformed theology holds that if God knows something in advance then it can only be because he has pre-determined that it will happen. I have never understood the convoluted logic that gives rise to this conclusion. I would think, from a common sense perspective that just if I know something will happen does not necessarily mean that I have caused it to happen, or even wanted it to happen. If I had access to the world’s most sophisticated Quantum Computer, I could probably work out to .00000001% the chance of something happening. I would be sure that it would happen, but I would also know that I did not cause it to happen. And, no, I won’t be responding to any comments by ‘concerned’ Calvinists. 🙂

Once again, as I reflect on this, I am grateful that with a little common sense we can all understand the meaning of a passage. The passage in question here is not a deep theological treatise, but an opening greeting to people who didn’t have theological degrees but who did have God-given common sense.

To summarise, read how Eugene Peterson phrases the two verses from First Peter chapter one:

‘I, Peter, am an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah, writing to exiles scattered to the four winds. Not one is missing, not one forgotten. God the Father has his eye on each of you, and has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep you obedient through the sacrifice of Jesus. May everything good from God be yours!’

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Jewels from John Part 6

TruthTalks: Jewels from John: Part 6

Jewels from John Part 6

This is the final episode of the Jewels from John TruthTalks series.

If you missed the series and would like to read or listen to it then please go to the www.truthistheword.com homepage, or directly to the Audiovisual page HERE where, for each post, you will see:

  1. A newspaper icon taking you to the original written post, and
  2. A speach bubble which, if you click on it, will play the audio version.

I hope you have enjoyed this series and watch out for the next one coming soon.

TruthIsTheWord.com is non-profit and we rely on YOU to help us spread the word, so please like, comment, subscribe and interact with us.

 

TruthTalks: Jewels from John: Part 6 Read More »

About Me

My name is Christopher Peppler and I was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1947. While working in the financial sector I achieved a number of business qualifications from the Institute of Bankers, Damelin Management School, and The University of the Witwatersrand Business School. After over 20 years as a banker, I followed God’s calling and joined the ministry full time. After becoming a pastor of what is now a quite considerable church, I  earned an undergraduate theological qualification from the Baptist Theological College of Southern Africa and post-graduate degrees from two United States institutions. I was also awarded the Doctor of Theology in Systematic Theology from the University of Zululand in 2000.

Four years before that I established the South African Theological Seminary (SATS), which today is represented in over 70 countries and has more than 2 500 active students enrolled with it. I presently play an role supervising Masters and Doctoral students.

I am a passionate champion of the Christocentric or Christ-centred Principle, an approach to biblical interpretation and theological construction that emphasises the centrality of Jesus

I have been happily married to Patricia since the age of 20, have two children, Lance and Karen, a daughter-in-law Tracey, and granddaughters Jessica and Kirsten. I have now retired from both church and seminary leadership and devote my time to writing, discipling, and the classical guitar.

If you would like to read my testimony to Jesus then click HERE.