IO
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
January, 1939
7 Peters Ten Spiritual Crises
PART I S IMON PETER is doubtless, for the rank and file of Christians, one of the best known and best loved of all Bible characters. Peter’s name is mentioned in the Gospels and The Acts at least 170 times, while John’s occurs less than thirty times. Man of action, and man of the loving heart, Peter was, so to speak, the first member of the Christian church, the first leader, the first pastor; he was a prophet, a Bible writer, a fisher of men, a sinner saved by grace. Our Lord commissioned Peter to strengthen the brethren. As the Sunday-school world will study again his life and letters in these opening months of 1939, Peter will continue this work of strengthening the brethren. How was Peter himself strengthened? What was the secret of his life of victory? Christians often think of themselves as like Peter in his frailties. Have we learned his secret of victory? Meeting the Master means a miracle. This is the secret of Simon’s transformation into Peter. When Peter was introduced to the Lord Jesus, the Lord introduced Peter to his own inner self, and made that great decla ration which was a proph ecy of what He would do with Simon Peter; "Jesus looked upon him, and said, Thou art Simon the son of John; thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by in terpretation, Peter)” (John 1:42, R. V.; cf, A. V., ‘A stone’). How did this transformation take place? There was the divine side, and there was * President, Columbia Bible College.
among many Christians in supposing that Saul of Tarsus, as an unsaved persecutor of the church, was typical of all Israelites. Men were always saved by grace through faith, and when Christ came those who in Old Testament times had turned to God in faith and were born of the Spirit, imme diately received Jesus as the Christ, just as Simeon did. If this is true, then Simon Peter's first crisis was his childhood faith. Jewish children in devout Jewish homes, like children in devout Christian homes, were taught the Word of God from their infancy. But they were not bom saved. There came a time when a decision was made. Again, every Jewish boy became a "son of the law” at thirteen. This was an im portant crisis in the life of a Jewish boy. In the case of Saul and other unsaved Is raelites, it was an outward thing. But it was intended to be a great spiritual expe rience, a boy’s outward confession before the world of that childhood faith that was his. The judgment of most scholars is that
the human side. As we study Peter’s expe riences before the cross and after the cross there may be noticed ten great spiritual crises in his life. Before the cross, it is probable that there were seven of these crises, although only four of them are definitely mentioned in Scripture. These crises before the cross center around his conversion, his call to discipleship, his great confession. Peter's Early Experience of Saving Faith We are introduced to Peter in the Gos pels when Andrew "findeth first his own brother Simon,” and "brought him unto Jesus” (John 1:41, 42, R. V.). This event is often spoken of sis Peter’s conversion, but it seems altogether likely that there were three definite spiritual crises or de cisions in Simon Peter’s life before he was brought by his brother into the personal presence of the Messiah-Saviour. Like Timothy, Peter from a child had known the Scriptures. So had Saul of Tar
Peter was a disciple of John the Baptist, as his brother Andrew was. All earnest Jews who w ere looking for the consolation of Israel had an opportu nity to accept God’s proph et when John the Baptist made the announcement that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. The ac ceptance of John and
Messages for Teachers of the International Sunday-School Lessons
Around the world, Peter’s life and message is to be the theme for countless Sunday-school classes in these opening three months of 1939. Dr. McQuilkin’s current article and the second installment to appear next month will give Christian leaders new insight into the very meaning of Peter’s life and influence—his vital relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. (Please see also pages 13 and 23 of this issue.)
sus. Did Peter belong to the group who were Israelites indeed, like Nathanael, like Zacharias and Elisabeth, Simeon and Anna, or did he belong to the group of Pharisees, who rejected Christ and hated and perse cuted the Christians? There is confusion
of his message constituted a real decision. Those who received John the Baptist were friendly with Christ. Those Jewish leaders who rejected Christ had first of all rejected John the Baptist. [Continued on page 14]
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