Posts Tagged ‘Acts 4:8-13’

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Br. Curtis Almquist

Confession of Peter

Acts 4:8-13
1 Peter 5:1-4
Matthew 16:13-19

In the calendar of the church we remember today the confession of Peter. We could ask, which confession, because we know of at least three confessions. We learn in this Gospel lesson appointed for today that Peter was the first of Jesus’ followers to confess Jesus as the Messiah. So it is, the word “confession” is a declaration of what someone knows to be true. Peter makes a confession of faith, a personal affirmation.[i]

But then comes Peter’s repudiation. After having traveled the way with Jesus throughout Galilee, having witnessed and shared in Jesus’ closest confidences and in his miraculous ministry, Peter stands with his fellow disciples while Jesus is being crucified. Peter is identified as a companion of Jesus, which Peter publicly denies. Peter confesses that he does not even know Jesus.[ii] Peter feigns to simply be a spectator. So we have Peter’s two discordant confessions: first an affirmation, then a repudiation. Read More