CLOSING SCENES OF A RIGHTEOUS MINISTRY

"The Gospel is the fulfillment of all hopes, the perfection of all philosophy, the interpreter of all revelations, and a key to all the seeming contradictions of truth in the physical and moral world."

Peter's Character.

Many years have passed since Peter met Jesus, and was told that he should be called "Cephas which is by interpretation, a Stone." Little did Peter realize then, why the Lord desired to have this fisherman's character become as a rock. Little did he realize what mighty responsibility his Master desired to place upon him. But the years that have intervened have been filled with wonderful experiences, all of which tended to make Peter not only the Rock-man Christ had desired him to become, but the great leader and chief apostle in the Church of Christ.

Fearlessness, faithfulness, prayerfulness, humility, and an untiring zeal in his efforts to instruct and to bless the people are traits of Peter's character that shine out in his life.

We should be reminded, however, that this rock character was not formed all at once. It grew gradually. You remember how Jesus, watching its formation, reproved Peter's weaknesses, commended his strength, and encouraged him, time after time, to remain true to the work as a "fisher of men."

A "Fisher of Men."

We have now reached that period in his life when this man who at one time pulled nets full of fishes from the sea of Galilee can look back over his years of ministry and see numberless nets full of men, women, and children drawn from the sea of ignorance and sin and put safely in the Church of Christ.

There was this difference, however, between the results of his fishing for fish and his fishing for men: The fish he dragged from the element of life to physical death; the men he drew from the element of death to eternal life.

For five years after his deliverance from the third imprisonment, Peter continued his visits from city to city, province to province, preaching the Word of the Lord. During many of these travels, he was, undoubtedly, accompanied by his faithful wife.

Opened Door to Gentiles.

It had been Peter's duty and privilege to preach the Gospel first to the Gentiles. Please note that when the Lord desired the Gentiles to hear His word, He instructed the Chief of the Twelve to turn the key that opened the Gospel door to them. This is one of the special duties of the Apostleship.

Christians.

Since that time, many Gentiles had become converted; and in some cities they met and worshiped together with the Jews. This was particularly true in Antioch, an important city of Syria where the followers of Jesus were first called Christians.

But there were certain men from Judea who went to Antioch and caused trouble. These were Jews who had accepted the Gospel, but who still believed that the Gentiles would have to do everything the Jews did before they could obtain salvation.

Peter Justifies the Gentiles.

The question as to whether the Gentiles might receive the Gospel and be saved, without conforming to every Jewish rite, came before the Twelve and other Church leaders in Jerusalem.

"And when there had been much disputing, Peter arose up, and said unto them:

"Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the work of the Gospel and believe.

"And God, who knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;

"And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith."

He then told them not to provoke God by passing some rule that would compel the Gentiles to do what the Lord does not require of them. For, he added, "We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved, even as they."

Upholds the Right.

There was a time when Simon, the Jewish fisherman, with all his Jewish prejudices, would have rather yielded to the Jewish side of this question; but now, it was not Simon, the fisherman, who spoke, but Peter, the chief apostle of the Lord. What were prejudices to him in the light of the inspiration of truth! All that was necessary for him to know was, whether the thing was right, and prejudice or no prejudice, favor or no favor, he would defend it.

It is true that once after this council, so Paul says.^[1] Peter withdrew from the company of some Gentiles because some of the Jews came down from Jerusalem. Paul says he rebuked Peter for his actions on this occasion; but we have no record of what Peter said or did. Knowing Peter as we do, we are safe in concluding that he did not intentionally waver from the right. It seems more probable that Paul misunderstood Peter's motives. At any rate, we may rest assured that what Peter said and did was intended to help those who were influenced by his actions.

Visits All Churches.

From that time, we know very little of Peter's travels. By reading his epistles, we get a little insight into the nature of his labors and travels during the last years of his life. Undoubtedly, he visited every country where there were organized branches of the Church, even to the "seven churches in Asia."

Thirty-five Years' Service.

We do not know just where he died, nor the kind of death he suffered; but it is evident that the end was not far off when he wrote his second epistle to the churches. That was about thirty-five years after he first met the Savior. He was in the ministry then, approximately thirty-five years, perhaps longer.

Referring to the prophecy of the Lord on the shore of Galilee, the aged apostle, writing to the Saints and urging them to be true to the Gospel, said:

"Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me. Moreover, I will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance."

Some of the earliest Christian writers tell us that Peter and Paul were both imprisoned in Rome during the terrible persecutions of the Saints under the wicked King Nero.

A Legend.

There is a story told that before Nero had imprisoned Peter, the Saints, perceiving the danger he was in, pleaded with him to leave Rome.

Very reluctantly, he yielded to their entreaties, and escaped from the city, by night. As he was going away, he met the Lord carrying His cross, and going toward Rome. "Master, whither art thou going?" asked Peter. "To Rome, to be crucified a second time," was the reply.

Thinking that if his Lord could be crucified a second time for the Truth, he too, would be willing to die for in, he returned to Rome, and some time later, was condemned by the Emperor Nero to suffer death by crucifixion. As he neared the place of execution, however, Peter asked that he be permitted to hang on the cross with his head downwards, which request was granted.

These circumstances are more or less legendary, and may or may not be true; but this we know that whatever the manner or time of his death Simon Peter died true to every trust that his Lord and Master had given him

"He has done the work of a true man,—
Crown him, honor him, love him.
Weep over him, tears of woman,
Stoop manliest brows above him!
No duty could overtake him,
No need his will outrun;
Or ever our lips could ask him.
His hands the work had done."

Footnotes:

1. Gal. 2:7.