For the average Bible reader, the authorship of 1 Peter seems easy enough. The letter opens saying it’s from “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ”. However, some critics have said that it was impossible that Peter actually wrote 1-2 Peter and that this error of authorship undermines the credibility of these books of the Bible. We will now discuss then debunk each of their common criticisms. One, critics say that Peter could not have written these letters because he was... Read more

When I was a kid, we lived in a neighborhood that had some mean dogs. If you rode your bike near their house, the mean dogs would sprint at you barking loudly and bite your leg in hopes of pulling you off your bike. In the religious world, there are some very mean, nasty, scary folks God calls “dogs” (Philippians 3:2). At some point, they come to bite all Christians, and they did the same thing to Peter, who was... Read more

My wife and I have the great blessing of godly older spiritual authority that knows us, loves us, and oversees us like mature spiritual fathers and mothers. One of these men had been faithfully serving his church for decades when the time of transition came. Wanting to learn as much as I could from the succession, I jumped on a plane to spend a few days with our pastor and his successor. The handoff was as smooth as an Olympic... Read more

One of the great points of division between Catholic and Protestant Christians is interpreting something Jesus said to Peter. In Matthew 16:16-19, Jesus spoke of a “rock” that He would build His church upon. Catholic theologians argue that Peter is the rock. Protestant theologians argue that Jesus is the rock and Peter’s confession of that fact is the foundation of true Christianity. The conclusion that Jesus Christ is the Rock upon which the church is founded is common in Scripture.... Read more

Like most relationships, the way we make a new friend is often by an old friend introducing us to someone they know but we do not. The same is true of what Christians call evangelism. In its simplest form, evangelism is someone who is friends with Jesus introducing a friend to Jesus so that they can be a friend group together with Jesus. Peter was first introduced to Jesus by his brother Andrew (John 1:41). Not long after, Jesus personally... Read more

In Peter, we see a run-of-the-mill, shockingly normal Christian disciple. Someone who really loves Jesus. Someone who really sins. Someone with whom God is really patient as they grow and mature, taking two steps forward then one step back, never near perfect but heading North as a general rule. Religious folks are a bit shocked that Jesus picked Peter as the leader of early Christianity. But, for the rest of us who know we are a mess for our Messiah,... Read more

“…behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” –Jesus and Peter’s conversation in Luke 22:31-32 Sometimes, it can be hard to identify with the characters in the Bible because they seem so flawless and perfect. That is not the case with Peter. The one believer in the Bible that is perhaps the most imperfect... Read more

When our kids were little, we would tell them about Heaven. Grace’s dad was a pastor who passed away when the kids were still young. After grandpa Gib went to be with Jesus, our kids had a lot of questions about what it would be like in eternity when we got our perfect resurrection bodies, Heaven and Earth came together, and everything and everyone was made whole and well forever. We explained to the kids that our day off, or... Read more