The Two Peters In The Bible

The Preacher’s Passionate Appeal

The preacher, a stout man in a dark suit, his white shirt collar now darkened with perspiration, stood behind the pulpit, his voice resonating through the large sanctuary. His brow glistened, sweat streaming down his face, which he frequently wiped with a well-worn handkerchief. He pounded his fist against the solid oak of the pulpit, the impact echoing through the sanctuary, punctuating his words with a force that shook the dust from the rafters. “There are two Peters in the Bible,” he thundered, “one cowered before a mere servant girl by the fire, denying Christ three times!” The congregation sat on the edge of their pews, eyes wide, breaths held. The preacher paused, dabbing his forehead again, then continued with a voice that grew in intensity and conviction. “But after Pentecost, another Peter stood bold and fearless, preaching to thousands!” His eyes blazed with a holy fire. “We need the baptism of the Spirit, a second blessing, if we are to be bold like Peter!” The air seemed electric, charged with the palpable anticipation of the faithful, each word drawing them closer to a fervent longing for the transformative power of the Holy Spirit.

Recollecting the Oratory Skills of My Pastor

My old pastor had such a way with words, I could listen to him for hours. He had such a mastery of communication, he could have you laughing one minute then crying the next. We used to say, Steve could read the ingredients off a cereal box and people would answer the altar call. In the midst of Steve’s persuasive speech, I found myself accepting what he said carte blanche.

Growing in Wisdom and Critical Thinking

Today I am a little older, and I hope, a little wiser. I still have mad respect for Steve and the crucial role that he played in my life. However, I found myself starting to dismantle some of the overly simplified doctrines of those days in a Pentecostal church.

Revisiting the Apostle Peter’s Pre-Pentecost Character

Take the former example I have already given of the Apostle Peter. Back in the day, we would condense all of Peter’s personality, fears, anxieties, bravery, and boldness into two categories that complemented our theology. For example, a Pentecostal preacher would look at Peter before Acts 2’s “baptism in the Spirit” and paint him as a disciple of Jesus “in the flesh.” They would say things like “before Peter’s BAPTISM IN THE HOLY GHOST, he was a carnal Christian. Peter rebuked Jesus for predicting his death on the cross (Matthew 16:21-23). He fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:40-41). Peter lashed out in rage and cut off a servant’s ear (John 18:10-11). Peter even denied Jesus to a little girl during the crucifixion account (Matthew 26:69-75). Peter is a carnal Christian, fighting against God’s will, acting out in anger, and living with a spirit of fear. But after his BAPTISM IN THE HOLY GHOST, Peter obeys the heavenly vision to preach to the Gentiles, he stands up fearless in Acts 2 to proclaim Jesus’ resurrection, and in Acts 4 Peter does not fall asleep after persecution but prays and thanks God he is worthy to suffer.”

Uncovering the Overlooked Stories of Peter

That kind of thing sounds really good until you realize there are lots of stories left out of this account. Let’s look at other stories of the Apostle Peter, prior to the Baptism of the Spirit. Peter displayed his humility, submission, and repentant heart after Jesus performed a miracle in his boat (Luke 5:8-10). Peter was recorded for having tremendous faith as the only disciple, and only human for that matter (outside of Jesus), to walk on water (Matthew 14:28-29). When Jesus said some unpopular things about eating flesh and drinking blood, causing many to desert Him, Peter declared his loyalty to Jesus’ kingdom, saying, ‘Where else can we go? You alone have the words of life’ (John 6:67-69). Peter was the only disciple, prior to the resurrection, who confessed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God, which required tremendous courage as it was treasonous to the Romans and blasphemous to the Jews (Matthew 16:16-17).

Examining Peter’s Post-Pentecost Life

How about Peter after the baptism of the Spirit, is Peter more “moral,” is he braver, holier, more sanctified? Do we suddenly lack stories of Peter’s carnality after the supposed “baptism of the Spirit”? Well, NO. Peter is still a guy; Peter is still in need of sanctification. There is a famous account of Peter in Galatians 2 eating with Gentiles. Suddenly his Jewish buddies show up and Peter does not want his Jewish buddies to see him eating with Gentiles. So Peter shrinks back and removes himself from the presence of the Gentiles. Paul is enraged by this and rebukes him openly before all. Peter’s hypocrisy would likely scar both Jewish and Gentile consciences, and at worst split the church over purity laws that were fulfilled in Jesus.

The Allure and Reality of Instantaneous Sanctification

Each of us is carrying something. Someone reading this may be wrestling with fear and sharing the gospel with their neighbor; others reading this may be wrestling with anger or lethargic behavior in their Christian faith. What makes this doctrine really attractive is the instantaneous microwavable sanctification. The promise that “all you need is the baptism of the Spirit, and all your problems will go away” is something we all want to believe.

However, if we think critically about this, even for a moment, the argument just falls apart. I have met, I am sure you have too, dozens of tongue-talkers who have no problem using their tongues to gossip. I have met more than one pastor who loves to “backa-de-BoSHO” on stage, and commit adultery on his wife behind closed doors. Unfortunately, the gift of tongues does not magically solve all the problems of the Christian life.

The Call to Faithfulness and Perseverance

Beloved, if you are wrestling with sin, there is nothing wrong with praying that God would supernaturally and instantaneously remove this burden from your life. He may, in fact, do that! I have seen drug addicts go sober after one prayer. However, we are called to be faithful in our mortification of sin through the normative means of grace, awaiting the day that Christ once and for all removes this sin from our lives. It may be weeks, months, or years of wrestling with fear or pride; it looks like it was that way with Peter. And it was Peter’s responsibility, much like ours, to confess our sins to one another, repent of our sins to Jesus, and purify our souls through the normative means of grace, such as God’s word, fellowship with the saints, communion, and prayer.

While the allure of an instant, supernatural solution to our struggles is appealing, the reality of the Christian journey involves continuous growth and reliance on God’s grace. Like Peter, we are called to perseverance, humility, and faithfulness. The transformative power of the Holy Spirit is indeed real, at times we encounter this power in ordinary means, and at other times we encounter this in extraordinary ways. Let us seek the Spirit’s empowerment, not as a quick fix, but as a lifelong companion in our pursuit of holiness and Christlikeness.

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