The Sánchez Archives PETER AND PAUL Year B

By
Patricia Datchuck Sánchez

On the Shoulders of Giants

ACTS 12:1-11
2 TIMOTHY 4:6-8, 17-18
MATTHEW 16:13-19

Two of the most important figures in the establishment and development of the nascent church were Peter, the fisherman, and Paul, the tentmaker. Although they are celebrated together because of their unparalleled contributions to early Christianity, and although they are frequently featured together in Christian art, their lives were quite different and they probably met only once or twice during their lifetimes.

Peter knew the earthly Jesus and walked the hills of the Judean countryside with him, learning firsthand the good news of salvation. Peter was a witness to the power of God at work in Jesus, healing the sick, preaching to the poor, gathering in the lost and forgotten, reminding all of God’s love and forgiveness. Jesus had sat in Peter’s boat and taught the crowds; Peter was among the first to be challenged by the great sermon and to learn to pray as Jesus did, Abba, Papa, Daddy. . . your kingdom come. Peter was one of Jesus’ inner circle of three (with James and John) who were present when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:37), at the Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-7) and during the Agony in the Garden (Mark 14:33). Peter was the first of the Twelve to publicly proclaim his faith in Jesus as messiah (Matthew 16:16-19) and it was Peter to whom Jesus entrusted a leading role in the community. That trust was signified by a name-change, Simon became Peter, Rock.

Although he probably had no formal education and may not even have been literate, Peter is portrayed in the Christian scriptures as the undisputed leader of the post-Easter Jesus movement. It would be Peter who would take the initiative in replacing Judas (Acts 1:15-26). He would explain the spiritual phenomenon of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-40) and be the first to begin healing and preaching in the name of the risen Lord (Acts 3:1-11, 12-26). Whereas once he had exercised a confused and hesitant discipleship and had slipped so low as to deny Jesus, Peter went on to fearlessly represent the faith, enduring incarceration, flogging, persecution and, eventually, death for the sake of the gospel. According to a well-established late second-century tradition, supported by both Tertullian and Irenaeus, Peter died by crucifixion in 64-65 C.E.

Paul, on the other hand, did not know the earthly Jesus, but encountered the risen Lord during his Damascus experience. From that point onward, Saul the persecutor became Paul the preacher and proselytizer. Born in Tarsus of Cilicia, ca. 10 C.E., Paul was educated in the best of both worlds, sacred and secular. Schooled in Greek culture, philosophy and literature, he was also instructed in the Torah traditions and Pharisaic tenets of Judaism. With the legal rights of a Roman citizen, Paul traveled extensively for the sake of the good news; scholars estimate that he clocked more than 15,000 miles during his missionary journeys. Because of Paul and through his writings (more than 25% of the Christian scriptures are attributed to him) early followers of Jesus received the guidance they needed to live according to the good news. Countless communities in Europe and Asia learned how to keep their faith vital and their witness relevant to the shifting tides and changing circumstances of the world in which they lived.

Relentless in his belief that Christ’s saving death and resurrection effected the salvation of all people, Paul battled those who would limit church membership or dilute the power of the cross by demanding that certain traditions (circumcision, diet laws, etc.) be upheld.

While we know little of his personal history, Paul’s profound christological, ecclesiological, catechetical and soteriological insights continue to feed and foster the growth of the church. The late second century apocryphal work, Acts of Paul and Thecla, described Paul as “a man of small stature, with bald head and crooked legs. . . with eyebrows meeting and nose somewhat hooked.” Paul himself wrote that his opponents said “his bodily presence is weak and his speech of no account” (2 Corinthians 10:10). Regardless of their physical features, faults and foibles, Peter and Paul are the giants on whose shoulders believers have been privileged to stand for centuries; from this vantage point, we look to the future with confidence and hope.

ACTS 12:1-11

Within a short time after Jesus’ resurrection and glorification, the disciples he had left behind to continue his ministry, found themselves similarly at odds with and persecuted by the religious and civil authorities of their day. Nevertheless, as Luke would illustrate throughout his Acts of the Apostles, the church would not be uprooted, nor its purpose thwarted; the community of believers would continue to grow steadily and strong because it would be protected and sustained by God.

At this first reading indicates, efforts against the church were being escalated. James, the brother of John had been beheaded; then Herod turned his attention to Peter. The Herod in question was Herod Agrippa I, son of Aristobolus and Bernice and grandson of Herod the Great. Schooled in Rome, Agrippa I had become friends with Gaius (who later became emperor Caligula) and other influential Romans who helped him to climb the political ladder. By 41 C.E. Herod Agrippa I had achieved control over most of the Roman province of Palestine.

Not a particularly observant or faithful Jew, Herod Agrippa I was nevertheless eager to please his compatriots; persecuting the followers of Jesus, whom the Pharisees wished to squelch as “heretical sectarians”, was a ploy certain to garner Jewish favor for himself (v. 3). Because Herod Agrippa I arrested Peter during the feast of Unleavened Bread, observed immediately after Passover, he delayed punitive action but kept him detained in prison. Four squads of soldiers (each squad was comprised of four men) would appear to be an exaggerated show of force, but the sheer impossibility of an escape also served Luke’s literary purpose.

As Luke Timothy Johnson (The Acts of the Apostles, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN: 1992) has explained, Luke’s primary interest in telling of Peter’s miraculous prison-escape is “to make a decisive comment on the power at work in the messianic movement.” This he accomplishes by arranging his material in a pattern of reversals. Herod began by attempting to harm the church (v. 1) but he ends up eaten by worms (12:23). The church, in contrast, starts off with one of its leaders being killed (v. 2) and another of its principle figures in prison (v. 4). As the situation evolves, however, the church’s principle figure (Peter) escapes, his persecutor (Herod) dies and Luke tells us, “but the word of God continued to spread and grow” (12:24).

Readers of Luke-Acts will also notice that Luke has underscored a similarity between Jesus and his followers, in this case, Peter. Peter, like Jesus, was arrested during Passover (Luke 22:1; Acts 12:2), and another Herod had also figured importantly in that event (Luke 23:6-12; Acts 4:27, 12:1). Like Jesus, Peter was handed over (Luke 23:6-12; Acts 4:27, 12:1), arrested (Luke 22:54; Acts 12:3), delivered over (Luke 23:25, 24:7, Acts 12:4) and led forth (Luke 23:1, 26; Acts 12:4). By emphasizing the detailed corollary between Jesus and his followers, Luke wished to assure his readers that that corollary would continue until, like Jesus, Peter et al. would one day pass from death to eternal life and glory.

Until that corollary has completely run its intended course, contemporary believers might do well to emulate their early Christian counterparts. While these events unfolded, the church, prayed fervently to God (v. 5); as the Peters and Pauls among us continue to lead us and to suffer for the sake of the gospel, we, for our part, should support them with fervent and unified prayer.

2 TIMOTHY 4:6-8, 17-18

When he was near death, Benjamin Franklin requested that a picture of Christ on the cross be placed nearby so that he could “look upon the Silent Sufferer.” He had already prepared the epitaph for his tombstone: “The body of Benjamin Franklin, Printer, like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out and stripped of its lettering and gilding, lies here. . . Yet the Work itself shall not be lost; for it will, as he believed, appear once more in a new and more beautiful edition, corrected and amended by the Author.” In a sense, this excerpted text from 2 Timothy could be regarded as Paul’s epitaph. Like Franklin, Paul gave full credit to God for all that he had been able to do (“the Lord stood by my side”) and for all that he would become (“the Lord will bring me safe to the heavenly kingdom”).

Although the Pauline authorship of 2 Timothy remains a matter of dispute, the letter represents a valiant attempt to bring Paul’s insights and theology to the aid of a new generation of Christians confronted with the threat of false teachers and their doctrines. Much of Paul’s own thoughts and ideals have been preserved in 2 Timothy, as today’s second reading reflects.

With three metaphors borrowed from the Hellenistic environment of his readers, Paul offers a taste of the rigors of discipleship and the extent to which his commitment to Christ would carry him, viz. to death and then to glory. First, the great apostle compared the total gift of himself in God’s service to the libation with which Romans and Greeks honored their gods. At the end of a meal a cup of wine was poured out as an act of sacrificial reverence. By using the same word, spendesthai (v. 6), Paul described his own life and death as a libation or sacrifice poured out in honor of the one true God.

Second, Paul referred to his imminent death or dissolution as an analusis (v. 6). A colorful and dramatic term, analusis had a variety of meanings: (1) to unyoke a work-animal from a plow or cart; (2) to loosen the mooring cables of a ship; (3) to loose the chains or fetters of a prisoner; (4) to break camp so as to move on. By his use of this particular term (analusis) it would appear that Paul regarded death as a freeing experiences. Unyoked from the burden of discipleship, cut free from the ropes that held him time-bound, Paul was ready to break camp, i.e., end his service on earth so as to move on to glory.

Third, the great apostle humbly compared himself to an athlete who had fought the good fight and finished the race (v. 7). Metaphorically the fight and the race described the course of a person’s life. Satisfied that he had done his best, supported constantly by the presence of God, Paul confidently looked ahead to the crown that awaited him (v. 8). In addition to being the prize (a laurel wreath) awarded winners in athletic competitions, the crown was also a symbol of immortality (Wisdom 4:2).

If we were to compose an epitaph for Paul based on these thoughts and images, it might read: “Remember Paul, poured out in service, victorious in the fight, free and eager to move on to receive the crown of glory.”

MATTHEW 16:13-19

In this brief gospel pericope, frequently described as the confession of Peter, the Matthean evangelist has also underscored the necessary encounter and dovetailing between christology and ecclesiology. The answer to Jesus’ question, “Who do you say I am?”, prompts a christological exploration into the person and mission of Jesus which, in turn, instigates an ecclesiological reckoning as regards the identity and purpose of the community of believers.

Recall that Matthew’s version of the good news was formulated in an attempt to help the Jesus-movement to define itself as church, rooted in and yet distinct from its Jewish matrix. Written during the mid-eighties C.E., probably in the urban center of Syrian Antioch, this gospel was precipitated, in part, by the breach between Judaism and Christianity resulting from the so-called Edict of Jamnia (which declared Jewish-Christians to be heretical and banned them from the synagogue). No longer welcome within the framework of their Jewish heritage, the Matthean community evolved an understanding of itself (ecclesiology) which was grounded in its evolving understanding of Jesus Christ (christology). This pattern, i.e. of christology continually dictating and redefining ecclesiology remains a valid one for a community seeking to serve with authenticity and relevance in an ever-evolving society.

Because Peter acclaimed Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God, many scholars believe the original context of his confession was post-resurrectional. Jesus asserted that Peter’s declaration was prompted by a revelatory insight from God. Whatever its context, this text has become the basis for understanding the church’s mission and the role of Peter.

Simon’s new name (kepha, Aramaic; petros, Greek) was not, at that time, a known personal name; Rock functioned as more of a title, signifying the strength and stability Jesus was imparting to those who would continue his work. In the Hebrew scriptures, Abraham was portrayed as the rock from which Israel had been hewn (Isaiah 51:1-2). In the apocalyptic book of Daniel, the rock symbolized a new kingdom that would supersede all others (Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45). Jesus’ designation of Peter as rock affirmed the reality of the church as the rock from which a new Israel (the new people of God) would be hewn and as the kingdom which would supersede even the jaws of death.

The conferring of the authority on the Rock was signified by the giving of the keys. A similar ritual was recorded in Isaiah 22:15-25 wherein Shebna, who had been majordomo of the palace, was replaced by Eliakim. Upon bestowing the keys on Eliakim, King Hezekiah declared, “I will commit your authority to his hand.” Oscar Cullman (Peter: Disciple, Apostle, Martyr, Westminster Press, Philadelphia: 1962) referred to Peter as the one who would “lead the people of God into the kingdom” and contrasted Peter’s leader-ship with that of the scribes and Pharisees who “lock the doors of the kingdom of heaven before peoples faces” (Matthew 23:13).

A further indication of the authority of Peter and the church is described by the terms binding and loosing. As Daniel J. Harrington (Matthew, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN: 1991) has noted, these terms can be interpreted in several ways: laying down rules and making exemptions, imposing and lifting excommunications, forgiving or withholding forgiveness for sin, or performing exorcisms. In Matthew 18:18, the power to bind and/or loose is conferred upon the community. The idea is that God (heaven) will ratify and stand behind what Peter (and the church) enacts. For this reason, Peter’s successors and the community of the faithful must be continually in touch with Jesus and engaged in the daily process of answering his question, “Who do you say I am?”

[NOTE TO USERS: This archive is available for use without charge, but it remains the property of the author and under copyright with Celebrations Publications. Users are permitted to print individual Sunday commentaries for pastoral use, but are prohibited from downloading or copying files or printing any portion of this for sale or distribution.]