“And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.” (Matthew 10:1–4 ESV)
We continue our profile of the Twelve Apostles with Simon Peter. Our study of Peter will be the most extensive. Today, we examine his leadership among the Twelve and the church.
“The prominence of Simon Peter in the Gospels and Acts cannot be disputed. While some have attempted to attribute this to his leadership role in the later church, there is no basis for that in the text of the NT. From the very beginning Simon attained preeminence above the others. In the lists of the Twelve just mentioned, Simon’s name always appears first, and in Matthew 10:2 it introduces his name as “the first.” Moreover, the Twelve are often designated “Peter and those with him” (Mark 1:36; Luke 9:32; 8:45),” explains commentator Walter Elwell.
Throughout the Gospels, Peter acted and spoke on behalf of the other disciples. For example, at the Transfiguration it is Peter who wanted to erect tents (Mark 9:5), and he alone had sufficient faith to attempt walking on the water (Matt. 14:28–31). It is Peter who asks the Lord to explain his teaching on forgiveness (Matt. 18:21) and parables (Matt. 15:15; Luke 12:41) and who speaks the disciples’ minds in Matthew 19:27, “Behold, we have left everything and followed you; what’s in it for us?”
The collectors of the temple tax came to Peter as leader of the disciples (Matt. 17:24). As a member of the inner circle (with James and John, possibly Andrew in Mark 13:3), Peter was often alone with Jesus: the raising of Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:37), at the Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-2) and at Gethsemane (Mark 14:33; Matt. 26:37).
Additionally, Jesus asks Peter and John to prepare the Passover meal (Luke 22:1-8; Mark 14:37; Matt. 26:40) and directs His rebuke to Peter as representing the others (“Could ye not watch with me one hour?” Mark 14:37-38). Finally, the message of the angel at the tomb as recorded in Mark 16:7 said, “Go your way, tell his disciples and Peter.” Certainly Peter held a very special place among the Twelve.
“The portrait of Peter that comes through all four accounts pictures him as impulsive, often rash; he is the first to act and speak his mind and was typified by his enthusiasm for everything in which he had a part,” explains Elwell.
“Peter was certainly one who “rushed in where angels fear to tread.” However, this very trait aligns him with all of us and may be one of the major reasons why he becomes the representative disciple throughout the Gospels.”
“While many more things could be said to explain Peter’s prominence among Christ’s Apostles, the points outlined above compel us to focus on a common theme: the redemption and transformation that comes by faith in the risen Lord Jesus Christ despite our own weakness,” concludes Dr. Matthew A. Dudreck, associate professor of New Testament at Reformation Bible College in Sanford, Fla.
Soli deo Gloria!
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