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| A MAN NAMED "THE ROCK" |
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| Peter's personality solidified into granite. Never Too Late Peter finally earned the nickname that Jesus gave him long before: the "rock" (Matthew 16-18). And when he instructs his readers to stand fast in the true grace of God (5:12), you get the feeling Peter has learned through hard experience and the lessons he is now passing on to others. If Paul is the apostle of faith, Peter is the apostle of hope. God does not give up on people, as Peter's life amply demonstrates. We have reason to hope, whatever our circumstances - even when facing suffering or death. Tradition reports that Peter was crucified head downward on a Roman cross; he thought himself unworthy to die right side up like Jesus. Peter died still believing his promise of a happy ending: "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast" (5:10). He wrote like a man who knew. Life Questions: If Jesus were to give you a nickname, what would it be? Has your personality undergone major changes? What still needs work? |