Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-12

you caught anythinG?" NO, they
hadn't. "WelI, cast your net on thu:
right side" There wasn't any use.
but they would give 1t a trial. And
then the nets were so heavy with
tne catch they could hardly get
them TO shore. 1t was John who
recognized the stranger as Jesus,
and it was the same inpl.lsive Peter
who jumped into the water to get
to Jesus the sooner. They all ate
the breakfast that Jesus had already
prepared for them that morning and
then Jesus turned to peter. Peter,
do you love me?' Yes, Lord, sure
ly I have strong affection for
you" peter. do you love me?'"
Eyes, Lord L have an affection for
you" Peter, have you really an
affection for meg" And Peter was
gr.eved when Jesus dropped down
to his level, but he had lost his old
confidence in himself and didn't dare
come up to the level Of love. Lord,
thou knowest all things; thola know
est that I have an affection for
thee ... ...
Three times he had boasted of hfA
loyalty, three times he had failed in
an opportunity to confess, and three
times lays u pom him the RESPONSE.
bility of an under shepherd, Years
afterward Peter had this in mind
when, he was writing to other under
shepherds. urging them to be faith.
full in feeding the flock until they
should receive their reward when
the Chief Shepherd shall appear. Il
Pet. SAD ..~ .-..
Jesus told him how he should die,
gloryfying God In his death, and
then rebuking him for meddling in
Johns business thing Peter, the
impulsive, had always been prone to
do--repeated the words to him He
had given him after the first draught
OF fishes more than two years be.
fore-"Follow thou me-"
After the Ascension
Peter was one of those gazing up
into heaven when the angels told
them that this same Jesus whom ye
have seen go into heaven shall so
come in like manner as ye have seen
Him go. He was one OF the compa-
ny in the upper room during that
ten days prayer meeting.
But he was too irnpu1sive to wait. 1t
was Peter who proposed that they
elect an apostle to succeed Judas,
when Jesus had told them to wait
for the promise OF the Father. They
followed Peters suggestion and the
man.made apostle was never heard
of again.
But when the Spirit came upon them
at Pentecost, Peter became q new
man. He was still impulsive, still
courageous, still aggressive, still low
ing, still the whole-hearted, out.spo-
ken follower h Jesus the Christ; but
these characteristics had been
brought under the control OF the
Spirit Of God and were nightly
used of Him. ~
Peter was still the spokesman Of
the twelve, but he was also Gods
spokesman now. Through his ser.
mon and the testimony Of the 120--
Mary the mother Of Jesus Included
1900 souls were added to the church
that day. Nothing could silence him.
He had been afraid Of a servant girl,
but. now he faces the highest court
Of his people and accuses them OF
the murder Of Jesus. Beating him
only brought out thanksgiving,
binding him in prison only gave him
a greater liberty of speech. His
boldness, coupled with his lack Of
training, made the rulers
marvel at him and take k nowledgs
that it was his association with Je-
sus as the only explanation.
Peter became the leader Of the
apostles-not that this invested him
with any more power, for there are
several references in the scriptures
to show that this was not the fact,
but he was their spokesman still.
The history OF the early church is
largely a history Of Peter until Paul
comes into the forefront. He was
recognized as the apostle to the cir
cumcisfon even as Paul was &C.
knowledged to be peculiarly the
apostle to the Gentiles. .,r -.
But to Peter was given the pecu-
liar privilege OF first opening the
door of the church to both Jews and
Gsntiles. His oversight Of the
churches had carried him to LYDIA
and then to Joppa. At LYDIA he had
been the means OF the miraculous
healing OF Anaeas, which brought
him to Joppa, where Darcas had just
died. BY Gods power he raised; her
from the dead-and- then went to
tarry many days. at the house Of
Simon, the tanner! One cannot well
understand this act on the part Of
Peter without a knowledge of the
Jewish laws. A tanner was a, social
outcast. If a. woman was engaged to
man and found out that he was
a tanner she could break it off at
once. II a woman married d tanner
and died, her sister was not required
to marry him. For Peter, proud Jew
that he was, to abide in the house of
tanner is the greatest evidence Of
the great change that had come into
his life. and the great humility Of
the man now spirit filled. God could
use such man for His next job
and the door was opened to the
heather through Cornelius.
After Peters arrest and miracu,
lous deliverance acts 12) he went
to Caesarea and made that his head.
quarters. Was it in the home Of
Cornelius? He seems to have taken
his wife with him on many Of his
journeys, so probably he had no
children, or they were Grown. With
the exception of little alteration
that he and Paul had ever an incon'
sistent position he had taken at An
tioch, and his strong testimony at
the first Christian convention at
Jerusalem, he drops out of sight in
the Scriptures until about A. D. "a,
when from Babylon he wrote his let
tiers to the Jews scattered abroad
that is, the Jewish Christians. These
letters show what an impression the
TRANSPORTATION, the crueifxion, the
resurrection and the ascension Of
Christ had on him. He has soften
ed and mellewed so we would hardly
recognize him. But his change has
come about by the Spirit bringing to
his remembrance the things of
Christ. He remembers how He SUI
fered. and stays them in their SUI
fering. He can still see that won
derfulIy glorious face on the Mount