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wcg chap. 49 p. 220-p. 223

49 PETER

He Became a Rock

Printed Edition
Printed Edition

JESUS decided to give Simon a new name shortly after meeting him. Christ said: “You are Simon, the son of John; you will be called Cephas.” “Cephas” evidently conveys the same meaning as “Peter,” which means “A Piece of Rock.” Why did Jesus pick that name? Well, a rock is solid and sturdy and can be used as a building material. Jesus, it seems, was saying that his friend would become just like that.

Did Peter live up to that name? As we saw in Chapter 45, Peter was not always rocklike. He could be unsteady and changeable, even giving way to fear at times. Still, Jesus believed in his friend. He was confident that over time Peter would grow in courage. Was Jesus right?

After Christ gave up his life and was resurrected, he entrusted his apostles with a vital work. Peter rose to the challenge. He showed more and more courage. At a great festival in Jerusalem, he stood up before a crowd of thousands of devout Jews and told them directly that they had been responsible for putting to death the Messiah. Many were “stabbed to the heart” and responded to Peter’s bold preaching. As a result, about 3,000 people got baptized as disciples of Jesus.

What would help Peter to grow and become the kind of man that Jesus foretold he would be?

Peter made preaching the chief work of his life. Jesus had entrusted him with “the keys of the Kingdom,” commissioning him to open the way for three different groups of people to enter the heavenly Kingdom. So Peter preached courageously and impartially to the Jews, then to the Samaritans, and finally to the Gentiles, or non-Jewish people. He traveled far and wide, at times with his wife at his side, to preach and to encourage fellow believers. Peter even traveled to faraway Babylon and lived there.

Over the decades, Peter bravely faced challenges and endured opposition in doing that work. More than once, he and his fellow apostles were put in jail. The Jewish religious leaders ordered them to stop preaching. But Peter responded: “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.” Though they were beaten afterward, they kept right on telling people about the Kingdom of God and the King whom Jehovah had appointed, Jesus Christ.

Peter and some of his fellow apostles joyfully talking to one another while they walk down a city street after being flogged. A group of Jews stare at them in wonderment as these men with bloodstained clothes pass by.

The persecution became vicious. Stephen was martyred, as we saw in the preceding chapter. About a decade later, James, an apostle and friend of Peter, was likewise martyred. The wicked ruler who had James executed saw that this murder pleased the Jewish opposers of the Christians, so he ordered that Peter be arrested next. Peter was bound in chains and locked in a prison cell with guards watching him. Did he wonder if this might be the time that Jesus had foretold, when he would be bound and carried off to be put to death?

Late at night, an angel suddenly appeared. He woke Peter, unchained him, and led him right out of his cell, past the guards, through the massive gate, and out onto the street. What did Peter do next? He did not think first of his own safety. He went straight to the place where he knew his brothers and sisters were worshipping Jehovah and praying. How Peter must have lifted their spirits and encouraged them!

Peter never forgot his Lord’s commands: “Strengthen your brothers”; “feed my little sheep.” (Luke 22:32; John 21:17) He preached boldly and built up God’s people wherever he went. He was not perfect. He made mistakes. On one occasion, he gave in to peer pressure and had to be corrected by a fellow apostle. But Peter took the correction humbly and learned from it. He kept on encouraging his brothers and sisters. He wrote two inspired letters that became part of the Bible. After decades of faithful labor, Peter was bound and led away to prison for the last time​—to be executed. But he never lost his faith or his courage. Peter truly had become a “rock”!

Read the Bible account:

  • Matthew 16:18, 19

  • John 1:40-42; 21:14-19

  • Acts 2:14-43; 5:17-42; 8:14-17, 25; 10:44-48; 12:1-17

  • Galatians 2:11-14

  • 1 Peter 5:13

  • 2 Peter 1:12-15

For discussion:

In what ways did Peter show courage in this part of his life?

Dig Deeper

  1. 1. Jesus gave Peter “the keys of the Kingdom.” How did Peter use those keys? (Matt. 16:18, 19; ijwbq article 124 ¶1-5) A

    A map showing the destinations where Peter used “the keys of the Kingdom.”

    Picture A: Peter preached the Kingdom message to Jews in Jerusalem, to Samaritans in Samaria, and to Gentiles in Caesarea

  2. 2. What reveals that Peter had, to an extent, an unprejudiced attitude even before he visited the Gentile Cornelius? (Acts 10:5-7, 23; bt 69 ¶1, ftn.) B

    Picture B: Site of ancient Joppa

  3. 3. What indicates that Peter accepted the counsel he received from Paul? (w17.04 26-27 ¶15-17)

  4. 4. Why did Peter move to Babylon? (it “Captivity” ¶24)

Reflect on the Lessons

  • Peter spoke courageously yet tactfully to a crowd in Jerusalem. In what situations do we especially need courage and tact?

  • Although Peter played a prominent role in the congregation, he accepted counsel from Paul. How can we imitate Peter? C

    Collage: A crew leader receiving needed counsel while working on a theocratic construction project. The scenes are repeated next. The crew leader speaks harshly to two brothers. Two other brothers who are working nearby observe the scene. Later, he accepts kind, Scriptural counsel from the two brothers who heard the conversation.

    Picture C

  • How else might you imitate the courage shown by Peter in this account?

Meditate on the Bigger Picture

  • What does this account teach me about Jehovah?

  • How does the account tie in with Jehovah’s purposes?

  • What did you learn about Peter in this account that makes you happy he was chosen to rule with Christ in heaven?

Learn More

How can Peter’s example help us to rely on Jehovah and conquer fear?

Learn From Them​—Peter (6:48)

Use this activity to draw more lessons from the account found at Acts chapter 10.

“God Is Impartial” (Web series “Bible Study Activities”)

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