Peter and Paul

 

The two Saints Peter and Paul are of the

Holy Church's pillars.

Acts of the Apostles begins with St. Peter's work,

and is then completed with St. Paul's service till the

last verse of the Acts book…

In the missionary work, St. Peter was appointed

to care for the Jews (they of the circumcision); St.

Paul was entrusted with caring for the gentiles (they

of the un- circumcision).

And so St. Paul wrote in his epistle to the

Galatians "the gospel for the uncircumcised had

been committed to me, as the gospel for the

circumcised was to Peter, for He who worked

effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the

circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the

Gentiles" (Ga 2:7, 8).

Then St. Peter preached in Jerusalem, Antioch,

Judaea and Samaria. He also preached for the Jews

who were scattered abroad (Jas1:1). Whereas St.

Paul preached in Cyprus, Asia Minor regions,

Makdonia, Greece, the Arkhabil Islands of Corinth,

Thessalonica, Philippi and reached Rome till the West

side as well.

And because St. Peter was concerned with

preaching for the Jews, he used verses from the

Old Testament and from the Psalms in his

sermons many times and in his epistles.

􀂙 When the Apostles met to choose Judas Iscariot's

successor, St. Peter said about him " For it is written

in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate,

and let no man dwell therein: and his bishopric let

another take".

􀂙 And when the Holy Spirit came upon them on

Pentecost, he said" But this is what was spoken by

the prophet Joel: "And it shall come to pass in the last

days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all

flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall

dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My

maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days;

And they shall prophesy…"

􀂙 And on the same occasion he used verses from

the book of Psalms and said " For David says

concerning Him (Jesus Christ): “Therefore my heart

rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh

also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in

Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see

corruption…". St. Peter explained with proofs that

these verses applies on Jesus Christ… He also proved

it by the saying of David the Prophet " The Lord said

to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your

enemies Your footstool ".

􀂙 In healing the man lame from his mother's womb

at the gate which was called Beautiful, he said to the

Jews "For Moses truly said to the fathers, "The Lord

your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from

your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things,

whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every

soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly

destroyed from among the people. Yes, and all the

prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as

many as have spoken, have also foretold these days.

You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant

which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham,

"And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be

blessed… ".

􀂙 St. Peter also in his two epistles quoted verses

from the Old Testament.

􀂙 On the other hand, St. Paul's epistles were not as

so, only except his epistle to the Hebrews…

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

Peter the Apostle was one of the Twelve, but

Paul the Apostle was not of the Twelve and was

not of the seventy Apostles (Lk 10).

St. Peter witnessed Jesus Christ during the time

period of is incarnation on earth till His ascension, St.

Peter lived, ate and drank with Jesus; listened to His

teaching and sermons he also saw all His miracles.

But Paul the Apostle, he was persecuting the

church (1 Ti 1:13), and then later on he knew

Jesus Christ and saw Him in visions.

􀂙 Jesus Christ appeared to Paul on his way to

Damascus as light from Heaven (Ac 9), and appeared

to him at night in Corinth and said to him " Do not be

afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am

with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I

have many people in this city " (Ac 18:10).

􀂙 Jesus appeared to him another time when he was

at Jerusalem-praying in the temple- and said to him

"Depart, for I will send you far from here to the

Gentiles " (Ac 22:17, 21).

􀂙 God appeared to him also on another night and

said to him "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have

testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear

witness at Rome "(Ac 23:11).

􀂙 We must not also forget that God appeared and

delivered to him the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist

and that's when Paul the Apostle said " For I received

from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that

the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was

betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks,

He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body…" (1

Co 11:23-26).

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

7

The two saints Peter and Paul the Apostles,

each of them was heavenly called for the

service, and that is why each is named as an

Apostle…

􀂙 God called St. Peter for the service when he was

with Andrew his brother, while they were fishing, and

said to them "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers

of men " (Mt 4:18, 19).

St. Paul was called three times; those three

times were by the Father, the Son and by the

Holy Spirit:

􀂙 His call by the Son was on his way to Damascus

when God appeared to him as light from Heaven and

said to him "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me"

(Ac 9:3, 4). Then he asked Ananias to care for Paul

saying to him "For he is a chosen vessel of Mine to

bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children

of Israel" (Ac 9:15).

􀂙 His calling by the Holy Spirit was when the Holy

Spirit said to the fathers "Now separate to Me

Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called

them"(Ac 13:2), "Then, having fasted and prayed,

and laid hands on them, they sent them away. So,

being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to

Seleucia…" (Ac 13:3, 4).

􀂙 As for his calling by the Father, it is apparent in

St. Paul's saying "But when it pleased God, who

separated me from my mother's womb and called me

through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I

might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not

immediately confer with flesh and blood…" (Ga 1:15,

16).

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

Peter the Apostle was a simple fisherman.

But Paul the Apostle was a philosopher.

􀂙 Peter the simple fisherman is one of those to who

is applied the saying of the bible that God "But God

has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to

shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things

of the world to put to shame the things which are

mighty…"(1 Co 1:17) and also the Psalm saying "

There is no speech nor language where their voice is

not heard. Their line has gone out through all the

earth and their words to the end of the world" (Ps

19:3, 4).

􀂙 But Paul the Apostle, he was the one educated at

the feet of Gamaliel the famous teacher (Ac 22:3). He

is the one whom Festus the ruler said to him "Paul,

you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you

mad" (Ac26:24), and Paul replied "I am not mad,

most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and

reason ".

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

Peter the Apostle, besides dogma, he

focused on the sanctity of life. And Paul the

Apostle, besides the sanctity of life, focused on

dogma and theology.

􀂙 Hence we find Peter the Apostle says "But as He

who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your

conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy"

(1 P 1:15, 16). And therefore he also says "Conduct

yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in

fear" (1 P 1:17), and also says "Receiving the end of

your faith--the salvation of your souls"(1 P 1:9), and

says "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where

will the ungodly and the sinner appear" (1 P 4:18).

􀂙 On the other hand Paul the Apostle was, on top of

all other issues, explaining the theological dogmas; as

in his elaborated speech about grace and how the

church is the body of Christ, his talk about salvation

through the blood, about the kind of salvation and the

relation between faith versus deeds, he spoke also

about the divine choice, conditions for deserving the

Holy Eucharist, baptism, marriage, some priesthood

ranks, also about spiritual resurrection, being caught

into paradise and also the appearance of antichrist

prior to the resurrection.

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

􀂙 Peter the Apostle didn't write a bible nor did Paul

the Apostle; St. Peter though wrote two epistles

whereas St. Paul wrote fourteen epistles.

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

Both St. Peter and St. Paul raised a dead

person, each one of the two saints worked

miracles which had great influence on spreading

out the Christian faith.

􀂙 Peter the Apostle raised a Christian disciple her

name was Tabitha at Joppa, this woman was full of

good works and alms deeds which she did; she used

to make coats and garments for the poor girls whom

were weeping after her death; so Peter the Apostle

raised Tabitha from the dead. (Ac 9:36-40).

􀂙 Paul the Apostle raised a young man named

Eutychus who was sitting in the window during the

sermon so he slept and fell dead, St. Paul raised him

from the dead (Ac 20:9-12).

􀂙 There are many miracles which were worked

at the hands of St. Peter the Apostle " So that

they brought the sick out into the streets and laid

them on beds and couches that at least the shadow of

Peter passing by might fall on some of them "

"Bringing sick people and those who were tormented

by unclean spirits, and they were all healed" (Ac

5:15, 16).

􀂙 As for St. Paul's miracles, it was mentioned in

the Acts of the Apostles: "Do we have no right to take

along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles,

the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas" (Ac 19:12).

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

St. Peter was married, whereas St. Paul lived

in chastity.

􀂙 It is obvious that Peter the Apostle was married

as it is written in the bible that Jesus Christ healed

Peter's mother in law who had fever (Mt 8:14, 15).

􀂙 Paul the Apostle lived in chastity as he stated so

himself in (1 Co 7:8). And said also in the same

epistle "We ought to obey God rather than men" (1

Co 9:5).

And this shows us that Jesus Christ

welcomes in the service both married persons

and those who are devoted to live in chastity.

On the mount of transfiguration, Moses the

prophet who was married appeared with our Lord as

well as Elijah who lived in chastity (Mk9:4). The Lord

allowed three of His disciples to witness the miracle of

transfiguration among who were Peter who was

married and John who lived in chastity.

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

Both Saints Peter and Paul exerted much

effort in their ministry and tolerated much as

well …

8

Both of them departed from life as a martyr.

􀂙 Peter the Apostle strived with strength against the

Jews' leaders and their chief priests, he said his

famous phrase " We ought to obey God rather than

men " (Ac 5: 29), and with the rest of the twelve he

was beaten with lashes and imprisoned " So they

departed rejoicing that they were counted worthy to

suffer shame for His name"(Ac 5:40, 41).

􀂙 Paul the Apostle was exposed to various kinds of

persecutions and went through many tribulations… He

and his colleagues were "We are hard-pressed on

every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but

not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken" "always

delivered to death" (2 Co 4:8-11)."But in all things

approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much

patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses" (2

Co 6:4, 5).

St. Paul the Apostle explained all the various

difficulties he went through in (1 Co 11:22-28).

􀂙 Both St. Peter and St. Paul, their life ended

as martyrs on year 67 AD during the reign of

Emperor Nero.