This weekend I am preaching on two very significant, if not the most significant Christians responsible for the spread of Christianity after the Ascension of Jesus. This weekend we celebrate the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul.
Peter and Paul were both very different characters. Peter was a fisherman in Capernum. He was not a scholar or highly educated man, but he had natural leadership abilities, and in some ways he had what we call today ‘street smarts’. He could think on his feet, assume leadership, and he was totally sincere in his love for God. But, as we see though out the gospels, he was impetuous, stubborn, opinionated, etc.. In other word he was not perfect.
Paul was a gifted scholar schooled in the Jewish faith. And, as a Roman citizen he was schooled in Greek thought, and the Roman culture. He was zealous for the faith of his Jewish ancestors, and abhorred the Jewish Christians. In the Acts of the Apostles we are informed that he was responsible for the death of St. Stephen.
Shortly after the Ascension, he met the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus, and after this he became a fervent Christian intent on converting the gentiles to Christianity. He was known as a great preacher! He was also, I suspect, a thorn in the side of many Jewish Christians who believed you had to be a Jew first, and then a Christian. He strongly disagreed with many of the first Christians with Jewish roots, and thus the Council of Jerusalem was called in 66AD. Paul won!
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