The question I have asked in the title of this Gem has come from a few of you since Gem 1236 and my comments about the depth of Peter’s denial. So let’s address it together. I could do this one of two ways. I could just simply point you to the evidence of the text and then tell you my conclusions on this matter. Or I could lay the question out there for you and leave you to sort out what you think on the matter first. If I were just writing Bible Gems then I would choose the first option. But my intention has always been to link the Gems to the approach of Deeper Bible. I am more interested in teaching you how to fish than to just simply give you the answers. Furthermore I have two classes in Deeper Bible currently running – DB 101 and DB 401. The first level class (101) is focused on Beth Sepher [The House of the Book] and how to get the most from the text before you. In the deeper level class (401) we are starting Beth Talmud [The House of Interpretation] and learning how to rightly interpret the Word of God using all of the Bible.
So let’s use this as an exercise in both levels. The first thing you need to do is look carefully at the text before us and determine what happened in Peter’s denials. If it is like I wrote in the previous Gem and the depth of Peter’s denial was significant. Add to that the fact that Jesus said “If you deny Me before men I will deny you before My Father in heaven”, does that mean that Peter will not make it to heaven? i.e. Christ will deny He ever knew Peter. Meaning effectively will Jesus say to Peter, “Go away, I never knew you.” That is effectively what Peter did to Him before the servant girls and the temple guard. This is what some of you have been asking in the last day or so.
That being the case, the task before us is to look at the text of the whole Bible to see if we can find anything that sheds light on this matter. As I will be teaching those in DB 401, you must always use all of the Bible to interpret the Bible. The Bible is an integrated package. It all fits together, despite the fact it is comprised of 66 books written by 40+ different authors over a period of 1500 years. So see what you can come up with to shed light on this matter. Use all the resources you have at your disposal. You are at a disadvantage compared to a Jew who knows the Tanakh (The Law, the Prophets and the Writings). All they have to do is do a brain scan. You on the other hand have to search your memory banks for anything that may help and then use your Study Bible, footnotes, cross references, anything that will shed light on this matter. Electronic versions are allowed. Use anything that helps to shed light on Peter’s plight, because in short, Peter’s plight is our plight.
Our problem is that we don’t have the resources stored between our ears. Its on our iPad, iPod, iMac, iNotes, iPhone and not in our iBrain. All of these resources I am thinking of are what’s mine. Ian’s Pad and Ian’s Pod and Ian’s Mac and Ian’s Notes and Ian’s Phone as well as Ian’s Brain. Fortunately I have more stored in my brain than all of the others combined. I suspect that may not be the case with you. Thanks to some folk in my 401 class last night I now have two iPads. (You guys rock – you blew me away) One iPad has lots of notes on it, the other is a blank slate and needs to filled. Tania will score one of them. We just have to work out if she gets the new one that needs filling or my old one which is full of stuff. Isn’t it like that with you. You need to fill the space between your ears with the details of the Word of God so that it is there at your finger tips when you need it. Don’t be caught in the predicament of being without your iPad when someone asks you to account for the hope that is within you. “Sorry I can’t tell you at the moment because I left my iPad at home.” In season or out of season be prepared. That’s what Deeper Bible is all about – teaching you how to study the text, rightly interpret it and then press on to find the gold.
- Use all the resources at your disposal. We will meet back here – same time, same place, same channel.
- What can you see in the text?
- What can you remember, think of, search for to answer the question – Did Peter fall to the point of losing his faith?
- Some answers in the next Gem. But irrespective of what I may tell you, remember “there’s always more”.
Give a person a fish, feed them for a day; teach a person to fish and feed them for a lifetime.
Anon
Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth. (AMP)
2 Timothy 2:15
The best place to store the fruit of your knowledge and the new things you find out about God’s Word is between your ears.
Ian Vail
God has no Phone but you can talk to him. He has no Facebook but He’s still YOUR friend, He doesn’t do Twitter but you can still follow Him!
Rick Godwin
Meditation takes information and turns it into revelation; application takes information and revelation and turns it action.
Rick Godwin