The Feast of Sts. Peter & Paul – June 29, 2025Psalm 139; Acts 15:1-21; Galatians 2:1-10St. Matthew 16:13-19
In the Name of the Father, and of the +
Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Feast of Saints Peter & Paul is
among the oldest, if not the oldest, commemoration of a saint or Apostle in the
history of the Church. It is recorded as being observed in the early fourth
century, which means it was probably being observed even earlier than that. Some
traditions state both Apostles were martyred on this date, June 29th,
but it is more likely the date comes from the date on which their bones were
moved to the catacombs in the year AD 258.
Why would it be important for those
early Christians to remember St. Peter and St. Paul? Why did this feast endure
through the middle ages, the Reformation, and on down to today? Is it because
these Apostles were particularly gifted speakers or writers? Because they
suffered greatly for the Lord and yet endured with bold faith? Because their
doctrine and practice, their holy lives and steadfast prayers are worth
imitating? No. St. Paul writes over and over that if suffering for Christ and
his own talents for speaking and writing were compared to other men, no one
would hold a candle to him.[1]
Yet he counted all of that as loss before Christ. He would rather none of that
were true than give up Christ. He could out-boast anyone in his learning,
argumentation, and endurance for suffering, but he wouldn’t dare try. If he is
going to boast, he would only boast in Christ Jesus and what Christ has done
for him.
So
why have Christians of all ages commemorated Sts. Peter & Paul? Precisely
for their proclamation of Christ. And it is this proclamation which led not
only to their martyrdoms, but also to conflict between these two great Apostles.
The first internal struggle of the New
Testament Church was whether or not Gentile Christians must submit to
circumcision and by extension, the entire ceremonial law.[2]
It is very important to understand that this conflict arose within the Church,
that is, among those who had faith in Christ. In the book of Acts and the
Epistles, there are those Jews who had rejected Christ and began persecuting
the Church right away.[3]
These were loyal to the Pharisees, rejected the Son of God, and are called the
Synagogue of Satan by the Holy Spirit.[4]
There are also those of Jewish ancestry who had faith in Christ.[5] These are descended by blood from Abraham and their faith, like that of Abraham, is in the True God, who descended into our flesh, died to save us from our sins, and rose again that we would have eternal life.
It is from among these Jewish
Christians that the circumcision party arose. This smaller group was convinced
that the Gospel was intended for all people but that those born outside of the
Jewish ancestry must first become Jews by means of circumcision and then submit
to the rigors of the ceremonial law in order to be Christians. In short, they
believed that obedience to the Law was a necessary requirement prior to
receiving saving faith.
Now Peter, like all of the Apostles,
began his ministry by preaching to those of Jewish heritage. These people had
the Words of Moses and the Prophets, and it was a matter of telling them how
the Word of God pointed directly at the One called Christ. Of course, this
proclamation was at the direction of the Holy Spirit, and it was God Himself
who worked faith in their hearts.
Now there was another group of people
who were also ripe for the harvest of faith in those first years following
Pentecost. These were the “God-fearers.”[6]
Such God-fearers were Gentile by birth, not of Jewish ancestry, but were either
friendly toward the God of Abraham or firm believers in the same. In Acts
chapter 10, we hear of Cornelius, a Roman centurion, who was a devout man and
feared God with all his household. An angel of the Lord came to Cornelius,
telling him to send for St. Peter, who would come to preach to his household
and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Before Cornelius’s delegation arrived,
St. Peter received a vision from God of a great sheet filled with all kinds of
animals, especially those deemed “unclean” according to the ceremonial law. God
commanded Peter to “Rise, kill, and eat,” “What God has cleansed you must not
call common.”[7]
From this vision, St. Peter was to learn that the ceremonial law was fulfilled
in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Its purpose was to point
forward to the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world. The Church of
God had been released from the bonds of the ceremonial law, even as it had been
released from the bonds of sin. St. Peter then followed the delegation to the
house of Cornelius, taught them about Christ, and baptized his household, in
the confidence that the ceremonial law was no longer necessary for those free
in Christ.
But sometime later, St. Peter and St. Paul were both in Antioch, preaching and baptizing as the Church of God grew daily. Peter had been eating with the Gentile Christians there, undoubtably enjoying those foods formerly called unclean. But a group of Jewish Christians of the circumcision party, arrived in Antioch from Jerusalem. When St. Peter saw them, he immediately stopped eating with Gentiles and only dined with the Jewish Christians. He even began to preach that it was necessary to obey the ceremonial laws. His preaching was so convincing, even the Apostle Barnabas, St. Paul’s friend and traveling companion, was deceived by this false teaching.
What did St. Paul do in the face of
this false teaching? Did he sit idly by and allow it to happen? Did he begin
gathering support among the Gentile Christians, so that a large group of
likeminded people could confront St. Peter? Did he begin a smear campaign, publishing
notices around town about St. Peter, again, trying to rally support for his
position? No. “When I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of
the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, ‘If you, being a Jew, live in the
manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as
Jews?”[8]
St. Paul went directly to St. Peter,
albeit publicly, to confront him with his sin. We also ought to notice that St.
Paul’s rebuke of Peter is carefully recorded. He does not accuse him of malice
or ignorance. St. Paul knows that Peter has sinned out of weakness, out of his
fear of the circumcision party. St. Peter was more concerned about the Jews
than about the Gentiles of Antioch. This confrontation was not comfortable for
anyone. It probably caused hurt feelings and even further division between
those of the circumcision party and the Gentile Christians.
Yet St. Paul, under the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit deemed it necessary to rebuke St. Peter because the very heart
of the Gospel was at stake. St. Peter’s own salvation was at stake because to
continue in such an error, even if it began in weakness, would lead to Peter’s
condemnation and the condemnation of all who follow in his error.
‘When it comes to the defense of the
Gospel, we ought never be embarrassed to have the hypocrites accuse us of being
proud and stubborn, the ones who think that they have the truth, those who
refuse to listen or to yield to anyone. In that situation, we have to be
stubborn and unbending. The truth of the Gospel is so great and of such dire
importance, that, in conflict, we often sin against men (at least in their
eyes) by trampling the majesty of someone’s social position, their worldly
sensibilities, or their worldly knowledge. Yet these great sins in the eyes of the
world are the highest virtues in the eyes of God, for them come in the defense
of the Way, the Truth, and the Life, even Jesus Christ our Lord and salvation.’[9]
The result of this conflict was heard
this morning in our first reading. The circumcision party continued preaching
that salvation required the keeping of the ceremonial law and appealed to St.
James in Jerusalem for an official ruling on this doctrine. The first council
of the Christian Church was convened, at which, St. Peter was given the
opportunity to speak on the issue. He concluded his statement by saying, “Why
do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither
our father nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of
the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”[10]
St. Peter received the rebuke of St.
Paul. He saw his sin and repented of it. He, who had received a vision from God
regarding the end of the ceremonial law yet for fear of the Jews returned to
their legalistic ways, publicly declared that salvation is found in the grace
of Jesus Christ alone, received by faith as a gift of God, and requiring no
adherence to ceremonial laws of old.
It is fitting that we celebrate these
two Apostles together on the same day. These two shining lights of Christ’s
church, especially the conflict between them, demonstrate for us what is at
stake in the purity of doctrine. Their unity is not found in their heritage or
in the keeping of the ceremonial law. Their unity is found in Christ. Together,
they proclaim that the love of Christ for man caused Him to descend into our
flesh. “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself
and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of
the cross.”[11]
Christ’s death and resurrection has freed man from the slavery of the Law such
that no amount of preparation, no signs in the flesh (like circumcision), no
act of the will or deed of the hand, nor any rational thought of the mind is a
necessary prerequisite to faith.
The example of these Apostles should be
of great comfort to all Christians. On behalf of St. Peter, the burden of the weak
conscience should be emboldened. If the leader of the Apostles, who was
forewarned by Christ yet still denied Him, who saw a vision concerning the end
of the ceremonial law yet feared the admiration and retribution of the
circumcision party, if one such as St. Peter can be forgiven by Christ and led
to boldly confess the freedom won in the wounds of Jesus, then you, too, can be
forgiven your trespasses, even as you forgive the trespasses of others.
On behalf of St. Paul, those wishing to
boldly confess the truth of the Gospel should also find an example. He stood
before the crowds of the circumcision party and the Gentiles of Antioch and
rebuked St. Peter. He was imprisoned, beaten to the point of death, mocked, and
hated by many for his preaching. Yet he counted all of this as nothing when
compared the glory awaiting him in the heavenly mansions of his Father. And do
not forget that it was St. Paul who persecuted Christ by sending Christians to
their death at the hands of the Jews. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, yet
the light of Christ drew him out of his former darkness into the light of
Truth.
The lives, virtues, and even the
weaknesses of these saints are not why we commemorate them. We remember St.
Peter and St. Paul this morning for the purity of the Word which they
proclaimed to the world. We commemorate their lives because in their lives,
virtues, and weaknesses, we see the very hand of God working toward salvation. We
see that it is through these men, as through thousands of others, God has
brought His word of forgiveness to the world. And we, who remain on this side
of glory until Christ calls us home, look forward to that day when we can
confess with Saint Paul, “I am now ready to be offered; and the time of my
departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course; I
have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to
me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His
appearing.”[12]
In + Jesus’
name. Amen.
[1]
Philippians 3:2-11.
[2]
Acts 11:2.
[3]
Acts 4:1-2.
[4]
Revelation 2:9; 3:9.
[5]
Acts 2:5.
[6]
Acts 10:2.
[7]
Acts 10:9-16.
[8]
Galatians 2:14.
[9]
An altered quotation from Martin Luther, “Lectures on Galatians (1535),” AE
26, translated and edited by Jaroslav Pelikan (St. Louis, MO: Concordia
Publishing House, 1963), 107.
[10]
Acts 15:10-11.
[11]
Philippians 2:7.
[12]
2 Timothy 4:6-8.
