1 & 2 Peter Bible Study: Practical Teaching and Profound Insights from Peter’s Letters to Jesus’s Church (audiobook)

Who Is Peter?

Peter is one of Jesus’s twelve disciples. His birth name was Simon, but later Jesus gives him the new name of Peter (Cephas). Peter means “stone” or “rock.” We’ll get back to this in a bit.

Peter is a part of Jesus’s inner circle of three, along with James and John. As such, he receives a privileged look into who Jesus is and what he does.

Despite this, Peter often receives criticism—even ridicule—for his behavior. He sometimes speaks or acts before he thinks.

During Jesus’s arrest, Peter whips out a sword and slashes at someone, but all he gets is an ear (Luke 22:49–51). After that, Peter denies even knowing Jesus (Matthew 26:69–75).

But let’s not focus on these things. Let’s look at the positive, for there is much to celebrate.

Peter is the only one of the twelve disciples who walks on water (Matthew 14:28–33). Though his journey is short before his faith falters, remember that he’s the only one to leave the safety of the boat. The other eleven don’t even dare try. Peter does, and his faith is rewarded.

When Jesus asks his disciples, “What do people say about me?” they give various answers. Then Jesus gets direct. “What do you say?”

Not surprisingly, Peter speaks first. His bold answer fills us with confidence: “You’re the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:15–19).

Jesus blesses Peter for his spot-on answer. This truth sets the foundation for Jesus’s church. That’s when Jesus changes the disciple’s name from Simon to Peter—which means rock—the rock on which Jesus will build his church.

After Jesus rises from the dead and returns to heaven, Peter emerges as the church’s first leader (Acts 1:15–26). Peter speaks on Pentecost under the power of the Holy Spirit. Three thousand people believe in Jesus (Acts 2:14–41).

Later, people lay the sick on the streets so that Peter’s shadow might fall on them as he walks by (Acts 5:15).

Though the Bible never says these folks receive healing, why would their friends position them this way if there wasn’t a good reason to do so?

Last, Peter writes two letters to Jesus’s followers, which we can read in the New Testament: 1 Peter and 2 Peter.

This Bible study digs into these two letters.

Like all of us, Peter has his strengths and his weaknesses. May we seek to emulate the positive parts of Peter’s example and avoid the negative.

Would we have walked on water with Peter or stayed in the boat with the other disciples?

What in Peter’s life can inform how we live ours?