While still in Jerusalem a lame beggar asked Peter
for money. Peter told him he didn’t have money
but he did have something to share and he grabbed
the man by his right hand and brought him to his
feet completely healed of his lameness. This
miracle of healing gave Peter another opportunity to
preach the Gospel as a crowd gathered when they saw
the lame man walking, jumping and praising God.
And as a result 2,000 more men believed.
The Jewish priests & Sadducees didn’t want Peter
preaching about Jesus so they arrested Peter & John.
This time when Peter was confronted with danger he
did not deny Jesus but instead “filled with the Holy
Spirit” he told his captors “It is by the name of
Jesus Christ…that this man stands before you
healed.” After this the Sanhedrin told Peter he
could no longer teach in the name of Jesus, but
Peter told them he was not going to obey men but
God. Peter’s courage inspired other Christians
to go out and speak “the word of God boldly.”
During this time
the new Christians were selling all of their
possessions and distributing the money to anyone who
had need. One Christian couple, Ananias and
Sapphira sold part of their property and
brought the money to Peter. But instead of telling
them the truth they told Peter that they had sold
all of their land and was giving the money to
the needy. Ananias and Sapphira valued the praise
of men more than the praise of God and because of
this they lied to Peter. But Peter told them they
weren’t lying to him but to God and they both fell
down dead. When the people heard about this they
became afraid.
Later when the
Apostles heard that Philip was having success
preaching the Gospel in Samaria, Peter and John went
there to lay their hands on the new Christians in
order to give them the gift of the Holy Spirit. A
magician named Simon was also there and was baptized
because he saw the Apostles doing miracles he
couldn’t do. He then offered Peter money for the
gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter told Simon the
magician that his heart was not right because he
thought he could buy the “gift of God.” After this
Peter traveled to Lydda and met a man named Aeneas
who was paralyzed and had been lying in bed for 8
years. Peter told him “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals
you.” And immediately Aeneas got up. Because of this
miracle the Bible says that everyone in Lydda turned
to the Lord. While he was in Lydda Peter heard that
a woman in Joppa named Tabitha, who had been making
clothes for the poor, had gotten sick and died.
Peter went to Joppa and found that Tabitha was
already being prepared for burial. He made everyone
leave the room and he got down on his knees and
prayed. After praying he turned to the dead woman
and said “Tabitha, get up.” Immediately she opened
her eyes and came downstairs with him. This miracle
became known all over Joppa and many more people
believed in the Lord.
In Caesarea there lived a gentile named Cornelius, a
Roman centurion who was a devout God-fearing man.
One day while he was praying he was visited by an
angel who told him to send his men to find Peter and
bring him to Caesarea. The next day Peter was
on the roof praying before lunch and he had a vision
of a sheet coming out of heaven. The sheet was
full of animals, reptiles and birds. Then the voice
of Jesus told Peter to kill and eat but because
Peter was an Israelite he would not eat any animal
considered to be unclean. Then Jesus told him “Do
not call unclean anything that God has made clean.”
This happened three times just like the 3 times
Jesus asked Peter if he loved him and just like the
3 times Peter denied knowing Jesus.
Soon after
Cornelius’ men arrived and Peter went with them back
to Caesarea. When he arrived at the house of
Cornelius and found out he had been visited by an
angel he realized what his vision on the rooftop
meant. He now knew that God did not show favoritism
but wanted all men to be saved, both Jews and
Gentiles. So Peter began telling Cornelius and
everyone in his house about Jesus and while he was
speaking the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out
on everyone including the Gentiles. Peter returned
to Jerusalem and told the Christians there what had
happened and they all praised God.
Sometime later King
Herod (the grandson of Herod the Great and nephew of
Herod Antipas who had Jon the Baptist beheaded)
began persecuting Christians. He caught James, the
brother of John, and had him beheaded. When he saw
that this pleased the Jews he had Peter arrested and
thrown in prison. The night before his trial, Peter
was asleep bound with chains between two guards and
suddenly an angel appeared. The angel woke Peter,
removed his chains and told Peter to get up. Peter
got up and followed the angel out of the prison.
Peter knew Herod would be looking for him so he told
the other Christians what had happened and “he left
for another place.” Sometime later while Herod was
on his throne he was struck down by an angel and
eaten by worms. This story about Herod’s death is
also found in the writings of the historian Josephus
who said Herod was “seized with violent pains, was
carried out and died…”(Josephus, Antiquities,
19.8.2).
Later Peter briefly
returned to Jerusalem with Paul to convince the
Jewish Christians there that Gentiles did not have
to be circumcised to be saved. After this not much
is known about Peter’s life. Early Christian
writers tell us that Peter eventually ended up in
Rome where he probably wrote his letters 1 & 2
Peter. He and his wife were captured by Nero and
killed. Tradition states that when Nero was to have
him crucified he asked to be hung upside down
because he was not worthy to die in the same way as
his Lord Jesus Christ.
