Peter — Willie Mullan

Returning to 1st Peter this evening. Commencing our studies this evening in these great thrilling inspired letters of Peter, 1st and 2nd Peter. And if the Lord will, we're going through these two letters, phrase by phrase, trying to make the Bible talk the whole way through.

Choosing First Peter as the Study

I had a long wait before the Lord, before I came to the decision to take up the epistles of Peter. A very valued member of the class here came to me and said, Do you not think of taking up that great subject that you did many years ago, the doctrine of the devil?

You remember we did this from end to end once, and I'm sure that it would need to be done again sometime. And a very dear brother in the meeting wrote me a letter about why not take up the footsteps of Christ.

And about 15 years ago we did this, and took every step that Christ made on earth, from Bethlehem right through to Calvary. Very interesting, very blessed indeed. And I got so many letters about so many things.

But I think the thing that God used to bring me to the decision to go into these epistles of Peter was this. You remember when we were going through Genesis, and we were looking at all the characters in Genesis, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph.

And you remember those wonderful days we had with Joseph. I think that Joseph was the most saintly character in the Old Testament. And remember this, that while he was the most saintly, there is nothing made to his jaws and there is no murmur that comes from his lips.

He was so like the Lord, despised and rejected of men and so on. Yet although he was the most saintly character, he was the one who suffered the most. I think it's a lesson to learn, you know. But although we gazed at Joseph and saw such spiritual life and vigour, yet when we came to look at Jacob, I think Jacob was the one that touched us most.

Because Jacob's down-sitting and Jacob's uprising and Jacob's folly and failure and failure were so like our own. He's the man that stepped out of tune, of sound. Just like ourselves, a man of light passions.

Peter as the Common Believer

And when you come to look at all the characters in the New Testament, and you take Paul, and you take John, and you take James, and Joseph, Mark and Matthew, you know the one who steps out nearer to you and matches up with you better than any other is Peter.

Remember he's called a non-learned and ignorant man. Oh, he hadn't any great smothering of education at all. And they're missing so much of the academic standards, you know. Ah, well, let me tell you here now.

I remember being one of the referees on the mission board once, about twenty-two men there, and a girl from the Shankill Road was being examined, and she was answering back in her own good old Shankill Road language, and there's nothing wrong with it if you belong up there.

And, you know, the examiner looked at her, he was from London, and he said when she went out, he said, you know, we can't stand this girl, she's got no education whatsoever. So, you see, I just dropped the Bible and skidded it up the table to them.

I'm always looking for trouble. Skidded it up the table. That's entirely the academic standard of teachers. And John, John the Baptist, I'll say a few more for you when you're finished. I don't have the steam out of him now.

Don't listen to that rucksack. That's from hell, that's what I think about it. That is not how God works. God happens to take up the things which are not, and the foolish. Heroes will be belittling your education if God takes you.

I'll say amen, but don't make it a standard. If God is asked to take a back seat to me, you'll have to just pay attention, that's all. Peter was the common man. A fisherman with lots of hands, you know.

He rode the boat a time or two. Maybe like me, he couldn't spell too well. When I write these notes out there, the secretary, she laughs at some of the things I write. Sure, I don't care, I put the keyboard for putting them right.

Yes, Peter was just a common man. More than any pirate. And as we look at this character tonight, you'll find in many ways a weak man. Yet you know when the Spirit of God took hold of him, he became a special apostle in a special sense.

The apostle to the circumcised. He became a very special character. And God can take any one of us, you know. There might be things. And it's only God that does things. So you know, I came to the conclusion after waiting before the Lord for some time that we should take up these great letters of Peter.

First Peter's Unique Message

And while the man is unique in a sense, I can tell you that the message is unique. What messages are here? Just notice this as we start tonight. It's Peter writing to the strangers scattered. And when you take the word strangers in, you get the word scattered with it.

He's thinking about Jews. It's always applied to Jews, this word scattered. And these strangers scattered throughout Asia Minor. You know, they're Jews that he's writing to. But notice this in the second verse.

They're elect. They're saved Jews. They're elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. And let's get the word poor in here. Poor. Because this is election before. That's where he begins. Away in eternity before the world began.

That's where he begins the letter. Comes to a fellow that couldn't pass the 11th. What's beginning then? And I can tell you that he sweeps through these two letters. And when he comes to the end, you know, he can see the elements melting with seven heats.

And the earth and the things that are therein being burnt up. And he can see the new heavens and the new earth and the day of God. That's why. And what's the rest of it? From eternity. This man. Just because that God was with him.

It wasn't the academic standard that was doing it. It was the spirit of God. And you know, for those of you who differ with me in this presentation of things, he didn't see Israel and the church as one, you know.

Because the election that he's talking about here is the sovereign choice of God before the world begins. For knowledge. And because of it, election. Before history began. Israel was elected on earth.

God chooses this nation and that nation. How much does a nation make of you? That's what they decide. And he doesn't see the people he's writing to having an inheritance on earth. Oh, no, he's not thinking about a Canaan with Philistines in it, defiling it and corrupting it.

No, he said your inheritance is incorruptible and undefiled. And it's not a geographical location down here at all. It's reserved in heaven. Oh, he knows what he's about, you know. Yes, it's a unique man with a unique message.

And we're going to take it word for word. We'll be a long time getting through, but if the Lord will, we'll get through it. He's just taking the first word tonight, the word Peter. Man, it thrills a boy like me to see him writing Peter.

Peter's Humility and the Rejection of Religious Titles

One of the two Roman Catholics here tonight, bless you. You're most welcome. In God's mind here, there'll be no mercy on you while you're here. You'll take the truth like the rest of them. And I can tell you this, that on the page before you, it is not the very reverend Dr. Holy Father Pontius Peter.

No! It is just Peter, if you can read it. No increasing article to be mounted about it. And the sooner we learn it, the better. And it would be good for all the rest of the ministers, too, who fancy themselves with reverend in this and that and the other.

Very good, you know. Because a whole lot of it sounds like potpourri to me. When you pray for me, don't pray for Pastor Mullen because the Lord will not know who you're talking about. Just say Willie Mullen, and that's what they've got up yonder on the book.

I'm really thrilled with the way he begins. Just Peter. Well, if he was the first pope, he didn't know a thing about it. He's just Peter, that's all. I've said a lot of things about him in the notes tonight.

Peter Was a Jew

First of all, I say he was a Jew. You may wonder why I even took a line to do that. But I can tell you young people that there's a great debate going on at the present moment. And there are quite a lot of moderates who are trying to prove that Peter wasn't a Jew.

And they're doing it for a very subtle reason too. I think it comes from Rome. I make no apology in saying these things, you know. I'll tell you why. Have a look at Galatians, and we're at Galatians chapter 2.

Paul's letter to the Galatians, and at Galatians chapter 2. Now, Paul had gone up to Jerusalem here. He'd gone up to see Peter and James. And he says in verse 6, the same time,. But of these who seem to be somewhat, whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me.

God accepteth no man's person. For they who seem to be somewhat inconsequential did nothing to me. Contrarywise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me. As the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter.

Now, I think you want to watch that very carefully. Because it just means this. That these dear leaders in the church at Jerusalem, they recognized immediately that the gospel of the uncircumcision, that's the gospel to the Gentiles, or to the heathen, the uncircumcised, was committed unto Paul.

And the gospel to the circumcised, or to the Jew, was committed unto Peter. So if this room hadn't been very open at the beginning, they would never have chosen Peter as the first book because he wasn't coming to the Gentiles at all.

It was Paul who was the great apostle to the Gentiles. And I think that somewhere along the line, somebody must have challenged their authority on this ground. And now they're beginning to subtly say that Peter was not a Jew.

And you young folks will get the argument round about sometimes. It's not so very many years ago, maybe just a couple, that a young university student said to me, don't you really think that Peter was a Jew?

I said, I don't think at all, I know he was a Jew. He said, you know, you would have bother proving it. Well, I said, let's try anyway. Now, here's what I did, and you follow it. I went to John's Gospel, chapter 1.

And you know, the Lord Jesus had had some time with Andrew and John. And when Andrew came away from the Lord and went and saw Peter, verse 43 says, the day following, Jesus would go forth into Galilee and find Philip, and say unto him, follow me.

Now, Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. So I said to this young fellow, you know, this is where he lived. He lived in Bethsaida. And this is his city. It seems to indicate that where he was born.

I said, I'm not accepting that. They said, they called you Willie Long from London, and you were not born there at all. Oh, that's quite a good argument, so I'll give that bit up. I said, all right, let's go over here now.

This is the Acts of the Apostles, and it's chapter 3. Pentecost has come. And here you find, verse 1, Peter and John going up together into the temple at the hour of prayer. I said, if you think he was a Gentile, what do you think he was going up to the temple to pray for?

He said, you know, I don't think this is right either. The church has just been formed and there's no meeting place. And they suppose if you were saved and you could get the place to pray, you would pray anywhere, and he went to the temple.

So I had to give that up too. Then I went on to Acts 10, you see. And this is the place where Peter is out on the roof praying, and you remember the great sheep descended. Verse 12, wherein, where all men are the four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. I said, if you don't take where he lives to indicate that he's a Jew, then you don't take what he does.

Never you'll take what he doesn't do. And he hasn't eaten anything at any time. He said, you know, you could get pernickety all Gentiles just like that, and I suppose you could. So I had to shift over again.

So I went back to Luke's Gospel. This just suddenly dawned on me. I went back to Luke's Gospel, and I'm at Luke 22 now. See, verse 7. Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed.

And he, our Lord Jesus, sent Peter and John saying, Go and prepare us the Passover. So I looked at the young fellow and said, You don't think the Lord was sending a Gentile to prepare the Passover, do you?

And this is where he collapsed. He said to me, You know far too many scriptures. I said, You know far too little. I think you could go on with that sort of reasoning, young people, and you can get the answer quite easily.

There's no doubt whatsoever he was a Jew. And I don't think we'll have any trouble at all with the next one. He was a fisherman. Let's have a look at Matthew's Gospel, chapter 4. Matthew 4, and I want you to remember this.

Verse 18. Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. These were fishermen down at Galilee. Let's put another scripture beside that to tidy it up.

Luke's Gospel, chapter 5. I think this is a lovely one. Luke's Gospel, chapter 5. Verse 1. Came to pass that as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Genesaret, which is the famous Galilee, and saw two ships standing by the lake, but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing the nets.

And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's. He was not only a fisherman, he owned his own boat. Now, I want you to get the picture into your mind. We're building it by a Bible kit this evening.

And I want you to get me the truth. And I want you to be absolutely sure that he's a fisherman who owns a boat. You know, when I was down at Galilee, we went down every morning and into the fishing boats.

And I didn't go to see the fish on the boats either. I went to watch these fellows. My, you could see their suntanned faces, rough like leather. They'd been in many a storm. And I took particular notice of their big hands.

And I began to imagine Simon Peter. He was a Jew, probably had a visa. And he was a fisherman, he owned a boat. And he'd been out in many a storm. And I want you to get this. He was a married man. I don't know how Rome gets round this at all, talking about the first book.

Well, he was married. And surely that must show us power in the works of celibacy. Yes, you remember this. Have a look at this. Matthew chapter 8. Matthew's Gospel, chapter 8, verse 14. And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid unsick of a fever.

And he touched her hand and the fever left her. You know, he was quite a character, wasn't he? Not only a Jew and a fisherman and a married man, but his mother-in-law moved with him. Quite a character.

And when she wasn't too well, you know,.

He brought the Lord in. He was a doctor.

Wasn't like the fellow that I know who formed a doctor one night and he said, My mother-in-law is at death's door. Will you come round and fill her tea? Yes, well, we're getting this fixed now. We want to establish this before we get too far, that he was not only a Jew and a big, rough fisherman and a married man, but he was an unlettered man.

Peter as an Unlettered Man

We don't want to get that out of balance at all, but let's have a look at this. This is the Acts of the Apostles, and it's chapter four. And there's not a passage in the book that's more important than this one.

Peter and John were arrested here by the Sanhedrin for preaching. And they were put in the prison until the next day. Verse five says, Acts four, verse five, came to pass on the moral that their rulers and elders and scribes and Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, that's a special figure of speech in the Greek New Testament, all the Annas, came to pass on the moral that their rulers and elders and scribes and Annas the high priest and Caiaphas, who also said he was the high priest, which is a bit of confusing, two high priests in the one year in the nation, and John and Alexander and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest.

What a court it was. Those who know best tell me that the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, this most venerable court of the Jews, it sat in a semicircle, seventy-one members, twenty-two old Jewish lawyers in that half of it there, twenty-two old Jewish elders, keen and wise and cruel, and the left, the priests from the temple, and in the center the high priest, I don't know how they tickled out Annas and Caiaphas who were juggling each other, that's their problem, and in the center of the semicircle stands Peter and John.

They're on trial, and this court can take their lives, and this court desires to take their lives. It was a great moment, you know. It says here, verse seven, and when they had set them in the midst, they asked, by what power or by what name have you done this?

You see, a man was healed at the beautiful gate of the temple. And somebody stood up to ask this question, and I know that it was one of the lawyers from the center, all Jewish lawyers, because I've spent this many months studying Jewish law, and there's a long way back in Deuteronomy which says if a miracle is even performed in any other name than the name of Jehovah, they who do it shall be slain.

So it's a subtle, it's a loaded question, they say. He stood up, he looked at the Jewish head, by what power or by what name have you done it? But Peter knows exactly what is being asked. Thus, if you're ever in trouble, and if you live for God, you will, watch this next little bit, then Peter.

Don't forget this phrase, filled with the Holy Ghost, because this is the way you earnestly contend for the faith. It isn't with a gun in your hip pocket, you know, nor a flag in your hand. No. Nor your prophets' blood.

So, no. For Christians. And if you're filled with the Holy Ghost, you'll not do a thing wrong. You'll be a bigger man than any other way I know. Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost. Watch this. Said unto them, Ye rulers of Israel, and elders of the people.

Ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel. Very careful how he addresses the court, you know. He's not rude or anything like that. You wouldn't be rude if you're filled with the Holy Ghost. If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole?

Here's the answer. Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, that is not putting your tongue in your teeth, is it? That's what you call being a man.

Because he can have his life taken away from him. These boys didn't like Jesus Christ of Nazareth. They put him on a cross. But Peter's putting his shoulders back here. And he went a little bit further, you know.

He says, be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified. Here's the bit they didn't like. Whom God raised from the dead. Even by him doth this man stand here before you all.

Then he went a bit further. It's caught in scripture now. This is the stone which was set at Nott of you builders, which has become the head of the corner. And then he looked and squared in the face and he said this, Neither is there salvation in any other.

For there is none higher than in heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved. Man, I'll shake his hand when I go to heaven. Take with all Peter. That was good. But a man to do that. You ask the reason for the hope within you.

Ask God to save you with the Holy Ghost. And then let the Holy Ghost come. You know, it says here, verse 13, Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled.

God Uses the Unqualified

Oh, when will the world marvel again? When all the many folks of Christ, that's when they'll marvel. Unlearned and ignorant. Friend, the Lord can take you just as you are, you know. The China Inland Mission, threw out a lot of field workers.

It's just a wee woman. Remember the night she was busy harvesting over the platforms. Threw her out. They just punched, and she just went on without them and did the job far better. And there are no terrorists there.

I was pushing in the level two convention, and said this, but I'm telling you now. And an old lady with a full coat came round and looked at me. She said, you shouldn't make this known. You shouldn't make it known.

I said, were you there when you threw her out? Were you with them? Well, the next day, you see, when I'm at the convention, I said, do you see the old doll over there with the full coat on? Ah, you come to take it out on me, I'll take it out on you.

They threw her out. Stop this talk of academic standards. If God takes a university student and makes him a man of God, I shall shut hallelujah. Ah, but if God takes a retailer, then will that suit? I'll shut hallelujah.

You are getting to the place now. Unless you can talk with a certain accent, you won't be allowed in. Yes, it was Fiddler Dexter who said, degrees? Are you talking about degrees? Why, there ain't been no churches by degrees.

But they did make for the best. Yes, we're getting the picture, are we? He's a Jew. He's a rough fisherman. He's a married man. And he's a non-lettered man. You know, he's the saved man. And I want you to notice the next one, because we've put them both together.

Peter as a Saved and Called Man

He was the called man. You know, sometimes some of the young ones come to me, and they say, you know, there's something wrong here. And they show me John's Gospel, chapter 1. Now, I'll show you what they mean.

John's Gospel, chapter 1, and it says, verse 41, talking about Andrew, Andrew who was Simon Peter's brother. See verse 40. One of the two which heard John speak followed him, and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

He first assigned us his own brother Simon, and said unto him, we have found a Messiah, which has been interpreted by Christ. See, it's a lovely phrase. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon, the son of Jonah.

Thou shalt be called Cephas. You know, he's going to make something really tough out of him. You know, this is the day he got saved. This is the day he was brought to Christ. He ever bring anybody to the Lord?

It's a great thing, just to bring a soul to the Lord. And I'll tell you, if they're brought to the Lord, they'll be changed. Yes, they will indeed. Now, some of the young folks say, you see, here is where he met the Lord, here.

And mark this. This is in Beth Abadah, beyond Jordan. See verse 28. These things were done in Beth Abadah, beyond Jordan, where John was baptized. And you can see in verse 43, we read it before, the day following this, Jesus would go forth into Galilee.

So this was the way down in Judea. Now, I want you to get that in your mind. Because we're going back to Matthew chapter 4. And this is what the young folks sometimes turn up. They say, here is the Lord Jesus, verse 18, walking by the Sea of Galilee.

Here are these two fishermen, and he saith unto them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they strictly left the mentioned holiday. You see, this is quite simple. It was down at Beth Abadah, beyond Jordan, where Peter was brought to Christ, and where his faith was placed in him of the Messiah, and where he was changed.

But it was some time after that, and I don't know how long after that, that he was called into to John's service. Ah, but that's different. I could take you to the spot where I was saved, and I could take you to the spot, ah, years afterwards, where the Lord called me into full-time service.

Those were two different days. Don't mix them up. He was a saved man, and he was a called man. You know, Peter had great gifts. Of course, we've already seen that he was the great apostle to the second Christ.

Yes, he was the apostle. And I want to say this, you know. Sometimes I think that we miss this, and we miss it tremendously. You see, at Pentecost, the Holy Ghost came, and all those who had been individual followers of Christ up to that moment, the Holy Ghost came upon them all, and he baptized them into one body, and the church was formed there.

And you know, this is tremendous, because the church sealed out from Pentecost. I want to tell you that they met, you know, on the first day of the week to break bread, and there was ministry, all right.

But I want to tell you that they had no New Testament. And I think this is the thing that's missed. We forget, you know. We forget that they met, and they had no Hebrew, and they had no New Testament.

Apostles, Prophets, and the New Testament Church

But you know, they had great gifts among them. These apostles were there. And they were not only apostles, they were prophets. Now, when we say apostles and prophets, we mean apostles who were gifts to the church, and prophets who were New Testament prophets, who were gifts to the church.

You know, I think you need to get that into your mind, because the prophets did a lot of ministry. Have a look at the Acts of the Apostles, and you see, chapter 6. Now, the church is formed, and verse 1 says,.

And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose the murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews. These were Grecian believers murmuring against the Hebrew believers, because their widows were neglected.

Then the twelve, this is the twelve apostles, called the multitude of the disciples unto them and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God and set table. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report.

And mind you, they're asking the church to look out for men. They were apostles, mind you, but they're not doing it. He says, look ye out among yourselves. All of the appointments here, the church doesn't.

They haven't the book in it. You just stand back and let the church do it. Oh, I read them the qualifications, all right. But this is what they said, brethren, look ye out among yourselves seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom.

And we'll appoint them over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. I want you to get that quick now, there's no New Testament. Ah yes, you see, there were not only apostles there, but there were prophets.

And you know, when the church met on the first day of the week, then the whole church was gathered together. You see, sometimes the prophet would stand up. And this is the morning meeting, mind you. And he's ministering the word.

And he's ministering the word without the New Testament. But because he's a prophet, he's teaching the church New Testament truth. Now, let me let you see him at work. Have a look at this, 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians, chapter 14. Now, Paul's talking very carefully to the church here. He says, verse 1, follow us to charity. He's just asking them to love one another. Just a little after forbidding to love in this meeting.

Following us to charity. And desire spiritual gifts. You're right to desire spiritual gifts. But rather that ye may prophesy. I don't want you to get prophecy into your mind in the sense that you're an Old Testament prophet.

That is not the sense at all. If the New Testament prophet is the same, the man who's going to minister to the meeting. Yes. I want you to get this. He talks about tongues here. He says, when he that speaketh in a tongue, because the word are known as in idolatrous.

He speaketh not for men, but for God is the old Greek translation. For no man understandeth it. How be it in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But, and he puts a big but in, but he that prophesies speaketh unto men.

For what? For three things. For edification and exaltation and comfort. You know, if I've got it quite clear, this is what the morning meeting was all about. When the church gathered and there was no New Testament, you know, sometimes the prophets stood up.

And they ministered. And they ministered comfort. And they ministered edification. And they ministered exaltation. And in some of our churches now, they list the whole morning of the children's story.

And to me, that's below me. Because they're doing a religious ministry. Why do you think we got us all here on Sunday morning to be ministered to? Fiddling away their time. It's because they have no message.

Now, you old boys will grow old and hear children's stories and get doctrines and truth. Oh, I'll tell you what they did in the New Testament. They stood up to minister. To comfort the faithless. To edify them.

To exalt them. And while the gift of faith, the principle hasn't changed. God doesn't change the principle. The morning meeting is where you get comforted. Where you should be edified, taught. Where you should be exalted if you need it.

That's what it's all about. And you see, Peter wasn't only, wasn't only an apostle. He was a prophet. Many times he stood up, you know, and told them exactly what they had to do. And I'll tell you this, you'll have no bother with the next one, will you?

Peter's Many Ministry Gifts

He was not only an apostle and a prophet, he was an evangelist. You know, God gave this fisherman a lot of gifts, didn't he? It's all gift, you see. Oh yes, God made him an apostle and a special one. And God gave him the gift of prophets.

And God gave him the gift of teacher. And do you see 1 Corinthians chapter 12? You're not far from it there. When it talks about the gifts, see how it puts them. And God asks, verse 28,. And God has set some in the church apostles.

There are some folks who come to this meeting, bless them, they try to tell me that Israel and the church are just the same. And I've asked them a thousand times over, if Israel is the church, would you tell me how the apostles got to it?

If you'd come down and tell me after the meeting, you could have left it all.

God set these in the church first, apostles. If you were right, it would be the cryptoriox of the first. Now this is a new body that God has made. And the first gift he gave was the apostle. Then, second only, prophets.

Don't you forget that. These are not all testament prophets, these are New Testament prophets. You can minister to the church forever, without the New Testament at all. And when the New Testament came, we don't need the apostles and prophets.