Peter’s Confession of Faith (Protestant/Evangelical Caucus & Devotional)

ligonier.org ^ | 6/14/2016

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“[Jesus] asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they told him, ‘John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.’ And he asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ.’ And he srictly charged them to tell no one about him” (vv. 27b-30)

- Mark 8:27—30

Peter the Apostle is often presented in the four Gospels as the spokesman for the disciples. Apparently, he was willing to say what was on everyone’s mind, no matter how little thought had been put into it. At Caesarea Philippi, Peter proved the disciples were not permanently hardened to Christ, and that our Lord was slowly opening their eyes so that they could see His true identity.

Mark 8:27 tells us that on the way to Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” In so doing, He set up a contrast between what His closest friends thought about His person and work and what those outside of the group, those who did not know Him, thought about Him. Their responses are instructive—first-century Jews, by and large, placed Jesus in the same class as the greatest prophets, a class including John the Baptist and Elijah (v. 28). As one commentator notes, the people saw our Lord not just as a prophet but as one of the prophets, those whose influence set them apart from everyone else who exercised a prophetic ministry.

Clearly, however, Jesus did not believe that view of Him is high enough, for He then introduced the other side of the contrast by asking the disciples who they thought Him to be (v. 29a). Believing that Jesus was a prophet is insufficient, for while He was a prophet, He was—and is—much more. And after being hardened and slow to understand, our Lord’s disciples finally began to see that their teacher was no mere prophet. Their eyes were starting to be opened, and Peter answered Jesus’ question on behalf of the group, saying, “You are the Christ,” that is, the Jewish Messiah (v. 29b).

The confession of Jesus as Christ, as Messiah, as the “Anointed One,” is the fundamental Christian confession. Prophets, priests, and kings were anointed under the old covenant (Ex. 40:12–15; 1 Sam. 16; 1 Kings 19:16). So, the confession of Jesus as Messiah recognizes that Jesus is the Prophet who reveals to us God’s will, the Priest who sacrifices Himself to atone for our sin, and the King who is Lord over creation. Dr. R.C. Sproul writes in his commentary Mark: “The church stands strong and unconquerable as long as it remains committed to its confession that Jesus is the Christ. . . . A loss of confidence as to the identity of Jesus does not disrupt merely the external trappings of the church; it disrupts the church’s foundation. We who confess the name of Christ must remain firm in our conviction that He is God in the flesh.”

Coram Deo

First Timothy 3:15 calls the church “a pillar and buttress of the truth,” holding up the truth before the world. Yet if the church is not grounded in the truth, it cannot hold it up before the world. Therefore, insofar as we are able and according to our callings, it is important for each of us to support the work of ensuring that the church remains committed to biblical truth.

Passages for Further Study

Joshua 1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

1 Timothy 1:3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and ma good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. 8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the slaw is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.

2 John 4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. 5 And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him stakes part in his wicked works.

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