Life as a Model of Christianity - Essay Example

Despite the murky personal experiences, he delighted in the church and stood firm in the faith. I thought this should be a reference verse for all Christians in the modern age. Peter’s knowledge and application of scripture are the books of 1st and 2nd Peter is striking. It is interesting the reference that he makes to the old testament about the cornerstone (Jesus Christ) as recorded in the book of Isaiah (1st Peter 2:22). I picked a few lessons from the usage of the scripture. Having a comprehensive knowledge of the scriptures, Peter was able to withstand the maltreatment meted on him.

I realized it not just enough to randomly extract parts of the Bible for preaching or reference. The comprehensive knowledge portrayed by him as a writer was a weapon against the fierce world of persecution. More important than this, the fact that most of the referenced parts that were used were contextual and practical in life. I could use them or also refer to the texts in my own life. In as much as the 1st and 2nd Peter tend to focus on the history of the early church and the endurance of the apostles, the books also explore the rewards of standing by one’s faith in God.

The assurance of eternal life is a concept that comes forth towards the last chapters of 2nd Peter. The worth of a Christian’s suffering especially suffering that is as intense as that told of by Paul is in the form of eternal life. To me, this is a hopeful message that ought to reach all Christians. Eternal life as earned by the Christians merges with the story of Jesus himself in the four gospels. It is quite compelling that through temptation, suffering and endurance comes the great reward.

In this light, I had to come to terms that temptation and suffering are inevitable in the journey of Christianity. To sum it up, the two books give an account of a life that is a model of Christianity. Peter hailed from a Jewish background that was associated with arrogance and disregard for Christianity. Slowly he became Jesus’s disciple and traveled across the world to preach the gospel. At the end of it all, he died a gruesome death, where he opted to be crucified upside down, a sign of humility (2nd Peter 1:14-15).

This life story that Peter used to model Christianity, the transformation is quite swift I could say. Actually, his ability to go through the persecution and further give to crucifixion is not extreme but rather almost difficult to picture. Nevertheless, 2nd Peter and the narration of these incidences embodies humility in the very least. Peter’s books consolidate the stages of a Christian’s journey so well. The values and scriptural insights embedded in the epistles made the books worth reading.