Dr Paul Allen

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah!… I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt 16:17–18). The “gates of hell”? Why did Jesus respond to Peter’s confession , “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” in this way? (16:16) The Gates of Hell in Cosmic Geography When we read “hell,” we naturally think of the realm of the unbelieving dead. But the Greek word translated “hell” (ᾅδης, hadēs) is also the name for the Underworld—Hades, the realm of all the dead, not just unbelievers. The Hebrew equivalent to Hades is Sheol —the place “under the earth” where all went after this life ended. Sheol had “bars” (Job 17:16) and “cords” to tie down its inhabitants (2 Sam 22:5–6), preventing any escape (Job 7:9). Both the righteous and the unrighteous went to Sheol. The righteous believer, however, could hope for deliverance and eternity with God (Psa 49:15). While the imagery associated with the Underworld

English: Damian. "Jesus Christ and St. John the Apostle". A detail of the Last Supper fresco from Ubisi, Georgia (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Jesus quietly tells Peter after he is reunited, that this discipleship will someday cost him his life: “When you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go” (John 21:18).  If the prediction itself has some ambiguity, by the time John records it here all ambiguities had disappeared: “Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God ” (21:19). Tradition has it, probably rightly, that Peter was martyred in Rome , about the same time that Paul was executed, both under the Emperor Nero , in the first half of the 60s. Peter observes “the disciple whom Jesus loved ”—none other than John the evangelist —following them as he and Jesus stroll along the beach (20:20).  The designation “the disciple whom Jesus loved” should not be taken t

Damian. "Jesus Christ and St. John the Apostle". A detail of the Last Supper fresco from Ubisi, Georgia (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The twelve apostles included “John” ( Matt. 10:2). Seek to maintain a proper balance between truth and love. Some people picture John as overly sentimental and egotistical, lying with his head on Jesus ’ shoulder and constantly referring to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved .” But that’s not an accurate characterization of this “Son of thunder”! He loved Jesus deeply and was amazed that Jesus loved him—especially after he wanted to burn up the Samaritans and then secure a prominent place for himself in Christ ’s Kingdom. Calling himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (e.g., John 21:20) was simply his way of marveling over God ’s grace in his life. As much as he loved Jesus, John never allowed his love to deteriorate into mere sentimentalism. In fact, the proper balance between truth and love is the hallmark of his ministry. In