Monday, October 17, 2011

Peter the Son of Jonah or John

Matt 16:17 says that Peter is the son of Jonah; while John 1:42 and 21:15-17 says that he is the son of John--though the KJV says son of Jonah. so we have two questions here: what does the most reliable Greek texts say (Jonah or John)?; and if John reads 'the son of John' then how do we address the discrepancy between Matt and John the reading in John 1:42; 21:15-17 is simply a manuscript issue. The issue is raised because John says that Peter is the son of John (1:42; 21:15-17); while the Gospel of Matt says that he is Peter the son of Jonah (Matt 16:17). This discrepancy likely led some copiests to change the mss of John so that it agrees with Matthew. The result is a question among the mansucripts. The KJV of John simply sides with the mss tradition that favors Jonah (the mss tradition of the KJV, in my opinion, is not usually the most reliable tradition; the best mss of John 1:42; 21:15-17; say ‘son of John’). So was Peter the son of Jonah (Matt) or the son of John (John)? There are several answers available. 1) ‘son of’ means ‘having the characteristics of.’ Thus, the Jews say they are ‘sons of’ Abraham and Jesus says, ‘then do the deeds of Abraham’ (John 8). Matthew may then have referred to Peter as someone like Jonah (with his father’s name being John as the Gospel of John says); note that Jonah is not a common 1st century name; 2) Peter’s father could have had multiple names--Jonah and John; 3) We don’t know I would opt for option 1 or 3: We would then ask, why was Matthew referring to Peter as someone like Jonah?

8 comments:

  1. Because he Saw the Light, as Jonah Did, for as Jonah was in the whale for 3 days, in darkness, he saw the Light, the same characteristics. His name, as in NAME changed from Simon Peter to Peter from that point. Yet, he then went on to deny Jesus 3 times. He was stubborn to cling to what he had just known moments before or rather did not know, but Jesus new he had received his revelation from the Father Himself as He did spoke only what the Father had Him Say, for no man of flesh had told him this. It was from that Point Jesus Knew God, The Father, had chosen Him to be the Rock, as Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone. In one way, it makes no difference, it is Jesus' reply that The Father had told him 'this' that matters most. Jesus in then next verses rebukes Satan, not now "Peter", and says they must deny them 'selves'. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. I feel that Jonah statement has much more impact, since in referring to my text here an NIV at hand by the PC, it was underlined last time I read these verses. For me, indicating he had received the same Knowledge of God that Jonah had received, which is, of course, the Same Thing. It is oft the most resistant, who through learning of God's ways the hard way (one's own will failing continuously), that growth, as Saul to Paul did, to find it is His Will and not their/ our own be done provides for the Results the Father in His Great Mercy Wants For Us through perseverance in surrendering to it. It is later said to Peter by Jesus in John, that he will die the same way in the last verses. Thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I cant help but to wonder if the statement has more to do with Johns immense displeasure of the Gentles and then their later conversion and Jonahs past displeasure over going to Nineveh to do the same thing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I cant help but to wonder if the statement has more to do with Johns immense displeasure of the Gentles and then their later conversion and Jonahs past displeasure over going to Nineveh to do the same thing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I cant help but to wonder if the statement has more to do with Johns immense displeasure of the Gentles and then their later conversion and Jonahs past displeasure over going to Nineveh to do the same thing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Replies
    1. I think the reason Peter was called son of Jonah by Jesus right after Peter proclaimed correctly the true identity of Jesus as Son of God when disciples were asked in Matthew 16 can be found in Jesus' reply when he was requested by the Pharisees to perform a miracle and Jesus replied that at the time only the miracle of Jonah would take place.

      Traditionally, the interpretation of Jesus' reference to the miracle of Jonah has been that it is referring to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead after three days of crucifixion. There is no doubt that such interpretation is correct. However, I think there is a deeper meaning to this. In Jonah's days, his mission was to preach repentance for the people of Nineveh, basically a sinful gentile nation. In the end, in spite of Jonas' reluctance, the full house of the people of Nineveh repented and were saved. I think this is the true miracle of Jonah.

      Therefore, the miracle of Jonas is that the sinful gentiles can be saved by the resurrection of Jesus which Jesus did not explain explicitly to avoid eliciting more resentment from the Jews.

      In fact, after ascension of Jesus, the disciples and the believers at Jerusalem were mired in their preparation of the last day and preaching to the people who were predominantly of Jewish stalk, Paul was called to serve this mission to preach to the gentiles. It is no wonder when Paul then wrote in Ephesians in which he claimed that the gentiles through Jesus could be saved as the greatest mystery that had been hidden since the beginning until then.

      Therefore, whenever Jesus mentioned Jonas, he was referring to salvation to the gentiles through Him. This, indeed, would be a great surprise to the self-righteous Jews of the day.

      Delete
    2. I think there is such a wreck comparison with Peter to Jonah in the old testament. Jonah did not want to go to the gentiles in Ninevah. Peter did not want to eat anything that was unclean. He considered the gentiles unclean. God showed him that nothing was unclean. Both Jonah and Peter were at Joppa by the sea. Peter stayed with Simon the Tanner who is considered unclean by many Jews because of Simon the Tanner dealing with dead animals. Jonah also traveled through Joppa. Interesting correlation

      Delete