In this informative, insightful book—by parts a devotional, a sermon, and a scholarly work—author Adam Hamilton’s goals are to share the details of Peter’s life and to invite readers “to understand how Peter’s story speaks to us today, how these stories serve as God’s Word to us, helping us both to know Christ more fully and to become the disciples Christ calls us to be.”
Especially interesting is Hamilton’s explanation for why all the gospel writers portray Peter as a “flawed disciple,” highlighting his many failures, rash impulsivity, and foolish words. Hamilton points out that many historical accounts of famous figures sanitize their lives and highlight only their heroic deeds. So why, he asks, did the gospel writers include Peter’s unsavory actions and words, most famously his three-times denial of Christ?
Hamilton’s answer shapes his entire narrative. He suspects that the gospel writers were free to share these stories because Peter “highlighted his own failings, using his shortcomings to connect with the common struggles and failures of ordinary followers of Jesus.”
Accessible and inspiring, Hamilton’s book, in which he shares his own failures and vulnerabilities, encourages Christians to live out of the truth that “Jesus makes amazing use of flawed disciples.” (Abingdon Press)
About the Author
Sonya VanderVeen Feddema is a freelance writer and a member of Covenant CRC in St. Catharines, Ontario.
