Introduction
   “All Scripture is given by inspiration of Elohim, and is profitable.” (2 Tim. 3:16).
  So begins the Apostle’s consideration of the five administrations of the Word of Yahweh: correction, instruction in righteousness, reproof, rebuke, exhortation – and ordinarily provided an Assembly in that order, too. Because Yahweh is an Elohim of process and order, and knows what is in man – that is, in his flesh, no good thing (Rom. 7:18) – he must be,
    • corrected of his error;
    • instructed in righteousness;
    • permitted space to be (re)proved, lest he should have returned to the vomit and mire of what was assumed remitted him by grace; rebuked if he should continue therein; and,
    • exhorted to continue steadfastly in that which he has received.

  Of course, because the pull of strongholds of rebellion are intense and set at variance with, at enmity against, and contrary to what is good, acceptable, and perfect, some will not much advance beyond correction and, therefore, what is set apart must be withheld that man, lest the Message be subject to violence and the messenger to torment.
   But the accounts given us in Scripture is “profitable” toward promoting another purpose, too.
  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope, Romans 15:4.
  Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition … 1 Corinthians 10:11.

Simon Peter: Beneath the Bluster, Some Good
   We have considered one certain personality; one to whom the Master had said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not: and when you are converted, strengthen your brethren, Luke 22:31-32.
   Simon is introduced to us at once proud, impetuous and outspoken and often perhaps, afterward wishing he had instead exercised demurral, keeping quiet and not had the embarrassment of the Master’s rebuke in the presence of his peers. Nevertheless, beneath the bluster, was a contrite, penitent spirit … one worthy of our emulation.
   His introduction to the Master apparently, occurred by way of his brother Andrew, formerly a disciple of the Immerser who had identified Yahshua as the Lamb of Elohim (John 1:36), who after having given audience to Him sought Him out, where He lodged and spent that day with this Man from Galilee, presumably hearing further, the Good News (John 1:35-39). Afterward, he found his brother Simon, and excitedly announced that he had found the Messiah (John 1:41-42)..
   We are not told here, that Simon so appreciated his encounter with the Lamb that he forsook his fishing enterprise. This was to occur later, when an opportunity presented itself to the Master as the people urged Him on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, to speak to them the Word (Luke 5:1). Accordingly, Yahshua, finding Simon and his partners (his brother Andrew, and John and James, the sons of Zebedee) washing their nets required Simon to launch out from the shore where, from sitting in the craft, he addressed the people (Luke 5:2-3).
   Following His discourse to the people, He charged Simon to let down his net for a catch … a catch that had eluded this experienced fishermen who had toiled the night before so that now, with the net about to rend and the boat about to capsize, the marvel of it all moved this rugged mariner to fall down at the Sovereign’s knees and confess, saying, “Depart from me: for I am a sinful man, Master” (Luke 5:3-8). (See also the parallel account in Matthew 4:18-22.)
   Simon was at once a man of strange contradictions: naturally impulsive, but tender-hearted and affect-ionate; at times presumptuous, then timid and cowardly; self-sacrificing, yet inclined to be self-seeking; gifted with Spiritual insight, but slow to comprehend and apprehend Truth; made two great confessions of his faith on Yahshua, then cancelled the two by three denials.
   Among them whose ears had heard, whose eyes had seen, and whose hands had handled, Simon often assumed more than he could handle. At one time, following the feeding of 5,000 beside women and children (Matt. 15:13-21), the Master directed His disciples leave as He sent the multitudes away. On a tempest-tossed sea, and in the dark of an early morning, Yahshua advanced toward their craft and Simon, willing to test the apparition, made request that he be permitted to walk upon the water (Matt. 15:24-28). It was a test, Simon would fail (Matt. 15:30) – a test, we often fail… in thinking ourselves to be stronger than what we appear before Him to be.

Before Honor …?
   Among the first after Nathanael to confess Yahshua as ha Maschiah, Ben Elohim (the Messiah, the Son of Elohim), he couldn’t yet handle too much commendation among his apostle-peers. For when their Master – elated that one among them should so acknowledge Him – began to relate to them the sufferings and death awaiting Him at Jerusalem by the hands of the elders, the chief priests, and scribes of the people, it was Simon who incurred the displeasure and rebuke of the Sovereign One for daring to challenge the Latter’s purpose for having been born, and the cause for which He had come into the world (Matt. 16:13-24).
  Then, we have his second affirmation of his Master Yahshua in the account of John, Chapter 6. Yahshua was concluding His discourse on Himself being that Bread of Life come down from Heaven and had just asserted that except a man should eat His flesh, and drink His blood, he had no life in him (John 6:48-53). The narrative concludes with many of His disciples judging His Word too hard, and offended, they left Him (John 6:60). Turning Himself to the twelve, the Master asked them, “Will you also go away?” to which Simon replied, “Master, to Whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that you are the Messiah, the Son of the living Elohim” (John 67-69).
  Then on the eve of His passion in Gethsemane’s garden in the mount of Olives … when Yahshua’s hour had drawn near to fulfill the Promise of the ages, He foretells their behavior, saying, “All you shall be offended because of Me this night” (Matt. 26:31). But, oh, not Simon. For though all men should be offended in Him, he would not so. Indeed, he should die with Him and so let on, all the rest (Matt. 26:33, 35). But Gethsemane’s nightfall prompted sleep that should yield later, to temptation that might have been thwarted if they which were there, had instead deferred to diligence and vigilance.
  And though later, with the advance of the mob led by Judas, that familiar friend now turned traitor, and emboldened to strike with the blade, he would, like the others – just as the Master had foretold – turn tail, and fled (Matt. 26:47-56). Perhaps curious, he found himself in the courtyard of Caiaphas’ palace where assembled was a tribunal of the scribes and the elders of the people to try Yahshua on charges that He had consistently violated the Sabbath through the administration of corporal works of mercy and that He had, through the affirmation of His teaching and His miracles, made Himself the Son of Elohim (Matt. 26:58).
  There, Simon’s earlier pronouncement of loyalty would be tested, as he might have hoped to have remained incognito among others with whom he was sharing a place at fireside (for it was cold) but whose persistence challenged his acquaintance with this Man from Galilee (Matt. 26:69-75;

Which Sorrow? Of the World, or Penitent?
   Convicted? Contrite? Penitent? The cock crowing upon his third denial, and his seeing his Master as the Latter was being transferred to the hearing before Pilate, brought to his remembrance words spoken unadvisedly, but hours before (Luke 22:61-62). What amends might now he make, as he should be denied opportunity to become reconciled to His Master? Perhaps now, the best he could hope for was to remain sequestered with the ten (John 20:19) … albeit, though it should be for fear of the Jews who would be anxious also, to implicate all who had been in complicity with Him Whom they had given a new title, “that deceiver” (Matt. 27:63).
  But Yahshua’s prayers for Simon – He is, after all not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance – was, as we shall learn, to prove both effectual and according to His Father’s will.
   And very early in the morning the first of the week, they (Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome) they came to the sepulcher at the rising of the sun. … And entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and the were affrighted. And he said to them, “Be not affrighted: You seek Yahshua of Nazareth, which was impaled: He is risen; He is not here: behold the place where they laid Him. But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goes before you into Galilee: there shall you see Him, as He said to you, Mark 16:2, 5-7.
  One might wonder, “tell His disciples and Peter?” Why should Peter receive the Master’s singular acknowledgment?
In John, Chapter 21, and some little time after Yahshua had appeared to the ten – for Thomas was not among them – breathed upon them the Holy Spirit, and committed to them the authority to remit confessed and repented sin and to retain what had not been made subject to contrition and confession (John 20:22-23), Simon Peter announced to Thomas, Nathanael, and the two sons of Zebedee, and two others, “I go a fishing” (John 21:2).
   As the narrative unfolds, it appears that Simon had not yet brought resolution to his “misdeed” following Yahshua’s arrest, though he might have had opportunity following the Master’s resurrection and subsequent apparitions to those whom He had loved. Often, however, when time is permitted to lapse from the moment of transgression without resolving the grievance of the soul, one can become past feeling, his conscience seared with a hot iron … until perhaps, reckoning is unavoidable.
  That the Master would select this occasion that Simon might opportune to bring closure to what he had permitted to defer, is noteworthy.
  Likened to another experience to which Simon could relate (Luke 5:5), these experienced fishermen had toiled all the night without success (John 21:5). As dawn came, they heard One calling from the shore of the Sea of Galilee, “Children, have you any meat?” (John 21:5). Their reply, “No,” was answered with instruction to cast their net on the right side of the boat, whereupon they gathered a multitude of fish that placed their nets and their vessel in jeopardy (John 21:6).
  John’s identifying the Voice upon the shore as Yahshua’s moved Simon to retreat to the sea (John 21:7, “for he was naked”) … in want of suitable apparel but more so, “naked” before Him to Whom all judgment was committed (John 5:22) and before Whom, all things are naked and opened to Him with Whom we have to do (Heb. 4:13).
  And then, we read of a most gracious gesture inaugurated by Him Whose love extended beyond the stake, to one who, because Yahshua had prayed for him, could afterward declare his own unworthiness to have obtained mercy, be counted faithful, and appointed to ministry.
Yes, by a simple question, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love you Me?” (John 21:15-17) … asked three times, the debt of Simon’s thrice-denial was cancelled.
  However, though this profound gesture of the Master extending forgiveness for the expression of a heart’s frailty, agitated our subject (John 21:17) and overshadowed his sensibilities that he should require the estate of a peer (John 21:21).
  But, no matter. For Yahshua Who knows the end of a matter even before its inception, anticipated that when once Simon and the others would become endued with Power from on High, that the course of His intercession – “when you are converted, strengthen your brethren,” Luke 22:32 – would yield Spiritual fruit, as occurred when on a notable Pentecost, and following ten days of tarrying for that Promise of enduement, Peter and the eleven stood and rehearsed such saying of old time and now, their fulfillment. So moved were assemblage, that they complimented his discourse with a query of their own: “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). And then, this Apostle who had opened his mouth for the first time and spoken as an Oracle, embraced the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and opened the Way, the Truth, and the Life to about three thousand, declaring, “Repent and be immersed every one of you in the Name of Yahshua the Messiah for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Conclusion: Finally, Bearing Fruit to Perfection
   And what more needs to be said, but that this man Simon who together with his companion John had been but judged unlearned and ignorant (Acts 4:12), stood before, and withstood more learned men than he, without fear challenged them of religion, resolved he could speak nothing but what he had seen and heard (Acts 4:20) and that it was far better to obey Yahweh than men (Acts 5:29).
  This one, we say, to whom the First Assembly looked for direction. This one, to whom was accorded the first miracle of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 3). This one, who gave witness to the Power of the Holy Spirit to reveal what was in the hearts of men; by whose word of knowledge and discernment of spirit, some would fall; and by whose mere shadow, many with diverse afflictions were healed (Acts 5). This one, who together with his Apostolic peers met the indignation of Sadducee and Pharisee alike, not with excellency of speech or wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power declared the testimony of Yahweh (Acts 4 and 5). This one, before whom neither one sick of the palsy, nor another who had taken her bed in death, proved to be too great a challenge to make whole and return to life (Acts 9). This one, through whom it was Yahweh’s good pleasure to reveal that He could make of two – Circumcised and Uncircumcised … clean and unclean – but echad, one new man (Acts 10). This one, who could stand unapologetically before his company in Jerusalem, for the defense and confirmation of Truth (Acts 11). This one, prominent among the chosen and ordained in Jerusalem to whom the elders accorded respect and honor, as was fitting to a father (Acts 15).
  What more needs to be said than this about that man once proud, impetuous, outspoken … and later judged ignorant and unlearned by them which professed themselves to have letters having learned – yes, who had afterward become a Servant transformed, renewed in the spirit of his mind (Rom. 12:2): not striving; gentle unto all men; apt to teach; patient (2 Tim. 2:25); and through the medium of his pen, and with the Keys, opened the Kingdom to strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (1 Pet. 1:1) and who left us this legacy: that we should show forth the praises of Him Who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous Light (1 Pet. 2:9) and therewith, given us an exceeding great and precious promise, that in having escaped the corruption that is in the world, we might become partakers of His nature (2 Pet. 1:5) and receive to ourselves, inheritance of a Kingdom undefiled and incorruptible (1 Pet.1:4).