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THE APOSTLES : M.M.NINAN<br />
English. ...... Peter was addressed as Simon, Bar-Jonah; and although there is a name involved, in<br />
this case it is actually a title. The Hebrew prefix bar means "son." .....<br />
But the common figure of speech expression has nothing to do with coldness by degree; it in fact,<br />
means that something is very admirable or excellent. One such Hebraism, or Hebrew idiom, is the<br />
partial phrase, "son of [something]" or "child of [something]."<br />
The Hebrews would call someone who had a certain characteristic, feature or destiny, a son of that<br />
thing.<br />
This is evident in several scriptures:<br />
1. Son of Perdition; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; John 17:12<br />
2. Children of transgression; Isaiah 57:4<br />
3. Sons of the kingdom; Matthew 8:12<br />
4. Sons of the wicked one; Matthew 13:38<br />
5. Sons of the bridechamber; Matthew 9:15<br />
6. Son of hell; Matthew 23:15<br />
7. Children of wrath; Ephesians 2:3<br />
8. Sons of disobedience; Ephesians 2:2<br />
9. Sons of Belial; 1 Samuel 2:12<br />
...... Hebraisms in the Scriptures it is apparent that Jesus was identifying Peter as "a" person with<br />
an assignment similar to Jonah's, not "the" literal son of Jonah-his supposed father......"<br />
In this interpretation Jesus took Simon, the rolling stone for the specific purpose of an assignment<br />
similar to that of Jonah. As Jona was reluctant to go and give the message to the gentile nation of<br />
Nineveh, Peter was reluctant to reach out to the gentiles with the gospel.<br />
"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither<br />
thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird<br />
thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not." John 21:18 KJV<br />
Just as Jona was taken to Nineveh by the fish Peter was taken into the home of the centurion<br />
against all his jewish upbringing.<br />
After the resurrection when Jesus came to Peter and told him to feed His flock, He used two<br />
separate terms to indicate two different types of people. He used the term lambs (John 21:15)<br />
and the word sheep (John 21:16; 17). Jesus was referring to the flock of the Jews. But then Jesus<br />
tells Peter to "tend" His sheep. because Jesus had to use a fish - in this case a vision to go
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