Why was Peter chosen as First among the Apostles?

[Digitonomy]

In another thread, we were discussing why Simon Peter was chosen by Christ, rather than say the next fisherman. I pondered whether Peter may have had some personal traits, such as speaking, organizational, or leadership skills, that made him well-suited. Another member seemed to suggest just the opposite, that it was Peter’s lack of speaking skills that made him a good choice:

MDK:

It was correct to say that Peter had great love for Christ, but was not particularly smooth speaker. It would be obvious that it was God working in Peter that would glorify God, and not Peter’s natural talents.

I had always assumed Christ had Peter in mind to lead the Apostles from the get-go, but looking back at the Gospels, there doesn’t seem to be much to go on as to why. Mark 1 and Matthew 4 provide only a perfunctory description of the first encounter, and Simon and his brother Andrew are recruited together. The first mention in Luke (chapter 4) is of Jesus curing Simon’s mother-in-law. I suppose Peter may have had a stronger personal loyalty to Jesus after that event than the others. In John’s account (chapter 1), Simon’s brother Andrew was apparently rounded up first, and he went back and brought Simon to Jesus, where he received his new name, Peter.

None of that seems to give much insight into why Peter was chosen, rather than say Andrew, or James, or other fishermen who may have been milling about, but didn’t even get chosen as Apostles. Is there tradition, or later scriptural evidence, that helps explain this choice?

 

[Eucharisted]

God exalts the humble to humble the exalted. Peter was the worst choice to lead the Apostles - which is why God chose him. He likes to work in ways that seem paradoxical to us.

 

[lynnareyno]

I think it is also in Mattew 16: 13-20. He asks the apostles at Caesarea Phillip “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God". And Jesus answered him “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father who is in heaven.”
I think that God the Father revealed to Jesus who should be the first among the apostles.
The question/answer was a way for the Father to reveal His will to Jesus. God the Father knew who would be the best one and Jesus wanted His (name removed by moderator)ut.
I also agree that Peter’s humanity was a large factor, so everyday people can identify with his and making mistakes and being forgiven.

 

[Joe_5859]

I suppose it’s for the same reason that God chose Mary to be the Mother of Jesus instead of choosing any other Jewish girl of the time: because He’s God and that’s what He wanted to do.

 

[chaunceygardner]

Why did Jesus choose any of the disciples in particular? In some readings it appears that He chose them from the larger group of disciples that followed Him. In others, the ones most quoted, He makes specific choices and in essence seeks THEM out. But in either case, Jesus does not really say why they were chosen.

Why Peter as First among the Apostles?

Of all the Apostles, which are most vivid in our minds? Some we have no idea about, as other than a name (and not even in all Gospels), nothing else is said about them or by them. The two we are most familiar with from the Gospels, and whose personalities we can visualize the best, are Judas and Peter. Interesting dichotomy here. One, who appears to be a “thinker” and an activist, betrays Jesus. The other, a little slow on the uptake and somewhat cowardly, becomes the “Rock”.

Perhaps God is teaching us a lesson from that.

 

[Digitonomy]

God exalts the humble to humble the exalted. Peter was the worst choice to lead the Apostles - which is why God chose him. He likes to work in ways that seem paradoxical to us.

Do we actually have evidence that Peter was the worst choice, or do we just have a few cases where he put his foot in his mouth?

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Someone oncepointed out that God likesto do things the hard way, just to show how good He is. Their reference was to Jesus’s prayer in the garden. There were all sorts of easy ways to answer that - drop a tree on the soldiers, give Pilate a heart attack, etc. However, God waited until Jesus was dead and in the tomb; just so no one could ascribe natural causes to His solution.