The Christian Community in Johannesburg
  • Home
  • About
    • Covid-19 Notice
    • Photos & videos 2016 onwards
    • Social media
    • Library
    • Stories, Poetry & more
    • Articles >
      • Contributions by members
    • Where are they now
    • History
    • Advent Fair
    • Artists in our community
    • Webmaster
  • Community Notice Board
  • NEWS 2021
  • Programme
  • Contemplations 2021
  • Market
  • Links

The Twelve Apostles of the New Jerusalem – Peter

4/1/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Rev. Michaël Merle
​

Christ says: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6). In John 21 we hear Christ ask Simon Peter, “Do you love me?” and tasks him with tending the flock of the new church. Peter is tasked with tending to the life of the community of Christians. We could say that John is tasked with speaking the truth in his initiation that provides him with the possibility to enter consciously into the spiritual world. A striking example of John speaking truth is in his letter where he writes: “God is Love” (1 John 4). James becomes the carrier of the way. After he is beheaded in Jerusalem his body is returned to Spain where his apostolate had taken him and is buried where the church of Santiago de Compostela (the field of stars) stands that is reached by the Camino de Santiago – the Way of Saint James.

As a group, Peter, James and John have a close relationship with Jesus. They are among the first disciples called by Jesus and they are called out from among the twelve to be present at significant events that formed a part of their path of initiation. The first of these is when Jesus takes them up onto the mountain and is transfigured. In the Transfiguration they see a living picture of the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets in Christ. They are men of the Jewish faith and know the Law of Moses and the Prophets. The Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths or Tents), Sukkot, is spoken of by the Prophets so that in the future humanity will permanently ‘live in the tent’: it will be a feast without end. When the disciples of John the Baptist follow Jesus and ask where he resides, they are asking him where he ‘has pitched his tent’. The prologue of John which says: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” can be directly translated as: “The Word became flesh and pitched his tent among us”. When Peter asks Jesus whether he should erect three tents he sees in the picture of the Transfigured Christ with Moses and Elijah the fulfilment of scripture. Jesus responds that the fulfilment of scripture is not a completed event but an ongoing process.

The second time these three disciples are called out is in the Garden of Gethsemane. Even though they are intimate friends of Jesus they cannot maintain daylight consciousness to witness the event. Peter will again refuse to bear witness to Jesus only a few hours later, before the cock crows. Peter is challenged to bear witness to the Christ before the crucifixion and he cannot. It is only after the Resurrection that most of the apostles find the possibility to bear witness and become martyrs.

We know quite a bit about Peter and John from the scriptures, but less about James.

Peter is a man with an evolving journey. He is Simon and when he is called Jesus names him Cephas, the stone (the foundation stone), which is Petrus in Latin. He was a seeker as Simon and accepting his discipleship he becomes Peter. Then, after the Resurrection when he is tasked with tending the Life of the flock of the followers, he is called Simon (out) of John. He takes another step in his evolving to become a ‘John’ or Simon Peter John. This may indicate a stage of development. The Johanine consciousness is one of a deep recognition of Christ. It is a step in initiation. It may be viewed that Simon the seeker becomes Peter the disciple and then in his apostolate he becomes a ‘John’, he becomes Peter (working out) of John (a true Johanine consciousness).

Tradition tells us that when Peter is condemned to be crucified, he refuses to die in the same manner as his Lord and is crucified upside down. The upside cross is a symbol for Peter. Another symbol for Peter is the crossed keys representing the keys to the Kingdom. This symbol has been transferred to the Pope (who is seen by Catholics as the successor of Peter).

When the Apostles are related to the Foundation Stones of the New Jerusalem the order is not as in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark but rather according to the apocryphal story of their calling.

The first of the Foundation Stones is jasper, or more correctly heliotrope (bloodstone). It is a stone of green speckled with red. The red of the strength of life in the blood. Green is the colour of copper that tarnishes to green. It is the green of Venus related to sacrifice, Friday, Easter and Resurrection. This is the Foundation Stone aligned with Peter.

Each stone is connected to a soul quality that must be transmuted to a spiritual virtue. Heliotrope is connected with Pisces. Pisces represents the Kar fish that swim in opposite rotation around the base of the Tree of Life (from the early Zarathustrian tradition). Pisces is also seen as two ichthyocentaurs, Aphros and Bythos – Sea Foam and Sea Depth – who carry Aphrodite (Venus) from the sea to the seashore. Rudolf Steiner related Pisces with magnanimity. Peter is magnanimous and must develop this to the spiritual virtue of love (“Do you love me?” – at the time of asking he had not yet transformed affection to love.).

Picture
​
​The Attributed Coats of Arms of the Simon Peter.
 
Simon Peter was attributed the symbol of his martyrdom: the upside down cross – Simon Peter refused to be crucified in the manner of his Lord and was thus crucified head down. He is said to have preached a sermon to the heavens as he hung on the cross. He is also attributed the Keys to the Kingdom. The background field of the coat of arms is red to signify that he died a martyrs death.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Use Ctrl-F to search this page
    Picture
    Follow us on Twitter. We put reminders of events and notices on Twitter.
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Article Archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020

    2020 - January to December
    2019 - January to December

    2018 - January to December​
    ​2017 - January to December
    2016 - January to December
    2015 - January to December
    ​2014 - November & December
    2013 - July to December
    2013 - January to June
    2012 - April to December
    Picture
    Send us your photos of community events.

      Feedback
      Please give feedback on anything,
      anonymously or with your name

    Submit

    Subscribe to our newsletter or notifications

    * indicates required
    I wish to receive
    Email Format

    Articles (prefaced by month number)

    All
    01 - A Worthy Opponent
    01 - Faith In The Future
    01 - Family Bicycle Ride
    01 - January
    01 - Old Testament Initiations
    01 - Peter
    01 - Reflect Contemplate Consider
    01 - The Twelve Apostles Of The New Jerusalem
    01 - Tree Of Knowledge Of Good And Evil
    02 - February
    02 - Is It True? What Is Truth?
    02 - JOHN
    02 - JOHN The Brother Of James Son Of Zebedee
    02 - LOGOS – Consecrating Humanity
    02 - The Threefold In Daily Practical Life
    02 - The Tower Of Babel
    02 - Thoughts On The Word
    03 - About Abraham
    03 - Abraham And Sarah
    03 - An Angel In The Clouds
    03 - And Come Follow Me
    03 - JAMES THE GREATER
    03 - March
    03 - Melchizedek
    03 - Prophet Priest And King Understanding Ourselves As The New Community Of The Christ
    03 - Sodom And The Pillar Of Salt
    03 - The Nature And Significance Of Sacrifice
    03 - The Old And New Paths Of Chakra Development

    RSS Feed


On this site

Home
About us
Library
Photos
Stories
Articles
   ​
  from
​     Member
​
Where are
     our
​     members
History
Community Notice Board            News About The Community      Community Programme       Contemplations      
Businesses in the Community    Links to other Communities         Webmaster
Links to other websites of our community
Advent Fair
Artists in our community

Services

The Act of Consecration of Man
Sunday                            10h00
Wednesday                    see programme
Friday                               08h30
Saturday (in German)    09h00
Sunday Service for Children
Sunday                            09h30
Child Care 
2nd & 4th Sundays​          10h00  - 11h00

Contact information

​Address
46 Dover Street corner Pine Avenue
Ferndale
Randburg

GPS:S26.0887400, E27.9962600
​Telephone & Email
Telephone / Fax   +27 (0)11 789 3083
​Email                       joburg@thechristiancommunity.org.za
​Office hours           09h00 - 13h00

Priests

Rev. Reingard Knausenberger
Office    +27 (0)11 886 2220
Mobile  +27 (0)82 218 1515
​Email     lenker@thechristiancommunity.org.za
​Rev. Michaël Merle
Mobile  +27 (0)83 675 0836
​Email​     michael@thechristiancommunity.org.za
Copyright © 2012 to 2020. | All rights reserved. | Powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About
    • Covid-19 Notice
    • Photos & videos 2016 onwards
    • Social media
    • Library
    • Stories, Poetry & more
    • Articles >
      • Contributions by members
    • Where are they now
    • History
    • Advent Fair
    • Artists in our community
    • Webmaster
  • Community Notice Board
  • NEWS 2021
  • Programme
  • Contemplations 2021
  • Market
  • Links