Lent Madness 2018 has officially begun! After months of soul-aching anticipation, “Ash 
Thursday” has arrived. Over the next (more or less) 40 days and 40 nights, you will have the opportunity to re-immortalize one of our 32 competing saints with the coveted Golden Halo.
Today we see two heavyweights facing off in the Apostolic Rumble. Will we rob Peter to pay Paul or will Paul get robbed to pay Peter? That, dear friends, is up to you and your single (we mean that and we have spies everywhere) vote.
If you’re new to Lent Madness, welcome! If you have any questions about how to participate, just let us know by leaving a comment. The Lent Madness community is both friendly and helpful, often answering questions before the Supreme Executive Committee arrives in their grand purple, if imaginary, chariot. You can view and/or print out the full bracket of saints by clicking here.
We urge you to take full part in the Madness. Leave comments here on the website. Read what others have to say. Enjoy the friendly rivalry and trash talk on social media. Do additional research. During the day, check in on the website often to see how each day’s contest is going. And above all, delight in seeing how each saint was a powerful witness of Jesus Christ.
Be sure to sign up for e-mail updates on our home page (upper right corner) so you never miss a vote, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and encourage your friends to jump into the fray.
We can assure you this will be a wild, joyful, educational, ocassionally gut-wrenching ride. We’re delighted to share this journey with you. Let the Madness begin!
Peter
The disciple who makes us all feel better about our failures, Saint Peter was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. Peter is traditionally considered the first bishop of Rome—or pope—having been ordained by Jesus who dubs him the “rock of the church.” Originally, Peter was named Simeon, often simplified to Simon in modern English. Peter was married and originally worked as a fisherman with his brother, Andrew. In fact, Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus and gave him the name Cephas (Peter), which means rock.
Peter was a leader among the disciples and witnessed events seen by only a few apostles, such as the Transfiguration and the raising of Jairus’s daughter. According to the gospels, Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah, then denied knowing Jesus three times under threat of arrest, and then felt shame and remorse over his betrayal. After Easter, Jesus forgave him his failure and implored Peter to “feed my sheep.”
At the start of the Acts of the Apostles, Peter emerges as an effective leader of the early church. He preached with authority at Pentecost, began to work miracles, and participated in the council at Jerusalem. Historical witnesses confirm his later presence in Rome, although they do not verify the legendary story of his martyrdom. According to this tradition, under Emperor Nero, Peter was crucified upside down. He requested this unusual method of execution out of humility, not wanting to be killed in the same manner as Jesus. Hence, in Christian symbology, Peter is often represented by an upside-down cross, along with the keys to God’s kingdom. The Vatican claims Peter’s remains are housed beneath Saint Peter’s Basilica.
St. Peter’s feast day is June 29, and he is the patron of fishermen, net makers, and shipbuilders.
Collect for Peter
Almighty Father, who inspired Simon Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God: Keep your Church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, so that in unity and peace we may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Paul
Behind Jesus Christ himself, perhaps no person has shaped the face of Christianity more than Paul of Tarsus—the pharisaic persecutor of the church turned apostle and the primary writer for a majority of the New Testament.
Paul, as an ardent and educated Pharisee, was dedicated to what (at Jesus’ time) was a somewhat new belief—that the law given in Torah could be applied to everyday activities to sanctify the course of ordinary life. As such, Paul’s early interactions with followers of Jesus were as a persecutor, seeking to restore the norms of pharisaic dogma to the followers of the sect known as “The Way.” But Paul underwent a dramatic conversion experience along the Damascus road. He saw Jesus, who addressed him by his Hebrew name, asking “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Blinded by this vision, Paul’s sight was restored by Ananias, and a transformative ministry began.
Paul’s message in his epistles speaks to the transformative power of God’s grace, revealed in Jesus, crucified and risen from the dead. Having experienced grace in his conversion, Paul argues that the grace of God is extended to all—Jew and Gentile alike. As he writes in the Epistle to the Galatians, social distinction must break down when all become part of the body of Christ: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” As the Apostle to the Gentiles, he was at times in direct and fierce conflict with Peter; Paul argued with Peter for the inclusion of Gentiles in the table fellowship of the earliest church. Using the privileges Roman citizenship afforded him, Paul traveled widely to preach the gospel: His journeys took him across the Middle East, Asia Minor, and eventually to captivity in Rome. Paul died in Rome, still longing to travel to more communities with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Collect for Paul
O God, by the preaching of your apostle Paul you have caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we pray, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show ourselves thankful to you by following his holy teaching; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
UPDATE: At 7:58 p.m. Eastern time, the SEC removed 254 votes from Paul. We found that someone in Little Rock, AR had voted for Paul repeatedly. This is a reminder that you should vote -- and tell your friends to vote -- but once only.
[poll id="205"]
496 comments on “Peter vs. Paul”
Paul argued for the inclusion of the gentiles. I’ll take the guy trying to include everyone every day of the week.
Welcome back Lent Madness friends! I went with Peter.
My vote goes to Paul. He gave us some of the most glorious religious writing ever composed and eloquently articulated the love of God and the hope of resurrection. It became fashionable to reject Paul because of the way his comments about women and various sexual practices have been misunderstood and abused, but without him the Christian faith would be unrecognizable and infinitely poorer. Also, with at least 7 letters unquestionably written by him, he's the only person in the New Testament into whose mind we can get a direct and unmediated glimpse, and I've always felt a deal of affection for him. I don't have to rob Peter to pay Paul, and this is not to diminish the Prince of the Apostles, but I can only pick one of them so I'm going with the one I feel the most connection to.
There is nothing to say that has not already been said. But I must agree with all those who say that without Paul there would not be a Christian church, certainly not a Protestant church. And if one reads Paul's epistles closely, there were clearly many women with leadership roles in the communities he established and wrote to. One of them is included in this year's roster. Why do women keep insisting Paul did not like women!
I think the SEC just wanted a big smackdown for the first day but am sad that one of these great Biblical men will be shutdown the first day. Please promise a return next year for that one. I went with Peter because he comforts me when I too fail Jesus.
Speaking as a psychologist, I have diagnosed Peter with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Impulsive type. This diagnosis usually includes having a one track mind, great persistence and high energy. God took those characteristics and used them for good, and curtailed some of his impulsivity. Paul was a narcissist and although he changed his tune, he still remained rigid, judgmental and self absorbed. My vote for heroic virtue goes to Peter!
What about the Goldwater rule? 🙂
If only someone could diagnose self-absorbed narcissists before they enter the public sphere . . .
LOL....
Although I always felt Peter sort of dumped his wife, (he had to, right?) and Paul was much more of a Damascus moment type of guy, I had to throw my hat toward Peter because he screwed up during his time with Christ so BADLY. And he understood the power of forgiveness. He dream led people to include Gentiles. This was a hard match!
No biblical evidence that Peter dumped his wife -- it was the church patriarchy that dumped her centuries later!
Tough choice, but I like Paul's stand on inclusion - it's something I think is missing in today's world and something we need to get back to.
I vote Peter for the same reason Oliver gives so succinctly. Good to see you back in the game, Oliver! We all remember you when you were just 8 years old!
Paul tangled with the rea;ities of creating a fellwoship. He documented the thoughts and guidelines for thee followers who heard of Jesus and of the new word. He taught us the grace of forgiveness. Peter. who learned through failure continued his role of leadership but Peter needed Paul to find and expand the numbers of Christians while Paul needed Peter to establish the actual church in which the followers could express their newfound christianity. So the dilema becomes that Paul needed Peter and Peter needed Paul. If I must chooae, it is Paul. His writings and travels led us to the faith, love and hope of the trinity of Christianity. He was humble. dying in prison. But once again Peter took the stage and asked to achieve humility through his upside down crucifixion (not verified.)
Peter. He does make me feel better about all the times I have fallen down. I like Paul, too, but sometimes he is too much... Paul.
Totally challenging and unfair first round!!!! Both! I voted for Peter, but both had significant roles !
If the Pauline epistles are read in isolation, and then the gospels are read in isolation, you would have the impression of two very different religions. I very much prefer the latter. Although that is not all Peter, in my mind he aligns with the gospels better than with the Pauline epistles. In other words, I somewhat agree with Thomas Jefferson. And voted for the first bishop of Rome.
My heart goes out to Peter...and so does my vote. I love some of Paul’s writings, but Peter is the emotional and passionate follower often reacting before he thinks. I can totally identify with that! And so the Madness returns! Woohoo!
It was Paul for me. Shout out to my old parish - St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Watertown, Wisconsin! Because of that wonderful place I am a better person & Christian. Love to you all.
Voting today for Peter. While it's true that the Christianity we have today is that of Paul, history is written by the winners, and Paul's brand (with its focus on sin and atonement) was not the only brand out there in the first century. I am grateful for and amazed by the work Paul did in all his travels. And I agree that Paul gets short shrift for his supposed "attitude toward women," as both his letters and the Acts of the Apostles demonstrate his acceptance of women as leaders in the church--Priscilla, Lydia, Euodia, Syntyche, Apphia, and Mary of Rome, for starters. But Paul was not the only missionary out there. When he got to Rome, Paul visited an already established church. Who started that community?
Neither was Paul the only one advocating the inclusion of Gentiles. Remember Peter's vision of the sheet coming down from heaven with kosher and non-kosher food? Remember Peter and Cornelius, and Peter's baptism of the Gentiles in Caesarea?--all before Saul came into his own.
Sometimes Paul takes all the oxygen out of the room. Peter gets my vote.
This is my 4th year, but I didn’t receive an email notice this year. Somehow my name was removed from the list. Please add put me back on the list
Thanks. Elisa Correia, Diocese of Chicago
ewcorreia38@gmail.com
C'mon, if it weren't for Paul, none of us would even have Jesus. Go Paul! The ultimate conversion story. If Jesus can use him, Jesus can use anybody.
Paul is the person who said that there is neither male or female, Jew or Greek. He greeted a female as a fellow apostle. Paul was probably writing against the worship of false gods (fertility religions), not same-sex intimate relationships (as homosexuality wasn't defined yet). He treated Priscilla as the head of the first European church.
Peter would exclude me.
Both Peter and Paul had fallen short of the glory of God. Only one seemed to fully act on any person having an advocate with the Father. This choice is simple.
Paul.
Back in my radical Roman Catholic days I wore a button that said, "St. Peter was a married priest." Peter it is.
Paul sometimes gets a bad rap as sexist. Yet, he proclaims that all are equal in the body of Christ. And I appreciate his reminding me to have a grateful heart and to give thanks in all circumstances.
This gentile's vote goes to Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles and missionary extraordinaire. I especially appreciated Celebrity Blogger David Sibley's write-up on St. Paul, as well as the collect for Peter.
Paul lived and preached the transformative power of God's grace, extending this Grace to all. Had to vote for inclusion.
what a tough matchup! But imagine the New Testament without Paul. Untold millions have been saved by his writings--which are beautifully written on both the theological and the literary level. So I had to vote for Paul.
Faith without works is dead! Go, Peter, go!
Paul, of course, because of his encouragement of women in ministry. (Yeah, yeah, all that patriarchal stuff is overblown and misinterpreted - if indeed he even wrote it.) And because he brought the faith to new cultures, even ones he wasn't comfortable in (Philippi) as we are all doing in the 21st Century.
As the grandson of two Newfoundland fishing schooner captains, the patron saint of fishermen has my vote.
Paul, for several reasons. I love reading his letters when I serve as a lector; I love his insistence on equality and grace for all; and surely Jesus had him in mind when he told Thomas that those who haven't seen him but yet believe are blessed.
Why do I suspect that the rather twisted sense of humor of the Grand Poohbahs was a driving force in the choice of these two well-beloved saints on day one? As one who for too long railed against a perceived misogyny in Paul`s epistles, I have recently found a change of heart (in me and in Paul!) and have today cast my vote in his favor!
As usual, before I read the write ups - I was 100% sure I would vote one way. As I read the collects to the comments, I was not so sure any more. What a great forum to wrestle with the saints. Bless the SEC and all of you.