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”
This was a very difficult choice. I can really relate to the Peter who says things that come out wrong and who gives in to fear and hides from the consequences of what he knows to be true. But then Peter receives the Holy Spirit and is completely transformed. He still makes mistakes, but he is no longer afraid. He speaks with power and authority and becomes the spokesman for the group. His sermon on Pentecost marks the founding of the church, but without Paul I suspect it would have remained a sect of Judaism.
As a person, I find Paul much harder to relate to-- always so sure of himself and what he is doing. Paul's experience with Jesus made a complete change in the direction of his life, but it didn't change who he was. For all of those reasons, I was leaning toward Peter, but in the end I had to choose Paul because whether or not we like the direction the church has taken his teachings, without him, I don't think there would be a Christian church.
“Their grand purple, if imaginary, chariot...”
So glad you are back, Oliver. You were missed! For me it is Paul all the way. He may have been complicated, but "he persisted."
SEC- what happens if we have a dead heat?
Back and forth between these two, I finally chose Paul, because, as the prayer notes, “you have caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world...”
Adelaide - I was wondering this same thing. It is so close!
There's a Rolling Stones song "Saint of Me" that starts with:
"Saint Paul the persecutor
Was a cruel and sinful man
Jesus hit him with a blinding light
And then his life began
I said yeah
I said yeah"
I say yeah to voting for Paul.
Yeah for this1
That should be Yeah for this!
Peter and Paul both had faults, both made mistakes. But scripture doesn't go into detail about Paul's faults, aside from his persecution of the Church. This was a grave sin, but he committed it as (of course) an unbeliever. Peter, on the other hand, made his blunders while being a follower of Christ. This gives all Christians hope and comfort, that, even though we blow it many times in our walk with Jesus, he still offers us forgiveness and healing. So I voted for Peter.
The joy of getting in on this late in the day is that there are so many comments to read. That is also the difficulty.
Firstly- Welcome Back Oliver. It will be so good to have your reasoned comments again.
Whew - the choices should all be easier after Peter & Paul. I was tempted to toss a coin, but that would be a coward's way out. My heart goes with Peter for his capacity for putting his foot squarely in his mouth so often, but I eventually voted for Paul as he really got the early church rolling and off to a momentous start. I had no love for him for many years but after reading Marcus Borg's books I took
another deeper look at him, setting prejudice aside. Learning that he may not have authored the rules set down for women helped also! Peter and Paul are both such giants in faith it is totally unfair of the SEC to pit them against each other!!!
Though I suspect that Lent Madness would not be a thing if not for Paul, I do not suffer narcissists gladly and often annoyed by his convoluted boasts of his humility. For that reason, and because I need St. Foot-in-mouth-and-heart-on-sleeve, because he gives me hope that God might have use even of me, my vote goes to Peter.
AAARRRGHH! Why do you do this to us?! I literally flipped a coin on this one and let the Spirit choose.
I went for Paul. His inclusiveness was a big factor... also he has my middle name.
Greetings from Australia!
Why not have a super-heavyweight match-up in the first match??? But really???
Voted for Peter, according to the same logic used by the noted Oliver, i.e. Peter "learned from his mistakes".
However, I hope Paul's vote won't be spoiled by some of the material written in the decades after Paul's death by people using Paul's name, i.e. the misogynistic stuff.
As well, my main issue with Paul is his association with (at least) the beginning of the destructive notion that "getting your theology right" is a prerequisite to having a positive relationship with God. This notion has spiralled over the centuries, so that an idea that began as prayerful contemplation in Paul became poetry with the early Church Fathers, prose with the Reformers, legalism with the 19th century revivalists, and absolute gibberish in the hands of some "evangelicals" today. While I won't totally blame Paul for the inanities of some contemporary Christians, nevertheless, the chain of ideas is present.
If you are facing a difficulty and a quote from one of Paul's actual letters comes to mind, go look it up. The wisdom you need is on both sides of that quote every time.
Paul is the giant of wisdom of Christianity applied to eternity. Peter happened to be around.
VOTE FOR PETE HE DESERVES IT! HE IS LITERALLY THE ROCK OF OUR RELIGION!
I love Peter. He makes me laugh, and he gives me hope.
This was a tough one for me. Without Paul, I wonder where we would all be. But Oliver influenced my ultimate vote for Peter. He did learn from his mistakes. And I am married to a Peter who also is a rock.
Paul initially in my life was a source of great anger in me because of how I perceived his view on women. But I gradually came to look at Paul through more mature eyes and heart. My own Pauline conversion was aided by my little brother, who is an Anglican priest in Tokyo, Japan who boldly told me I wasn't worthy enough to kiss Paul's big toe if I held to my biases towards him...
I think that everybody has to vote for peter because peter is the best saint not Paul.
Hard decision! I think both have qualities that are great. I love many of the beautiful phrases in Paul's letters and think his works really help spread the church for all of us. His stress on inclusivity is still important today. He still comes over to me as sort of cold and distant. I love the humanness of Peter--I can relate to him. The SEC asked the writers this year who they would pick to have a meal with. For this, would certainly pick Peter. However for overall impact, I had to vote for Paul. I think both add so much.
Most difficult decision I had to make today. But being a gentile and female Paul gets my vote.
Paul's writing always calls to me. He seems to be clearer for me to understand.
#PETER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What time does voting end?
One of the things that has always struck me about Peter is that he obviously shared his weaknesses with others rather than trying to put on a false face or feeling that as a leader he had to pretend he was perfect. The church knows about all of the weaknesses and mistakes he had because he was willing to share them and really live out that his strength was in the cross not just his own virtues or personal strength. Paul had a huge impact on the church of his time and today but what Peter did in sharing his weaknesses has also formed who we are as a church.
I read the write-ups and wondered if Paul was the patron saint of any group. Yes, he is:
St. Paul is the patron saint of missionaries, evangelists, writers, journalists, authors, public workers, rope and saddle makers, and tent makers.
source: http://www.catholic.org/
Come on, people! The fisherman actually knew the Son of God enough to get over his shame at first denying him tto go to his death for the Good News. The former Pharisee convert's intellectual arrogance infects way too much of his stuff!
Peter's Denial (tune - A Froggy Went A-Courting)
Simon Peter my beloved friend, um hm, um hm
Simon Peter my beloved friend, um hm, um hm
Simon Peter my beloved friend, You'll deny me in the end.
Um hm, um hm, um hm
No Messiah, it's not true, um hm, um hm
No Messiah, it's not true, um hm, um hm
No Messiah, it's not true, I will always stay with you.
Um hm, um hm, um hm.
Pete, before the roosters sing, um hm, um hm
Pete, before the roosters sing, um hm, um hm
Pete, before the roosters sing, three times you'll deny your king.
Um hm, um hm, um hm.
Weren't you with him yesterday? um hm, um hm
Weren't you with him yesterday? um, um hm
Weren't you with him yesterday? Your accent sure gives you away!
Um hm, um hm, um hm
Three times Peter swore "No way," um hm, um hm.
Three times Peter swore "No way," um hm, um hm.
Three times Peter swore "No way," "I've never seen that man, I say!"
Um hm, um hm, um hm.
Then the morning rooster crew, um hm, um hm.
Then the morning rooster crew, um hm, um hm.
Then the morning rooster crew, thrice denied and cock-a-doodle doo.
Um hm, um hm, um hm.
Sing the Bible! Please feel free to sing and share this song I wrote in 2004. Happy Lent!
Love, love, love it!
So glad! I haven’t sung the songs I wrote in 2004 for years and years!
Thanks for the song.
PAUL
I just thought he had a harder row with his faith , a more difficult conversion, so much to explain and to overcome. His life seems to be more in question, then and now. If properly quoted, Jesus asked slaves to obey their masters and to stay in their current situation. So as a liberal “Episcopalian” I have joy for liberation theology and wonder why The church, and our denomination have taken 2000 years to take issue formally with such Biblical interpretations.