Christology, Identity and Character Formation According to Peter's Canonical Testimony

Hans Bayer's new book, Apostolic Bedrock, serves the church, the scholarly community, and the wider society in manifold ways. It exegetes many New Testament texts related to the apostle Peter in a fresh way, showing how these texts preserved reliable traditions about the saving work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The book also contributes to our knowledge about the formation of the canon, especially of the Gospels, Acts, and 1 and 2 Peter. When it summarizes key aspects of how Peter's identity and characteristics were formed by his Master, it points to our only hope in today's turmoil in our personal and communal lives: how we and our fellow human beings can be changed to become Christ-like personalities. The world needs this transformation - we all need it; this book is a great help to achieve it. Prof. Dr. Peter Balla, Chair of New Testament Studies and Rector at Karoli Gaspar University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary The burgeoning field of Petrine studies has recently cast up several important monographs on the apostle Peter. Dr Bayer's welcome addition appeals to the full range of New Testament materials, and carefully distinguishes between his "non-transferable" functions as part of the historical "bedrock" that mediates Jesus to later generations, and his "transferable" functions which model the character and virtues of genuine disciples of Christ. Worked out across the field of New Testament sources, that simple distinction proves to be both evocative and seminal. D. A. Carson, Ph.D., Research Professor, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS), Deerfield, Illinois, USA Usually when one hears the term apostolic, one thinks of the historical and doctrinal roots of the faith, especially when combined with the image of bedrock. Hans Bayer gives us a fresh look at doctrine and history by pointing to these elements in Scripture's presentation of Peter. He shows how the themes Peter raises contribute to and even aim at character, identity, and spiritual development. What a refreshing new take on these themes. When biblical teaching, identity, and ethics come together, it makes for powerful teaching. Darrell Bock, Ph.D., Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies and Executive Director for Cultural Engagement, Howard G. Hendricks Center for Christian Leadership and Cultural Engagement at Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas, USA Hans Bayer has written a wonderful and informative summary of Peter's canonical testimony. He masterfully describes Peter's transformation from rock-headed disciple to becoming the pastor-in-chief of the Christian churches of the west. Utilizing the Petrine perspective the Gospel of Mark, the speeches of Peter in Acts, and the two epistles attributed to Peter, Bayer lays out Peter's witness to Jesus and Peter's contribution to the formation of followers of Jesus. The result is a bountiful feast of Peter's testimony, exhortations, and spirituality that will benefit many. Michael F. Bird, PhD University of Queensland, Lecturer in Theology at Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia