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The Validity of the Charges of Peter in Homily 17

Peter's Charge That Paul Rejected the Apostles' Teachings

The Validity of the Charges of Peter in Homily 17

Even if the Peter charges in Homily 1 7 never took place at a real trial, it turns out that it still makes two arguments that are valid. This is interesting because it means in 200 A.D., people had already seen flaws in Paul's alleged appointment. It is not something first seen millennia later by me.

Peter's Charge That Paul Rejected the Apostles' Teachings

An important point leaps off the page of the Peter confrontation with his antagonist in the Clementine Homilies. John in 1 John told us, reminiscent of (Rev. 2:2), to test every spirit to see whether it comes from God. There were several criteria he gave to tell the liars from the true. He said something very reminiscent of Peter's remarks in the Clementine Homilies :

We belong to God, and everyone who knows God will listen to us

[i.e., the twelve apostles]. But the people who don't know God won't listen to us. That is how we can tell the Spirit that speaks the truth from the one that tells lies. (1 John 4:6 CEV)

Now compare this to Peter's charge against his antagonist (i.e., Paul) previously quoted from the Clementine Homilies'.

...love His apostles, contend not with me who companied with
Him. For in direct opposition to me, who am a firm rock, the
foundation of the Church, you now stand. If you were not opposed
to me, you would not accuse me, and revile the truth proclaimed by
me, in order that I may not be believed when I state what I myself
have heard with my own ears from the Lord , as if I were evidently
a person that was condemned and in bad repute. But if you say that
I am condemned, you bring an accusation against God, who revealed
the Christ to me, and you inveigh against Him who pronounced me
blessed on account of the revelation. But if, indeed, you really
wish to work in the cause of truth, learn first of all from us
what we have learned from Him, and, becoming a disciple of the
truth, become a fellow-worker with us. (. Ps-Clementine Homilies
17:19.)

Peter had the same view as John. Peter tells Paul in the Clementine Homilies that if you were one of us, you would listen to us, rather than make us out to be liars. John says that "the people who don't know God won't listen to us." Peter is saying, in effect, by rejecting the twelve apostles and their teaching, which was based on a Message delivered personally from the Lord, Paul was rejecting Christ himself.

Now where did John and Peter get that idea? Jesus in (Matt. 10:14-15) said:

(14) And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, as
ye go forth out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of
your feet. (15) Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than
for that city. (ASV)

Those who reject the twelve apostles were condemned by the Lord Jesus Himself. The words of the twelve apostles, if rejected, cause us to be at risk of the fire suffered by Sodom and Gomorrah. This is not because their words are prophetic, but because of the Message the twelve personally carried from Jesus. If rejected, it puts us at risk of judgment by fire.