Official Review: Simon Peter's walk with Jesus

[Renu G]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Simon Peter's walk with Jesus" by Barbara Covington.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Simon Peter’s Walk with Jesus is authored by Barbara Covington and intended to present the message of the gospel from Peter’s perspective. The New Testament gospel of Mark is also said to be an account of the life of Jesus through Peter’s eyes, although it is written by his follower. According to most scholars, the epistles of 1 & 2 Peter are pseudonymously attributed to Peter, the Apostle. Having considered all this, I was surprised to know that Covington uses the gospel of John, instead of Mark, to write the memoirs of Peter. It is a theological blunder that cannot be simply overlooked. However, her book is so simple and impressive that it may be used as a tool for evangelization.

Even though she is a woman, the writer is able to enter Peter’s shoes. She candidly describes his search for the Messiah and the first encounter with Jesus that exerts an immediate effect on him. Like the other disciples mentioned in the Bible, the fisherman leaves his boat and fishing nets to follow the Lord. He is very impulsive. Covington describes how the Apostle expects the Messiah to be a king who will spark a political revolution to set the oppressed free. When Peter is given the keys to the kingdom of God, he does not understand where it is and how he will unlock its gates. He thinks he is the greatest among the disciples because of this privilege.

Peter is resentful about the parables he cannot grasp. Instead, he learns so much from Jesus’ touch, the warmth of his heart and the look in his eyes. All the significant events in the life of Jesus are described in Peter’s words, starting from his public ministry. The book ends with the description of his passion, death, and resurrection; and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Almost 3000 people become believers, and the Apostle finally understands the meaning of the kingdom.

Simon Peter’s Walk with Jesus intends to convey a message of God’s love for the reader. Keeping this in mind, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It is not based on biblical research; hence, if I could, I would rate it 2.5 stars. It may be appealing to people who are completely new to Christianity. Nevertheless, it cannot be utilized for catechetical instruction or as a reference for the study of theology.

The formatting as a Kindle e-book is shabby, but I did not discover any grammatical errors. All things considered, I enjoyed reading Peter in his own words, although I cannot describe anything that I liked very much. Sometimes, it made me smile and laugh. The author’s intention is good. There is nothing that I disliked about the book.

******
Simon Peter's walk with Jesus
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like Renu G's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Agnes Masobeng]

Yeah well it is also a surprise to me that author used John instead of Mark or maybe Matthew and Luke. That is what everybody would expect.

[kandscreeley]

I do enjoy when authors take what's written in the Bible and expound on people that we know little about. However, it's absolutely essential that it be based on the Biblical account. It doesn't quite sound like that's the case here. Still, it might be useful if you take it with a grain of salt. Thanks.

[Meg98]

This sounds like a very unique theological story. Not sure it is for me, but I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and insights... Great review!