Welcome to our first full week of Lent, and we’re kicking things off with a little Monday Madness 😎
But first… WOW. In the closest race we’ve seen yet, Saint Benedict of Nursia edged out Saint Basil the Great by just over 300 votes! 🗳️
A razor-thin 52% of you gave the nod to the West, as Benedict’s call to work and pray marches on into the Saintly Sixteen 🙌
Now… buckle up.
This one has been brewing for nearly 2,000 years.
The Rock vs. The Road, The keeper of the keys 🔑 vs. the one who was blind but now sees 👀
It’s Saint Peter vs. Saint Paul!
Two giants of the faith. Two community makers. Two pillars whose witness helped shape the Church from Rome to the ends of the earth. Peter, whose confession of faith remains the rock the Church was built. Paul, the relentless missionary, bridging cultures and proclaiming the Gospel to the Gentiles.
Forget the seeding… this feels like a championship matchup 💥 BUT…Only one can advance. Who gets your vote?
Head over, read the blogs, watch the videos, and make your voice heard!
Paul the Apostle
When we first meet St. Paul of Tarsus in the biblical book of Acts, he’s still far from sainthood. Going by Saul, he’s holding coats for those stoning Stephen, a deacon in the early church and soon-to-be saint himself.
Saul not only approved of Stephen’s killing, but also set out to personally destroy the church.
He went house to house, dragging off men and women and putting them in prison. As followers of Jesus began to scatter, he pursued them to Damascus.
On his way there, Saul had an encounter that changed his life.
The heavens flashed, Saul fell to the ground, and a voice boomed: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
It was Jesus.
When Saul got up from the ground, he could no longer see. His traveling companions helped him finish the journey to Damascus, where God sent a disciple named Ananias to miraculously restore his vision.
“Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel,” God told Ananias.
After this experience, Saul was baptized, spent time with the disciples in Damascus, and began preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. Many were baffled, and some were convinced it was a trick, but Saul continued to preach and travel widely, using his Latin name, Paul, as he communicated with audiences outside of the Jewish community.
Paul himself had been born a Roman citizen and described himself as “a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees.”
He spent the rest of his life founding Christian communities across Europe and Asia and writing prolifically. Of the 27 books in the New Testament, as many as 14 traditionally have been attributed to Paul, although scholars dispute about half of these.
While he escaped several plots against his life, imprisonments, and even a shipwreck, the book of Acts ends with Paul under house arrest in Rome. He likely was martyred between the years 62 and 64.
These days, Paul is considered one of the most influential figures within Christianity and the patron saint of missionaries, evangelists, writers, journalists, public workers, tentmakers, and more. His story reminds us it’s never too late to change your mind. It’s never too late to admit you were wrong. God can use anyone.
— Emily Miller
Collect for Paul the Apostle
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.
Peter the Apostle
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”
Centuries before his name became synonymous with the power and institution of the Church, Peter was a simple fisherman. He was not a political player, religious leader, or anything necessarily of note that one would expect a Messiah to call to be his disciple and message-bearer. When we meet him in the Gospels, he is a young adult, fishing with his brother, Andrew.
One of the best parts of Peter’s story is that his (extremely relatable) brash, stubborn, second-guessing personality shines throughout the Gospels. He walks on water but also freaks out about walking on water. He encounters Elijah and Moses on the mountain with Jesus and has a moment that can only be characterized as Host/Hospitality Anxiety, and offers to build all three of them a tent right there and then. He denies Jesus and his faith on Friday morning and then runs to the empty tomb on Sunday.
Not in spite of, but perhaps because of this intensity, by the time Acts of the Apostles rolls around, Peter is a well-respected leader of this brand-new community. During the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended and small flames alit on each of the apostles, Peter was the first to preach to the gathered crowd. Later, he became the first to proclaim the Gospel to a Gentile (Cornelius the Centurion), opening the doors for this new religion by saying, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
After Acts, historical records trace his footprints from Jerusalem to Rome. He followed his calling into the heart of the empire that had been oppressing him since he was born, boldly proclaiming the message of Jesus, of love and repentance, and creating and supporting communities of believers. After decades of his ministry and Roman persecution, Emperor Nero had him executed. The original plan was for him to be crucified like Jesus was, but Peter begged to be crucified upside-down, claiming to be unfit to die in the same manner as his savior. He was one of the last of the original disciples to die, and one can only imagine the reunification in Heaven.
Centuries before his name became synonymous with the power and institution of the Church, Peter was a simple man whom God called as a disciple. He walked off the shores that day he met Jesus into a new life defined by faith. And two thousand years later, Hades has yet to triumph over the Church that Peter nurtured.
— Bekah Scolare
Collect for Peter the Apostle
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.
106 comments on “Paul the Apostle vs. Peter the Apostle”
Peter was one of the 12 disciples, and seemed to be on the right track from day one. Paul (Saul) was more or less a convert and also finally did good things, but I think Peter was more dedicated.
Although I named my oldest son, Peter. I have another son, John Paul.
I voted for Paul because of his conversion and his inspired writing. I'm a big fan of the gospel and Paul's writings calling us to metanoia, a change of heart.
I'm 80 and I still need a lot of transformation.
NOTE: I have not commented on anyone during this Lent.
Just liked Peter better. He was one of the 12 chosen by Jesus.
Reminder that Jesus also chose Judas Ischariot...
And that Jesus/God also chose Paul, telling Ananias "I'm going to show him what he has to suffer as my tool to preach to the Gentiles" (paraphrased).
Oh, this sooooo isn’t fair! Peter is like me, fallible, yet trying. Paul set up most of our theology and structure for the early church. Yikes!!
It has to be Paul for me. I doubt there would be a Christian church today if it weren’t for Paul’s teachings and apostleship.
I'm voting today for Paul as the patron saint of writers and journalists. I interpret the terms to refer to those who report honestly and factually and speak truth to power, not propagandists. Their work is as essential as ever if not more so. I am also inspired to so vote for the patron saint of public workers, without whose efforts our societies would be even more unjust and chaotic. And tents are useful and practical, so why not appreciate the patron saint of those who make them?
I'm pulled in many different directions. When I saw the matchup I groaned "Oh no." I have issues with both these dudes. In the end I went with Peter because I relate to his vacillation between being faithful and losing his way. And then coming back again! I think we are all Peter in many ways; I know I am. I was having self-doubt about what I would do if my faith were to be truly tested ("renounce your faith, or your family dies" kind of thing) so I consulted my priest about that. He said not to worry, the Holy Spirit would give me the words. But then, the more comforting thing he said was to consider Peter. I found that to be encouraging. And, I will flippantly add that when I am called upon to read Paul's passages aloud during online morning prayer webcast and I have not pre-read the passage, I get pretty annoyed with Paul's Gold Medal level of run-on sentences.
Voted for Peter as I too have to read Paul aloud to the congregation.
Both deserving, but reading Paul as translated can give you fits.
He certainly can be long-winded!!
Katrina, you and I are sisters-under-the-skin as well as Sisters-in-Christ. As a former Communications instructor I have always felt that Paul merited failing grades because of his down-the-rabbit-hole writing style!
Why no picture of Saint Paul?
Peter’s real-life humanity, uncertainty, vacillation, we’re important things to be in becoming a Christian, and remain hooks to hang on desperately when the doubts come back again, as they always do. For the little Pebble, today.
I don’t even have to think about this one. Paul is a mess.
The putt on for Paul isn’t working
You’re making it very hard at the beginning of “madness” this year. Everyone of these first few bites have hard decisions. Thanks for the challenge
You're not kidding. This is my first Lent Madness and I think my blood pressure is rising. Lol
Sarah, Welcome!!! Take a few deep cleansing breaths before voting. I vote before I read the Comments. Perhaps reading the comments first will help you? The beauty of LM is that we can't go wrong. Would that all our life choices should be between the lesser of two angels.
Oh, this was a no-brainer for me. Yes, 1 Corinthians 13 is a crowd favorite, but there's just too much Paul in the New Testament, and in several places he tells women to shut up and be good little wives.
I know there was some mitigating historical context for this but it sure didn't stop the patriarchy from weaponizing it to keep women out of Church leadership--and the Church has suffered for it as a result--and so have its millions of victims.
Peter gets my vote, even though he was also annoying at times.
Tully, to be fair to Paul, not all the writings credited to him are his. The maajority of modern scholars agree that he wrote I and II Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, I Thessalonians, Philemon and Romans, although there is still some dispute over whether or not he wrote Colossians. The Pastoral letters - I and II Timothy, Titus, the letter to the Church in Ephesus were all written between 100 and 150 C.E. and Ephesians was written circa 90 C.E., decades after Paul was martyred. It is in these non-Paulian letters that we read the put-downs of women. Paul's actual writings support the role of women in the work of the Church and in spreading the Gospel.
I know that 2 Timothy probably was not written by Paul. But in I Corinthians 14 he instructs husbands to shut their women up and for women to ask their husbands at home about any scriptural questions. He also says that women should be subservient to their husbands (1 Corinthians 11). I realize that there are a number of contradictions in there, and that he may have been exasperated by the noise at a specific church, but these passages have still done massive harm over the millennia.
I think of Paul as the first theobro: a newly converted misogynist and latent homophobe who believes that his road-to-Damascus epiphany qualifies him as a religious authority.
Latent homophobe? More like blatant homophobe.
Paul's command in 1 Timothy 2:12 " I do not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet" has been used to suppress women's role in the church from Paul's day up to modern evangelicals in the U.S.
I see Paul as the person portrayed in The Last Temptation of Christ, remaking Jesus' teachings to suit his own ideas.(Remember Mary of Bethany? Paul doesn't.) I vote for Peter.
Thank you for that. I feel much better about my decision.
I just watched - again - the late great Harry Dean Stanton as Paul preaching and then meeting Jesus in The Last Temptation. I won't deny Paul's importance in spreading and sustaining Christianity. But, completely aside from the movie, he's always seemed - and I apologize in advance, because I know this sounds harsh - a bit of a flimflam man. Peter, on the other hand, made (and admitted to) mistakes but I never doubted his sincerity and his humanity. He gets my vote.
I voted for Peter the simple fisherman who Jesus chose as the foundation of his church. Something about Saul- Paul that leads me to think of his 'thorny' personality as abrasive and controlling - especially in Romans 1.
Simon-Peter seems more human with his miscues (I could put up 3 tents) and primary statements (You are the son of God). On this rock I cast my vote.
What a dilemma! Paul's writings have always inspired and sustained me. But I chose Peter because Jesus chose him as the founder: I rest on the rock.
This was a HARD choice! Peter it is though.
Peter has always been my favorite apostle: messing up by going overboard in his zeal, then immediately upon Jesus' gentle correction, wholeheartedly changing his course with an equal amount of enthusiasm.
Peter doesn't waste time or energy feeling awful about his errors; he accepts that he was wrong and moves on with equal or greater enthusiasm. "Then not just my feet, but my hands and head as well!"
St Peter, pray for us!
Read the two letters that Peter wrote in the New Testament and then read some Paul (1 Corinthians 13 perhaps, or the end of Romans 8). Paul wins, hands down.
It's strange, the things that sway me one way or the other. Saturday it was Basil's sister Macrina who drew me to vote for Basil. Today, it's Paul's lousy handrwiting. He mentioned it at the end of one of his letters, when he took the pen from the scribe who had been taking dictation and drew the reader's attention to his own big letters. You see this? I'm writing this part myself. It's me, these are my own words.
We know Peter mostly by what was said about him, in the Gospels and in Acts. Inasmuch as we know Paul, we can only try to separate what he dictated from what was attributed to him by pseudographic authors and generations of careless copyists. But we have him drawing our eyes to his lousy handwriting. Do you see? I wrote this. Myself.
As others have said, this was such a difficult choice, although Lent Madness wouldn't be much fun if every choice was just a slam dunk. I was torn but finally voted for Peter because Bekah Scolare's write up for him moved me to tears.
I voted for Peter, because I’m pretty sure the man had ADHD. He was super impulsive and I am the same way as well.
While Paul did so much to help spread the Gospel throughout the Roman world, I voted for Peter. He was so human in his response to the call of Jesus, a proud supporter who often got it wrong. Jesus saw and understood Peter’s flaws and called him his “Rock”. If Peter can be the Rock of the Church, there’s hope for me!
Had me at "It is never too late to ad.it you were wrong. God can use anyone."
I suspect Lent Madness 2026 will be remembered as the Season of Impossible Match-Ups, and today's gets the Sooty Pitchfork award for being the toughest! How are we to choose between the Rock and the Architect who built on it? Why not let them stand together, since besides each having their own, they have a shared feast day?
For all they did to ensure that we'd be remembering them today, both Pete and Paul had their flaws, which were profoundly grievous to them. Peter was the poster boy for acute impulse control deficiency. And Paul, as someone pointed out upstream, was indeed a mess. But a huge caveat: We should carefully discount the misogynistic and in other ways judgmental things he highly likely did NOT say, even if his byline is on them. Attributing one's writing to an admired mentor was not considered fraud in Paul's day, but instead a sincere form of flattery. In many of Paul's authentic writings he expresses respect for, and partnership with, women church leaders. Judging Paul on things he likely never said is just plain unfair.
However, the texts that are widely accepted to be Paul's actual writing are troubling enough. Personally I struggle with his constant anxiety about how he's being received, resulting in lots of explaining and defending himself. Some of it resonates mightily for us as we struggle with our own demons, but sometimes his whining is a bit too much. (And one scholar has counted the use of first person singular pronouns in the Epistles and thinks that the more I-me-mines in a text, the more likely Paul authored it!)
I cherish both Peter and Paul, because the particular demons they wrestle with are ones that um, deeply resonate with me. And then I can hope that if Jesus found use for these two flawed souls ... well then maybe, just maybe, He might find good use for me.
I'm praying for a miraculous exact tie in this match-up and not voting just yet ... unless of course I get a sign, like being struck by lightning, or losing my footage in the frozen water that I need to go out and shovel soon.
Glad to see that my distaste for Paul is not a solo-gig! When we have a Pauline epistle on Sundays, I beg to swap with the OT reading. I refuse to speak his misogynistic and ultraconservative words.
I work at St. Peter's, so I had to go with Peter today.
Man, you have really made this year's lent madness hard--putting Peter against Paul and Luther against Wesley. It is really hard to choose, but makes me think.
I thought today's vote would be hard, but really it's easy. I'm happy no matter who wins, and I am sure they are cheering each other on.
I do think this is a tough decision sinve both gentlemen have their pros and cons, but I love the idea of them cheering each other on.
I am still getting the emails a day late. I got an invitation to vote on Benedict vs. Basil this morning.