Some Cases of Peter's Sense of Proof in Mark and Acts
Mark was an assistant to Peter and something of a record-keeper of what took place. Being the shortest in length, Mark is probably the earliest compilation.
- The action takes right off in Mark 1 and as there are so many healings, we find a concern about proof of this that would have been asked by any thinking person (in Rome where this was presented): if all these people are coming to Jesus, does he get squished by the crowd and need to get away. This is answered in the end of the chapter. "The whole town was at the front door...early the next morning, He left for a solitary place to pray..." and finally "...he stayed in lonely places, but people still came to him from everywhere..." Any other outcome would not make sense.
- The healing of a paralyzed person is particularly concerned with proof. This is the one where Jesus first announced that his sins were forgiven. As this caused objections to be raised by Judaism's leaders, Jesus countered with the question: "Which thing is easier to do: to say 'your sins are forgiven' or to say 'Get up and walk'?" To indicate he was the one sent by God to grant forgiveness, he raised the paralyzed person, who got up and walked out in full view. The important impact of this is that there is no counter possible; no one of the leaders had a way to answer what had just taken place, which they badly wished for. Not too long after, they have decided to get rid of Him.
- Peter's repeated 'demonstrations' about Christ and the Spirit in Acts 2. In a very different setting, after the Resurrection, Peter is speaking about the unusual event which just take place, the coming of the Spirit. But first he reminds all the listeners that all of them knew of Jesus, his works, and his death and resurrection. He then says that the resurrection took place to enthrone Jesus, and that the publicizing of the enthronement of Jesus on earth is through the coming of the Spirit, which the audience had just seen, and which message they had just heard in all their various home languages.