Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for thee, that your faith fails not: and when you are converted, strengthen thy brethren.
At the time when Christ had uttered the grim assessment of Peter, he must have been already baptized, for it is very unlikely that Jesus would have His disciples baptizing other people, if they themselves were not also baptized, for that would have set up a contradiction which the scriptures do not endorse. Peter was also an ordained preacher at this time.
Preaching the everlasting gospel, and actually winning persons to Christ, does not necessarily prove that the preacher in question is converted. This fact must cause every preacher, and teacher, including myself, to put our own selves in Peter’s shoes, to see if maybe, we are in a pre-conversion state and know it not.
Peter was studying the word of God. It is quite possible that one who is studying the word of God regularly could still be in an unconverted state for a knowledge of the Bible does not necessarily guarantee that the person in question is converted. The following question posed by Peter and the other two disciples below show that they were currently Bible students.
Matthew 17:10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 13 Then the disciples understood that he spoke unto them of John the Baptist.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!