When I was a much younger man, I identified with the apostle Peter. Impetuous Peter often was the first to speak. Sometimes it appears he may have been too quick to speak. Sometimes we all speak first and think about it later. But Peter was a man’s man. Rugged, outspoken, with a backbone, he usually stood up when it mattered. He was the one who got out of the boat! I love Peter and I could see myself in Peter. Or maybe a part of that was my wanting to see myself in Peter.
But as I have gotten older I find myself wanting to align with the apostle John. Maybe this is because so much of his writing is listed among my favorites. I love the book of First John with its emphasis on assurance. See 1 John 5:13 for an example of that assurance.
With which Biblical character do you most identify? I wonder, with which one I really share the most personality traits. Which one am I really most like?
I am sure you have taken a personality test. There are many tests available that help us determine our own personality. An online search and answering a few questions can be interesting. One such test (The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator) categorizes 16 unique personalities.
Using what we read in the Scriptures, some have attempted to identify many Bible characters according to their personalities.
It has been said the 12 apostles all had 12 unique personalities using the 16 categories mentioned above. Now I don’t know how accurate that assumption is but I would not be surprised at all. Just think about the team the LORD put together. Wouldn’t you expect that balance?
I have listed below a few Bible personalities using the aforementioned 16 categories. While there is some disagreement about their personality types, it makes for an interesting study. So the idea today is just to consider it and have fun with it.
Peter ENFP The Campaigner
James ENTJ The Commander
John INFJ The Advocate
Andrew ESFJ The Consul, encourager
Philip INTP The Logician
Daniel, Nathaniel INTJ The Architect, planner
Thomas ISTJ The Logistician
Timothy ISFJ The Defender
My family and friends took the test. It was amazing how accurate the test seemed to be. And it was much fun matching each one to the Bible characters with a similar personality.
Earlier I said I identified with John. Well that too was probably wishful thinking. Who would not want to be compared to the Apostle of love, the Advocate? When I took the personality test, I was an ENTJ. Rather than matching up to John, I matched with his brother James, the Commander.
Early in life, John and his brother James were called the sons of thunder for their fiery temperaments. Recall the episode in Luke 9:54, when they wanted to call down fire from heaven to consume their enemies.
Other Biblical characters with whom I shared the ENTJ label were Adam, Joshua, Nehemiah, and Paul. Ok, that is a pretty good list.
I am thankful for different personalities. The world would be a dull place if all shared the same personality. And if all just happened to be ENTJ’s, well let’s just say a world full of “commanders” wouldn’t be the best scenario.