Peter
In the Bible, Peter was one of the most prominent disciples of Jesus Christ. His birth name was Simon, but Jesus gave him the name Peter, which means “rock” in Greek. He is also referred to as Simon Peter or Cephas in some biblical passages. His name appears first in all four New Testament lists of the Twelve disciples of Jesus (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13).
He was a fisherman from the town of Bethsaida. Shortly after the baptism of Jesus, Andrew, his brother brought him to Jesus, the first Christian convert (John 1:40–42). Peter and his fishing partners, Andrew, James, and John, all seem to have been disciples of John the Baptist (John 1:35–42).
He had, at that time, responded to the invitation to identify Jesus as the Messiah, and had allied himself with the Lord in His ministry. Almost two years later, possibly in the late spring or early summer of A.D. 29 (Matthew 4:12), Christ called him to full time discipleship, with his brother Andrew and his fishing partners James and John (Luke 5:1–11; verse 7).
The disciple often took upon himself the role of spokesman for the entire group (Matthew 14:28; 16:16; 17:24; 26:35; etc.). His enthusiasm, courage, loyalty, energy, and managing ability set him for leadership among the disciples from the start. He was known for his strong and impulsive personality. He was a man of action; his fervent and passionate attitude was his strongest personal character.
Peter is best known for his declaration of faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16), which Jesus commended him for (verse 17). He is also known for his denial of Jesus three times, which occurred during Jesus’ trial before his crucifixion (Luke 22:54-62).
But by the grace of Jesus, Peter was converted and was filled by the Holy Spirit. After the day of resurrection, at Pentecost, God used him in a great and mighty way to witness for Him (Acts 2:41). He played a crucial role in the early Christian community and is considered one of the pillars of the early Church.
Later, the apostle was martyred in Rome during the reign of Emperor Nero. According to tradition, he was crucified upside down, as he reportedly did not feel worthy to die in the same way as Jesus. He is mentioned in all four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and is prominent in the Book of Acts.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
