St. Peter

St. Peter, a Galilean fisherman, was the foremost of the Twelve Apostles — first to confess Jesus as the Christ, the "rock," who denied his Lord and was restored, preached at Pentecost, and was martyred in Rome.

Overview

• Simon, renamed Peter ("rock") by Jesus, was a fisherman of Galilee and the spokesman and leader among the Twelve Apostles.
• At Caesarea Philippi he confessed, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," and Jesus answered, "on this rock I will build my assembly" (Matthew 16.16-18).
• He denied Christ three times before the Crucifixion, was restored by the risen Lord (John 21.15-17), preached the first Christian sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2), and by tradition was crucified in Rome.

Summary

St. Peter (Simon bar-Jonah) was the most prominent of Jesus' disciples — a married fisherman from Bethsaida whom the Lord renamed Cephas / Peter, "rock." He heads every list of the Twelve and repeatedly acts as their spokesman; his confession that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God" draws the Lord's blessing and the promise of the keys (Matthew 16.16-19). His story binds together boldness and failure: he walks on the water and sinks, vows loyalty and denies Christ three times, then weeps and is gently restored beside the Sea of Galilee, commissioned three times to "feed my sheep" (John 21.15-17). At Pentecost he preaches to the crowds and three thousand are baptized (Acts 2), and he opens the door of the Church to the Gentiles (Acts 10). Ancient tradition holds that he was martyred in Rome under Nero, crucified head-downward at his own request; two New Testament epistles bear his name. Cross-link The Church, Pentecost, St. Paul, Apostle.

Sources

[^1]: Matthew 16.16-19 (WEB) — Peter's confession and the promise, "on this rock I will build my assembly.". [^2]: John 21.15-17 (WEB) — the risen Christ's threefold restoration of Peter, "feed my sheep.". [^3]: Acts 2 (WEB) — Peter's sermon at Pentecost.