Chief apostle, fisherman, first leader of the early church
c. 1 BC – c. AD 64–68 · New Testament
The fisherman called from his nets to be a fisher of men — impulsive, bold, the one who denied Christ three times and was restored, and the one Jesus called 'rock' on which he would build his church.
Simon Peter was a fisherman from Bethsaida, brother of Andrew, who introduced him to Jesus (John 1:40-42). Jesus renamed him Cephas (Aramaic) / Petros (Greek) — both meaning 'rock' or 'stone' (John 1:42). Peter is the most prominent of the twelve apostles in the Gospels, named first in every list (Matthew 10:2). He left his nets immediately when Jesus called him (Matthew 4:18-20). Peter was part of the inner three — Peter, James, and John — who witnessed the raising of Jairus' daughter (Mark 5:37), the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8), and Jesus' agony in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37). At Caesarea Philippi, Peter made the great confession: 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God' (Matthew 16:16). Jesus responded: 'thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church' (Matthew 16:18). Yet Peter's failures are equally famous. He tried to walk on water and began to sink (Matthew 14:28-31). He rebuked Jesus for predicting the cross and was called 'Satan' (Matthew 16:23). He cut off the ear of the high priest's servant (John 18:10). Most painfully, he denied Christ three times before the rooster crowed twice — exactly as Jesus had predicted (Mark 14:66-72). 'And Peter went out, and wept bitterly' (Luke 22:62). After the resurrection, Jesus restored Peter with a threefold 'Lovest thou me?' matching the threefold denial, three times commissioning him: 'Feed my sheep' (John 21:15-17). At Pentecost (Acts 2), Peter preached the first Christian sermon, and 3,000 were converted. He led the early Jerusalem church (Acts 1-12), healed the lame man at the Temple (Acts 3), faced down the Sanhedrin ('we ought to obey God rather than men' — Acts 5:29), and was first to bring the gospel to a Gentile (Cornelius, Acts 10). He was imprisoned by Herod and miraculously released (Acts 12). Peter wrote 1 and 2 Peter, addressed to suffering believers. Tradition holds he was martyred in Rome under Nero (c. AD 64–68), crucified upside down at his own request because he felt unworthy to die as Jesus did.
"I will make you fishers of men"
"Lord, save me"
"Thou art the Christ"
Wants to build three tabernacles
Before the cock crew twice
"Feed my sheep"
3,000 converted
First Gentile convert
Peter's significance: (1) He was the leading apostle, named first in every list. (2) His confession of Christ as Messiah is foundational. (3) His denial and restoration model the gospel for every fallen believer — Christ forgives, restores, recommissions. (4) He preached the first Christian sermon at Pentecost. (5) He opened the gospel door to Gentiles. (6) His epistles encourage suffering Christians to follow Christ's example. The Catholic Church holds Peter as the first pope; Protestants disagree but all recognize his pre-eminence among the apostles.
“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”— Matthew 16:16
“Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”— John 6:68
“Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”— Acts 3:6
“We ought to obey God rather than men.”— Acts 5:29
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”— 1 Peter 5:7
Peter (originally Simon) was a fisherman from Bethsaida whom Jesus called to be one of the twelve apostles, renaming him Cephas/Peter, meaning 'rock' (John 1:42). He became the chief apostle, witness of the Transfiguration, the one who confessed Jesus as the Christ (Matthew 16:16), denied him three times, was restored after the resurrection (John 21:15-17), and led the early church at Pentecost (Acts 2). He wrote 1 and 2 Peter and was martyred in Rome around AD 64-68.
Peter denied Jesus three times in the high priest's courtyard out of fear after Jesus' arrest, despite having promised to die with him (Mark 14:31). Jesus had predicted it: 'before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice' (Mark 14:30). Peter's denial shows that even bold confession can collapse under fear. But after the resurrection, Jesus restored Peter with a threefold 'Lovest thou me?' (John 21:15-17), matching the threefold denial.
The Roman Catholic Church holds that Peter was the first pope based on Matthew 16:18 ('upon this rock I will build my church') and on tradition that Peter served in Rome before his martyrdom under Nero. Protestants and Orthodox Christians disagree with the papacy doctrine while still recognizing Peter as the leading apostle. All Christian traditions affirm Peter's pre-eminence in the early church.
The New Testament does not record Peter's death. Early Christian tradition (Tertullian, Origen, Eusebius) holds that he was martyred in Rome under Nero, around AD 64-68. Tradition also says he was crucified upside down at his own request because he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus. This is referenced by Jesus' prophetic words to Peter in John 21:18-19.