Apostle St. Peter – THE ROCK – Mouthpiece of Apostolic Band

Peter is the name by which we know best this apostle, who is named first, in every list of the twelve. He is often known as the mouthpiece of the apostolic band and even referred as the prince of the apostles. St. Peter first appears on the scene in his original name Simon (Mk 1: 16; Jn. 1: 40, 41). Matthew calls him, Simon called Peter (Matt. 4: 18; 10: 2). He remained Simon to the end of the day. He was the son of Jona (Matt. 16: 17; Jn. 21: 15, Jn. 1: 42) [Jonas, John, Johannes] and was born in Bethsaida. (Jn. 1: 44).

Peter was a fisherman. Jesus had called him from the boats and nets (Mk. 1: 16-17). He was a Galilean, typical of many of the other disciples. He was the brother of Andrew, and they had been disciples of John the Baptist, before they became the disciples of Jesus. Peter was the only disciple of Christ who is known to have been married. His wife’s name is not known, and his mother remains unidentified. His wife’s mother is healed of fever by Christ (Mk. 1: 29-31; Lk. 4: 38-39; Matt. 8: 14-15). It may well be possible that Peter’s house was the headquarters of Jesus, as he was settled in Capernaum, for He went there, when He came out of the Synagogue.

St. Peter’s original name Simon (Mk 1: 16; Jn. 1: 40, 41). Matthew calls him, Simon called Peter (Matt. 4: 18; 10: 2). There are two occasions, when Peter is called Simon.

A). He is called Simon on what we might call ‘domestic occasions’.
Simon’s house and Simon’s wife’s mother. (Mk. 1: 29, 30; Lk 4: 38).
Simon’s fishing boat and Simon’s partners in fishing. (Lk. 5: 3, 10).
Cornelius enquires about Simon. (Acts 10: 5, 18; 11: 13).

B). In the great and intimate moments of relationship with Jesus Christ, he is called Simon.
Jesus calls Simon when He bids Him to launch into the sea. (Lk. 5: 4).
In his great commendation at Caesarea Philippi (Matt. 16: 17).
In His warning that his loyalty would not stand. (Lk. 22: 31).
In the Garden of Gethsemane when Peter was overpowered by sleep. (Mk. 14: 37) So Simon was the name that came to the lips of those who knew Peter best of all.

The original Hebrew variant of Simon is Simeon / Symeon. It is also used in the N. T. twice (Acts. 15: 14; 2 Pet. 1: 1). Simon is the Gentile modification of Simeon.
It was in the Church at Jerusalem that Peter was called Simeon. It was quite natural that in the Church the original Hebrew form should be used.
It was Jesus Himself who gave Simon the new name Peter. (Mk. 3: 16; Lk. 6: 14). However, it is in John, that we have the fullest account of his renaming.
Jesus said “You are Simon, son of Jona, you shall be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, – A stone (Jn. 1: 42; 1 Cor. 1: 12; 3: 22; 9: 5 etc). {Latin – Petrus]. Cephas and Peter are different names with the same meaning. It is interesting to note here that Jona means ‘dove’ and Cephas / Peter means ‘rock’. Probably Jesus meant to say, “that up till now you have been fluttering like a timorous dove; but if you follow Me, make Me your Master and give your life to Me, I will make you a rock“. In the new name that He gave him, perhaps symbolizing the strong character and personality of Peter, Jesus put his hopes and purposes for Peter’s future. The Gospel writers however frequently put his old and new name together and call him Simon Peter. (Matt. 16: 16; Lk. 5: 8) etc. Peter is the Greek and Cephas (Kephas; Kipha) the Aramaic for a rock.

Matthew begins his list of the twelve with the words, “The first, Simon… (Matt. 10: 2). The word first is protos, which means first, but can also mean chief. Jesus Christ, Himself unmistakably accords Peter a special precedence and the first place among the apostles and had clearly become the leader of the Church.

On various occasions Peter acts as a spokesman for the other apostles (Matt. 15: 15; 19: 27; Lk. 12: 41, Jn. 6: 67-68 etc.).

Peter was the leader and mouthpiece of the apostolic band.

• Peter answers in their name, whenever Christ’s words are addressed to the apostle’s. (Matt. 16: 16).
• It was Peter who asked how often we must forgive (Matt. 18: 21).
• It was Peter who inquired about the fig tree that had withered away (Mk. 11: 21).
• It was Peter who sought an explanation about the meaning of things which Jesus had said about the approaching end (Mk. 13: 3).
• It was Peter who asked Christ questions of the risen Christ (Jn. 21: 20-22). Frequently Christ turns specially to Peter (Matt. 26: 40; Lk. 22: 31etc.).
  It was to Peter that the Jews came to ask if Jesus had paid the taxes (Matt. 17: 24).
• It was Peter who answered when Jesus asked who had touched Him in the crowd (Lk. 8: 45).
• At Caesarea Philippi Jesus asks Peter what he thinks of Him (Matt. 16: 16).
• The angel asked alarmed woman at the tomb of Jesus to convey the message of Jesus resurrection, to the disciple and specially to Peter. (Mk. 16: 7).
• After resurrection Jesus appeared to Peter, & then to the rest (1 Cor. 15: 5; Lk. 24: 34)

• Peter was the first move to choose another apostle to replace the traitor Judas (Acts 1: 20-21). 
• He was the first to rise as the spokesman of the church to deliver the first Christian sermon (Acts 2: 14-40).
• It was Peter, who healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate, along with John (Acts 3: 1-11).
• It was Peter who defied the Sanhedrin, when he and John were arrested for preaching Christ (Acts 4; 1-12; 5: 26-32).
• It was peter who dealt with the duplicity of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5: 1-11).
• It was Peter who took the first step to receive the gentile Cornelius into the fellowship of the Christian Church (Acts 10).
• It was Peter who realized the universal reach of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and at the council of Jerusalem he opened the doors of the Church to the gentiles (Acts 15: 7-11).

Peter was one of the three apostles (Peter, James and John) who were especially close to Jesus and formed the ‘Inner Circle’.

• They were with Christ at the raising of Jairus’ daughter (Mk. 5: 37; Lk. 8: 51); On the Mount of Transfiguration of Christ (Matt. 17: 1; Mk. 9:2; Lk. 9: 28);
  In the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26: 40; Mk. 14: 37)
• Peter and John were sent ahead to prepare for the Last Passover meal (Lk. 22: 8);
• Jesus enters Peter’s boat on Lake Gennesaret to preach to the multitude on the shore (Lk. 5: 3);
• When Jesus was walking on water, He called Peter to come across to Him on the lake (Matt. 14: 28ff);
• Jesus sent Peter to catch fish, in whose mouth Peter found the money to pay the tribute money Matt.17: 24ff).

Thus, Peter was called and trained for the Apostleship and clothed him with a sort of primacy of the Apostles, which he exercised in a most unequivocal manner after Christ’s Ascension into Heaven. Thus, the great leader, prince of the disciples, most popular, well-known, and famous disciple of Jesus Christ, passes the pages of the New Testament. However, many a tradition and many legends connect Peter with three different places, although we have no clue to the chronology of his journey.

1. Peter is connected with Antioch. It is said that Peter stayed at Antioch for some time or he returned to Antioch many a times. (Gal. 2: 11-21). It is said that Peter was the first Bishop of Antioch and he served that Church for seven years. He also founded the Church of Antioch and appointed Evodrius, the first line of the Antiochian Bishops, head of the community. So Peter was the leader of the Church, were the Gospel was first preached to the Gentiles (Acts 11; 20), and where the Christians were first called Christians (Acts 11: 26).
2. Peter preached in Asia Minor, following his time in Antioch,. This is by no means unlikely, as Peter addresses his first Epistle to Christians who had scattered, in provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia (1 Peter 1: 1)
3. Peter occasionally returned to Jerusalem, where the original Christian Church was, the guidance of which was entrusted to St. James, the relative of Jesus. The last mention of Peter in Acts (15: 1-29; Gal. 2: 1-10) occurs in the report of the council of Apostles on the occasion of such passing visits.       
4. Peter went to Rome spent the last leg of his life and ended his earthly course by martyrdom. This is a unanimous tradition of the early Church, an indisputably established historical fact. St. Peter residence and death in Rome are established beyond contention as historical facts by a series of distinct testimonies extending from the end of the first to end of the second centuries. Only a few a mentioned here.

Peter may have had many faults, but he had always the saving grace of a loving heart. The greatest characteristic was that, however often he fell and failed, he always recovered his courage and integrity. Luke ends the story of Peter’s denial with a vivid and dramatic sentence: “The Lord turned and looked upon Peter” (Lk. 22: 61). One look from the eyes of the Jesus was enough to bring Peter back to the way of honour and fidelity. Peter is portrayed as a fervent person, always ready to speak or act to his loyalty to Jesus. What come to our mind about Peter to praise and laud him is the enthusiasm, the humility, the saving and redeeming tears of repentance after that third “I do not know this man” (Matt. 26: 75). After this denial his complete dedication to the Lord and his triple confession of love to Him for which he heard from His mouth ‘Feed My Lambs’ and ‘Feed My sheep’ (Jn. 21: 15-17). His God-wise teachings are contained in his two General Epistles.

A legendary story about Peter reads as follows. The preaching of Peter converted and changed the four concubines of Agrippa and Xanthippe, the wife of Emperor Albinus.  Both Agrippa and Albinus determined Peter should die. Peter Christian friends and Church asked him to seek safety in flight. As Peter was fleeing away from Rome, he saw the Lord entering the Rome.  He asked, “Lord, whither goest Thou“.  [Domine, quo Vadis?] The Lord “I go to Rome to be crucified”. Peter asked, “Lord, art Thou being crucified again”. “Yes Peter, I am being crucified again,” said Lord. Peter understood that Jesus was going to bear the cross, from which he was running away”. And Peter turned back to Rome to die. With a refinement of cruelty Peter’s wife was crucified before him, while he was compelled to look on. Peter encouraged her, and said, “Remember the Lord”. His courage and conduct moved the Jailer to accept the Christian faith. When the moment of his crucifixion came Peter requested that he might be crucified head down wards, as he was not being worthy to die as his Lord had died. In the end Peter died kissing the feet of Jesus as a martyr and a hero for his Lord. The place of his execution may be accepted with great probability as the Neronian Gardens on the Vatican. For a time, the remains of St. Peter lay with those of Paul in a vault on the Appian Way, where the Church of St. Sebastian dedicated to the two Apostles now stands. The sacred remains were restored to this resting-place, at the beginning of the Valerian persecution in AD 258, by Pope Sixtus II, on 29^th of June. Emperor Constantine the Great had a magnificent Basilica erected over the grave of St. Peter at the foot of the Vatican Hills. This basilica was replaced, by the present St. Peter’s in the 16th century. The day of his martyrdom is not known, however June 29th is accepted day of his feast since the 4th century.