Faith Cycle Ministry

In Simon Peter we find an example of an enthusiastic disciple of Christ who displayed both great strengths and serious weaknesses. This fisherman-turned-preacher was a leading figure in the early church and his influence is still with us today.

The Life and Times of Simon Peter
Background: Peter was originally called Simon (or Simeon), a very common Jewish name in the NT. He was the son of a man named Jonas (or John) who lived in Bethsaida, on the western coast of the Sea of Galilee. He had a younger brother called Andrew, who first introduced him to Jesus (John 1:40-42). He was trained as a fisherman. He and Andrew spent their youth in constant fellowship with their friends and co-workers, James and John. Simon and his brother doubtless enjoyed all the advantages of a religious training, and were early instructed in the Scriptures and the great prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah. They did not probably enjoy, however, any special training in the study of the law under any of the rabbis (unlike Paul).
Becoming a disciple: It would seem that Simon was married before he became an apostle (Mt 8:14; Mr 1:30). He appears to have been settled at Capernaum when Christ entered on his public ministry, and may have been over thirty. His house was large enough to give a home to his brother Andrew, his wife’s mother, and also to Jesus, who seems to have lived with him (Mr 1:29, 36, 2:1) as well as to his own family. Andrew and John hearing John the Baptist’s testimony concerning Jesus as the “Lamb of God” followed Jesus, and stayed with him where he was. They were convinced, by his gracious words and by the authority with which he spoke, that he was the Messiah (Mt 7:29; Lu 4:22). Andrew found Simon and brought him to Jesus (John 1:41). Jesus at once recognized Simon, and declared that hereafter he would be called Cephas, an Aramaic name corresponding to the Greek Petros, which means “a mass of rock.”*1 The name Peter gradually displaced the old name Simon, though our Lord himself usually used the name Simon when addressing him. Peter did not follow Jesus at this point, but went back to fishing.
Chosen as an apostle: We next meet Peter by the Sea of Galilee (Mt 4:18-22). There the four (Simon and Andrew, James and John) had had an unsuccessful night’s fishing. Jesus had preached a message while standing in Peter’s boat to a crowd of people on the shore. He then asked him to launch forth and let down the nets. He did so, and enclosed a great multitude of fishes. This was plainly a miracle, and the awe-stricken disciple cast himself at the feet of Jesus, crying, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Lu 5:8). Jesus addressed him with the assuring words, “Fear not,” and announced to him his life’s work–“From henceforth thou shalt catch men.” Simon responded to the call to become a disciple, and after this we find him in constant attendance on our Lord.
Peter then took a more and more prominent part in all the leading events of our Lord’s life. Perhaps Peter is best known as the only human (other than Jesus) ever to walk on liquid water (Mt 14:28). It is he who uttered that notable profession of faith, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:13-20). Our Lord in response used these memorable words: “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.”
From that time forth Jesus began to speak of his sufferings. For this Peter rebuked him. But our Lord in return rebuked Peter, speaking to him in sterner words than he ever used to any other of his disciples – “Get thee behind me, Satan” (Mt 16:21-23). At the close of his brief sojourn at Caesarea our Lord took Peter and James and John with him into “an high mountain apart,” and was transfigured before them. Peter on that occasion, not quite knowing what to say, suggested they build three small huts to stay in (Mt 17:1-9).
As the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry was drawing near, our Lord sent Peter and John into the city to prepare a place where he should keep the feast with his disciples (Lu 22:7-13). There he was forewarned of the fearful sin into which he afterwards fell – “You will deny me three times” (Lu 22:31-34).
When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus in the garden, Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of Malchus (Lu 22:47-51). Then follow the scenes of the judgment-hall where he denied the Lord three times (Lu 22:54-61), followed by his bitter grief.
After the resurrection: Peter was with John early on the morning of the resurrection. He boldly entered into the empty grave (John 20:1-10) and saw the “linen clothes laid by themselves” (Lu 24:9-12). To him, the first of the apostles, our risen Lord revealed himself, thus conferring on him a special honor, and showing how fully he was restored to his favor (Lu 24:34).
We next read of our Lord’s interview with Peter on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, where he three times asked him, “Do you love me?” (John 21:1-19). He affirms three times that he does, and Jesus encourages him to “feed my sheep.” *2 After this scene at the lake we hear nothing of Peter till he again appears with the others at the ascension (Ac 1:15-26). He is prominent on the day of Pentecost, preaching a powerful message that “God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Ac 2:14-40). After Pentecost he was no more the unreliable, changeful, self-confident man, ever swaying between rash courage and weak timidity, but the steadfast, trusted guide and director of the fellowship of believers, the intrepid preacher of Christ in Jerusalem and abroad.
After the healing of a lame man at the temple gate (Ac 3:1f), persecution arose against the Christians, and Peter was cast into prison. He boldly defended himself and his companions at the council (Ac 4:19-20). A fresh outburst of violence against the Christians (Ac 5:17-21) led to all the apostles being cast into prison; but during the night they were wonderfully delivered, and were found in the morning teaching in the temple. A second time Peter defended them before the council (Ac 5:29-32) who, “when they had called the apostles and beaten them, let them go.”
After laboring for some time in Samaria, he returned to Jerusalem, and reported to the church there the results of his work (Ac 8:14-25). Here he remained for a period, during which he met Paul for the first time since his conversion (Ac 9:26-30). Leaving Jerusalem again, he went forth on a missionary journey to Lydda and Joppa (Ac 9:32-43). He is next called on to open the door of the Christian church to the Gentiles by the admission of Cornelius of Caesarea (Ac 10). It is during this time that he sees the vision of the sheet let down from heaven and learns the truth, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”
After remaining for some time at Caesarea, he returned to Jerusalem where he defended his conduct with reference to the Gentiles. Next we hear of his being cast into prison by Herod Agrippa (Ac 12:1-19) but in the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison gates, and he went forth and found refuge in the house of Mary. He took part in the deliberations of the council in Jerusalem (Ac 15:1-31) regarding the relation of the Gentiles to the church. Here Paul and Peter met again.
Later life and death: We have no further mention of Peter in the book of Acts. He seems to have gone down to Antioch after the council at Jerusalem, and there to have been guilty of some kind of inconsistent behavior, for which he was publicly reprimanded by Paul (Gal 2:11-16) who “rebuked him to his face.” After this he appears to have labored in Rome, from where he likely wrote his two epistles. The gospel of Mark is very likely a record of the gospel Peter preached.
Where, when, or by what means he died is not certainly known. Tradition suggests that he was crucified upside down. Probably he died in Rome between A.D. 64 and 67.

After a time, some influential Jews arrived in Antioch from Jerusalem, claiming that they were representatives of James. Peter's practice of eating with Gentiles shocked them. These persons brought such pressure to bear on Peter that, though he was unconvinced by their views, he nevertheless gradually detached himself from the Gentile fellowship and began to eat with Jews only. Paul confronted Peter publicly, charging him with inconsistency and stating once again that the works of the law have no place in God's plan of salvation through the death of Christ.*3

Was Peter the first Pope?
Roman Catholics teach that Peter was the first bishop of Rome and that Christ granted jurisdiction over the whole church directly upon Peter and his successors. This doctrine is based on some of Christ’s statements and upon some historical records. Jesus said to Peter, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church” (Mt 16:18). Catholics assert that Peter is the foundation of the church, while most Protestants interprets Jesus’ words here to mean that Peter’s confession, “Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God,” is the rock upon which Jesus built his church. Peter seems to affirm that the foundation of the church is Christ, the “chief corner stone” (1 Pet 2:4-9). Paul also teaches that Jesus is the foundation (1 Cor 3:11f) and that the church is the “pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15). The church is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Eph 2:20).
Catholics suggest that Christ’s statement, “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven,” invested Peter with special power not possessed in common with the other apostles. However, Jesus was likely predicting the fact that Peter would bring the gospel to both Israel and the Gentiles, thus “opening the door” to them, which is exactly what the book of Acts details. Also, note that the keys are to the “kingdom,” not to the church. Further, the privilege to loose and bind was given to all the disciples, not to Peter exclusively (Mt 18:18). So the biblical evidence does not support the idea that Peter had some sort of superior authority or special position over the other apostles.
There is some pretty convincing historical evidence that Peter was in Rome for some time and that he may have been the leader of the church there. Catholics strongly assert that there are historical records to show that Peter was Bishop of Rome until he was martyred about 67 AD. “It seems certain that Peter spent his closing years in Rome… . To early writers like Clement of Rome (c. 95), Ignatius of Antioch (c. 107), and Irenaeus (c. 180), it was common knowledge that he worked and died in Rome.”*4 Some suggest that Peter’s epistles were written from Rome although he says he wrote them from Babylon. Most likely, Peter used the word “Babylon” as a code word for Rome (as John does in Revelation).
So it seems probable that Peter was a leader, or even the leader, of the church in Rome. We know that later bishops in Rome extended their power over churches in other cities and eventually around the world. But there is no evidence that Peter would have considered himself to be the supreme leader of the entire church, nor that such power extended beyond Peter to later bishops of Rome. *5 The power of the Papacy arose many years after Peter’s death.
Various titles are commonly used with reference to the bishop of Rome. The word “pope” literally means, “father.” Peter no doubt would have rejected any efforts to call him “Holy Father,” “Vicar*6 of Christ,” or “Sovereign Pontiff” *7 as Catholics and others call the popes. Jesus said, “Call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven” (Mt 23:9). The term, “Holy Father” is used only once in the entire Bible, and it is used by Jesus in addressing God the Father (John 17:11). Peter would no doubt distance himself from many of the unbiblical practices and doctrines of the current Roman Catholic Church. Were he alive today, he’d probably be a Baptist.J
As far as Peter being “the rock” upon which Jesus would build his church, we can endorse an interpretation that makes Peter a “first among equals,” but nothing beyond that. The NT text says nothing about Peter's successors, infallibility, or exclusive authority, all of which the Roman Catholic Church assumes. What the NT does show is that Peter is the first to make a formal confession and that his prominence continued into the earliest years of the church (Acts 1-12). Jesus built his church on the foundation of such men (Eph 2:20). That is precisely why Jesus, toward the close of his earthly ministry spent so much time with them. *8

Application: Realize that discipleship is costly. Be willing to forsake all to follow Christ.

Application: Repent and confess your sin, and then get back into the battle. Don’t let backsliding and setbacks prevent you from serving God. Rely upon God’s patience and mercy and forgiveness.

Conclusion: Peter stands before us as a great example of a disciple of Christ. His passion sometimes got him in trouble, but there was no doubt that Peter loved the Lord.

*1 Some scholars make much of the fact that the Greek word for Peter, petros, means “small stone,” while the word for rock, petra, suggest a more massive rock. However, the same Aramaic word, kepha, which means “massive stone” underlies both “Peter” and “this rock.” Jesus, originally speaking in Aramaic, likely intended no big rock vs. little rock distinction.

*2 Some scholars and preachers have made much of the fact that Jesus uses two different terms for “love” in this passage, agape and phileo. Most likely, not much should be made of this distinction. The two words are virtually synonymous and are used interchangeably in the NT.

*3 Expositor’s Bible Commentary

*4 J. N. D. Kelly, Oxford Dictionary of Popes, cited by Art Kelly www.cfpeople.org/Apologetics

*5 The idea of apostolic succession – that succeeding bishops of Rome would head the church – is clearly not a biblical idea.

*6 The word “vicar” means “placeholder” or “representative” and today refers to a minister or officer.

*7 Pontiff is from the Latin pontifex, which referred to a man on the highest council of priests in ancient Rome.

*8Expositor’s Bible Commentary

*9 “Peter’s primacy, or leadership, among the twelve apostles and the primitive church is now generally accepted by Protestant and Catholic scholars alike.” J. Van Engen, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Baker, 1984).

*10 Unger’s Bible Dictionary

Peter: The Rock