Introduction
Simon son of Jonah (Hebrew: Shimon bar Yonah, Shimon Kepha—Greek: Simо̄n Petros) was born circa AD 1 (3761–3762 in the Hebrew calendar) in the Roman district of Gaulanitis. He is better known as Peter (Greek: Petros; G4074), a name that Jesus gave him as a ministry title (see Matt. 16:18). Simon was a fisherman from Bethsaida (see John 1:44), a Jewish fishing village on the Sea of Galilee's northern shore. As his name implied, his father was either named Jonah (see Matt. 16:17) or John (see John 1:42; 21:15-17), as the New Testament authors used both—probably because they share the same Hebrew consonants (יוחנן Yochanan, H3110; יונה Yonah, H3123). Andrew was his brother, with whom he partnered with the Zebedee brothers—James and John—in a fishing business at Capernaum (see Luke 5:10). Peter was probably lower middle class, equivalent to a blue-collar worker in today's world. This background often got him in trouble with Jesus and the Judean authorities. Peter was impulsive, a "shoot first, ask questions later" kind of man. If the contemporary saying, "It's better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission," were a first-century Galilean one, Peter certainly would have exemplified it. Although Jesus often referred to the Pharisees and other religious leaders as "vipers" (see Matt. 12:34; 23:33) or "thieves" (see John 10:8-10), he once rebuked Peter by calling him "Satan!" (see Matt. 16:23). It was Peter who 1) took his eyes off Jesus while they walked on the Sea of Galilee and fell in (see Matt. 14:28-31), 2) denied Jesus three times (see Matt. 26:33-35; Mark 14:29-31; Luke 22:33-34; John 13:36-38), 3) cut off the ear of Malchus—a slave to Caiaphas, the high priest—during Jesus' arrest (see John 18:10-11), and 4) who eagerly responded to questions, usually with the wrong answer (see Mark 9:5-6; Luke 9:33). However, Peter's story throughout the New Testament is one of God's mercy, the transition from a hotheaded, provincial fisherman to the "rock of the church."
A Galilean Accent
Other than his job as a fisherman, the other clue that Peter was a backwater hick was his Galilean accent, for which he was belittled during his denial of Jesus at Jerusalem (see Matt. 26:73). This accent probably reflected the differences between the northern (Ephraim) and southern (Judah) kingdoms after David's reign (see 1 Kgs. 12:19). The northerners were geographically and culturally removed from Jerusalem, the cosmopolitan center of Israel to the south. Fishing was a significant part of life in the towns bordering the Sea of Galilee, which is even reflected in modern archaeology in the form of discarded fish bones. Many first-century Jews widely derided the Galilean accent, and even the authors of the Talmud wrote:
A certain Galilean went around saying . . . "Who has amar? Who has amar?" They said to him, "You Galilean fool, do you mean a donkey (chamor; H2543) for riding, wine (chamar; H2562) for drinking, wool (amar; H6015) for clothing, or a lamb (imar; H563) for slaughtering?" (Eruvin 53b.6).
They could not make out what the man was asking because Galileans typically slurred the guttural vowels of Hebrew. This is not unlike how modern English speakers often deride accents from the American South or the cockney from the East End of London. Matthew's narrative purpose in mentioning Peter's accent was to mark the transition from a fisherman to a church leader. He denied Jesus to save his life, going back to the fishing business. Peter assumed that Jesus' ministry ended with his crucifixion, perhaps too readily dismissing him as another false messiah. Although he was the first apostle to see the empty tomb, Peter was amazed, though he returned home nonetheless (see Luke 12; John 20:4). Jesus came to Peter soon after the resurrection while he was fishing. Jesus reenacted the first time he called Peter at the Sea of Galilee, once again challenging him to net a large number of fish in broad daylight—153, to be exact. In the following conversation, Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love me more than these?" for each of his denials. During the first two questions, Jesus used the verb agapaō (G25), then ended with phileō (G5368). Peter was still unsure of what he got himself into, so he responded to Jesus' query of steadfast love with the intent of mere friendship. Yet, Jesus responded by describing Peter's martyrdom, knowing he would eventually prove his undying love for God (see John 21:1-19). He would go on to be the church's leading voice, using his Galilean accent to proclaim this bedrock truth: Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God (see Matt. 16:16). Whereas the Judean religious leaders denied the Holy One of Israel could derive from Galilee (see John 7:52), Peter knew better. The prophet Isaiah once wrote:
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned (Isa. 9:1-2; cf. Matt. 4:14-15).
Peter: Like a Rock
Peter's declaration to Jesus, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God," at Caesarea Philippi is the most vital creed for the Christian church. It underlies all the historical symbols of Nicaea, Chalcedon (see "Confessions of Faith"), and all current statements of belief. Peter's confession about Jesus' identity was so foundational that he named Simon the "rock" upon which he would build his church. At this point in the narrative, Peter still needs to understand the complexity of what Jesus said. Shortly after Peter made the bold proclamation, Jesus rebuked him as "Satan" for trying to stop his death on the cross. When Jesus called Simon the "rock," he was probably speaking Aramaic, using the words Kephas (G2786) and keph (H3710) as both his new ministry title and name (see Matt. 16:13-20). The only difference between the Greek words Petros (G4074) and petra (G4073) implies grammatical gender but nothing regarding theological implications. The first time Peter became the "rock" of the church was on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit encouraged him and the other apostles to tell the good news of Jesus. Peter took charge when Jews from all over the Mediterranean and the Near East asked about their newfound ability to speak various languages. Without the benefit of a theology degree (see Acts 4:13), Peter invoked the prophet Joel and King David to show how even the Hebrew scriptures forecasted the Messiah and the dispensing of spiritual gifts. He spoke with such authority that 3,000 people felt convicted and were immediately baptized that day (see Acts 2:1-41). In his ministry, Peter healed many individuals with disabilities (see Acts 3:1; 9:32; 5:15), boldly testified about Jesus to the religious authorities of Jerusalem (see Acts 4:1-22), and summoned God's judgment on Ananias and Sapphira (see Acts 5:1-11) for their deceit. He even gave the Holy Spirit through laying hands (see Acts 8:17) and resurrected a disciple named Tabitha from the dead (see Acts 9:36).
Despite Peter's success as an apostle, he still had some important lessons to learn. At first, he only ministered to Jews, thinking God still concerned himself with Israel. In a dream, God revealed a sheet for Peter to observe, filled with non-kosher animals such as "four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds" (Acts 10:12). The four corners alluded to the four corners of the earth. However, God was not teaching Peter so much about kosher foods but his concern for all people—not only the Jews. Peter's meeting with Cornelius affirmed that a Gentile, such as a Roman centurion, could be baptized (see Acts 10). Peter's dream was not only a correction of his latent bigotry stemming from his Galilean upbringing but also a present vocation to Gentiles and a future omen of his death in Rome—the capital of the Gentile world. In the meantime, Peter traveled throughout the Levant region with his wife (see Mark 1:30; 1 Cor. 9:5) and led the wholesale conversions of Judea, Samaria, and the Gentiles. As the leader of the Judaic wing of the early church, Peter met with James and Paul of Tarsus at the Council of Jerusalem about AD 50 (see Acts 15:1-21). He supported the motion that Christian Gentiles should not be required to observe the Law of Moses, although other Jewish believers still kept it. This problem would arise again in Antioch, where Paul confronted Peter over his eating non-kosher meals with Gentiles, although pretending to faithfully observe the dietary laws around Jewish Christians (see Gal. 2:11-14).
Martyrdom in Rome
Peter died in Rome, but not according to the pious fiction commonly believed. The scriptures do not mention the details of the apostle's death. When Jesus restored Peter, he warned him:
Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go (John 21:18).
The legends of Peter being crucified upside down stem from accounts dating no earlier than the close of the second century—almost the third. This tradition leaves a gap of nearly 100 years after Peter's death. It is important to recognize that historical narratives evolve over time, influenced by cultural, religious, and political factors. Jesus' reference to a belt and stretched-out hands has nothing to do with crucifixion but being burned alive. Peter's death occurred after the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64 when the emperor Nero (AD 37–68) killed many Christians by sowing them into animal skins for hungry dogs or lighting them as torches for entertainment. When the Romans crucified their victims, they stripped them naked to maximize their shame. This custom was also applied to Jesus, as the gospels testify (see Matt. 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24). However, Peter's death included clothing and a belt, which the Roman soldiers doused in flammable chemicals for immolation. The Roman historian Tacitus (AD 56–c. 120) described this method when writing about the Great Fire:
Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christ, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city as of hatred against humankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt to serve as a nightly illumination when daylight had expired. Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle (Annals, Bk. 15, Ch. 44).
The only record of Peter's martyrdom was by Clement of Rome (c. AD 30–c. 100): "Let us take the noble examples furnished in our generation. Through envy and jealousy, the greatest and most righteous pillars have been persecuted and put to death . . . Peter, through unrighteous envy, endured not one or two, but numerous labors and when he had at length suffered martyrdom, departed to the place of glory due to him" (1 Clem. 5:5).
Conclusion
In the tapestry of biblical history, Simon son of Jonah, better known as Peter, emerges as a central figure whose journey embodies the transformative power of faith and divine grace. Born into the humble life of a Galilean fisherman, Peter's impulsive nature often led him into moments of doubt, denial, and even defiance. Yet, amidst his flaws and shortcomings, Peter's story resonates with the enduring message of redemption and forgiveness. From his earliest encounters with Jesus to his pivotal role in establishing the early Christian church, Peter's narrative is marked by a profound evolution—a journey from the tempests of human frailty to the steadfastness of divine purpose. Through Peter's experiences, we witness the unwavering mercy of God, who shapes the imperfect into instruments of his will. As Peter transitions from a bold disciple to the "rock" upon which the church is built, his story stands as a testament to the transformative power of faith and the boundless depths of divine love.
Prayer
Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of the universe, who inspired Simon Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God: Keep your church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, that in unity and peace, we may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord, our Savior Jesus the Messiah; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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