According to the gospel of John, he wrote that when Jesus met Simo Peter, he immediately called him Cephas. This name means rock in Aramaic, a language that Jesus spoke. During those days, the people were given nicknames according to their character. However, throughout the bible, Peter is not referred to as Cephas, but by his birth name Simon Peter. One of the most interesting disciples of Jesus was Peter. He was the most outspoken, assertive and loyal.
He loved Jesus and was very dedicated to spreading the gospel. Peter was also very inquisitive and did not hesitate to ask questions he did not understand. He always sought clarification. Peter was not the leader of the disciples at the beginning. It is recorded that he was not educated and was not bilingual.
Greek was an important language in those days, and Peter had to learn the language. Although it took him time to learn, he eventually did and was given more responsibilities. In the gospel books, Peter is referred to as the leader of the disciples. He was there in every important event and was always with Jesus. It was Peter, James and John who were always included in important events such as the transfiguration that happened in Gethsemane. Peter was also the spokesman of the disciples and took precedence over the others.
This was probably because he was the most outspoken and was not afraid of asking questions. There are several churches and city squares all over the world named after St.
In Vatican City, St. It is believed that he was crucified on a hill, now known as Vatican hill by Emperor Nero. This happened after the great fire of Rome. Emperor Nero accused the Christians of causing the fire. He persecuted the Christian community in the city.
In the gospel book of John, Jesus told Peter he would be a martyr. He also described how he would die by stretching out his arms. Peter was crucified on the cross, but upside down. An excavation done near St. Further examination of the bones showed that he was about 60 years old.
Pope Paul VI later, in , announced that the bones were possibly the remains of St. Paul, besides, reproached Peter for a certain insincerity and even manifested independence from Peter. We are told of various missionary trips which Peter undertook in order to preach about Jesus. He was finally imprisoned by Herod and released miraculously by an angel. He then "departed and went to another place" Acts After 49, we have no direct record in the Acts about Peter, and we have to rely on external testimony.
From all we can learn and surmise, it does appear that Peter occupied a position of importance in Rome and was martyred there under the rule of Nero The earliest testimony comes from a letter of Clement written about the year 96 in Rome. A letter of Ignatius of Antioch died ca.
Gaius speaks of the Vatican shrine and the "founders" of this church. Finally, all the early lists of the bishops of Rome start with Peter's name as the first bishop. Excavations at the Vatican have yielded no cogent and conclusive evidence either of Peter's presence in Rome or of his burial beneath the Vatican. They have, however, uncovered an ancient shrine which dates from approximately Collateral evidence suggests that it was the burial site of some venerated figure, and Roman Catholic tradition identifies that figure with Peter.
There is no direct testimony in the New Testament that Peter's position as leader of the Apostles was meant to be passed on to his successors, the bishops of Rome, as the primacy of the popes over all of Christianity.
This is a separate question and depends on subsequent Church development and evolution of its beliefs. Tradition designates Peter as author of two letters which carry his name, although doubt has been thrown on Peter's authorship of at least the second. Various apocryphal documents which certainly date from the 2d century are ascribed to Peter. There is also the fragmentary Acts of Peter, which purports to relate how Peter ended his life as a martyr.
It appears from the first of the two letters ascribed to Peter that his outlook as a Jew and a Semite was never influenced by Greek or other non-Jewish thought. He reflects the mentality of a 1st-century Jew who believes that Jesus came as the Messiah of Israel and as the fulfillment of all Israel's promises and expectations.
Some of Peter's statements would not now be acceptable to orthodox Christian thought. From what we know of Peter and his life, he seems to have made the transition from Palestine to Rome as from one Jewish community to another Jewish community, never fundamentally changing his instincts as a Jewish believer, except insofar as he totally accepted Jesus as the Messiah of Israel.
In the Gospel of John, we learn that Jesus alluded to St. Writers of the time, however, say he died by crucifixion under the reign of Emperor Nero in 64 A. When faced with his fate, Peter asked to be crucified upside down. It is said he did not feel worthy to be martyred in the same manner as Christ.
After St. Linus went on to become the first Roman pope of the Catholic Church. The line of succession from St. Linus is unbroken, dating back to 64 A. In the Catholic Church, to become a saint, you must meet a certain set of criteria, including a life lived as a servant of good, proof of heroic virtue, and verified miracles.
In the gospel of John, he is pictured as gentle and firm and, as in his professions of love to Jesus, capable of great loyalty and love. Already there is a conflicting sense over Peter and his temperament, so how did he become to be the leader of the church? Well, it could be his longevity as a disciple of Jesus, as the Gospels agree that Peter was called to be a disciple of Jesus at the beginning of his ministry, but when and where the event took place is recorded differently in several Gospels.
With these confusing accounts, it is hard to decipher why exactly Peter was chosen as head of the church over anyone else. As it was Peter to whom Jesus first appeared after his Resurrection.
Being a witness to the rebirth of Christ was enough for Peter to be a criterion of apostleship. Despite his weaknesses and doubts, Peter was the most important apostle from the beginning, and that is why Jesus designated him to be head of the apostles. He saw his potential for leadership and he acted on it. Additionally, Peter is always the first mentioned when listing the apostles, even the inner three. It is stated that Jesus gave Peter the keys of the church, which translated to him handing over the authority of leading and looking after the church and its people.
For approximately 15 years after the Resurrection, the figure of Peter dominated the community. It was him who first raised his voice and preached at the Pentecost, it was Peter who exercised the role of judge and who led the 12 apostles in extending the church.
He became the first pope of Rome and was said to be one of the greatest missionaries in religious antiquity.
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