Simon Peter
Called “the rock” by Jesus (Cephas or Kephas, in Aramaic) and commonly known as Peter (from Petros, the Greek equivalent of Cephas), Simon (also called Simeon) Bar-jona (son of Jona) is the first-named apostle and was the first to declare that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” To that dramatic confession, Jesus gave a response that has been controversial for much of the church's next two millennia: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-jona, for flesh and blood have not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say also to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven so that whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:16–19).
The Catholic and Orthodox Churches have held that, from the beginning, Jesus' choice to lead his church was Peter. But Peter received the strongest rebuke from his Master of any disciple, in response to Peter's protesting to Jesus foretelling the fate he would suffer from the leaders of the Temple. “Get behind me, Satan,” Jesus tells him. “You are an offence to me, for you don't prefer the things of God but those of man” (Matthew 16:23). As with the incident of Peter's wanting to join Jesus on the surface of the lake, his impetuosity got ahead of his better judgment. But the most critical moment in Peter's time under Jesus' teaching is found in Luke 5:3–10 where, in response to Jesus performing a miracle by filling their nets with fish, Peter “fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” But Jesus replied, “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.”
factum
Catholic scholar J. Macrory suggests that Mark was Peter's interpreter in Rome in the latter days of Peter's ministry and life. Having heard all of Peter's memories many times, Mark felt compelled to write them down after Peter's death as the first written Gospel. Peter was born in Bethsaida, on the Lake of Galilee, where, it's reported, the house he lived in is still preserved beneath a church.
In this moment Peter's humbling was complete, and his redemption had been won. The lesson could not have been more transparent. Compared with fishing for men, fishing Lake Galilee is no big thing.
discussion question
What is “the Petrine office”?
The Roman papacy is also known as “the Petrine office,” or the office of Peter as first Bishop of Rome. According to Catholic theologians, the Roman Papacy has authority over all other church leaders. The Orthodox churches agree that Peter was bishop of Rome and, as Rome was the center of the empire, that office was first to receive honor, but it does not have ruling authority over other leaders of the church.
