Lives of Scripture

Simon, a Galilean fisherman, was called by Jesus early in His ministry and given the name Peter ('rock'), with his brother Andrew (Matthew 4:18-20; John 1:40-42). He became the most prominent of the twelve apostles — often speaking first, often wrong first. He confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, and heard Jesus call him a rock on which He would build His church (Matthew 16:16-18); minutes later, rebuking Jesus for predicting His own death, Peter was called Satan for setting his mind on man's concerns, not God's (Matthew 16:21-23). Peter walked briefly on water toward Jesus before fear overtook him (Matthew 14:28-31), and at the Last Supper swore he would die before disowning Jesus, only to deny Him three times within hours, exactly as predicted (Matthew 26:33-35, 69-75). Scripture does not omit this collapse to protect Peter's reputation. After the resurrection, the risen Christ restored Peter personally, asking three times whether he loved Him — matching the three denials — and recommissioned him to feed and shepherd His sheep (John 21:15-19). At Pentecost, Peter preached the sermon behind three thousand conversions, and later a vision sent him to the Gentile centurion Cornelius, opening the church's mission beyond Jewish believers (Acts 2; 10). Even after this, Paul publicly opposed Peter at Antioch for withdrawing from table fellowship with Gentile believers under pressure, calling it hypocrisy (Galatians 2:11-14). Tradition, not Scripture, holds Peter was later martyred in Rome, crucified upside down at his own request (John 21:18-19).