The Apostle Peter is one of the great stories of a changed life in the Bible.

Check out this

timeline and biography of the life of Peter.
Peters Life Before Christ
The Apostle Peter may have been the most outspoken of the twelve apostles in Jesus
ministry on earth. He certainly became one of the boldest witnesses for the faith. His
beginnings were certainly humble in origin.

He was born about 1 B.C. and died

sometime around A.D. 67.

Peter was originally named Simon. Jesus was the One Who changed Peters name. Peter
means rock or literally Petra. He was a Galilean fisherman and was the brother of
Andrew. The brothers came from the village of Bethsaida (John 1:43, 12:21). Peter was
married. He was also a follower of John the Baptist. Peter, like all humans before their
calling, was a sinful man. In fact he was ashamed of his sinfulness in the presence of
Jesus Christ (Luke 5:6-8). Peter was perhaps the very first disciple that Jesus called along
with His brother Andrew.
Fishermen at that time were gruff, unkempt, vile, shabbily dressed, and often used
vulgar language. The fishermen of the first century were a mans man. They were full of
vigor and had boisterous tempers. This is perhaps why James and his brother John were
called the Sons of Thunder (Mark 3:17). Theirs was a rough life since fishing was a very
physically demanding job. They must have been somewhat fearless too because some
of the storms that came quickly upon the Sea of Galilee were fierce and furious. They
often caught the fishermen by surprise and could easily capsize the 20 to 30 foot boats
they used.
Peter was always putting his foot in his mouth but one thing you could say about Peter
was that when Jesus told them (Peter and Andrew) to follow me they simply walked
away and left everything they had without a second thought (Luke 5:9-1). Consider the
fact that this meant that they left everything all of their fishing boats, their fishing nets,
and all the accessories that came with their trade. How many today would be willing to
leave their own business to follow Someone that had simply asked them to follow Him?
Peters Life with Christ
As mentioned earlier, Peter was among the first disciples called by Jesus and he was
frequently their spokesman for good or bad. One thing that he is credited with is the
special insight that he had concerning Jesus identity. Peter was the first to call Jesus the
Son of the Living God the Messiah (Mark 8:29, Luke 9:20, Matt. 16:16-17).

When Jesus

called him, Peter knew that He was of God and felt unworthy to be in Jesus presence
(Luke 5:6-8).

Even so, Jesus did not hesitate and told Peter and Andrew that He would

make them fishers of men (Mark 1:17).

Peter was bold but often times in the wrong. Once he even rebuked the Lord and said
that he was willing to die for Jesus even though at the arrest and trial of Jesus he denied
Him three times (Matt. 16:21-22). Jesus loved the disciples and knew which of those
whom would remain loyal to Him and those who would betray Him (Judas Iscariot). Peter
was an eyewitness to the many miracles that Jesus did and also witnessed the Shekhinah
Glory along with John and James in the Transfiguration. This was where Jesus humanity
was peeled back to reveal the glory of His Divinity (Matt. 17:1-9).
Peter the Disciple to the Apostle Peter
A disciple means a follower of and that is what most Christians actually are today. An
apostle is one sent forth in the sense of sent forth by God to proclaim the gospel of
Jesus Christ. The biblical definition of an apostle and the only ones that are called
apostles in the New Testament had to be either with Jesus during His earthly ministry
(like the disciples) or having seen the risen Christ (as did Paul who was taught three
years in the desert by Jesus Christ Himself).
After Christ tells the disciples about the end of the age (Matt. 24) He gives them the
charge or command of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). This is the very last thing
that Jesus tells them (Acts 1:8) and from that point on the disciples (followers of Christ)
become the apostles (those sent forth). The designation of their being apostles was
never used until after the Ascension of Christ (Acts 1) because before then, they were
still following Jesus. After Christ had ascended to the right hand of the Father and was
seated there (signifying His earthly ministry was done except through the apostles) He
sent them forth to go to all ends of the earth to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of
God.
Peter was the first one to preach on the day of Pentecost after the coming of the Holy
Spirit and he was the first one to proclaim Christ to a Gentile. He was one of the boldest
apostles of all. He willingly suffered persecution, imprisonment, beatings, and even
rejoiced at the fact that he was worthy to suffer disgrace for the Lords sake (Acts 5:41).
The Gospel of Mark or of Peter?
There is extremely reliable evidence through church tradition and early church historians
that the Gospel of Mark is actually the gospel of Peter. Peter is said to have dictated his
discipleship with Jesus to John Mark, who was a companion of his for many of the later
years of his life. If you read the Gospel of Mark you can see the extremely fine details of
what appears to be an eyewitness from the perspective of Peter. John Mark was not ever
a disciple of Jesus and he was not an apostle. There is little doubt that the work of Mark

and his gospel is actually the story of Peter who retold the story and then was written
down by John Mark. This is testified by the fact that Mark was not present for Jesus
ministry and the extremely intimate details that are described in Mark. Some of the
events where Peter, John, and James who were often alone with Jesus, like the
Transfiguration, are like a first-person retelling of the story.
The next time you read the Gospel of Mark, think about Peter and see if you can not see
more clearly the realization that this had to be Peters eyewitness account an account
that only Peter could tell.
Peters Glorious Ending
In the days leading up to Peters death, almost all of the apostles had been martyred.
Did Jesus actually predict Peters death by crucifixion when He said that when you are
old you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and take you where you
do not want to go (John 21:18-19)?

The church historian Tertullian, Origen, and

Eusebius state that Peters was stretched out by his hands, he was dressed in prison
garb, he was taken where no one wanted to go (a crucifixion), and was crucified. He was
said to be crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to be crucified in the way that
the Lord Jesus Christ had been.
From an arrogant, cocky, man of thunder, he became a humble, willing, obedient servant
of the Lord even to death. He rejoiced in that day of his death, knowing that he would be
reunited with his beloved Savior. This was a lifetime of 65 years of which his last forty
would be devoted to proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament the
number 40 was always a number of testing and tested Peter was. Peter passed in
glorious colors and will be one of only 12 apostles that will rule with Jesus Christ in the
Kingdom of Heaven. The lowly fisherman became a mighty fisher of men and one that
changed and shaped the world forever and is still proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ
through his gospel (written by Mark), the book of Acts, and through the epistles of 1 and
II Peter.

Character Study: Peter - The Seed That Dies

you will stretch out your hands and someone
else will gird you, and bring you where you do
not wish to go. John 21:18

Mention the apostle Peter and what springs to mind? Boasting? Rash tongued? Lopping off
ears? Denying Christ? Hes usually noted as the disciple who repeatedly put his foot in his
mouth. And I bet hes taken more chiding from the pulpit down through the centuries than
any of the others--with the possible exception of Judas of course.
I think of Peter differently. When I think about him I am always drawn to the last
conversation he had with Jesus. I wouldnt be surprised to find out it stuck pretty heavily
with him too. What a conversation! He was told he would die a martyr and Im sure this time
he didnt protest to the Lord that it certainly would not happen the way he had about the
cock crowing.
Remember that last conversation? It was after the Resurrection and Peter and some of the
others had gone out fishing overnight but caught nothing. As the day broke Jesus was on
the shore grilling fish and called them to let down their nets for one more try. They caught a
net full. When Peter realized it was the Lord he threw himself into the sea (John 21:7)
and rushed to join him.

Following the breakfast Jesus cooked for them he talked to Peter intimately about his future
and asked him to, Tend My sheep. (Verse 17) Then he told him, Truly, truly, I say
to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you
wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else
will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.(John 21:18) Finally he
said to Peter Follow Me!

Peter was crucified

Tradition tells us that Peter was crucified, as was Jesus, but in his case he asked to be
placed upside down on his cross because he did not consider himself worthy to die the same
way as his Lord. So when Jesus said to follow him was he talking about how Peter would
die? Yes but I dont think he meant just Peters physical death.
Earlier in his public ministry Jesus told his disciples, If anyone wishes to come after
Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24)
He also said He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world
will keep it to life eternal. (John 12:25) Even if we never become martyrs we are all
called to take up our own cross and it will be different for each one of us. What exactly is the
cross? In a nutshell its death to self.
By the time Peter got to his physical death I believe he had already died. Jesus told him that
others would take him where he did not wish to goand in that showed him his own unique
cross. As we look at what is recorded about Peter in the scriptures we see what price he paid
to follow Me. His character is revealed in how willingly he died in both senses.

His name became his character

What kind of a guy was Simon, renamed Peter (meaning Rock) by Jesus? His name
became his prophetic destiny, as he was a strong pillar to the infant Christian church. When
Jesus first knew him however, you might have thought his new name would be Rash rather
than Rock. He was impulsive, emotional and impetuous. Passionate to be sure, like when
he struck the high priests slave, and cut off his right ear(John 18:11) in the Garden
of Gethsemane.
Up until he became a disciple Peter was used to directing his own life and making his own
decisions. If I think of Peter in terms of todays culture I think of a big burly rough and
tumble self-made man running his own show. Someone whose education came from the
school of hard knocks. Streetwise. No pushover. A leader rather than a follower.
Its often said that our greatest gifts are also our greatest weaknesses. Peter is a good
example of that. When Jesus first saw Peter and his brother Andrew casting their nets he
said, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Matthew 4:19) They didnt
mull it over for a month or two or consult with family and friends. Immediately they left
their nets and followed Him. (Verse 20) See, decisive!
Its good to be decisive but the negative side to that is being rash, hotheaded, reckless and
premature. Peter could easily lay claim to those things too. And what came out of his mouth
was also the best and the worst. When Christ asked his disciple who they thought he was it
was Peter who said, You are the Christ. (Mark 8:29) But near the end of Jesus ministry

it was out of the same mouth that came the words, Woman, I do not know Him. (Luke
22:57)
When Jesus told Peter that the day would come when others would lead him where he did
not wish to go he was telling him that in order to follow him he must give up those very
things that made him who he was. God created Peter with a unique personality that was
good. But in the end he would have to lay it down. Death to his self, his flesh, his desires
and even that which was his best to use for Gods kingdom. That was his cross.

Our call to death

We are each called to do likewise but for each of us it will play out differently. Just as our
personalities and gifts are unique, our cross will be unique. What it will have in common with
Peter is that it will mean our DEATH. Oh, I cringe when I contemplate those terrible words,
perhaps because my own personality finds much in common with his. Do you cringe too,
even if you and your cross are different? Yet it is our destiny as followers of Jesus Christ.
As we choose to lay down our life let us contemplate Peter, a worthy role model in our daily
trek to the cross. Then finally, consider this: For I consider that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to
us.(Romans 8:18)

Question: "What should we learn from the life of Peter?"

Answer:Simon Peter, also known as Cephas (John 1:42), was one of the first followers of
Jesus Christ. He was an outspoken and ardent disciple, one of Jesus closest friends, an
apostle, and a pillar of the church (Galatians 2:9). Peter was enthusiastic, strong-willed,
impulsive, and, at times, brash. But for all his strengths, Peter had several failings in his
life. Still, the Lord who chose him continued to mold him into exactly who He intended
Peter to be.
Simon was originally from Bethsaida (John 1:44) and lived in Capernaum (Mark 1:29),
both cities on the coast of the Sea of Galilee. He was married (1 Corinthians 9:5), and he
and James and John were partners in a profitable fishing business (Luke 5:10). Simon met
Jesus through his brother Andrew, who had followed Jesus after hearing John the Baptist
proclaim that Jesus was the Lamb of God (John 1:35-36). Andrew immediately went to
find his brother to bring him to Jesus. Upon meeting Simon, Jesus gave him a new name:
Cephas (Aramaic) or Peter (Greek), which means rock (John 1:40-42). Later, Jesus
officially called Peter to follow Him, producing a miraculous catch of fish (Luke 5:1-7).
Immediately, Peter left everything behind to follow the Lord (verse 11).
For the next three years, Peter lived as a disciple of the Lord Jesus. Being a natural-born
leader, Peter became thede factospokesman for the Twelve (Matthew
15:15,18:21,19:27;Mark 11:21;Luke 8:45,12:41;John 6:68,13:6-9,36). More significantly,
it was Peter who first confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, a truth
which Jesus said was divinely revealed to Peter (Matthew 16:16-17).

Peter was part of the inner circle of Jesus disciples, along with James and John. Only
those three were present when Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:37) and when
Jesus was transfigured on the mountain (Matthew 17:1). Peter and John were given the
special task of preparing the final Passover meal (Luke 22:8).
In several instances, Peter showed himself to be impetuous to the point of rashness. For
example, it was Peter who left the boat to walk on the water to Jesus (Matthew 14:28-29)
and promptly took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink (verse 30). It was Peter who
took Jesus aside to rebuke Him for speaking of His death (Matthew 16:22)and was
swiftly corrected by the Lord (verse 23). It was Peter who suggested erecting three
tabernacles to honor Moses, Elijah, and Jesus (Matthew 17:4)and fell to the ground in
fearful silence at Gods glory (verses 5-6). It was Peter who drew his sword and attacked
the servant of the high priest (John 18:10)and was immediately told to sheath his
weapon (verse 11). It was Peter who boasted that he would never forsake the Lord, even
if everyone else did (Matthew 26:33)and later denied three times that he even knew
the Lord (verses 70-74).
Through all of Peters ups and downs, the Lord Jesus remained his loving Lord and faithful
Guide. Jesus reaffirmed Simon as Peter, the Rock, inMatthew 16:18-19, promising that
he would be instrumental in establishing Jesus Church. After His resurrection, Jesus
specifically named Peter as one who needed to hear the good news (Mark 16:7). And,
repeating the miracle of the large catch of fish, Jesus made a special point of forgiving
and restoring Peter and re-commissioning him as an apostle (John 21:6,15-17).
On the day of Pentecost, Peter was the main speaker to the crowd in Jerusalem (Acts
2:14ff), and the Church began with an influx of about 3,000 new believers (verse 41).
Later, Peter healed a lame beggar (Acts 3) and preached boldly before the Sanhedrin
(Acts 4). Even arrest, beatings, and threats could not dampen Peters resolve to preach
the risen Christ (Acts 5).
Jesus promise that Peter would be foundational in building the Church was fulfilled in
three stages: Peter preached on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Then, he was present
when the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8). Finally, he was summoned to the
home of the Roman centurion Cornelius, who also believed and received the Holy Spirit
(Acts 10). In this way, Peter unlocked three different worlds and opened the door of the
Church to Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles.
Even as an apostle, Peter experienced some growing pains. At first, he had resisted
taking the gospel to Cornelius, a Gentile. However, when he saw the Romans receive the
Holy Spirit in the same manner he had, Peter concluded that God does not show
favoritism (Acts 10:34). After that, Peter strongly defended the Gentiles position as
believers and was adamant that they did not need to conform to Jewish law (Acts 15:711).
Another episode of growth in Peters life concerns his visit to Antioch, where he enjoyed
the fellowship of Gentile believers. However, when some legalistic Jews arrived in
Antioch, Peter, to appease them, withdrew from the Gentile Christians. The Apostle Paul
saw this as hypocrisy and called it such to Peters face (Galatians 2:11-14).

Later in life, Peter spent time with John Mark (1 Peter 5:13), who wrote the gospel of
Mark based on Peters remembrances of his time with Jesus. Peter wrote two inspired
epistles, 1 and 2 Peter, between A.D. 60 and 68. Jesus said that Peter would die a
martyrs death (John 21:18-19)a prophecy fulfilled, presumably, during Neros reign.
Tradition has it that Peter was crucified upside down in Rome, and, although such the
story may be true, there is no scriptural or historical witness to the particulars of Peters
death.
What can we learn from Peters life? Here are a few lessons:
Jesus overcomes fear. Whether stepping out of a boat onto a tossing sea or stepping
across the threshold of a Gentile home for the first time, Peter found courage in following
Christ. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18).
Jesus forgives unfaithfulness. After he had boasted of his fidelity, Peter fervently
denied the Lord three times. It seemed that Peter had burned his bridges, but Jesus
lovingly rebuilt them and restored Peter to service. Peter was aformerfailure, but, with
Jesus, failure is not the end. If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot
disown himself (2 Timothy 2:13).
Jesus patiently teaches. Over and over, Peter needed correction, and the Lord gave it
with patience, firmness, and love. The Master Teacher looks for students willing to learn.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go (Psalm 32:8).
Jesus sees us as He intends us to be. The very first time they met, Jesus called
Simon Peter. The rough and reckless fisherman was, in Jesus eyes, a firm and faithful
rock. He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion (Philippians 1:6).
Jesus uses unlikely heroes. Peter was a fisherman from Galilee, but Jesus called him
to be a fisher of men (Luke 5:10). Because Peter was willing to leave all he had to follow
Jesus, God used him in great ways. As Peter preached, people were amazed at his
boldness because he was unschooled and ordinary. But then they took note that
Peter had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). Being with Jesus makes all the difference.

Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/life-Peter.html#ixzz3TnVE3GumQuestion:
"What should we learn from the life of Peter?"
Answer:Simon Peter, also known as Cephas (John 1:42), was one of the first followers of
Jesus Christ. He was an outspoken and ardent disciple, one of Jesus closest friends, an
apostle, and a pillar of the church (Galatians 2:9). Peter was enthusiastic, strong-willed,
impulsive, and, at times, brash. But for all his strengths, Peter had several failings in his
life. Still, the Lord who chose him continued to mold him into exactly who He intended
Peter to be.
Simon was originally from Bethsaida (John 1:44) and lived in Capernaum (Mark 1:29),

both cities on the coast of the Sea of Galilee. He was married (1 Corinthians 9:5), and he
and James and John were partners in a profitable fishing business (Luke 5:10). Simon met
Jesus through his brother Andrew, who had followed Jesus after hearing John the Baptist
proclaim that Jesus was the Lamb of God (John 1:35-36). Andrew immediately went to
find his brother to bring him to Jesus. Upon meeting Simon, Jesus gave him a new name:
Cephas (Aramaic) or Peter (Greek), which means rock (John 1:40-42). Later, Jesus
officially called Peter to follow Him, producing a miraculous catch of fish (Luke 5:1-7).
Immediately, Peter left everything behind to follow the Lord (verse 11).
For the next three years, Peter lived as a disciple of the Lord Jesus. Being a natural-born
leader, Peter became thede factospokesman for the Twelve (Matthew
15:15,18:21,19:27;Mark 11:21;Luke 8:45,12:41;John 6:68,13:6-9,36). More significantly,
it was Peter who first confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, a truth
which Jesus said was divinely revealed to Peter (Matthew 16:16-17).
Peter was part of the inner circle of Jesus disciples, along with James and John. Only
those three were present when Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:37) and when
Jesus was transfigured on the mountain (Matthew 17:1). Peter and John were given the
special task of preparing the final Passover meal (Luke 22:8).
In several instances, Peter showed himself to be impetuous to the point of rashness. For
example, it was Peter who left the boat to walk on the water to Jesus (Matthew 14:28-29)
and promptly took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink (verse 30). It was Peter who
took Jesus aside to rebuke Him for speaking of His death (Matthew 16:22)and was
swiftly corrected by the Lord (verse 23). It was Peter who suggested erecting three
tabernacles to honor Moses, Elijah, and Jesus (Matthew 17:4)and fell to the ground in
fearful silence at Gods glory (verses 5-6). It was Peter who drew his sword and attacked
the servant of the high priest (John 18:10)and was immediately told to sheath his
weapon (verse 11). It was Peter who boasted that he would never forsake the Lord, even
if everyone else did (Matthew 26:33)and later denied three times that he even knew
the Lord (verses 70-74).
Through all of Peters ups and downs, the Lord Jesus remained his loving Lord and faithful
Guide. Jesus reaffirmed Simon as Peter, the Rock, inMatthew 16:18-19, promising that
he would be instrumental in establishing Jesus Church. After His resurrection, Jesus
specifically named Peter as one who needed to hear the good news (Mark 16:7). And,
repeating the miracle of the large catch of fish, Jesus made a special point of forgiving
and restoring Peter and re-commissioning him as an apostle (John 21:6,15-17).
On the day of Pentecost, Peter was the main speaker to the crowd in Jerusalem (Acts
2:14ff), and the Church began with an influx of about 3,000 new believers (verse 41).
Later, Peter healed a lame beggar (Acts 3) and preached boldly before the Sanhedrin
(Acts 4). Even arrest, beatings, and threats could not dampen Peters resolve to preach
the risen Christ (Acts 5).
Jesus promise that Peter would be foundational in building the Church was fulfilled in
three stages: Peter preached on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Then, he was present
when the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8). Finally, he was summoned to the

home of the Roman centurion Cornelius, who also believed and received the Holy Spirit
(Acts 10). In this way, Peter unlocked three different worlds and opened the door of the
Church to Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles.
Even as an apostle, Peter experienced some growing pains. At first, he had resisted
taking the gospel to Cornelius, a Gentile. However, when he saw the Romans receive the
Holy Spirit in the same manner he had, Peter concluded that God does not show
favoritism (Acts 10:34). After that, Peter strongly defended the Gentiles position as
believers and was adamant that they did not need to conform to Jewish law (Acts 15:711).
Another episode of growth in Peters life concerns his visit to Antioch, where he enjoyed
the fellowship of Gentile believers. However, when some legalistic Jews arrived in
Antioch, Peter, to appease them, withdrew from the Gentile Christians. The Apostle Paul
saw this as hypocrisy and called it such to Peters face (Galatians 2:11-14).
Later in life, Peter spent time with John Mark (1 Peter 5:13), who wrote the gospel of
Mark based on Peters remembrances of his time with Jesus. Peter wrote two inspired
epistles, 1 and 2 Peter, between A.D. 60 and 68. Jesus said that Peter would die a
martyrs death (John 21:18-19)a prophecy fulfilled, presumably, during Neros reign.
Tradition has it that Peter was crucified upside down in Rome, and, although such the
story may be true, there is no scriptural or historical witness to the particulars of Peters
death.
What can we learn from Peters life? Here are a few lessons:
Jesus overcomes fear. Whether stepping out of a boat onto a tossing sea or stepping
across the threshold of a Gentile home for the first time, Peter found courage in following
Christ. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18).
Jesus forgives unfaithfulness. After he had boasted of his fidelity, Peter fervently
denied the Lord three times. It seemed that Peter had burned his bridges, but Jesus
lovingly rebuilt them and restored Peter to service. Peter was aformerfailure, but, with
Jesus, failure is not the end. If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot
disown himself (2 Timothy 2:13).
Jesus patiently teaches. Over and over, Peter needed correction, and the Lord gave it
with patience, firmness, and love. The Master Teacher looks for students willing to learn.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go (Psalm 32:8).
Jesus sees us as He intends us to be. The very first time they met, Jesus called
Simon Peter. The rough and reckless fisherman was, in Jesus eyes, a firm and faithful
rock. He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion (Philippians 1:6).
Jesus uses unlikely heroes. Peter was a fisherman from Galilee, but Jesus called him
to be a fisher of men (Luke 5:10). Because Peter was willing to leave all he had to follow
Jesus, God used him in great ways. As Peter preached, people were amazed at his
boldness because he was unschooled and ordinary. But then they took note that

Peter had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). Being with Jesus makes all the difference.

Peter the apostle is one of the most prominent characters in the Gospels, a rough and
tumble man whose emotions often got him into trouble, and yet he was clearly one of
the favorites of Jesus Christ, who loved him for his big heart.
Peter's true name was Simon. With his brother Andrew, Simon was a follower ofJohn the
Baptist. When Andrew introduced Simon to Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus renamed Simon

Cephas, an Aramaic word meaning "rock." The Greek word for rock, "petros," became
this apostle's new name, Peter. He is the only Peter mentioned in the New Testament.

His aggressiveness made Peter a natural spokesman for the twelve. Often, however, he
spoke before he thought, and his words led to embarrassment.
Jesus included Peter in his inner circle when he took Peter, James, and John into the
house of Jairus, where Jesus raised Jairus' daughter from the dead (Mark 5:35-43). Later,
Peter was among those same disciples Jesus chose to witness
thetransfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9). Those same three saw Jesus' agony in the Garden of
Gethsemane (Mark 14:33-42).
Most of us remember Peter for denying Christ three times during the night of Jesus' trial.
Following his resurrection, Jesus took special care to rehabilitate Peter and assure him he
was forgiven.
At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit filled the apostles. Peter was so overcome that he began to
preach to the crowd. Acts 2:41 tells us 3,000 people were converted that day. Through
the remainder of that book, Peter and John were persecuted for their stand for Christ.
Early in his ministry, Simon Peter preached only to Jews, but God gave him a vision in
Joppa of a huge sheet containing all types of animals, warning him not to call anything
made by God impure. Peter then baptized the Roman centurion Cornelius and his
household and understood that the gospel is for all people.

Tradition says that persecution of the first Christians in Jerusalem led Peter to Rome,
where he spread the gospel to the fledgling church there. Legend has it that the Romans
were going to crucify Peter, but he told them he was not worthy to be executed in the
same manner as Jesus, so he was crucified upside down.
The Roman Catholic Church claims Peter as its first pope.
Accomplishments of Peter the Apostle:
After being invited by Jesus to come, Peter got out of his boat and for a brief few
momentswalked on water ( Matthew 14:28-33 ). Peter correctly identified Jesus as
the Messiah (Matthew 16:16 ), not through his own knowledge but the enlightenment of
the Holy Spirit. He was chosen by Jesus to witness the transfiguration. After Pentecost,
Peter boldly proclaimed the gospel in Jerusalem, unafraid of arrest and persecution. Most

scholars consider Peter the eyewitness source for the Gospel of Mark . He also penned
the books 1 Peter and 2 Peter.
Peter the Apostle's Strengths:
Peter was a fiercely loyal man. Like the other 11 apostles, he left his occupation to follow
Jesus for three years, learning from him about the kingdom of heaven. Once he was filled
with the Holy Spirit after Pentecost, Peter was a fearless missionary for Christ.
Peter the Apostle's Weaknesses:
Simon Peter knew great fear and doubt. He let his passions rule him instead of faith in
God. During Jesus' final hours , Peter not only abandoned Jesus but denied three times
that he even knew him.
Life Lessons from Peter the Apostle:
When we forget that God is in control , we overstep our limited authority. God works
through us in spite of our human frailties. No offense is too great to be forgiven by God.
We can accomplish great things when we put our faith in God instead of ourselves.
Hometown:
Native of Bethsaida, settled in Capernaum.
Referenced in the Bible:
Peter appears in all four Gospels, the book of Acts, and is referred to in Galatians 1:18,
2:7-14. He wrote 1 Peter and 2 Peter.
Occupation:
Fisherman, a leader in the early church, missionary, Epistle writer.
Family Tree:
Father - Jonah
Brother - Andrew
Key Verses:
Matthew 16:18
"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates
of Hades will not overcome it." (NIV)

Acts 10:34-35
Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show
favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right." (NIV)
1 Peter 4:16
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear
that name. (NIV)