Peter

Who was Peter?
Notes by Thomas Madron

Based on the information supplied by the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, it is not unexpected that Peter should emerge immediately after Jesus' death as the leader of the earliest church. For approximately 15 years after the Resurrection, the figure of Peter dominated the community. He presided over the appointment of Matthias as an Apostle (Acts 1:23 -26) to take the place of Judas, who had betrayed Christ and later died. It was Peter who first "raised his voice" and preached at Pentecost, the day when the church came into being (Acts 1:14-39). It was Peter who served as an advocate for the Apostles before the Jewish religious court in Jerusalem (Acts 4:5-22). And it was he who exercised the role of judge in the disciplining of those who erred within the church (Acts 5:1-10).

Peter figures prominently in a number of incidents recounted in the Gospels and most are instructive in one way or another. In Mark (8:29) and Luke (9:20), to a question of Jesus concerning his essential identity, about which he pressed the disciples for an opinion, Peter answered for them all that Jesus is the "Messiah" or "God's Messiah." In adjuring them to be silent, Jesus rejected the response as perhaps too partial, too political. In what may be a grouping of Petrine material (Matthew 16:18, 19)--the confession, naming, and receiving of authority--Jesus gave to Simon the title of Cephas, or Peter (Rock).

If Peter's confession demonstrates his faith and insight, his denial that he knew Jesus demonstrates a weakness of will (even if momentary), capability of inaction, and a tendency toward vacillation, but not a loss of faith. Prior to the denial, out of his deep love for Jesus and his overestimation of his own capabilities, he had sought to overrule Jesus' prophecy of his denial and declared that, even if the other disciples deserted Jesus, he would suffer death rather than disown his Lord (Matthew 26:33-35; Mark 14:29-31; Luke 22:31-34; John 13:37- 38).

A study of the life and character of Peter reveal some very noble traits. He was devoted and committed to Christ. His enthusiasm and boldness are worth copying. But he also illustrates the danger of misdirected and superficial enthusiasm. Some of the sharpest rebukes in the New Testament were directed at Him. "Jesus turned to Peter and said, ‘Satan, get away from me! You're in my way because you think like everyone else and not like God.'" Matthew 16:23 When walking on the water and Peter turned his eyes away from Jesus, Jesus said to"You surely don't have much faith. Why do you doubt?" (Matthew 14:31)

Notwithstanding Peter's foibles, it is clear that he quickly became a leader among Jesus' early disciples and continued in that role after Pentecost. A divisive issue regarding Peter, however, is the role assigned to him by the Roman Catholic Church as the first "Bishop of Rome." That Peter went to Rome is well documented by early Christian literature. The earliest reference is in a letter written by Clement, bishop of Rome(A.D. 88-97) to the Corinthians. Tertullian (A.D. 200) mentions the death of Paul and Peter at Rome under Nero's persecution. Eusebius also mentions Peters death at Rome. It is possible that Peter reached Rome during the middle 50's.

From earliest times Christians looked for leadership to the successors of Peter as the bishop of Rome. However, whether this primacy should be one of honor only (as held by the Orthodox Eastern Church) or of actual rulership of the whole church (as claimed by Roman Catholics) is one of the dividing questions of Christian history.

Apparently Peter was a victim of the violent anger of Nero vented upon the Christians in A.D. 64. In John 21:18,19 we read of the prediction of Peters death.

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