Peter/Simon

The leader of the twelve disciples and a leader in the first-century church. His original name was Simon. Jesus gave him the name Cephas or Peter, which means “rock.” He was originally a fisherman who lived in Capernaum in Galilee. He was married, but we know nothing about his wife or whether they had children. But the Bible tells us that Peter had a mother-in-law, who was later healed of a fever by Jesus. Peter first met Jesus along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He and his brother, Andrew, both left their work to follow Christ.

Peter was the first of the disciples to recognize and say that Jesus was the Messiah. Many stories in the Gospels show Peter to be full of energy, a man who often seemed to act before he thought. He sometimes bragged, as when he told Jesus that all others might turn away from Him, but he never would. Within a few hours, Peter denied that he even knew Jesus. He deeply regretted what he did.

Peter tried to defend Jesus when the soldiers came to arrest Him. He cut off the ear of one of the men, but Jesus healed it. Peter was one of two disciples who ran to the tomb on Easter morning and found that Jesus’s body was gone. The risen Jesus also served breakfast to Peter and some of the disciples. Jesus forgave Peter for denying Him.

When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, Peter preached a sermon. Afterward three thousand people became Christians. The Holy Spirit helped Peter and the other apostles to do amazing things. A lame man was healed at the temple gate. Peter brought a woman back to life. God also gave Peter a special vision to show him that the gospel was for the Gentiles as well as Jews. As a result, he went and preached to Cornelius and his family. Later, when Peter was imprisoned, God sent an angel to free Peter.

Peter wrote letters—1 and 2 Peter—to Christians in Asia Minor (now Turkey). Most scholars believe that Peter eventually went to Rome, where he was executed by the emperor Nero.