Reference: Peter
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This name in Greek signifies a rock, as does also the name Cephas in Syriac. Peter was one of the twelve apostles, and was also called Simon, Mt 16:17, and Simeon, Ac 15:14. He was of Bethsaida, and was the son of Jonas, a fisherman, which occupation he also followed. After his marriage he resided at Capernaum, Mt 8:14; Lu 4:38, though called at a later period to labor else where as an apostle, and it would seem often accompanied in his journeys by his wife, 1Co 9:5. When first introduced to Jesus by his brother Andrew, he received from Him the name of Peter, Joh 1:42, probably in reference to the boldness and firmness of his character, and his activity in promoting his Master's cause. He received his second call, and began to accompany Christ, at the Sea of Galilee near his residence, and thenceforth learned to be a "fisher of men," Mt 4:18-20; Lu 5:1-11. Many remarkable incidents are recorded in the gospels, which illustrate his character. Among these are, his attempt to walk on the water to meet Christ, Mt 14:29; his avowal of the Messiahship and divinity of the Savior, Mt 16:16; his errors as to the design of Christ's incarnation,
Mt 16:22-23; his warm attachment to the divine Teacher, Joh 6:67-69; his cutting off the ear of Malchus, Joh 18:10; his boastful determination to adhere to his Master under all circumstances, and his subsequent denial of Him with oaths, Mt 26:74; Mr 14:29; Joh 13:37-38; his poignant repentance, Mt 26:75, and our Lord's forgiveness, after receiving an assurance of his love, which was thrice uttered as his denial of Christ had been, Joh 21:15-18. The death and resurrection of Christ, and the circumstances, which accompanied them, led to a wonderful change in the apostle's mind, and thenceforward his bold and steadfast course is worthy of his name. On the day of Pentecost, he was one of the principal witnesses for the Savior; in company with John he soon after healed a lame man at the temple gate, addressed the assembled crowd, was imprisoned, and fearlessly vindicated himself before the Sanhedrin, Ac 4:8-21. We find him afterwards denouncing the judgment of God on a guilty couple who had dared to lie to the Holy Ghost, Ac 5:1-11; visiting Samaria, and rebuking Simon the magician, Ac 8:5-24; healing Eneas and raising Dorcas to life at Lydda, Ac 9:32-43; seeing at Joppa a vision which prepared him to preach the gospel to the gentile Cornelius, Ac 10; imprisoned by Herod Agrippa, and delivered by an angel, Ac 12:3-19; and taking a part in the council at Jerusalem, Ac 15:7-11. The Bible gives us little information as to his subsequent labors; but it is probable that the three apostles who were most distinguished by the Savior while upon earth continues to be favored as chief instruments in advancing his cause. Paul speaks of "James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars," Ga 2:9. Yet in the same chapter we find him publicly reproving Peter for his wavering course in respect to the demands of Judaizing Christians, which he had been one of the first to repel at Jerusalem, Ac 15:9. He seems to have labored at Corinth, 1Co 1:12; 3:22, and at Babylon, 1Pe 5:13. Papal writers affirm that he was the bishop of Rome. But the evidence is strongly against this assertion. Paul wrote to the Roman Christians, giving them directions and saluting the principal persons by name; he also wrote six letters from Rome; but in none of these letters, nor in the narrative in Acts, is there the slightest intimation that Peter was or had been at Rome. And as Peter never resided at Rome, he was never made the head of the church universal. Whatever honor and authority he received from Christ, in establishing the first institutions of Christianity and declaring what it enjoined and from what it released, Mt 16:18-19, the other apostles also received, Mt 18:18; Joh 20:23; 5/3/type/moffatt'>1Co 5:3,5; Eph 2:20; Re 21:14. There is no evidence that he had any supremacy over them, nor that he had any successor in that influence which was naturally accorded to him as one of the oldest, most active, and most faithful of those who had "seen the Lord".
See Verses Found in Dictionary
As he was walking along the sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew, casting a net in the sea ??for they were fishermen; so he said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fish for men." read more. And they dropped their nets at once and followed him.
On entering the house of Peter, Jesus noticed his mother-in-law was down with fever,
He said, "Come." Then Peter got out of the boat and walked over the water on his way to Jesus;
So Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered him, "You are a blessed man, Simon Bar-jona, for it was my Father in heaven, not flesh and blood, that revealed this to you. read more. Now I tell you, Peter is your name and on this rock I will build my church; the powers of Hades shall not succeed against it. I will give you the keys of the Realm of heaven; whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven."
Peter took him and began to reprove him for it; "God forbid, Lord," he said, "This must not be." But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, you Satan! You are a hindrance to me! Your outlook is not God's but man's."
I tell you truly, Whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.
At this he broke out cursing and swearing, "I do not know the man." At that moment a cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said, that 'before the cock crows you will disown me three times.' And he went outside and wept bitterly.
When he got up to leave the synagogue he went to the house of Simon. Simon's mother-in-law was laid up with a severe attack of fever, so they asked him about her;
Now as the crowd were pressing on him to listen to the word of God, he saw, as he stood beside the lake of Gennesaret, two boats on the shore of the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. read more. So he entered one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to push out a little from the land. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he stopped speaking, he said to Simon, "Push out to the deep water and lower your nets for a take." Simon replied, "Master, we worked all night and got nothing! However, I will lower the nets at your command." And when they did so, they enclosed a huge shoal of fish, so that their nets began to break. Then they made signals to their mates in the other boat to come and assist them. They came and filled both the boats, till they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it he fell at the knees of Jesus, crying, "Lord, leave me; I am a sinful man." For amazement had seized him and all his companions at the take of fish they had caught; as was the case with James and John, the sons of Zebedaeus, who were partners of Simon. Then said Jesus to Simon, "Have no fear; from now your catch will be men." Then they brought the boats to land, and leaving all they followed him.
He took him to Jesus; Jesus gazed at him and said, "You are Simon, the son of John? Your name is to be Cephas" (meaning 'Peter' or 'rock').
So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go, too?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, who are we to go to? You have got words of eternal life, read more. and we believe, we are certain, that you are the holy One of God."
"Lord," said Peter, "why cannot I follow you just now? I will lay down my life for you." Jesus replied, "Lay down your life for me? Truly, truly I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have disowned me thrice over.
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear (the servant's name was Malchus);
If you remit the sins of any, they are remitted: if you retain them, they are retained."
Then after breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than the others do?" "Why, Lord," he said, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs," said Jesus. Again he asked him, for the second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Why, Lord," he said, "you know I love you." "Then be a shepherd to my sheep," said Jesus. read more. For the third time he asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Now Peter was vexed at being asked a third time, "Do you love me?" So he replied; "Lord, you know everything, you can see I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep. Truly, truly I tell you, you put on your own girdle and went wherever you wanted, when you were young; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands for someone to gird you, and you will be taken where you have no wish to go"
Then Peter, filled with the holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we are being cross-examined to-day upon a benefit rendered to a cripple, upon how this man got better, read more. you and the people of Israel must all understand that he stands before you strong and well, thanks to the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead. He is the stone despised by you builders, which has become head of the corner. There is no salvation by anyone else, nor even a second Name under heaven appointed for us men and our salvation." They were astonished to notice how outspoken Peter and John were, and to discover that they were uncultured persons and mere outsiders; they recognized them as having been companions of Jesus, but as they saw the man who had been healed standing beside them, they could say nothing. Ordering them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin, they proceeded to hold a consultation. "What are we to do with these men?" they said. "It is plain to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem that a miracle has admittedly been worked by them. That we cannot deny. However, to keep things from going any further with the people, we had better threaten them that they are not to tell anyone in future about this Name." So they called the men in and ordered them not to speak or teach a single sentence about the Name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Decide for yourselves whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God. Certainly we cannot give up speaking of what we have seen and heard." Then they threatened them still further and let them go; on account of the people they found themselves unable to find any means of punishing them, for everybody was glorifying God over what had happened
But a man called Ananias, who with his wife Sapphira had sold some property, appropriated some of the purchase-money with the connivance of his wife; he only brought part of it to lay before the feet of the apostles. read more. "Ananias," said Peter, "why has Satan filled your heart and made you cheat the holy Spirit by appropriating some of the money paid for the land? When it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And even after the sale, was the money not yours to do as you pleased about it? How could you think of doing a thing like this? You have not defrauded men but God." When Ananias heard this, he fell down and expired. (Great awe came over all who heard of it.) And the younger men rose, wrapped the body up and carried it away to be buried. After an interval of about three hours his wife happened to come in, quite unconscious of what had occurred. "Tell me," said Peter, "did you only sell the land for such and such a sum?" "Yes," she said, "that was all we sold it for." Peter said to her, "How could you arrange to put the Lord's Spirit to the proof? Listen, there are the footsteps of the men who have buried your husband! They are at the door, and they will carry you out as well." Instantly she fell down at their feet and expired. The younger men came in to find her dead; they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great awe came over the whole church and over all who heard about this.
Philip travelled down to a town in Samaria, where he preached Christ to the people. And the crowds attended like one man to what was said by Philip, listening to him and watching the miracles he performed. read more. For unclean spirits came screaming and shrieking out of many who had been possessed, and many paralytics and lame people were healed. So there was great rejoicing in that town. Now for some time previous a man called Simon had been practising magic arts in the town, to the utter astonishment of the Samaritan nation; he made himself out to be a great person, and all sorts and conditions of people attached themselves to him, declaring he was that Power of God which is known as 'the Great Power.' They attached themselves to him because he had dazzled them with his skill in magic for a considerable time. But when they believed Philip, who preached the gospel of the Reign of God and the name of Jesus, they had themselves baptized, both men and women; indeed Simon himself believed, and after his baptism kept close to Philip, utterly astonished to see the signs and striking miracles which were taking place. When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they despatched Peter and John, who came down and prayed that the Samaritans might receive the holy Spirit. (As yet it had not fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the holy Spirit. Now Simon noticed that the holy Spirit was conferred by the laying on of the apostles' hands; so he brought them money, saying, "Let me share this power too, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the holy Spirit." Peter said to him, "Death to you and your money, for dreaming you could buy the gift of God! You come in for no share or lot in this religion. Your heart is all wrong in the sight of God. So repent of this wickedness of yours, and ask God whether you cannot be forgiven for your heart's purpose. For I see you are a bitter poison and a pack of evil." Simon replied, "Beseech the Lord for me! Pray that nothing you have said may befall me!"
Peter moved here and there among them all, and it happened that in the course of his tours he came down to visit the saints who stayed at Lydda. There he found a man called Aeneas who had been bed-ridden for eight years with paralysis. read more. "Aeneas," said Peter, "Jesus the Christ cures you! Get up and make your bed!" He got up at once. And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Saron saw him, and they turned to the Lord. At Joppa there was a disciple called Tabitha (which may be translated Dorcas, or 'Gazelle'), a woman whose life was full of good actions and of charitable practices. She happened to take ill and die at this time, and after washing her body they laid it in an upper room. When the disciples heard that Peter was at Lydda (for Joppa is not far from Lydda), they sent two men to beg him to "Come on to us without delay." So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him up to the room, where all the widows stood beside him crying as they showed him the garments and dresses that Dorcas used to make when she was with them. Peter put them all outside; then he knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body said, "Tabitha, rise." She opened her eyes, and on seeing Peter she sat up. Then he gave her his hand, raised her, and, after calling the saints and the widows he presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. In Joppa Peter stayed for some time, at the house of Simon a tanner.
and when he saw this pleased the Jews, he went on to seize Peter. (This was during the days of unleavened bread.) After arresting him he put him in prison, handing him over to a guard of sixteen soldiers, with the intention of producing him to the People after the passover. read more. So Peter was closely guarded in prison, while earnest prayer for him was offered to God by the church. The very night before Herod meant to have him produced, Peter lay asleep between two soldiers; he was fastened by two chains, and sentries in front of the door guarded the prison. But an angel of the Lord flashed on him, and a light shone in the cell; striking Peter on the side he woke him, saying, "Quick, get up!" The fetters dropped from his hands, and the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." He did so. Then said the angel, "Put on your coat and follow me." And he followed him out, not realizing that what the angel did was real, but imagining that he saw a vision. When they had passed the first guard and the second they came to the iron gate leading into the city, which opened to them of its own accord; they passed out, and after they had gone through one street, the angel immediately left him. Then Peter came to his senses and said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were anticipating." When he grasped the situation, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was surnamed Mark, where a number had met for prayer. When he knocked at the door of the porch, a maidservant called Rhoda came to answer it; but as soon as she recognized Peter's voice, instead of opening the door she ran inside from sheer joy and announced that Peter was standing in front of the porch. "You are mad," they said. But she insisted it was true. "It is his angel," they said. But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door they were amazed to see him. He beckoned to them to keep quiet and then described to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Report this to James," he said, "and to the brothers." And off he went to another place. Now when day broke there was a great commotion among the soldiers over what could have become of Peter. Herod made inquiries for him but could not find him; so, after cross-examining the guards, he ordered them off to death. He then went down from Judaea to Caesarea, where he spent some time.
and a keen controversy sprang up; but Peter rose and said to them, "Brothers, you are well aware that from the earliest days God chose that of you all I should be the one by whom the Gentiles were to hear the word of the gospel and believe it. The God who reads the hearts of all attested this by giving them the holy Spirit just as he gave it to us; read more. in cleansing their hearts by faith he made not the slightest distinction between us and them.
in cleansing their hearts by faith he made not the slightest distinction between us and them. Well now, why are you trying to impose a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we ourselves could bear? read more. No, it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus that we believe and are saved, in the same way as they are."
Symeon has explained how it was God's original concern to secure a People from among the Gentiles to bear his Name.
By 'quarrelling' I mean that each of you has his party-cry, "I belong to Paul," "And I to Apollos," "And I to Cephas," "And I to Christ."
Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life, death, the present and the future ??all belongs to you;
Have we no right to travel with a Christian wife, like the rest of the apostles, like the brothers of the Lord, like Cephas himself?
and when they recognized the grace I had been given, then the so-called 'pillars' of the church, James and Cephas and John, gave myself and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship. Our sphere was to be the Gentiles, theirs the circumcised.
you are a building that rests on the apostles and prophets as its foundation, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone;
Your sister-church in Babylon, elect like yourselves, salutes you. So does my son Mark.
And the wall of the City has twelve foundation-stones, bearing the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Easton
originally called Simon (=Simeon ,i.e., "hearing"), a very common Jewish name in the New Testament. He was the son of Jona (Mt 16:17). His mother is nowhere named in Scripture. He had a younger brother called Andrew, who first brought him to Jesus (Joh 1:40-42). His native town was Bethsaida, on the western coast of the Sea of Galilee, to which also Philip belonged. Here he was brought up by the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and was trained to the occupation of a fisher. His father had probably died while he was still young, and he and his brother were brought up under the care of Zebedee and his wife Salome (Mt 27:56; Mr 15:40; 16:1). There the four youths, Simon, Andrew, James, and John, spent their boyhood and early manhood in constant fellowship. Simon and his brother doubtless enjoyed all the advantages of a religious training, and were early instructed in an acquaintance with the Scriptures and with the great prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah. They did not probably enjoy, however, any special training in the study of the law under any of the rabbis. When Peter appeared before the Sanhedrin, he looked like an "unlearned man" (Ac 4:13).
Simon was a Galilean, and he was that out and out...The Galileans had a marked character of their own. They had a reputation for an independence and energy which often ran out into turbulence. They were at the same time of a franker and more transparent disposition than their brethren in the south. In all these respects, in bluntness, impetuosity, headiness, and simplicity, Simon was a genuine Galilean. They spoke a peculiar dialect. They had a difficulty with the guttural sounds and some others, and their pronunciation was reckoned harsh in Judea. The Galilean accent stuck to Simon all through his career. It betrayed him as a follower of Christ when he stood within the judgment-hall (Mr 14:70). It betrayed his own nationality and that of those conjoined with him on the day of Pentecost (Ac 2:7). It would seem that Simon was married before he became an apostle. His wife's mother is referred to (Mt 8:14; Mr 1:30; Lu 4:38). He was in all probability accompanied by his wife on his missionary journeys (1Co 9:5; comp. 1Pe 5:13).
He appears to have been settled at Capernaum when Christ entered on his public ministry, and may have reached beyond the age of thirty. His house was large enough to give a home to his brother Andrew, his wife's mother, and also to Christ, who seems to have lived with him (Mr 1:29,36; 2:1), as well as to his own family. It was apparently two stories high (Mr 2:4).
At Bethabara (R.V., Joh 1:28, "Bethany"), beyond Jordan, John the Baptist had borne testimony concerning Jesus as the "Lamb of God" (Joh 1:29-36). Andrew and John hearing it, followed Jesus, and abode with him where he was. They were convinced, by his gracious words and by the authority with which he spoke, that he was the Messiah (Lu 4:22; Mt 7:29); and Andrew went forth and found Simon and brought him to Jesus (Joh 1:41).
Jesus at once recognized Simon, and declared that hereafter he would be called Cephas, an Aramaic name corresponding to the Greek Petros, which means "a mass of rock detached from the living rock." The Aramaic name does not occur again, but the name Peter gradually displaces the old name Simon, though our Lord himself always uses the name Simon when addressing him (Mt 17:25; Mr 14:37; Lu 22:31, comp. Mt 21:15-17). We are not told what impression the first interview with Jesus produced on the mind of Simon. When we next meet him it is by the Sea of Galilee (Mt 4:18-22). There the four (Simon and Andrew, James and John) had had an unsuccessful night's fishing. Jesus appeared suddenly, and entering into Simon's boat, bade him launch forth and let down the nets. He did so, and enclosed a great multitude of fishes. This was plainly a miracle wrought before Simon's eyes. The awe-stricken disciple cast himself at the feet of Jesus, crying, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Lu 5:8). Jesus addressed him with the assuring words, "Fear not," and announced to him his life's work. Simon responded at once to the call to become a disciple, and after this we find him in constant attendance on our Lord.
He is next called into the rank of the apostleship, and becomes a "fisher of men" (Mt 4:19) in the stormy seas of the world of human life (Mt 10:2-4; Mr 3:13-19; Lu 6:13-16), and takes a more and more prominent part in all the leading events of our Lord's life. It is he who utters that notable profession of faith at Capernaum (Joh 6:66-69), and again at Caesarea Philippi (Mt 16:13-20; Mr 8:27-30; Lu 9:18-20). This profession at Caesarea was one of supreme importance, and our Lord in response used these memorable words: "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church."
From that time forth Jesus began to speak of his sufferings. For this Peter rebuked him. But our Lord in return rebuked Peter, speaking to him in sterner words than he ever used to any other of his disciples (Mt 16:21-23; Mr 8:31-33). At the close of his brief sojourn at Caesarea our Lord took Peter and James and John with him into "an high mountain apart," and was transfigured before them. Peter on that occasion, under the impression the scene produced on his mind, exclaimed, "Lord, it is good for us to be here: let us make three tabernacles" (Mt 17:1-9).
On his return to Capernaum the collectors of the temple tax (a didrachma, half a sacred shekel), which every Israelite of twenty years old and upwards had to pay (Ex 30:15), came to Peter and reminded him that Jesus had not paid it (Mt 17:24-27). Our Lord instructed Peter to go and catch a fish in the lake and take from its mouth the exact amount needed for the tax, viz., a stater, or two half-shekels. "That take," said our Lord, "and give unto them for me and thee."
As the end was drawing nigh, our Lord sent Peter and John (Lu 22:7-13) into the city to prepare a place where he should keep the feast with his disciples. There he was forewarned of the fearful sin into which he afterwards fell (Lu 22:31-34). He accompanied our Lord from the guest-chamber to the garden of Gethsemane (Lu 22:39-46), which he and the other two who had been witnesses of the transfiguration were permitted to enter with our Lord, while the rest were left without. Here he passed through a strange experience. Under a sudden impulse he cut off the ear of Malchus (Lu 22:47-51), one of the band that had come forth to take Jesus. Then follow the scenes of the judgment-hall (Lu 22:54-61) and his bitter grief ([luke 22:62|).
He is found in John's company early on the morning of the resurrection. He boldly entered into the empty grave (Joh 20:1-10), and saw the "linen clothes laid by themselves" (Lu 24:9-12). To him, the first of the apostles, our risen Lord revealed himself, thus conferring on him a signal honour, and showing how fully he was restored to his favour (Lu 24:34; 1Co 15:5). We next read of our Lord's singular interview with Peter on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, where he thrice asked him, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" (Joh 21:1-19). (See Love.)
After this scene at the lake we hear nothing of Peter till he again appears with the others at the ascension (Ac 1:15-26). It was he who proposed that the vacancy caused by the apostasy of Judas should be filled up. He is prominent on the day of Pentecost (Ac 2:14-40). The events of that day "completed the change in Peter himself which the painful discipline of his fall and all the lengthened process of previous training had been slowly making. He is now no more the unreliable, changeful, self-confident man, ever swaying between rash courage and weak timidity, but the stead-fast, trusted guide and director of the fellowship of believers, the intrepid preacher of Christ in Jerusalem and abroad. And now that he is become Cephas indeed, we hear almost nothing of the name Simon (only in Ac 10:5,32; 15:14), and he is known to us finally as Peter."
After the miracle at the temple gate (Ac 3) persecution arose against the Christians, and Peter was cast into prison. He boldly defended himself and his companions at the bar of the council (Ac 4:19-20). A fresh
See Verses Found in Dictionary
As he was walking along the sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew, casting a net in the sea ??for they were fishermen; so he said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fish for men."
so he said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fish for men." And they dropped their nets at once and followed him. read more. Then going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedaeus and his brother John, mending their nets in the boat beside their father Zebedaeus. He called them, and they left the boat and their father at once, and went after him.
for he taught them like an authority, not like their own scribes.
On entering the house of Peter, Jesus noticed his mother-in-law was down with fever,
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, James the son of Zebedaeus and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the taxgatherer, James the son of Alphaeus and Lebbaeus whose surname is Thaddaeus, read more. Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Now when Jesus came to the district of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of man is?" They told him, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." read more. He said to them, "And who do you say I am?" So Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered him, "You are a blessed man, Simon Bar-jona, for it was my Father in heaven, not flesh and blood, that revealed this to you.
Jesus answered him, "You are a blessed man, Simon Bar-jona, for it was my Father in heaven, not flesh and blood, that revealed this to you. Now I tell you, Peter is your name and on this rock I will build my church; the powers of Hades shall not succeed against it. read more. I will give you the keys of the Realm of heaven; whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven." Then he forbade the disciples to tell anyone he was the Christ. From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he had to leave for Jerusalem and endure great suffering at the hands of the elders and high priests and scribes, and be killed and raised on the third day. Peter took him and began to reprove him for it; "God forbid, Lord," he said, "This must not be." But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, you Satan! You are a hindrance to me! Your outlook is not God's but man's."
Six days afterwards Jesus took Peter, James and his brother John, and led them up a high hill by themselves; in their presence he was transfigured, his face shone like the sun, and his clothes turned white as light. read more. There appeared to them Moses and Elijah, who conversed with Jesus. So Peter addressed Jesus and said, "Lord, it is a good thing we are here; pray let me put up three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He was still speaking when a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, in him is my delight: listen to him." When the disciples heard the voice they fell on their faces in terror; but Jesus came forward and touched them, saying, "Rise, have no fear." And on raising their eyes they saw no one except Jesus all alone. As they went down the hill Jesus ordered them, "Tell this vision to nobody until the Son of man is raised from the dead."
When they reached Capharnahum, the collectors of the temple-tax came and asked Peter, "Does your teacher not pay the temple-tax?" He said, "Yes." But when he went indoors Jesus spoke first; "Tell me, Simon," he said, "from whom do earthly kings collect customs or taxes? Is it from their own people or from aliens?"
He said, "Yes." But when he went indoors Jesus spoke first; "Tell me, Simon," he said, "from whom do earthly kings collect customs or taxes? Is it from their own people or from aliens?" "From aliens," he said. Then Jesus said to him, "So their own people are exempt. read more. However, not to give any offence to them, go to the sea, throw a hook in, and take the first fish you bring up. Open its mouth and you will find a five-shilling piece; take that and give it to them for me and for yourself."
But when the high priests and scribes saw his wonderful deeds and saw the children who shouted in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant; they said to him, "Do you hear what they are saying?" "Yes," said Jesus, "have you never read Thou hast brought praise to perfection from the mouth of babes and sucklings?" read more. Then he left them and went outside the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
including Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedaeus.
On leaving the synagogue they went straight to the house of Simon and Andrew, accompanied by James and John. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with fever, so they told him at once about her,
When he entered Capharnahum again after some days it was reported that he was at home,
and as they could not get near Jesus on account of the crowd they tore up the roof under which he stood and through the opening they lowered the pallet on which the paralytic lay.
Then he went up the hillside and summoned the men he wanted, and they went to him. He appointed twelve to be with him, also that he might despatch them to preach read more. with the power of casting out daemons; there was Simon, whom he surnamed Peter, James the son of Zebedaeus and John the brother of James (he surnamed them Boanerges, or "Sons of thunder"), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the zealot, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. Then they went indoors,
Then Jesus and his disciples set off for the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road he inquired of his disciples, "Who do people say I am?" "John the Baptist," they told him, "though some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the prophets." read more. So he inquired of them, "And who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "You are the Christ." Then he forbade them to tell anyone about him. And he proceeded to teach them that the Son of man had to endure great suffering, to be rejected by the elders and the high priests and the scribes, to be killed and after three days to rise again; he spoke of this quite freely. Peter took him and began to reprove him for it, but he turned on him and noticing his disciples reproved Peter, telling him, "Get behind me, you Satan! Your outlook is not God's but man's."
Then he came and found them asleep; so he said to Peter, "Are you sleeping, Simon? Could you not watch for a single hour?
But he denied it again. After a little the bystanders once more said to Peter, "To be sure, you are one of them. Why, you are a Galilean!"
There were some women also watching at a distance, among them Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome,
And when the sabbath had passed Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought some spices in order to go and anoint him;
All spoke well of him and marvelled at the gracious words that came from his lips; they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"
When he got up to leave the synagogue he went to the house of Simon. Simon's mother-in-law was laid up with a severe attack of fever, so they asked him about her;
But when Simon Peter saw it he fell at the knees of Jesus, crying, "Lord, leave me; I am a sinful man."
and when day broke he summoned his disciples, choosing twelve of them, to whom he gave the name of 'apostles': Simon (to whom he gave the name of Peter), Andrew his brother, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, read more. Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon (who was called 'the Zealot'), Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot (who turned traitor).
Now it happened that while he was praying by himself his disciples were beside him. So he inquired of them, "Who do the crowds say I am?" They replied, "John the Baptist, though some say Elijah and some say that one of the ancient prophets has arisen." read more. He said to them, "And who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "The Christ of God."
Then came the day of unleavened bread when the paschal lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus despatched Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the passover for us that we may eat it." read more. They asked him, "Where do you want us to prepare it?" He said to them, "When you enter the city you will meet a man carrying a water-jar: follow him to the house he enters, and tell the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks you, Where is the room in which I can eat the passover with my disciples?' Then he will show you a large room upstairs with couches spread; make your preparations there." They went off and found it was as he had told them. So they prepared the passover,
Simon, Simon, Satan has claimed the right to sift you all like wheat,
Simon, Simon, Satan has claimed the right to sift you all like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail. And you in turn must be a strength to your brothers." read more. "Lord," he said, "I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow to-day before you have three times denied that you know me."
Then he went outside and made his way to the Hill of Olives, as he was accustomed. The disciples followed him, and when he reached the spot he said to them, "Pray that you may not slip into temptation." read more. He withdrew about a stone's throw and knelt in prayer, saying, "Father, if it please thee, take this cup away from me. But thy will, not mine, be done." [And an angel from heaven appeared to strengthen him; he fell into an agony and prayed with greater intensity, his sweat dropping to the ground like clots of blood.] Then rising from prayer he went to the disciples, only to find them asleep from sheer sorrow. He said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not slip into temptation." While he was still speaking, there came a mob headed by the man called Judas, one of the twelve. He approached in order to kiss Jesus, but Jesus said to him, "Judas! would you betray the Son of man with a kiss?" Now when the supporters of Jesus saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, shall we strike with our swords?" And one of them did strike the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. Jesus said, "Let me do this at least," and cured him by touching his ear.
Then they arrested him and led him away inside the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance and sat down among some people who had lit a fire in the courtyard and were sitting round it. read more. A maidservant who noticed him sitting by the fire took a long look at him and said, "That fellow was with him too." But he disowned him, saying, "Woman, I know nothing about him." Shortly afterwards another man noticed him and said, "Why, you are one of them!" "Man," said Peter, "I am not." About an hour had passed when another man insisted, "That fellow really was with him. Why, he is a Galilean!" "Man," said Peter, "I do not know what you mean." Instantly, just as he was speaking, the cock crowed; the Lord turned round and looked at Peter, and then Peter remembered what the Lord had told him, that 'Before cock-crow to-day you will disown me three times.'
and turning away from the tomb they reported all this to the eleven and all the others. (It was Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James who with the rest of the women told this to the apostles.) read more. But this story of the women seemed in their opinion to be nonsense; they would not believe them. Peter did get up and run to the tomb, but when he looked in he saw nothing except the linen bandages; so he went away home wondering what had happened.
who told them that the Lord had really risen and that he had appeared to Simon.
This took place at Bethany on the opposite side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. Next day he observed Jesus coming towards him and exclaimed, "Look, there is the lamb of God, who is to remove the sin of the world! read more. That is he of whom I said, 'The man who is to succeed me has taken precedence of me, for he preceded me.' I myself did not recognize him; I only came to baptize with water, in order that he might be disclosed to Israel." And John bore this testimony also: "I saw the Spirit descend like a dove from heaven and rest on him. I myself did not recognize him, but He who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descending and resting, that is he who baptizes with the holy Spirit.' Now I did see it, and I testify that he is the Son of God." Next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; he gazed at Jesus as he walked about, and said, "Look, there is the lamb of God!"
One of the two men who heard what John said and went after Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Peter. In the morning he met his brother Simon and told him, "We have found the messiah" (which may be translated, 'Christ').
In the morning he met his brother Simon and told him, "We have found the messiah" (which may be translated, 'Christ'). He took him to Jesus; Jesus gazed at him and said, "You are Simon, the son of John? Your name is to be Cephas" (meaning 'Peter' or 'rock').
After that, many of his disciples drew back and would not associate with him any longer. So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go, too?" read more. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, who are we to go to? You have got words of eternal life, and we believe, we are certain, that you are the holy One of God."
On the first day of the week Mary of Magdala went early to the tomb, when it was still dark; but as she saw the boulder had been removed from the tomb, she ran off to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the favourite of Jesus, telling them, "They have taken the master out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have put him!" read more. So Peter and the other disciple set out for the tomb; they both started to run, but the other disciple ran ahead, faster than Peter, and got to the tomb first. He glanced in and saw the bandages lying on the ground, but he did not go inside. Then Simon Peter came after him, and went inside the tomb; he noticed not only that the bandages were lying on the ground but that the napkin which had been round his head was folded up by itself, instead of lying beside the other bandages. Upon this the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, went inside too, and when he saw for himself he was convinced. (For as yet they did not understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead.) Then the disciples returned home;
After that, Jesus disclosed himself once more to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias. It was in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (who was called 'the Twin'), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the two sons of Zebedaeus, and two other disciples of his, were all together. read more. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going to fish." They said, "We are coming with you too." Off they went and embarked in the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Now at break of day Jesus was standing on the beach (though the disciples did not know it was Jesus). "Lads," said Jesus, "have you got anything?" "No," they answered. So he told them, "Throw your net on the right of the boat, and you will have a take." At this they threw the net, and now they could not haul it in for the mass of fish. So the disciple who was Jesus' favourite said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Hearing it was the Lord, Simon Peter threw on his blouse (he was stripped for work) and jumped into the water, while the rest of the disciples came ashore in the punt (they were not far from land, only about a hundred yards), dragging their netful of fish. When they got to land, they saw a charcoal fire burning, with fish cooking on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught." So Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty three of them; but for all their number the net was not torn. Jesus said, "Come and breakfast." (Not one of the disciples dared to ask him who he was; they knew it was the Lord.) Jesus went and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish too. This was the third time, now, that Jesus appeared to the disciples after rising from the dead. Then after breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than the others do?" "Why, Lord," he said, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs," said Jesus. Again he asked him, for the second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Why, Lord," he said, "you know I love you." "Then be a shepherd to my sheep," said Jesus. For the third time he asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Now Peter was vexed at being asked a third time, "Do you love me?" So he replied; "Lord, you know everything, you can see I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep. Truly, truly I tell you, you put on your own girdle and went wherever you wanted, when you were young; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands for someone to gird you, and you will be taken where you have no wish to go" (he said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God); then he added, "Follow me."
Now during these days Peter stood up among the brothers (there was a crowd of about a hundred and twenty persons all together). "My brothers," said he, "it had to be fulfilled, that scripture which the holy Spirit uttered beforehand by the lips of David with regard to Judas who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus. read more. Judas did enter our number, he did get his allotted share of this our ministry. With the money paid him for his crime he purchased an estate; but swelling up he burst in two, and all his bowels poured out ??19 a fact which became known to all the residents in Jerusalem, so that the estate got the name, in their language, of Akeldamach or The Ground of Blood.
Now it is written in the book of psalms, Desolate be his residence, may no one dwell in it: also, let another man take over his charge. Well then, of the men who have been associated with us all the time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, read more. from the baptism of John down to the day when he was taken up from us ??of these men one must join us as a witness to his resurrection." So they brought forward two men, Joseph called Bar-Sabbas (surnamed Justus) and Matthias; and they prayed, "O Lord, who readest the hearts of all, do thou single out from these two men him whom thou hast chosen to fill the place in this apostolic ministry which Judas left in order to go to his own place." Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, who was assigned his position with the eleven apostles.
All were amazed and astonished. "Are these not all Galileans," they said, "who are speaking?
But Peter stood up along with the eleven, and raising his voice he addressed them thus: "Men of Judaea and residents in Jerusalem, let everyone of you understand this ??attend to what I say: these men are not drunk, as you imagine. Why, it is only nine in the morning! read more. No, this is what was predicted by the prophet Joel ??17 In the last days, saith God, then will I pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams:
on my very slaves and slave-girls in those days will I pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will display wonders in heaven above and signs on earth below, blood and fire and vapour of smoke: read more. the sun shall be changed into darkness and the moon into blood, ere the great, open Day of the Lord arrives. And everyone who invokes the name of the Lord shall be saved. Men of Israel, listen to my words. Jesus the Nazarene, a man accredited to you by God through miracles, wonders, and signs which God performed by him among you (as you yourselves know), this Jesus, betrayed in the predestined course of God's deliberate purpose, you got wicked men to nail to the cross and murder; but God raised him by checking the pangs of death. Death could not hold him. For David says of him, I saw the Lord before me evermore; lest I be shaken, he is at my right hand. My heart is glad, my tongue exults, my very flesh will rest in hope, because thou wilt not forsake my soul in the grave, nor let thy holy one suffer decay. Thou hast made known to me the paths of life, thou wilt fill me with delight in thy presence. Brothers, I can speak quite plainly to you about the patriarch David; he died and was buried and his tomb remains with us to this day. (He was a prophet; he knew God had sworn an oath to him that he would seat one of his descendants on his throne; so he spoke with a prevision of the resurrection of the Christ, when he said that he was not forsaken in the grave nor did his flesh suffer decay. This Jesus God raised, as we can all bear witness. Uplifted then by God's right hand, and receiving from the Father the long-promised holy Spirit, he has poured on us what you now see and hear.) For it was not David who ascended to heaven; David says, The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies a footstool for your feet'. So let all the house of Israel understand beyond a doubt that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this very Jesus whom you have crucified." When they heard this, it went straight to their hearts; they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what are we to do?" "Repent," said Peter, "let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins; then you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit. For the promise is meant for you and for your children and for all who are far off, for anyone whom the Lord our God may call to himself." And with many another appeal he urged and entreated them. "Save yourselves," he cried, "from this crooked generation!"
They were astonished to notice how outspoken Peter and John were, and to discover that they were uncultured persons and mere outsiders; they recognized them as having been companions of Jesus,
But Peter and John replied, "Decide for yourselves whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God. Certainly we cannot give up speaking of what we have seen and heard."
This filled the high priest Annas and his allies, the Sadducean party, with bitter jealousy; they laid hands on the apostles and put them into the public prison, read more. but an angel of the Lord opened the prison-doors during the night and brought them out, saying, "Go and stand in the temple, telling the people all about this Life." With these orders they went into the temple about dawn and proceeded to teach. Meantime the high priest and his allies met, called the Sanhedrin together and the council of seniors belonging to the sons of Israel, and then sent to prison for the men.
Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. read more. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him."
When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they despatched Peter and John, who came down and prayed that the Samaritans might receive the holy Spirit. read more. (As yet it had not fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the holy Spirit. Now Simon noticed that the holy Spirit was conferred by the laying on of the apostles' hands; so he brought them money, saying, "Let me share this power too, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the holy Spirit." Peter said to him, "Death to you and your money, for dreaming you could buy the gift of God! You come in for no share or lot in this religion. Your heart is all wrong in the sight of God. So repent of this wickedness of yours, and ask God whether you cannot be forgiven for your heart's purpose. For I see you are a bitter poison and a pack of evil." Simon replied, "Beseech the Lord for me! Pray that nothing you have said may befall me!" After bearing their testimony to the word of the Lord and preaching it, the apostles went back to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to a number of the Samaritan villages;
He got to Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, unable to believe he was really a disciple. Barnabas, however, got hold of him and brought him to the apostles. To them he related how he had seen the Lord upon the road, how He had spoken to him, and how he had spoken freely in the name of Jesus at Damascus. read more. He then went in and out among them at Jerusalem, speaking freely in the name of the Lord; he also held conversations and debates with the Hellenists. But when the brothers learned that the Hellenists were attempting to make away with him, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
Peter moved here and there among them all, and it happened that in the course of his tours he came down to visit the saints who stayed at Lydda. There he found a man called Aeneas who had been bed-ridden for eight years with paralysis. read more. "Aeneas," said Peter, "Jesus the Christ cures you! Get up and make your bed!" He got up at once. And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Saron saw him, and they turned to the Lord. At Joppa there was a disciple called Tabitha (which may be translated Dorcas, or 'Gazelle'), a woman whose life was full of good actions and of charitable practices. She happened to take ill and die at this time, and after washing her body they laid it in an upper room. When the disciples heard that Peter was at Lydda (for Joppa is not far from Lydda), they sent two men to beg him to "Come on to us without delay." So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him up to the room, where all the widows stood beside him crying as they showed him the garments and dresses that Dorcas used to make when she was with them. Peter put them all outside; then he knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body said, "Tabitha, rise." She opened her eyes, and on seeing Peter she sat up. Then he gave her his hand, raised her, and, after calling the saints and the widows he presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. In Joppa Peter stayed for some time, at the house of Simon a tanner.
You must send to Joppa and summon Simon who is surnamed Peter; he is staying in the house of Simon a tanner beside the sea.'
Now the apostles and the brothers in Judaea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter came up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party fell foul of him. read more. "You went into the houses of the uncircumcised," they said, "and you ate with them!" Then Peter proceeded to put the facts before them. "I was in the town of Joppa at prayer," he said, "and in a trance I saw a vision ??a vessel coming down like a huge sheet lowered from heaven by the four corners. It came down to me, and when I looked steadily at it, I noted the quadrupeds of the earth, the wild beasts, the creeping things and the wild birds. Also I heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter, kill and eat.' I said, 'No, no, my Lord; nothing common or unclean has ever passed my lips.' But a voice answered me for the second time out of heaven, 'What God has cleansed, you must not regard as common.' This happened three times, and then the whole thing was drawn back into heaven. At that very moment three men reached the house where I was living, sent to me from Caesarea. The Spirit told me to have no hesitation in accompanying them; these six brothers went with me as well, and we entered the man's house. He related to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, 'Send to Joppa for Simon who is surnamed Peter; he will tell you how you and all your household are to be saved.' Now just as I began to speak, the holy Spirit fell upon them as upon us at the beginning; and I remembered the saying of the Lord, that 'John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the holy Spirit.' Well then, if God has given them exactly the same gift as he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I ??how could I try to thwart God?" On hearing this they desisted and glorified God, saying, "So God has actually allowed the Gentiles to repent and live!"
It was about that time that king Herod laid hands of violence on some members of the church. James the brother of John he slew with the sword, read more. and when he saw this pleased the Jews, he went on to seize Peter. (This was during the days of unleavened bread.) After arresting him he put him in prison, handing him over to a guard of sixteen soldiers, with the intention of producing him to the People after the passover. So Peter was closely guarded in prison, while earnest prayer for him was offered to God by the church. The very night before Herod meant to have him produced, Peter lay asleep between two soldiers; he was fastened by two chains, and sentries in front of the door guarded the prison. But an angel of the Lord flashed on him, and a light shone in the cell; striking Peter on the side he woke him, saying, "Quick, get up!" The fetters dropped from his hands, and the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." He did so. Then said the angel, "Put on your coat and follow me." And he followed him out, not realizing that what the angel did was real, but imagining that he saw a vision. When they had passed the first guard and the second they came to the iron gate leading into the city, which opened to them of its own accord; they passed out, and after they had gone through one street, the angel immediately left him. Then Peter came to his senses and said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were anticipating." When he grasped the situation, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was surnamed Mark, where a number had met for prayer. When he knocked at the door of the porch, a maidservant called Rhoda came to answer it; but as soon as she recognized Peter's voice, instead of opening the door she ran inside from sheer joy and announced that Peter was standing in front of the porch. "You are mad," they said. But she insisted it was true. "It is his angel," they said. But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door they were amazed to see him. He beckoned to them to keep quiet and then described to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Report this to James," he said, "and to the brothers." And off he went to another place. Now when day broke there was a great commotion among the soldiers over what could have become of Peter. Herod made inquiries for him but could not find him; so, after cross-examining the guards, he ordered them off to death. He then went down from Judaea to Caesarea, where he spent some time.
But certain individuals came down from Jerusalem and taught the brothers that "unless you get circumcised after the custom of Moses you cannot be saved." As a sharp dispute and controversy sprang up between them and Paul and Barnabas, it was arranged that Paul and Barnabas, along with some others of their number, should go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and presbyters at Jerusalem about this question. read more. The church sped them on their journey, and they passed through both Phoenicia and Syria informing the brothers, to the great joy of all, that the Gentiles were turning to God. On arriving at Jerusalem they were received by the church, the apostles and the presbyters, and they reported how God had been with them and what he had done. But some of the believers who belonged to the Pharisaic party got up and said, "Gentiles must be circumcised and told to observe the law of Moses." The apostles and the presbyters met to investigate this question, and a keen controversy sprang up; but Peter rose and said to them, "Brothers, you are well aware that from the earliest days God chose that of you all I should be the one by whom the Gentiles were to hear the word of the gospel and believe it. The God who reads the hearts of all attested this by giving them the holy Spirit just as he gave it to us; in cleansing their hearts by faith he made not the slightest distinction between us and them. Well now, why are you trying to impose a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we ourselves could bear? No, it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus that we believe and are saved, in the same way as they are." So the whole meeting was quieted and listened to Barnabas and Paul recounting the signs and wonders God had performed by them among the Gentiles. When they had finished speaking, James spoke. "Brothers," he said, "listen to me. Symeon has explained how it was God's original concern to secure a People from among the Gentiles to bear his Name.
Symeon has explained how it was God's original concern to secure a People from among the Gentiles to bear his Name. This agrees with the words of the prophets; as it is written, read more. After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent, its ruins I will rebuild and erect it anew, that the rest of men may seek for the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by my name, saith the Lord, who makes this known from of old. Hence, in my opinion, we ought not to put fresh difficulties in the way of those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but write them injunctions to abstain from whatever is contaminated by idols, from sexual vice, from the flesh of animals that have been strangled, and from tasting blood; for Moses has had his preachers from the earliest ages in every town, where he is read aloud in the synagogues every sabbath." Then the apostles and the presbyters, together with the whole church, decided to select some of their number and send them with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch. The men selected were Judas (called Bar-Sabbas) and Silas, prominent members of the brotherhood. They conveyed the following letter. "The apostles and the presbyters of the brotherhood to the brothers who belong to the Gentiles throughout Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: greeting. Having learned that some of our number, quite unauthorized by us, have unsettled you with their teaching and upset your souls, we have decided unanimously to select some of our number and send them to you along with our beloved Paul and Barnabas who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We therefore send Judas and Silas with the following message, which they will also give to you orally. The holy Spirit and we have decided not to impose any extra burden on you, apart from these essential requirements: abstain from food that has been offered to idols, from tasting blood, from the flesh of animals that have been strangled, and from sexual vice. Keep clear of all this and you will prosper. Goodbye." When the messengers were despatched, they went down to Antioch and after gathering the whole body they handed them the letter. On reading it the people rejoiced at the encouragement it brought;
Have we no right to travel with a Christian wife, like the rest of the apostles, like the brothers of the Lord, like Cephas himself?
Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to make the acquaintance of Cephas. I stayed a fortnight with him.
Then, fourteen years later, I went up to Jerusalem again, accompanied by Barnabas; I took Titus with me also. (It was in consequence of a revelation that I went up at all.) I submitted the gospel I am in the habit of preaching to the Gentiles, submitting it privately to the authorities, to make sure that my course of action would be and had been sound. read more. But even my companion Titus, Greek though he was, was not obliged to be circumcised. There were traitors of false brothers, who had crept in to spy out the freedom we enjoy in Christ Jesus; they did aim at enslaving us again. But we refused to yield for a single instant to their claims; we were determined that the truth of the gospel should hold good for you. Besides, the so-called 'authorities' (it makes no difference to me what their status used to be ??God pays no regard to the externals of men), these 'authorities' had no additions to make to my gospel. On the contrary, when they saw I had been entrusted with the gospel for the benefit of the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been for the circumcised (for He who equipped Peter to be an apostle of the circumcised equipped me as well for the uncircumcised), and when they recognized the grace I had been given, then the so-called 'pillars' of the church, James and Cephas and John, gave myself and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship. Our sphere was to be the Gentiles, theirs the circumcised. Only, we were to 'remember the poor.' I was quite eager to do that myself. But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face. The man stood self-condemned. Before certain emissaries of James arrived, he ate along with the Gentile Christians; but when they arrived, he began to draw back and hold aloof, because he was afraid of the circumcision party. The rest of the Jewish Christians also played false along with him, so much so that even Barnabas was carried away by their false play. But I saw they were swerving from the true line of the gospel; so I said to Cephas in presence of them all, "If you live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, though you are a Jew yourself, why do you oblige the Gentiles to become Jews?" ??15 We may be Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners,'
but since we know a man is justified simply by faith in Jesus Christ and not by doing what the Law commands, we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus so as to get justified by faith in Christ and not by doing what the Law commands ??for by doing what the Law commands no person shall be justified.
Your sister-church in Babylon, elect like yourselves, salutes you. So does my son Mark.
Your sister-church in Babylon, elect like yourselves, salutes you. So does my son Mark.
Fausets
(See JESUS CHRIST .) Of Bethsaida on the sea of Galilee. The Greek for Hebrew Kephas, "stone" or "rock." Simon his original name means "hearer"; by it he is designated in Christ's early ministry and between Christ's death and resurrection. Afterward he is called by his title of honour, "Peter". Son of Jonas (Mt 16:17; Joh 1:43; 21:16); tradition makes Johanna his mother's name. Brought up to his father's business as a fisherman on the lake of Galilee. He and his brother Andrew were partners with Zebedee's sons, John and James, who had "hired servants," which implies a social status and culture not the lowest. He lived first at Bethsaida, then in Capernaum, in a house either his own or his mother-in-law's, large enough to receive Christ and his fellow apostles and some of the multitude who thronged about Him. In" leaving all to follow Christ," he implies he made a large sacrifice (Mr 10:28). The rough life of hardship to which fishing inured him on the stormy lake formed a good training of his character to prompt energy, boldness, and endurance.
The Jews obliged their young to attend the common schools. In Ac 4:13, where Luke writes the Jewish council regarded him and John as "unlearned and ignorant," the meaning is not absolutely so, but in respect to professional rabbinical training "lairs," "ignorant" of the deeper sense which the scribes imagined they found in Scripture. Aramaic, half Hebrew half Syriac, was the language of the Jews at that time. The Galileans spoke this debased Hebrew with provincialisms of pronunciation and diction. So at the denial Peter betrayed himself by his "speech" (Mt 26:73; Lu 22:59). Yet lie conversed fluently with Cornelius seemingly without an interpreter, and in Greek His Greek style in his epistles is correct; but Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus, and Tertullian allege he employed an interpreter for them. He was married and led about his wife in his apostolic journeys (1Co 9:5).
The oblique coincidence; establishing his being a married man, between Mt 8:14, "Peter's wife's mother ... sick of a fever," and 1Co 9:5, "have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as Cephas?" is also a delicate confirmation of the truth of the miraculous cure, as no forger would be likely to exhibit such a minute and therefore undesigned correspondence of details. Alford translated 1Pe 5:13 "she in Babylon" (compare 1Pe 3:7); but why she should be called "elected together with you in Babylon," as if there were no Christian woman in Babylon besides, is inexplicable. Peter and John being closely associated, Peter addresses the church in John's province, Asia, "your co-elect sister church in Babylon saluteth you"; so 2Jo 1:13 in reply. Clemens Alex. gives the name of Peter's wife as Perpetua. Tradition makes him old at the time of his death. His first call was by Andrew his brother, who had been pointed by their former master John the Baptist to Jesus, "behold the Lamb of God" (Joh 1:36).
That was the word that made the first Christian; so it has been ever since. "We have found (implying they both had been looking for) the Messias," said Andrew, and brought him to Jesus. "Thou art Simon son of Jona (so the Alexandrinus manuscript but Vaticanus and Sinaiticus 'John'), thou shalt be called Cephas" (Joh 1:41-42). As "Simon" he was but an hearer; as Peter or Cephas he became an apostle and so a foundation stone of the church, by union to the one only Foundation Rock (Eph 2:20; 1Co 3:11). Left to nature, Simon, though bold and stubborn, was impulsive and fickle, but joined to Christ lie became at last unshaken and firm. After the first call the disciples returned to their occupation. The call to close discipleship is recorded Lu 5:1-11. The miraculous draught of fish overwhelmed Simon with awe at Jesus' presence; He who at creation said, "let the waters bring forth abundantly" (Ge 1:20), now said, "let down your nets for a draught."
Simon, when the net which they had spread in vain all night now broke with the multitude of fish, exclaimed, "depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" He forgot Ho 9:12 end; our sin is just the reason why we should beg Christ to come, not depart. "Fear not, henceforth thou shalt catch to save alive (zoogroon) men," was Jesus' explanation of the typical meaning of the miracle. The call, Mt 4:18-22 and Mr 1:16-20, is the same as Luke 5, which supplements them. Peter and Andrew were first called; then Christ entered Peter's boat, then wrought the miracle, then called James and John; Jesus next healed of fever Simon's mother-in-law. His call to the apostleship is recorded Mt 10:2-4. Simon stands foremost in the list, and for the rest of Christ's ministry is mostly called "Peter." His forward energy fitted him to be spokesman of the apostles. So in Joh 6:66-69, when others went back (2Ti 4:10), to Jesus' testing question, "will ye also go away?" Simon replied, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." Compare his words, Ac 4:12.
He repeated this testimony at Caesarea Philippi (Mt 16:16). Then Jesus said: "blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee (Joh 1:13; Eph 2:8) but My Father in heaven, and ... thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prewill against it." Peter by his believing confession identified himself with Christ the true Rock (1Co 3:11; Isa 28:16; Eph 2:20), and so received the name; just as Joshua bears the name meaning "Jehovah Saviour", because typifying His person and offices. Peter conversely, by shrinking from a crucified Saviour and dissuading Him from the cross, "be it far from Thee," identified Himself with Satan who tempted Jesus to take the world kingdom without the cross (Mt 4:8-10), and is therefore called "Satan," "get thee behind Me, Satan," etc. Instead of a rock Peter became a stumbling-block ("offense," scandalous). "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven," namely, to open the door of faith to the Jews first, then to Cornelius and the Gentiles (Ac 10:11-48).
Others and Paul further opened the door (Ac 14:27; 11:20-26). The papal error regards Peter as the rock, in himself officially, and as transmitting an infallible authority to the popes, as if his successors (compare Isa 22:22). The "binding" and "loosing" power is given as much to the whole church, layman and ministers, as to Peter (Mt 18:18; Joh 20:23.) Peter exercised the power of the keys only in preaching, as on Pentecost (Acts 2), He never exercised authority over the other apostles. At Jerusalem James exercised the chief authority (Ac 15:19; 21:18; Ga 1:19; 2:9). Peter "withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed," "not walking uprightly in the truth of the gospel," but in "dissimulation" (Ga 2:10-14). (On the miraculous payment of the temple tribute of the half shekel (two drachms) each, see JESUS CHRIST.)
Matthew alone (Mt 17:24-27) records it, as appropriate to the aspect of Jesus as theocratic king, prominent in the first Gospel. Peter too hastily had answered for his Master as though He were under obligation to pay the temple tribute; Peter forgot his own confession (Mt 16:16). Nevertheless, the Lord, in order not to "offend." i.e. give a handle of reproach, as if lie despised the temple and law, caused Peter the fisherman again to resume his occupation and brought a fish (Ps 8:8; Jon 1:17) with a starer, i.e. shekel, in its mouth, the exact sum required, four drachmas, for both. Jesus said, "for ME and thee," not for us; for His payment was on an altogether different footing from Peter's (compare Joh 20:17). Peter needed a "ransom for his soul" and could not pay it; but Jesus needed none; nay, came to pay it Himself (Joh 20:28), first putting Himself under the same yoke with us (Ga 4:4-5). Peter, James, and John were the favored three alone present at the raising of Jairus' daughter, the transfiguration, and the agony in Gethsemane.
His exaltations were generally, through his self sufficiency giving place to weakness, accompanied with humiliations, as in Matthew 16. In the transfiguration he t
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Once more the devil conveyed him to an exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the realms of the world and their grandeur; he said, "I will give you all that if you will fall down and worship me." read more. Then Jesus told him, "Begone, Satan! it is written, You must worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone."
As he was walking along the sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew, casting a net in the sea ??for they were fishermen; so he said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fish for men." read more. And they dropped their nets at once and followed him. Then going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedaeus and his brother John, mending their nets in the boat beside their father Zebedaeus. He called them, and they left the boat and their father at once, and went after him.
On entering the house of Peter, Jesus noticed his mother-in-law was down with fever,
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, James the son of Zebedaeus and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the taxgatherer, James the son of Alphaeus and Lebbaeus whose surname is Thaddaeus, read more. Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
but when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified; "It is a ghost," they said and shrieked for fear.
He said, "Come." Then Peter got out of the boat and walked over the water on his way to Jesus;
So Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
So Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered him, "You are a blessed man, Simon Bar-jona, for it was my Father in heaven, not flesh and blood, that revealed this to you.
When they reached Capharnahum, the collectors of the temple-tax came and asked Peter, "Does your teacher not pay the temple-tax?" He said, "Yes." But when he went indoors Jesus spoke first; "Tell me, Simon," he said, "from whom do earthly kings collect customs or taxes? Is it from their own people or from aliens?" read more. "From aliens," he said. Then Jesus said to him, "So their own people are exempt. However, not to give any offence to them, go to the sea, throw a hook in, and take the first fish you bring up. Open its mouth and you will find a five-shilling piece; take that and give it to them for me and for yourself."
I tell you truly, Whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.
Up came a man and said to him, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to gain life eternal?"
The young man said, "I have observed all these. What more is wanting?" Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell your property, give the money to the poor and you shall have treasure in heaven; then come and follow me." read more. When the young man heard that, he went sadly away, for he had great possessions. And Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you truly, it will be difficult for a rich man to get into the Realm of heaven. I tell you again, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle's eye than for a rich man to get into the Realm of God." When the disciples heard this they were utterly astounded; they said, "Who then can possibly be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "This is impossible for men, but anything is possible for God." Then Peter replied, "Well, we have left our all and followed you. Now what are we to get?"
Peter answered, "Supposing they are all disconcerted over you, I will not be disconcerted." Jesus said to him, "I tell you truly, you will disown me three times this very night, before the cock crows." read more. Peter said to him, "Even though I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the disciples said the same thing.
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A maidservant came up and said to him, "You were with Jesus the Galilean too."
When he went out to the gateway another maidservant noticed him and said to those who were there, "This fellow was with Jesus the Nazarene."
After a little the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "To be sure, you are one of them too. Why, your accent betrays you!"
Now as he passed along the sea of Galilee he saw Simon and Simon's brother Andrew netting fish in the sea ??for they were fishermen; so Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me and I will make you fish for men." read more. At once they dropped their nets and went after him. Then going on a little further he saw James the son of Zebedaeus and his brother John; they too were in their boat, mending their nets; he called them at once, and they left their father Zebedaeus in the boat with the crew and went to follow him.
(for he did not know what to say, they were so terrified).
Peter began, "Well, we have left our all and followed you."
Peter said to him, "Though all are disconcerted, I will not be." Jesus said to him, "I tell you truly, to-day you will disown me three times, this very night, before the cock crows twice." read more. But he persisted, "Though I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And they all said the same.
Now as Peter was downstairs in the courtyard, a maidservant of the high priest came along, and when she noticed Peter warming himself she looked at him and said, "You were with Jesus of Nazaret too." read more. But he denied it. "I do not know," he said, "I have no idea what you mean." Then he went outside into the passage. The cock crowed. Again the maidservant who had noticed him began to tell the bystanders, "That fellow is one of them."
At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered how Jesus had told him, "Before the cock crows twice you will disown me thrice;" and he burst into tears.
Go you and tell his disciples and Peter, 'He precedes you to Galilee; you shall see him there, as he told you.'"
Now as the crowd were pressing on him to listen to the word of God, he saw, as he stood beside the lake of Gennesaret, two boats on the shore of the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. read more. So he entered one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to push out a little from the land. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he stopped speaking, he said to Simon, "Push out to the deep water and lower your nets for a take." Simon replied, "Master, we worked all night and got nothing! However, I will lower the nets at your command." And when they did so, they enclosed a huge shoal of fish, so that their nets began to break. Then they made signals to their mates in the other boat to come and assist them. They came and filled both the boats, till they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it he fell at the knees of Jesus, crying, "Lord, leave me; I am a sinful man." For amazement had seized him and all his companions at the take of fish they had caught; as was the case with James and John, the sons of Zebedaeus, who were partners of Simon. Then said Jesus to Simon, "Have no fear; from now your catch will be men." Then they brought the boats to land, and leaving all they followed him.
"Lord," he said, "I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow to-day before you have three times denied that you know me."
A maidservant who noticed him sitting by the fire took a long look at him and said, "That fellow was with him too."
A maidservant who noticed him sitting by the fire took a long look at him and said, "That fellow was with him too."
Shortly afterwards another man noticed him and said, "Why, you are one of them!" "Man," said Peter, "I am not." About an hour had passed when another man insisted, "That fellow really was with him. Why, he is a Galilean!"
About an hour had passed when another man insisted, "That fellow really was with him. Why, he is a Galilean!"
who told them that the Lord had really risen and that he had appeared to Simon.
who owe this birth of theirs to God, not to human blood, nor to any impulse of the flesh or of man.
he gazed at Jesus as he walked about, and said, "Look, there is the lamb of God!"
In the morning he met his brother Simon and told him, "We have found the messiah" (which may be translated, 'Christ'). He took him to Jesus; Jesus gazed at him and said, "You are Simon, the son of John? Your name is to be Cephas" (meaning 'Peter' or 'rock'). read more. Next day Jesus determined to leave for Galilee; there he met Philip and told him, "Follow me."
After that, many of his disciples drew back and would not associate with him any longer. So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go, too?" read more. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, who are we to go to? You have got words of eternal life, and we believe, we are certain, that you are the holy One of God."
"Lord," said Simon Peter, "where are you going?" Jesus replied, "I am going where you cannot follow me at present; later on you will follow me." "Lord," said Peter, "why cannot I follow you just now? I will lay down my life for you." read more. Jesus replied, "Lay down your life for me? Truly, truly I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have disowned me thrice over.
while Peter stood outside at the door. Then this other disciple, who was an acquaintance of the high priest, came out and spoke to the woman at the door, and brought Peter inside. The maidservant at the door then said to Peter, "Are you not one of this fellow's disciples?" He said, "No."
They asked him, "Are you not one of his disciples?" He denied it, saying, "No,"
Jesus said, "Cease clinging to me. I have not ascended yet to the Father, but go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and yours, to my God and yours.'"
If you remit the sins of any, they are remitted: if you retain them, they are retained."
Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
Again he asked him, for the second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Why, Lord," he said, "you know I love you." "Then be a shepherd to my sheep," said Jesus.
Truly, truly I tell you, you put on your own girdle and went wherever you wanted, when you were young; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands for someone to gird you, and you will be taken where you have no wish to go"
Truly, truly I tell you, you put on your own girdle and went wherever you wanted, when you were young; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands for someone to gird you, and you will be taken where you have no wish to go" (he said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God); then he added, "Follow me."
the sun shall be changed into darkness and the moon into blood, ere the great, open Day of the Lord arrives.
this Jesus, betrayed in the predestined course of God's deliberate purpose, you got wicked men to nail to the cross and murder; but God raised him by checking the pangs of death. Death could not hold him.
When they heard this, it went straight to their hearts; they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what are we to do?" "Repent," said Peter, "let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins; then you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.
It was for you first that God raised up his Servant, and sent him to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."
There is no salvation by anyone else, nor even a second Name under heaven appointed for us men and our salvation." They were astonished to notice how outspoken Peter and John were, and to discover that they were uncultured persons and mere outsiders; they recognized them as having been companions of Jesus,
But Peter and John replied, "Decide for yourselves whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God. Certainly we cannot give up speaking of what we have seen and heard."
Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet.
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy of suffering dishonour for the sake of the Name;
He got to Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, unable to believe he was really a disciple.
Peter moved here and there among them all, and it happened that in the course of his tours he came down to visit the saints who stayed at Lydda.
He saw heaven open and a vessel coming down, like a huge sheet lowered by the four corners to the earth, which contained all quadrupeds and creeping things of the earth and wild birds. read more. A voice came to him, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat." But Peter said, "No, no, my Lord; I have never eaten anything common or unclean." A second time the voice came back to him, "What God has cleansed, you must not regard as common." This happened three times; then the vessel was at once raised to heaven. Peter was quite at a loss to know the meaning of the vision he had seen; but just then, the messengers of Cornelius, who had made inquiries for the house of Simon, stood at the door and called out to ask if Simon, surnamed Peter, was staying there. So the Spirit said to Peter, who was pondering over the vision, "There are three men looking for you! Come, get up and go down, and have no hesitation about accompanying them, for it is I who have sent them." Then Peter went down to the men, saying, "I am the man you are looking for. What is your reason for coming?" They said, "Cornelius, a captain, a good man who reverences God and enjoys a good reputation among the whole Jewish nation, was instructed by a holy angel to send for you to his house and to listen to what you had to say." So he invited them in and entertained them. Next day he was up and off with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa; and on the next day he reached Caesarea. [vs 24b transposed to follow vs 27] (For Cornelius had been expecting him and had called his kinsfolk and intimate friends together.) Peter was just going into the house when Cornelius met him, fell at his feet, and worshipped him; but Peter raised him, saying, "Get up, I am only a man myself." Then talking to him he entered the house, to find a large company assembled. To them Peter said, "You know yourselves it is illegal for a Jew to join or accost anyone belonging to another nation; but God has shown me that I must not call any man common or unclean, and so I have come without any demur when I was sent for. Now I want to know why you sent for me?" "Three days ago," said Cornelius, "at this very hour I was praying in my house at three o'clock in the afternoon, when a man stood before me in shining dress, saying, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, your alms are remembered by God. You must send to Joppa and summon Simon who is surnamed Peter; he is staying in the house of Simon a tanner beside the sea.' So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Well now, here we are all present before God to listen to what the Lord has commanded you to say." Then Peter opened his lips and said, "I see quite plainly that God has no favourites, but that he who reverences Him and lives a good life in any nation is welcomed by Him. You know the message he sent to the sons of Israel when he preached the gospel of peace by Jesus Christ (who is Lord of all); you know how it spread over the whole of Judaea, starting from Galilee after the baptism preached by John ??38 how God consecrated Jesus of Nazaret with the holy Spirit and power, and how he went about doing good and curing all who were harassed by the devil; for God was with him.
As for what he did in the land of the Jews and of Jerusalem, we can testify to that. They slew him by hanging him on a gibbet, but God raised him on the third day, and allowed him to be seen read more. not by all the People but by witnesses whom God had previously selected, by us who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from the dead, when he enjoined us to preach to the People, testifying that this was he whom God has appointed to be judge of the living and of the dead. All the prophets testify that everyone who believes in him is to receive remission of sins through his Name." While Peter was still speaking, the holy Spirit fell upon all who listened to what he said. Now the Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter were amazed that the gift of the holy Spirit had actually been poured out on the Gentiles ??46 for they heard them speak with 'tongues' and magnify God. At this Peter asked,
"Can anyone refuse water for the baptism of these people ??people who have received the holy Spirit just as we ourselves have?" And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they begged him to remain for some days.
Well then, if God has given them exactly the same gift as he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I ??how could I try to thwart God?" On hearing this they desisted and glorified God, saying, "So God has actually allowed the Gentiles to repent and live!"
Some of them, however, were Cypriotes and Cyrenians, who on reaching Antioch told the Greeks also the gospel of the Lord Jesus; the strong hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number believed and turned to the Lord. read more. The news of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they despatched Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God he rejoiced, and encouraged them all to hold by the Lord with heartfelt purpose (for he was a good man, full of the holy Spirit and faith). Considerable numbers of people were brought in for the Lord. So Barnabas went off to Tarsus to look for Saul, and on finding him he brought him to Antioch, where for a whole year they were guests of the church and taught considerable numbers. It was at Antioch too that the disciples were originally called "Christians."
On their arrival they gathered the church together and reported how God had been with them, what he had done, and how he had opened a door into faith for the Gentiles.
Hence, in my opinion, we ought not to put fresh difficulties in the way of those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles,
After waiting on for a number of days Paul said goodbye to the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. (As the latter was under a vow, he had his head shaved at Cenchreae.) When they reached Ephesus, Paul left them there. He went to the synagogue and argued with the Jews, read more. who asked him to stay for a while. But he would not consent; he said goodbye to them, telling them, "I will come back to you, if it is the will of God." Then, sailing from Ephesus,
This was because Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, to avoid any loss of time in Asia; he wanted to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
Next day we accompanied Paul to James; all the presbyters were present,
Next day we accompanied Paul to James; all the presbyters were present, and after saluting them Paul described in detail what God had done by means of his ministry among the Gentiles. read more. They glorified God when they heard it. Then they said to him, "Brother, you see how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, all of them ardent upholders of the Law. Now, they have heard that you teach all Jews who live among Gentiles to break away from Moses and not to circumcise their children, nor to follow the old customs. What is to be done? They will be sure to hear you have arrived. So do as we tell you. We have four men here under a vow; associate yourself with them, purify yourself with them, pay their expenses so that they may be free to have their heads shaved, and then everybody will understand there is nothing in these stories about you, but that, on the contrary, you are guided by obedience to the Law.
Or are you slighting all his wealth of kindness, forbearance, and patience? Do you not know his kindness is meant to make you repent?
By 'quarrelling' I mean that each of you has his party-cry, "I belong to Paul," "And I to Apollos," "And I to Cephas," "And I to Christ."
The foundation is laid, namely Jesus Christ, and no one can lay any other.
Have we no right to travel with a Christian wife, like the rest of the apostles, like the brothers of the Lord, like Cephas himself?
Have we no right to travel with a Christian wife, like the rest of the apostles, like the brothers of the Lord, like Cephas himself?
instead of going up to Jerusalem to see those who had been apostles before me, I went off at once to Arabia, and on my return I came back to Damascus. Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to make the acquaintance of Cephas. I stayed a fortnight with him. read more. I saw no other apostle, only James the brother of the Lord.
and when they recognized the grace I had been given, then the so-called 'pillars' of the church, James and Cephas and John, gave myself and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship. Our sphere was to be the Gentiles, theirs the circumcised. Only, we were to 'remember the poor.' I was quite eager to do that myself. read more. But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face. The man stood self-condemned. Before certain emissaries of James arrived, he ate along with the Gentile Christians; but when they arrived, he began to draw back and hold aloof, because he was afraid of the circumcision party. The rest of the Jewish Christians also played false along with him, so much so that even Barnabas was carried away by their false play. But I saw they were swerving from the true line of the gospel; so I said to Cephas in presence of them all, "If you live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, though you are a Jew yourself, why do you oblige the Gentiles to become Jews?" ??15 We may be Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners,'
but when the time had fully expired, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to ransom those who were under the Law, that we might get our sonship.
For it is by grace you have been saved, as you had faith; it is not your doing but God's gift,
you are a building that rests on the apostles and prophets as its foundation, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone;
you are a building that rests on the apostles and prophets as its foundation, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone;
In it there is no room for Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free man; Christ is everything and everywhere.
Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner salutes you; so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, about whom you have got instructions (if he comes to you, give him a welcome);
for Demas, in his love for this world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens is off to Gaul, Titus to Dalmatia, Luke is the only one who is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him along with you, for he is of great use in helping me.
Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
Now that your obedience to the Truth has purified your souls for a brotherly love that is sincere, love one another heartily and steadily.
he bore our sins in his own body on the gibbet, that we might break with sin and live for righteousness; and by his wounds you have been healed.
In the same way you husbands must be considerate in living with your wives, since they are the weaker sex; you must honour them as heirs equally with yourselves of the grace of Life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the ordeal that has come to test you, as though some foreign experience befell you. You are sharing what Christ suffered; so rejoice in it, that you may also rejoice and exult when his glory is revealed. read more. If you are denounced for the sake of Christ, you are blessed; for then the Spirit of glory and power, the Spirit of God himself, is resting on you. None of you must suffer as a murderer or a thief or a bad character or a revolutionary; but if a man suffers for being a Christian, he must not be ashamed, he must rather glorify God for that.
By the hand of Silvanus, a faithful brother (in my opinion), I have written you these few lines of encouragement, to testify that this is what the true grace of God means. Stand in that grace. Your sister-church in Babylon, elect like yourselves, salutes you. So does my son Mark.
Your sister-church in Babylon, elect like yourselves, salutes you. So does my son Mark.
Your sister-church in Babylon, elect like yourselves, salutes you. So does my son Mark.
And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord means salvation; as indeed our beloved brother Paul has written to you out of the wisdom vouchsafed to him, speaking of this as he has done in all his letters ??letters containing some knotty points, which ignorant and unsteady souls twist (as they do the rest of the scriptures) to their own destruction.
The children of your elect Sister greet you.
Hastings
SIMON, surnamed Peter, was 'the coryph
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As he was walking along the sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew, casting a net in the sea ??for they were fishermen;
As he was walking along the sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew, casting a net in the sea ??for they were fishermen; so he said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fish for men." read more. And they dropped their nets at once and followed him. Then going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedaeus and his brother John, mending their nets in the boat beside their father Zebedaeus. He called them,
Then going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedaeus and his brother John, mending their nets in the boat beside their father Zebedaeus. He called them, and they left the boat and their father at once, and went after him.
On entering the house of Peter, Jesus noticed his mother-in-law was down with fever, so he touched her hand; the fever left her and she rose and ministered to him.
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, James the son of Zebedaeus and John his brother,
Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is really you, order me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." Then Peter got out of the boat and walked over the water on his way to Jesus; read more. but when he saw the strength of the wind he was afraid and began to sink. "Lord," he shouted, "save me." Jesus at once stretched his hand out and caught him, saying, "How little you trust me! Why did you doubt?"
Jesus answered him, "You are a blessed man, Simon Bar-jona, for it was my Father in heaven, not flesh and blood, that revealed this to you. Now I tell you, Peter is your name and on this rock I will build my church; the powers of Hades shall not succeed against it. read more. I will give you the keys of the Realm of heaven; whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven." Then he forbade the disciples to tell anyone he was the Christ. From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he had to leave for Jerusalem and endure great suffering at the hands of the elders and high priests and scribes, and be killed and raised on the third day. Peter took him and began to reprove him for it; "God forbid, Lord," he said, "This must not be." But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, you Satan! You are a hindrance to me! Your outlook is not God's but man's."
Six days afterwards Jesus took Peter, James and his brother John, and led them up a high hill by themselves; in their presence he was transfigured, his face shone like the sun, and his clothes turned white as light. read more. There appeared to them Moses and Elijah, who conversed with Jesus. So Peter addressed Jesus and said, "Lord, it is a good thing we are here; pray let me put up three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
So Peter addressed Jesus and said, "Lord, it is a good thing we are here; pray let me put up three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He was still speaking when a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, in him is my delight: listen to him." read more. When the disciples heard the voice they fell on their faces in terror; but Jesus came forward and touched them, saying, "Rise, have no fear." And on raising their eyes they saw no one except Jesus all alone.
However, this has all happened for the fulfilment of the prophetic scriptures!" Then all the disciples left him and fled;
Peter followed him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and when he got inside he sat down beside the attendants to see the end.
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A maidservant came up and said to him, "You were with Jesus the Galilean too." But he denied it before them all; "I do not know what you mean," he said. read more. When he went out to the gateway another maidservant noticed him and said to those who were there, "This fellow was with Jesus the Nazarene." Again he denied it; he swore, "I do not know the man." After a little the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "To be sure, you are one of them too. Why, your accent betrays you!" At this he broke out cursing and swearing, "I do not know the man." At that moment a cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said, that 'before the cock crows you will disown me three times.' And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said, that 'before the cock crows you will disown me three times.' And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Now as he passed along the sea of Galilee he saw Simon and Simon's brother Andrew netting fish in the sea ??for they were fishermen; so Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me and I will make you fish for men." read more. At once they dropped their nets and went after him.
At once they dropped their nets and went after him. Then going on a little further he saw James the son of Zebedaeus and his brother John; they too were in their boat, mending their nets; read more. he called them at once, and they left their father Zebedaeus in the boat with the crew and went to follow him.
So his fame at once spread in all directions through the whole of the surrounding country of Galilee. On leaving the synagogue they went straight to the house of Simon and Andrew, accompanied by James and John. read more. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with fever, so they told him at once about her, and he went up to her and taking her hand made her rise; the fever left her at once and she ministered to them.
And summoning the twelve he proceeded to send them out two by two; he gave them power over the unclean spirits,
Then Jesus and his disciples set off for the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road he inquired of his disciples, "Who do people say I am?" "John the Baptist," they told him, "though some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the prophets." read more. So he inquired of them, "And who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "You are the Christ." Then he forbade them to tell anyone about him. And he proceeded to teach them that the Son of man had to endure great suffering, to be rejected by the elders and the high priests and the scribes, to be killed and after three days to rise again; he spoke of this quite freely. Peter took him and began to reprove him for it, but he turned on him and noticing his disciples reproved Peter, telling him, "Get behind me, you Satan! Your outlook is not God's but man's."
Six days afterwards Jesus took Peter, James and John, and led them up a high hill by themselves alone; in their presence he was transfigured, and his clothes glistened white, vivid white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. read more. And Elijah along with Moses appeared to them, and conversed with Jesus. So Peter addressed Jesus, saying, "Rabbi, it is a good thing we are here; let us put up three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (for he did not know what to say, they were so terrified).
(for he did not know what to say, they were so terrified). Then a cloud came overshadowing them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to him." read more. And suddenly looking round they saw no one there except Jesus all alone beside them.
Then he came and found them asleep; so he said to Peter, "Are you sleeping, Simon? Could you not watch for a single hour?
Peter followed him at a distance till he got inside the courtyard of the high priest, where he sat down with the attendants to warm himself at the fire.
Now as Peter was downstairs in the courtyard, a maidservant of the high priest came along, and when she noticed Peter warming himself she looked at him and said, "You were with Jesus of Nazaret too." read more. But he denied it. "I do not know," he said, "I have no idea what you mean." Then he went outside into the passage. The cock crowed. Again the maidservant who had noticed him began to tell the bystanders, "That fellow is one of them." But he denied it again. After a little the bystanders once more said to Peter, "To be sure, you are one of them. Why, you are a Galilean!" But he broke out cursing and swearing, "I do not know the man you mean." At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered how Jesus had told him, "Before the cock crows twice you will disown me thrice;" and he burst into tears.
At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered how Jesus had told him, "Before the cock crows twice you will disown me thrice;" and he burst into tears.
Go you and tell his disciples and Peter, 'He precedes you to Galilee; you shall see him there, as he told you.'"
When he got up to leave the synagogue he went to the house of Simon. Simon's mother-in-law was laid up with a severe attack of fever, so they asked him about her; he stood over her and checked the fever, and it left her. Then she instantly got up and ministered to them.
Now as the crowd were pressing on him to listen to the word of God, he saw, as he stood beside the lake of Gennesaret, two boats on the shore of the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. read more. So he entered one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to push out a little from the land. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he stopped speaking, he said to Simon, "Push out to the deep water and lower your nets for a take." Simon replied, "Master, we worked all night and got nothing! However, I will lower the nets at your command." And when they did so, they enclosed a huge shoal of fish, so that their nets began to break. Then they made signals to their mates in the other boat to come and assist them. They came and filled both the boats, till they began to sink.
Then they made signals to their mates in the other boat to come and assist them. They came and filled both the boats, till they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it he fell at the knees of Jesus, crying, "Lord, leave me; I am a sinful man." read more. For amazement had seized him and all his companions at the take of fish they had caught; as was the case with James and John, the sons of Zebedaeus, who were partners of Simon. Then said Jesus to Simon, "Have no fear; from now your catch will be men." Then they brought the boats to land, and leaving all they followed him.
Then they brought the boats to land, and leaving all they followed him.
Now it happened that while he was praying by himself his disciples were beside him. So he inquired of them, "Who do the crowds say I am?" They replied, "John the Baptist, though some say Elijah and some say that one of the ancient prophets has arisen." read more. He said to them, "And who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "The Christ of God." Then he forbade them strictly to tell this to anyone. The Son of man, he said, has to endure great suffering, to be rejected by the elders and high priests and scribes, to be killed, and on the third day to be raised.
It was about eight days after he said this, when he took Peter, John, and James, and went up the hillside to pray. While he was praying the appearance of his face altered and his dress turned dazzling white. read more. There were two men conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in a vision of glory and said he must go through with his death and departure at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions had been overpowered with sleep, but on waking up they saw his glory and the two men who were standing beside him. When they were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is a good thing we are here; let us put up three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (not knowing what he was saying).
When they were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is a good thing we are here; let us put up three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (not knowing what he was saying). As he spoke, a cloud came and overshadowed them. They were awestruck as they passed into the cloud, read more. but a voice came from the cloud, "This is my Son, my Chosen one; listen to him." When the voice ceased, they found themselves alone with Jesus. And in those days they kept silence and told nobody anything of what they had seen.
Simon, Simon, Satan has claimed the right to sift you all like wheat,
Jesus said, "Let me do this at least," and cured him by touching his ear.
Then they arrested him and led him away inside the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance
Then they arrested him and led him away inside the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance and sat down among some people who had lit a fire in the courtyard and were sitting round it. read more. A maidservant who noticed him sitting by the fire took a long look at him and said, "That fellow was with him too." But he disowned him, saying, "Woman, I know nothing about him." Shortly afterwards another man noticed him and said, "Why, you are one of them!" "Man," said Peter, "I am not." About an hour had passed when another man insisted, "That fellow really was with him. Why, he is a Galilean!" "Man," said Peter, "I do not know what you mean." Instantly, just as he was speaking, the cock crowed; the Lord turned round and looked at Peter, and then Peter remembered what the Lord had told him, that 'Before cock-crow to-day you will disown me three times.' And he went outside and wept bitterly.
And he went outside and wept bitterly.
who told them that the Lord had really risen and that he had appeared to Simon.
This took place at Bethany on the opposite side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; he gazed at Jesus as he walked about, and said, "Look, there is the lamb of God!" read more. The two disciples heard what he said and went after Jesus. Now Jesus turned, and when he observed them coming after him, he asked them, "What do you want?" They replied, "Rabbi" (which may be translated, 'teacher'), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." So they went and saw where he stayed, and stayed with him the rest of that day ??it was then about four in the afternoon. One of the two men who heard what John said and went after Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Peter. In the morning he met his brother Simon and told him, "We have found the messiah" (which may be translated, 'Christ'). He took him to Jesus; Jesus gazed at him and said, "You are Simon, the son of John? Your name is to be Cephas" (meaning 'Peter' or 'rock').
He took him to Jesus; Jesus gazed at him and said, "You are Simon, the son of John? Your name is to be Cephas" (meaning 'Peter' or 'rock').
Now Philip belonged to Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter;
Next day the crowd which had been left standing on the other side of the sea bethought them that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not gone aboard with his disciples, who had left by themselves. So, as some boats from Tiberias had put in near the spot where they had eaten bread after the Lord's thanksgiving, read more. and as the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they embarked in the boats themselves and made for Capharnahum in search of Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly I tell you, it is not because you saw Signs that you are in quest of me, but because you ate these loaves and had your fill. Work for no perishing food, but for that lasting food which means eternal life; the Son of man will give you that, for the Father, God, has certified him." Then they asked him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" Jesus replied to them, "This is the work of God, to believe in him whom God has sent." "Well then," they said, "what is the Sign you perform, that we may see it and believe you? What work have you to show? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert: as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat." Then said Jesus, "What Moses gave you was not the bread from heaven; it is my Father who gives you the real bread from heaven ??33 for the bread of God is what comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
"Ah, sir," they said to him, "give us that bread always." Jesus said, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me will never be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty again. read more. But, as I told you, though you have seen me, you do not believe. All those will come to me who are the Father's gift to me, and never will I reject one of them; for I have come down from heaven not to carry out my own will but the will of him who sent me, and the will of him who sent me is that I lose none of those who are his gift to me, but that I raise them all up on the last day. It is the will of my Father that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should possess eternal life, and that I should raise him up on the last day." Now the Jews murmured at him for saying, "I am the bread which has come down from heaven." They said, "Is this not Jesus the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he claim now, 'I have come down from heaven'?" Jesus replied to them, "Stop murmuring to yourselves. No one is able to come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me (and I will raise him up on the last day). In the prophets it is written, and they will be all instructed by God; everyone who has listened to the Father and learned from him, comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father ??he only, who is from God, he has seen the Father. Truly, truly I tell you, the believer has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died; the bread that comes down from heaven is such that one eats of it and never dies. I am the living bread which has come down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and more, the bread I will give is my flesh, given for the life of the world." The Jews then wrangled with one another, saying, "How can he give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life within you. He who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood possesses eternal life (and I will raise him up on the last day), for my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains within me, as I remain within him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live by the Father, so he who feeds on me will also live by me. Such is the bread which has come down from heaven: your ancestors ate their bread and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live for ever." This he said as he taught in the synagogue at Capharnahum. Now many of his disciples, on hearing it, said, "This is hard to take in! Who can listen to talk like this?" Jesus, inwardly conscious that his disciples were murmuring at it, said to them, "So this upsets you? Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending to where he formerly existed? What gives life is the Spirit: flesh is of no avail at all. The words I have uttered to you are spirit and life. And yet there are some of you who do not believe" (for Jesus knew from the very first who the unbelieving were, and who was to betray him; that was why he said 'I tell you that no one is able to come to me unless he is allowed by the Father'). After that, many of his disciples drew back and would not associate with him any longer. So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go, too?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, who are we to go to? You have got words of eternal life, and we believe, we are certain, that you are the holy One of God."
He came to Simon Peter. "Lord," said he, "you to wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "You do not understand just now what I am doing, but you will understand it later on." read more. Said Peter, "You will never wash my feet, never!" "Unless I wash you," Jesus replied, "you will not share my lot." "Lord," said Simon Peter, "then wash not only my feet but my hands and head."
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear (the servant's name was Malchus); whereupon Jesus said to Peter, "Sheathe your sword. Am I not to drink the cup which the Father has handed me?" read more. So the troops and their commander and the Jewish attendants seized Jesus, bound him, and brought him first of all to Annas (for Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year ??14 the Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it was for their interests that one man should die for the people).
[vss 15-18 moved to between while Peter stood outside at the door. Then this other disciple, who was an acquaintance of the high priest, came out and spoke to the woman at the door, and brought Peter inside. read more. The maidservant at the door then said to Peter, "Are you not one of this fellow's disciples?" He said, "No."
Then after breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than the others do?" "Why, Lord," he said, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs," said Jesus.
Then after breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than the others do?" "Why, Lord," he said, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs," said Jesus. Again he asked him, for the second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Why, Lord," he said, "you know I love you." "Then be a shepherd to my sheep," said Jesus.
Again he asked him, for the second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Why, Lord," he said, "you know I love you." "Then be a shepherd to my sheep," said Jesus. For the third time he asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Now Peter was vexed at being asked a third time, "Do you love me?" So he replied; "Lord, you know everything, you can see I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep.
For the third time he asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Now Peter was vexed at being asked a third time, "Do you love me?" So he replied; "Lord, you know everything, you can see I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep. Truly, truly I tell you, you put on your own girdle and went wherever you wanted, when you were young; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands for someone to gird you, and you will be taken where you have no wish to go" read more. (he said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God); then he added, "Follow me."
Now during these days Peter stood up among the brothers (there was a crowd of about a hundred and twenty persons all together). "My brothers," said he, "it had to be fulfilled, that scripture which the holy Spirit uttered beforehand by the lips of David with regard to Judas who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus. read more. Judas did enter our number, he did get his allotted share of this our ministry. With the money paid him for his crime he purchased an estate; but swelling up he burst in two, and all his bowels poured out ??19 a fact which became known to all the residents in Jerusalem, so that the estate got the name, in their language, of Akeldamach or The Ground of Blood.
Now it is written in the book of psalms, Desolate be his residence, may no one dwell in it: also, let another man take over his charge. Well then, of the men who have been associated with us all the time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, read more. from the baptism of John down to the day when he was taken up from us ??of these men one must join us as a witness to his resurrection." So they brought forward two men, Joseph called Bar-Sabbas (surnamed Justus) and Matthias; and they prayed, "O Lord, who readest the hearts of all, do thou single out from these two men him whom thou hast chosen to fill the place in this apostolic ministry which Judas left in order to go to his own place." Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, who was assigned his position with the eleven apostles.
But Peter stood up along with the eleven, and raising his voice he addressed them thus: "Men of Judaea and residents in Jerusalem, let everyone of you understand this ??attend to what I say:
While they were speaking to the people, they were surprised by the priests, the commander of the temple, and the Sadducees, who were annoyed at them teaching the people and proclaiming Jesus as an instance of resurrection from the dead. read more. They laid hands on them and, as it was now evening, put them in custody till next morning. (A number of those who heard them speak believed, bringing up their numbers to [about] five thousand.) Next morning a meeting was held in Jerusalem of their rulers, elders and scribes, which was attended by the high priest Annas, by Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all the members of the high priest's family. They made the men stand before them and inquired, "By what authority, in whose name, have you done this?" Then Peter, filled with the holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we are being cross-examined to-day upon a benefit rendered to a cripple, upon how this man got better, you and the people of Israel must all understand that he stands before you strong and well, thanks to the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead. He is the stone despised by you builders, which has become head of the corner. There is no salvation by anyone else, nor even a second Name under heaven appointed for us men and our salvation." They were astonished to notice how outspoken Peter and John were, and to discover that they were uncultured persons and mere outsiders; they recognized them as having been companions of Jesus, but as they saw the man who had been healed standing beside them, they could say nothing. Ordering them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin, they proceeded to hold a consultation. "What are we to do with these men?" they said. "It is plain to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem that a miracle has admittedly been worked by them. That we cannot deny. However, to keep things from going any further with the people, we had better threaten them that they are not to tell anyone in future about this Name." So they called the men in and ordered them not to speak or teach a single sentence about the Name of Jesus.
But a man called Ananias, who with his wife Sapphira had sold some property, appropriated some of the purchase-money with the connivance of his wife; he only brought part of it to lay before the feet of the apostles. read more. "Ananias," said Peter, "why has Satan filled your heart and made you cheat the holy Spirit by appropriating some of the money paid for the land? When it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And even after the sale, was the money not yours to do as you pleased about it? How could you think of doing a thing like this? You have not defrauded men but God." When Ananias heard this, he fell down and expired. (Great awe came over all who heard of it.) And the younger men rose, wrapped the body up and carried it away to be buried. After an interval of about three hours his wife happened to come in, quite unconscious of what had occurred. "Tell me," said Peter, "did you only sell the land for such and such a sum?" "Yes," she said, "that was all we sold it for." Peter said to her, "How could you arrange to put the Lord's Spirit to the proof? Listen, there are the footsteps of the men who have buried your husband! They are at the door, and they will carry you out as well." Instantly she fell down at their feet and expired. The younger men came in to find her dead; they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great awe came over the whole church and over all who heard about this.
In fact, invalids were actually carried into the streets and laid on beds and mattresses, so that, when Peter passed, his shadow at anyrate might fall on one or other of them.
This filled the high priest Annas and his allies, the Sadducean party, with bitter jealousy; they laid hands on the apostles and put them into the public prison, read more. but an angel of the Lord opened the prison-doors during the night and brought them out, saying, "Go and stand in the temple, telling the people all about this Life." With these orders they went into the temple about dawn and proceeded to teach. Meantime the high priest and his allies met, called the Sanhedrin together and the council of seniors belonging to the sons of Israel, and then sent to prison for the men. But as the attendants did not find them when they got to the prison, they came back to report, "We found the prison safely locked up with the sentries posted at the doors, but on opening the doors we found no one inside!" On hearing this the commander of the temple and the high priests were quite at a loss to know what to make of it. However, someone came and reported to them, "Here are the very men you put in prison, standing in the temple and teaching the people!" At this the commander went off with the attendants and fetched them ??but without using violence, for fear that the people would pelt them with stones. They conducted them before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked them, "We strictly forbade you to teach about this Name, did we not? And here you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine! You want to make us responsible for this man's death!" Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him." When they heard this, they were so furious that they determined to make away with the apostles. But a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin called Gamaliel, a doctor of the Law who was highly respected by all the people, got up and ordered the apostles to be removed for a few moments. Then he said, "Men of Israel, take care what you do about these men. In days gone by Theudas started up, claiming to be a person of importance; a number of men, about four hundred of them, rallied to him, but he was slain, and all his followers were dispersed and wiped out. After him Judas the Galilean started up at the time of the census, and got people to desert to him; but he perished too, and all his followers were scattered. So I advise you to-day to leave these men to themselves. Let them alone. If this project or enterprise springs from men, it will collapse; whereas, if it really springs from God, you will be unable to put them down. You may even find yourselves fighting God!" They gave in to him, and after summoning the apostles and giving them a flogging, they released them with instructions that they were not to speak about the name of Jesus. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy of suffering dishonour for the sake of the Name; not for a single day did they cease to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus the Christ in the temple and at home.
(Saul quite approved of his murder.) That day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone, with the exception of the apostles, was scattered over Judaea and Samaria. Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him, read more. but Saul made havoc of the church by entering one house after another, dragging off men and women, and consigning them to prison. Now those who were scattered went through the land preaching the gospel. Philip travelled down to a town in Samaria, where he preached Christ to the people. And the crowds attended like one man to what was said by Philip, listening to him and watching the miracles he performed. For unclean spirits came screaming and shrieking out of many who had been possessed, and many paralytics and lame people were healed. So there was great rejoicing in that town. Now for some time previous a man called Simon had been practising magic arts in the town, to the utter astonishment of the Samaritan nation; he made himself out to be a great person, and all sorts and conditions of people attached themselves to him, declaring he was that Power of God which is known as 'the Great Power.' They attached themselves to him because he had dazzled them with his skill in magic for a considerable time. But when they believed Philip, who preached the gospel of the Reign of God and the name of Jesus, they had themselves baptized, both men and women; indeed Simon himself believed, and after his baptism kept close to Philip, utterly astonished to see the signs and striking miracles which were taking place. When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they despatched Peter and John,
When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they despatched Peter and John, who came down and prayed that the Samaritans might receive the holy Spirit.
who came down and prayed that the Samaritans might receive the holy Spirit. (As yet it had not fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
(As yet it had not fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the holy Spirit.
Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the holy Spirit. Now Simon noticed that the holy Spirit was conferred by the laying on of the apostles' hands; so he brought them money,
Now Simon noticed that the holy Spirit was conferred by the laying on of the apostles' hands; so he brought them money, saying, "Let me share this power too, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the holy Spirit."
saying, "Let me share this power too, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the holy Spirit." Peter said to him, "Death to you and your money, for dreaming you could buy the gift of God!
Peter said to him, "Death to you and your money, for dreaming you could buy the gift of God! You come in for no share or lot in this religion. Your heart is all wrong in the sight of God.
You come in for no share or lot in this religion. Your heart is all wrong in the sight of God. So repent of this wickedness of yours, and ask God whether you cannot be forgiven for your heart's purpose.
So repent of this wickedness of yours, and ask God whether you cannot be forgiven for your heart's purpose. For I see you are a bitter poison and a pack of evil."
For I see you are a bitter poison and a pack of evil." Simon replied, "Beseech the Lord for me! Pray that nothing you have said may befall me!"
Simon replied, "Beseech the Lord for me! Pray that nothing you have said may befall me!" After bearing their testimony to the word of the Lord and preaching it, the apostles went back to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to a number of the Samaritan villages;
Peter moved here and there among them all, and it happened that in the course of his tours he came down to visit the saints who stayed at Lydda. There he found a man called Aeneas who had been bed-ridden for eight years with paralysis. read more. "Aeneas," said Peter, "Jesus the Christ cures you! Get up and make your bed!" He got up at once. And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Saron saw him, and they turned to the Lord. At Joppa there was a disciple called Tabitha (which may be translated Dorcas, or 'Gazelle'), a woman whose life was full of good actions and of charitable practices. She happened to take ill and die at this time, and after washing her body they laid it in an upper room. When the disciples heard that Peter was at Lydda (for Joppa is not far from Lydda), they sent two men to beg him to "Come on to us without delay." So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him up to the room, where all the widows stood beside him crying as they showed him the garments and dresses that Dorcas used to make when she was with them. Peter put them all outside; then he knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body said, "Tabitha, rise." She opened her eyes, and on seeing Peter she sat up. Then he gave her his hand, raised her, and, after calling the saints and the widows he presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
Now in Caesarea there was a man called Cornelius, a captain in the Italian regiment,
Now those who had been scattered by the trouble which arose over Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but they preached the word to none except Jews.
It was about that time that king Herod laid hands of violence on some members of the church. James the brother of John he slew with the sword, read more. and when he saw this pleased the Jews, he went on to seize Peter. (This was during the days of unleavened bread.) After arresting him he put him in prison, handing him over to a guard of sixteen soldiers, with the intention of producing him to the People after the passover. So Peter was closely guarded in prison, while earnest prayer for him was offered to God by the church. The very night before Herod meant to have him produced, Peter lay asleep between two soldiers; he was fastened by two chains, and sentries in front of the door guarded the prison. But an angel of the Lord flashed on him, and a light shone in the cell; striking Peter on the side he woke him, saying, "Quick, get up!" The fetters dropped from his hands, and the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." He did so. Then said the angel, "Put on your coat and follow me." And he followed him out, not realizing that what the angel did was real, but imagining that he saw a vision. When they had passed the first guard and the second they came to the iron gate leading into the city, which opened to them of its own accord; they passed out, and after they had gone through one street, the angel immediately left him. Then Peter came to his senses and said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were anticipating." When he grasped the situation, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was surnamed Mark, where a number had met for prayer. When he knocked at the door of the porch, a maidservant called Rhoda came to answer it; but as soon as she recognized Peter's voice, instead of opening the door she ran inside from sheer joy and announced that Peter was standing in front of the porch. "You are mad," they said. But she insisted it was true. "It is his angel," they said. But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door they were amazed to see him. He beckoned to them to keep quiet and then described to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Report this to James," he said, "and to the brothers." And off he went to another place. Now when day broke there was a great commotion among the soldiers over what could have become of Peter. Herod made inquiries for him but could not find him; so, after cross-examining the guards, he ordered them off to death. He then went down from Judaea to Caesarea, where he spent some time.
But certain individuals came down from Jerusalem and taught the brothers that "unless you get circumcised after the custom of Moses you cannot be saved." As a sharp dispute and controversy sprang up between them and Paul and Barnabas, it was arranged that Paul and Barnabas, along with some others of their number, should go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and presbyters at Jerusalem about this question. read more. The church sped them on their journey, and they passed through both Phoenicia and Syria informing the brothers, to the great joy of all, that the Gentiles were turning to God. On arriving at Jerusalem they were received by the church, the apostles and the presbyters, and they reported how God had been with them and what he had done. But some of the believers who belonged to the Pharisaic party got up and said, "Gentiles must be circumcised and told to observe the law of Moses." The apostles and the presbyters met to investigate this question, and a keen controversy sprang up; but Peter rose and said to them, "Brothers, you are well aware that from the earliest days God chose that of you all I should be the one by whom the Gentiles were to hear the word of the gospel and believe it. The God who reads the hearts of all attested this by giving them the holy Spirit just as he gave it to us; in cleansing their hearts by faith he made not the slightest distinction between us and them. Well now, why are you trying to impose a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we ourselves could bear? No, it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus that we believe and are saved, in the same way as they are." So the whole meeting was quieted and listened to Barnabas and Paul recounting the signs and wonders God had performed by them among the Gentiles. When they had finished speaking, James spoke. "Brothers," he said, "listen to me. Symeon has explained how it was God's original concern to secure a People from among the Gentiles to bear his Name. This agrees with the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent, its ruins I will rebuild and erect it anew, that the rest of men may seek for the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by my name, saith the Lord, who makes this known from of old. Hence, in my opinion, we ought not to put fresh difficulties in the way of those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but write them injunctions to abstain from whatever is contaminated by idols, from sexual vice, from the flesh of animals that have been strangled, and from tasting blood; for Moses has had his preachers from the earliest ages in every town, where he is read aloud in the synagogues every sabbath." Then the apostles and the presbyters, together with the whole church, decided to select some of their number and send them with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch. The men selected were Judas (called Bar-Sabbas) and Silas, prominent members of the brotherhood. They conveyed the following letter. "The apostles and the presbyters of the brotherhood to the brothers who belong to the Gentiles throughout Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: greeting. Having learned that some of our number, quite unauthorized by us, have unsettled you with their teaching and upset your souls, we have decided unanimously to select some of our number and send them to you along with our beloved Paul and Barnabas who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We therefore send Judas and Silas with the following message, which they will also give to you orally. The holy Spirit and we have decided not to impose any extra burden on you, apart from these essential requirements: abstain from food that has been offered to idols, from tasting blood, from the flesh of animals that have been strangled, and from sexual vice. Keep clear of all this and you will prosper. Goodbye."
Then, fourteen years later, I went up to Jerusalem again, accompanied by Barnabas; I took Titus with me also. (It was in consequence of a revelation that I went up at all.) I submitted the gospel I am in the habit of preaching to the Gentiles, submitting it privately to the authorities, to make sure that my course of action would be and had been sound. read more. But even my companion Titus, Greek though he was, was not obliged to be circumcised. There were traitors of false brothers, who had crept in to spy out the freedom we enjoy in Christ Jesus; they did aim at enslaving us again. But we refused to yield for a single instant to their claims; we were determined that the truth of the gospel should hold good for you. Besides, the so-called 'authorities' (it makes no difference to me what their status used to be ??God pays no regard to the externals of men), these 'authorities' had no additions to make to my gospel. On the contrary, when they saw I had been entrusted with the gospel for the benefit of the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been for the circumcised (for He who equipped Peter to be an apostle of the circumcised equipped me as well for the uncircumcised), and when they recognized the grace I had been given, then the so-called 'pillars' of the church, James and Cephas and John, gave myself and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship. Our sphere was to be the Gentiles, theirs the circumcised. Only, we were to 'remember the poor.' I was quite eager to do that myself. But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face. The man stood self-condemned. Before certain emissaries of James arrived, he ate along with the Gentile Christians; but when they arrived, he began to draw back and hold aloof, because he was afraid of the circumcision party. The rest of the Jewish Christians also played false along with him, so much so that even Barnabas was carried away by their false play. But I saw they were swerving from the true line of the gospel; so I said to Cephas in presence of them all, "If you live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, though you are a Jew yourself, why do you oblige the Gentiles to become Jews?" ??15 We may be Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners,'
but since we know a man is justified simply by faith in Jesus Christ and not by doing what the Law commands, we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus so as to get justified by faith in Christ and not by doing what the Law commands ??for by doing what the Law commands no person shall be justified. If it is discovered that in our quest for justification in Christ we are 'sinners' as well as the Gentiles, does that make Christ an agent of sin? Never! read more. I really convict myself of transgression when I rebuild what I destroyed. For through the Law I died to the Law that I might live for God; I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, Christ lives in me; the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. I do not annul God's grace; but if righteousness comes by way of the Law, then indeed Christ's death was useless.
Morish
The son of Jonas and one of the twelve apostles. His name was originally Simon, and apparently at his first interview with the Lord he received from Him the surname CEPHAS. This is an Aramaic word, the same as Peter in Greek, both signifying 'a stone.' Joh 1:42. (In Ac 10:5 he is called "Simon, whose surname is Peter.") The next notice of Peter is in Luke 5 when he was called to the apostleship. Overpowered at the draught of fishes, he exclaimed, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord;" but at the bidding of Christ he forsook all and followed Him. Mt 4:18; Mr 1:16-17; Lu 5:3-11.
He had a sort of prominence among the apostles: when a few of them were selected for any special occasion, Peter was always one of them, and is named first. The three names 'Peter, James, and John' occur often together, still we do not read of Peter having any authority over the others: cf. Mt 20:25-28. Peter was in character energetic and impulsive: he wanted to walk on the water to go to Christ, and his strong affection for the Lord led him to oppose when the Lord spoke of His coming sufferings, for which he was rebuked as presenting Satan's mind. His self-confidence led him into a path of temptation, in which he thrice denied his Lord. But the Lord had prayed for him that his faith should not fail, and his repentance was real and instant. He was fully restored by the Lord, who significantly demanded thrice if he loved Him, and then committed to him the care of His sheep and His lambs. John 21.
When Peter confessed to Jesus, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," the Lord said that He would build His church upon that foundation, and added, "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven," with assurance that what he bound or loosed on earth would be ratified in heaven. Matt. 16. On the day of Pentecost we find Peter accordingly using these keys, and opening to three thousand Jews the doors of the kingdom. He afterwards admitted Gentiles in the person of Cornelius and those that were gathered with him.
Peter was the apostle of the circumcision, as Paul was of the Gentiles, and was a long time getting entirely clear of Jewish prejudices. Paul had to withstand him to the face at Antioch, for refusing under Jewish influence to continue eating with Gentiles. On the other hand, Peter, while confessing that in some of Paul's writings there were things hard to be understood, recognises them as scripture.
In the beginning of the Acts Peter's boldness in testimony is conspicuous. He was leaning on One stronger than himself and was carried on by the power of the Holy Spirit. He was miraculously delivered out of prison. The Lord had intimated to him that he would die the death of a martyr (Joh 21:19), and historians relate that he was crucified, and with his head downward by his own request: they also state that his wife died with him. He was the writer of the two epistles bearing his name.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
As he was walking along the sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew, casting a net in the sea ??for they were fishermen;
but Jesus called them and said, "You know the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men overbear them: not so with you. Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, read more. and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of man has not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Now as he passed along the sea of Galilee he saw Simon and Simon's brother Andrew netting fish in the sea ??for they were fishermen; so Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me and I will make you fish for men."
So he entered one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to push out a little from the land. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he stopped speaking, he said to Simon, "Push out to the deep water and lower your nets for a take." read more. Simon replied, "Master, we worked all night and got nothing! However, I will lower the nets at your command." And when they did so, they enclosed a huge shoal of fish, so that their nets began to break. Then they made signals to their mates in the other boat to come and assist them. They came and filled both the boats, till they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it he fell at the knees of Jesus, crying, "Lord, leave me; I am a sinful man." For amazement had seized him and all his companions at the take of fish they had caught; as was the case with James and John, the sons of Zebedaeus, who were partners of Simon. Then said Jesus to Simon, "Have no fear; from now your catch will be men." Then they brought the boats to land, and leaving all they followed him.
He took him to Jesus; Jesus gazed at him and said, "You are Simon, the son of John? Your name is to be Cephas" (meaning 'Peter' or 'rock').
(he said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God); then he added, "Follow me."
Smith
Pe'ter
(a rock or stone). The original name of this disciple was Simon, i.e. "hearer." He was the son of a man named Jonas,
Mt 16:17; Joh 1:42; 21:16
and was brought up in his father's occupation, that of a fisherman. He and his brother Andrew were partners of John end James, the sons of Zebedee, who had hired servants. Peter did not live, as a mere laboring man, in a hut by the seaside, but first at Bethsaida, and afterward in a house at Capernaum belonging to himself or his mother-in-law, which must have been rather a large one, since he received in it not only our Lord and his fellow disciples, but multitudes who were attracted by the miracles and preaching of Jesus. Peter was probably between thirty and forty pears of age at the date of his call. That call was preceded by a special preparation. Peter and his brother Andrew, together with their partners James and John, the sons ,of Zebedee, were disciples of John the Baptist when he was first called by our Lord. The particulars of this are related with graphic minuteness by St. John. It was upon this occasion that Jesus gave Peter the name Cephas, a Syriac word answering to the Greek Peter, and signifying a stone or rock.
Joh 1:35-42
This first call led to no immediate change in Peter's external position. He and his fellow disciples looked henceforth upon our Lord as their teacher, but were not commanded to follow him as regular disciples. They returned to Capernaum, where they pursued their usual business, waiting for a further intimation of his will. The second call is recorded by the other three evangelists; the narrative of Luke being apparently supplementary to the brief and, so to speak official accounts given by Matthew and Mark. It took place on the Sea of Galilee near Capernaum, where the four disciples Peter and Andrew, James and John were fishing. Some time was passed afterward in attendance upon our Lord's public ministrations in Galilee, Decapolis, Peraea and Judea. The special designation of Peter and his eleven fellow disciples took place some time afterward, when they were set apart as our Lord's immediate attendants. See
(the most detailed account); Luke 6:13 They appear to have then first received formally the name of apostles, and from that time Simon bore publicly, and as it would seem all but exclusively, the name Peter, which had hitherto been used rather as a characteristic appellation than as a proper name. From this time there can be no doubt that Peter held the first place among the apostles, to whatever cause his precedence is to be attributed. He is named first in every list of the apostles; he is generally addressed by our Lord as their representative; and on the most solemn occasions he speaks in their name. The distinction which he received, and it may be his consciousness of ability, energy, zeal and absolute devotion to Christ's person, seem to have developed a natural tendency to rashness and forwardness bordering upon resumption. In his affection and self-confidence Peter ventured to reject as impossible the announcement of the sufferings and humiliation which Jesus predicted, and heard the sharp words, "Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offence unto me, for thou savorest not the things that be of God but those that be of men." It is remarkable that on other occasions when St. Peter signalized his faith and devotion, he displayed at the time, or immediately afterward, a more than usual deficiency in spiritual discernment and consistency. Toward the close of our Lord's ministry Peter's characteristics become especially prominent. At the last supper Peter seems to have been particularly earnest in the request that the traitor might be pointed out. After the supper his words drew out the meaning of the significant act of our Lord in washing his disciples' feet. Then too it was that he made those repeated protestations of unalterable fidelity, so soon to be falsified by his miserable fall. On the morning of the resurrection we have proof that Peter, though humbled, was not crushed by his fall. He and John were the first to visit the sepulchre; he was the first who entered it. We are told by Luke and by Paul that Christ appeared to him first among the apostles. It is observable; however, that on that occasion he is called by his original name, Simon not Peter; the higher designation was not restored until he had been publicly reinstituted, so to speak, by his Master. That reinstitution--an event of the very highest import-took place at the Sea of Galilee. John 21. The first part of the Acts of the Apostles is occupied by the record of transactions in nearly all forth as the recognized leader of the apostles. He is the most prominent person in the greatest event after the resurrection, when on the day of Pentecost the Church was first invested with the plenitude of gifts and power. When the gospel was first preached beyond the precincts of Judea, he and John were at once sent by the apostles to confirm the converts at Samaria. Henceforth he remains prominent, but not exclusively prominent, among the propagators of the gospel. We have two accounts of the first meeting of Peter and Paul --
This interview was followed by another event marking Peter's position --a general apostolical tour of visitation to the churches hitherto established.
The most signal transaction after the day of Pentecost was the baptism of Cornelius. That was the crown and consummation of Peter's ministry. The establishment of a church in great part of Gentile origin at Antioch and the mission of Barnabas between whose family and Peter there were the bonds of near intimacy, set the seal upon the work thus inaugurated by Peter. This transaction was soon followed by the imprisonment of our apostle. His miraculous deliverance marks the close of this second great period of his ministry. The special work assigned to him was completed. From that time we have no continuous history of him. Peter was probably employed for the most part in building up and completing the organization of Christian communities in Palestine and the adjoining districts. There is, however strong reason to believe that he visited Corinth at an early period. The name of Peter as founder or joint founder is not associated with any local church save the churches of Corinth, Antioch or Rome, by early ecclesiastical tradition. It may be considered as a settled point that he did not visit Rome before the last year of his life; but there is satisfactory evidence that he and Paul were the founders of the church at Rome, and suffered death in that city. The time and manner of the apostle's martyrdom are less certain. According to the early writers, he suffered at or about the same time with Paul, and in the Neronian persecution, A.D. 67,68. All agree that he was crucified. Origen says that Peter felt himself to be unworthy to be put to death in the same manner as his Master, and was therefore, at his own request, crucified with his head downward. The apostle is said to have employed interpreters. Of far more importance is the statement that Mark wrote his Gospel under the teaching of Peter, or that he embodied in that Gospel the substance of our apostle's oral instructions. [MARK]
See Mark, Gospel of
The only written documents which Peter has left are the First Epistle-- about which no doubt has ever been entertained in the Church-- and the Second, which has been a subject of earnest controversy.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, James the son of Zebedaeus and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the taxgatherer, James the son of Alphaeus and Lebbaeus whose surname is Thaddaeus, read more. Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Jesus answered him, "You are a blessed man, Simon Bar-jona, for it was my Father in heaven, not flesh and blood, that revealed this to you.
Then he went up the hillside and summoned the men he wanted, and they went to him. He appointed twelve to be with him, also that he might despatch them to preach read more. with the power of casting out daemons; there was Simon, whom he surnamed Peter, James the son of Zebedaeus and John the brother of James (he surnamed them Boanerges, or "Sons of thunder"), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the zealot, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. Then they went indoors,
Next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; he gazed at Jesus as he walked about, and said, "Look, there is the lamb of God!" read more. The two disciples heard what he said and went after Jesus. Now Jesus turned, and when he observed them coming after him, he asked them, "What do you want?" They replied, "Rabbi" (which may be translated, 'teacher'), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." So they went and saw where he stayed, and stayed with him the rest of that day ??it was then about four in the afternoon. One of the two men who heard what John said and went after Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Peter. In the morning he met his brother Simon and told him, "We have found the messiah" (which may be translated, 'Christ'). He took him to Jesus; Jesus gazed at him and said, "You are Simon, the son of John? Your name is to be Cephas" (meaning 'Peter' or 'rock').
He took him to Jesus; Jesus gazed at him and said, "You are Simon, the son of John? Your name is to be Cephas" (meaning 'Peter' or 'rock').
Again he asked him, for the second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Why, Lord," he said, "you know I love you." "Then be a shepherd to my sheep," said Jesus.
He got to Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, unable to believe he was really a disciple.
Peter moved here and there among them all, and it happened that in the course of his tours he came down to visit the saints who stayed at Lydda.
instead of going up to Jerusalem to see those who had been apostles before me, I went off at once to Arabia, and on my return I came back to Damascus. Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to make the acquaintance of Cephas. I stayed a fortnight with him.
Watsons
PETER, the great Apostle of the circumcision, was the son of Jona, and born at Bethsaida, a town situated on the western shore of the lake of Gennesareth, but in what particular year we are not informed, Joh 1:42-43. His original name was Simon or Simeon, which his divine Master, when he called him to the Apostleship, changed for that of Cephas, a Syriac word signifying a stone or rock; in Latin, petra, from whence is derived the term Peter. He was a married man, and had his house, his mother-in-law and his wife, at Capernaum, on the lake of Gennesareth, Mt 8:14; Mr 1:29; Lu 4:38. He had also a brother of the name of Andrew, who had been a disciple of John the Baptist, and was called to the knowledge of the Saviour prior to himself. Andrew was present when the venerable Baptist pointed his disciples to Jesus, and added. "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world;" and, meeting Simon shortly afterward, said, "We have found the Messiah," and then brought him to Jesus, Joh 1:41. When the two brothers had passed one day with the Lord Jesus, they took their leave of him, and returned to their ordinary occupation of fishing. This appears to have taken place in the thirtieth year of the Christian era. Toward the end of the same year, as Jesus was one morning standing on the shore of the lake of Gennesareth, he saw Andrew and Peter engaged about their employment. They had been fishing during the whole night, but without the smallest success; and, after this fruitless expedition, were in the act of washing their nets, Lu 5:1-3. Jesus entered into their boat, and bade Peter throw out his net into the sea, which he did; and now, to his astonishment, the multitude of fishes was so immense that their own vessel, and that of the sons of Zebedee, were filled with them. Peter evidently saw there was something supernatural in this, and, throwing himself at the feet of Jesus, he exclaimed, "Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man." The miracle was no doubt intended for a sign to the four disciples of what success should afterward follow their ministry in preaching the doctrine of his kingdom; and therefore Jesus said unto them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men;" on which they quitted their boats and nets, and thenceforth became the constant associates of the Saviour, during the whole of his public ministry, Lu 18:28.
From the instant of his entering upon the apostolic office, we find St. Peter on almost every occasion evincing the strength of his faith in Jesus as the Messiah, and the most extraordinary zeal in his service, of which many examples are extant in the Gospels. When Jesus in private asked his disciples, first, what opinion the people entertained of him; next, what was their own opinion: "Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," Mt 16:16. Having received this answer, Jesus declared Peter blessed on account of his faith; and in allusion to the signification of his name, added, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth," &c. Many think these things were spoken to St. Peter alone, for the purpose of conferring on him privileges and powers not granted to the rest of the Apostles. But others, with more reason, suppose that, though Jesus directed his discourse to St. Peter, it was intended for them all; and that the honours and powers granted to St. Peter by name were conferred on them all equally. For no one will say that Christ's church was built upon St. Peter singly: it was built on the foundation of all the Apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. As little can any one say that the power of binding and loosing was confined to St. Peter, seeing it was declared afterward to belong to all the Apostles, Mt 18:18; Joh 20:23. To these things add this, that as St. Peter made his confession in answer to a question which Jesus put to all the Apostles, that confession was certainly made in the name of the whole; and, therefore, what Jesus said to him in reply was designed for the whole without distinction; excepting this, which was peculiar to him, that he was to be the first who, after the descent of the Holy Ghost, should preach the Gospel to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles: an honour which was conferred on St. Peter in the expression, "I will give thee the keys," &c.
St. Peter was one of the three Apostles whom Jesus admitted to witness the resurrection of Jairus's daughter, and before whom he was transfigured, and with whom he retired to pray in the garden the night before he suffered. He was the person who in the fervour of his zeal for his Master cut off the ear of the high priest's slave, when the armed band came to apprehend him. Yet this same Peter, a few hours after that, denied his Master three different times in the high priest's palace, and that with oaths. In the awful defection of the Apostle on this occasion we have melancholy proof of the power of human depravity even in regenerate men, and of the weakness of human resolutions when left to ourselves. St. Peter was fully warned by his divine Master of his approaching danger; but confident in his own strength, he declared himself ready to accompany his Lord to prison and even to judgment. After the third denial "Jesus turned and looked upon Peter;" that look pierced him to the heart; and, stung with deep remorse, "he went out, and wept bitterly." St. Peter, however, obtained forgiveness; and, when Jesus had risen from the dead, he ordered the glad tidings of his resurrection to be conveyed to St. Peter by name: "Go tell my disciples and Peter," Mr 16:8. He afterward received repeated assurances of his Saviour's love, and from that time uniformly showed the greatest zeal and fortitude in his Master's service.
Soon after our Lord's ascension, in a numerous assembly of the Apostles and brethren, St. Peter gave it as his opinion, that one should be chosen to be an Apostle in the room of Judas. To this they all agreed; and, by lot, chose Matthias, whom on that occasion they numbered with the eleven Apostles. On the day of pentecost following, when the Holy Spirit fell on the Apostles and disciples, St. Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice; that is, St. Peter, rising up, spake with a loud voice, in the name of the Apostles, as he had done on various occasions in his Master's lifetime, and gave the multitude an account of that great miracle, Ac 2:14. St. Peter now began to experience the fulfilment of Christ's promise to make him a fisher of men, and also that he would give him the keys of the kingdom of heaven. His sermon on this occasion produced an abundant harvest of converts to Christ. Three thousand of his audience were pricked to the heart, and cried out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" St. Peter proclaimed to them the riches of pardoning mercy through the divine blood of the Son of God; and they that gladly received his doctrine were baptized and added to the church, Ac 2:37-43. The effects produced on the mind of this great Apostle of the circumcision by the resurrection of his divine Master, and the consequent effusion of the Holy Spirit, were evidently of the most extraordinary kind, and such as it is impossible to account for upon natural principles. He was raised superior to all considerations of personal danger and the fear of man. And though all the Apostles could now say, "God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind;" yet an attentive reader of the Acts of the Apostles cannot fail to perceive that upon almost every occasion of difficulty St. Peter is exhibited to our view as standing foremost in the rank of Apostles. When St. Peter and John were brought before the council to be examined concerning the miracle wrought on the impotent man, St. Peter spake. It was St. Peter who questioned Ananias and Sapphira about the price of their lands; and for their lying in that matter, punished them miraculously with death. It is remarkable, also, that although by the hands of the Apostles many signs and wonders were wrough
See Verses Found in Dictionary
On entering the house of Peter, Jesus noticed his mother-in-law was down with fever,
So Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
I tell you truly, Whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.
On leaving the synagogue they went straight to the house of Simon and Andrew, accompanied by James and John.
And they fled out of the tomb, for they were seized with terror and beside themselves. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid of ??.
When he got up to leave the synagogue he went to the house of Simon. Simon's mother-in-law was laid up with a severe attack of fever, so they asked him about her;
Now as the crowd were pressing on him to listen to the word of God, he saw, as he stood beside the lake of Gennesaret, two boats on the shore of the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. read more. So he entered one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to push out a little from the land. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
Peter said, "Well, we have left our homes and followed you!"
In the morning he met his brother Simon and told him, "We have found the messiah" (which may be translated, 'Christ'). He took him to Jesus; Jesus gazed at him and said, "You are Simon, the son of John? Your name is to be Cephas" (meaning 'Peter' or 'rock'). read more. Next day Jesus determined to leave for Galilee; there he met Philip and told him, "Follow me."
If you remit the sins of any, they are remitted: if you retain them, they are retained."
But Peter stood up along with the eleven, and raising his voice he addressed them thus: "Men of Judaea and residents in Jerusalem, let everyone of you understand this ??attend to what I say:
When they heard this, it went straight to their hearts; they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what are we to do?" "Repent," said Peter, "let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins; then you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit. read more. For the promise is meant for you and for your children and for all who are far off, for anyone whom the Lord our God may call to himself." And with many another appeal he urged and entreated them. "Save yourselves," he cried, "from this crooked generation!" So those who accepted what he said were baptized; about three thousand souls were brought in, that day. They devoted themselves to the instruction given by the apostles and to fellowship, breaking bread and praying together. Awe fell on everyone, and many wonders and signs were performed by the apostles [in Jerusalem].
By 'quarrelling' I mean that each of you has his party-cry, "I belong to Paul," "And I to Apollos," "And I to Cephas," "And I to Christ."
Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life, death, the present and the future ??all belongs to you;
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face. The man stood self-condemned.
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face. The man stood self-condemned. Before certain emissaries of James arrived, he ate along with the Gentile Christians; but when they arrived, he began to draw back and hold aloof, because he was afraid of the circumcision party. read more. The rest of the Jewish Christians also played false along with him, so much so that even Barnabas was carried away by their false play. But I saw they were swerving from the true line of the gospel; so I said to Cephas in presence of them all, "If you live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, though you are a Jew yourself, why do you oblige the Gentiles to become Jews?" ??15 We may be Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners,'
but since we know a man is justified simply by faith in Jesus Christ and not by doing what the Law commands, we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus so as to get justified by faith in Christ and not by doing what the Law commands ??for by doing what the Law commands no person shall be justified. If it is discovered that in our quest for justification in Christ we are 'sinners' as well as the Gentiles, does that make Christ an agent of sin? Never! read more. I really convict myself of transgression when I rebuild what I destroyed. For through the Law I died to the Law that I might live for God; I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, Christ lives in me; the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. I do not annul God's grace; but if righteousness comes by way of the Law, then indeed Christ's death was useless.