St. Peter Biography
This St. Peter biography demonstrates unequivocally that, on his way from being a humble fisherman to an early disciple or follower, Peter denied Jesus three times. However, Jesus ultimately chose Peter to lead the church, calling him the rock of the church. Peter died after intense persecution as the first Pope and leader of the Catholic church.
- Story of St. Peter
- Saint Peter Times
- Saint Roman Sojourn
- Peter at Gethsemane
- Peter Denies Jesus
- Peter at the Resurrection
- Peter is imprisoned and escapes.
- Peter at the Last Supper
- Peter at the Transfiguration of Jesus
- Summary St. Peter Biography
- Frequently Asked Questions about Apostle Peter
- Resources St. Peter Biography
Because Jesus also promised to give him the keys to the kingdom of heaven, most portrayals of Peter show him carrying a pair of keys.
At the moment of Jesus’ arrest, Peter cut off the ear of a high priest’s servant with a sword, but then, as Jesus foretold, he denied ever knowing him three times. After Jesus’ Resurrection, Peter re-affirmed his love for Jesus and was commanded to “feed (his) lambs” to take care of the Church.
St. PeterAccording to the Acts of the Apostles, Peter takes the lead in addressing the crowds assembled in Jerusalem for the Pentecost feast. As the leader of the Christians in Jerusalem, he was sentenced to death by Herod but miraculously released from prison the night before his trial.
After that, Peter departed Jerusalem to promote the Gospel. According to legend, he was in Rome in 63/64AD, during the reign of the Roman emperor Nero. Nero blamed Christians for a terrible fire in Rome in 64 AD. Peter was one of the Christians arrested and sentenced to death by crucifixion.
Story of St. Peter
St. Peter, originally known as Simon, was a fisherman by trade. Jesus called Peter and his brother Andrew, James, and John to leave everything behind to become His followers. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).
When Peter confessed confidence in Jesus as Messiah, Jesus gave him the nickname “rock” and said that the Church would rise on the rock of Peter’s faith (Matthew 16:18). When naming Jesus’ apostles, all of the Gospel writers start with Peter. In the Gospels, however, Peter repeatedly reveals that his faith is faulty but increasing.
He says things that irritate Jesus: he denies that Jesus’ crucifixion should ever be allowed to occur (Matthew 16:22), informs Jesus at the Last Supper that he would never wash his feet (John 13:8), and refuses connection with Jesus three times, despite Jesus’ prediction that he would (Luke 22:61).
St. Peter exemplifies how tough discipleship maybe, but he is also an example of the Lord choosing the weak and strengthening them in bearing witness to Him. At 64, Peter was killed (crucified upside down on a cross) for his religion in Rome, where he served as the city’s first bishop. St. Peter’s feast day is on the 29th of June for both Eastern and Western Christianity, but these are not the only days, 18 January, 22 February, and the 18th of November are important days as well.
Saint Peter Times
As far as can be determined, Peter was a member of the ordinary people of Palestine, who were typically deemed to be Am harez, the people of the land, by educated Jewish classes. This word was used derogatorily to characterize persons unaware of the finer points and deeper ideals of Judaism and the Jewish way of life. Furthermore, Peter was a Galilean, so he shared the spirit of independence and resistance to Jerusalem in that northern province.
Recent studies of ordinary Palestinians’ everyday lives give a reasonably clear image of Peter’s social conditions: great poverty, a strongly fideistic approach to religion, a reliance on superstition, and an intense reliance on the vagaries of natural elements.
Furthermore, in the northern portions of Palestine, away from the immediate influence of Jerusalem, more revolutionary ideas quickly gained traction. Unrefined and immature views about the Messiah and Israel’s rescue were easily transformed into political movements, radical organizations, and a willingness to distance oneself from the authoritarian structure of southern Judaism.
When Peter reached adulthood in the mid-20s of the first century AD, the general atmosphere in Palestine was one of tension over the universal presence of the Roman conqueror and foreboding born of a strictly religious conviction that the arrival of the Jewish Messiah was imminent as the only possible solution to Israel’s difficulties.
Indeed, we see in the Gospels more than once that Jesus’ followers, led by Peter, tried to force Jesus to embrace the role of king. Even after Jesus’ Resurrection, Peter and the others asked him when and how to restore Israel’s kingdom. It is apparent that Peter’s connection to Jesus was founded, at least in the beginning, on the belief that Jesus would truly restore the kingdom of Israel and that Peter and the other Apostles would be leaders in the new age.
Saint Peter PrayerSaint Roman Sojourn
From what we can learn and guess, it appears that Peter held a position of importance in Rome and was martyred there during Nero’s reign (37-68). The earliest evidence comes from a letter made by Clement in Rome about the year 96. A letter from Ignatius of Antioch (died before 110) and a speech by Gaius, a Roman clergyman, both imply Peter’s presence and power in Rome (ca. 200). Gaius mentions the Vatican Shrine and the Church’s “founders.” Finally, all early listings of Rome’s bishops begin with Peter’s name as the first bishop.
Nero at BaiaeExcavations at the Vatican have turned up no compelling and irrefutable proof of Peter’s presence in Rome or burial beneath the Vatican. They did, however, discover an antique shrine dating from around the year 160. Collateral evidence implies the burial location of a revered figure, which Roman Catholic tradition recognizes as Peter.
There is no direct evidence in the New Testament that Peter’s status as Apostles’ leader was intended to be passed on to his successors, the bishops of Rome, as the popes’ importance over all of Christianity. This is a separate subject that is dependent on subsequent Church development and belief progression.
Tradition names Peter as the author of two letters bearing his name, while the authorship of at least the second has been called into question. Several apocryphal documents, all of which originate from the second century, are attributed to Peter. There is also the fragmented Acts of Peter, which purports to tell the story of Peter’s death as a martyr.
According to the first of the two letters attributed to Peter, his perspective as a Jew and Semite was never impacted by Greek or other non-Jewish philosophy. He embodies the mindset of a first-century Jew who believes that Jesus arrived as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilling all of Israel’s promises and hopes.
Some of Peter’s statements are no longer considered acceptable by orthodox Christian thought. Based on what we know about Peter and his life, he appears to have moved from Palestine to Rome as one Jewish community to another, without fundamentally changing his inclinations as a Jewish believer except in accepting Jesus as the Messiah of Israel.
Basilica of Gethsemane, JerusalemPeter at Gethsemane
Just before Jesus died, Peter was with him in the Garden of Gethsemane. When the soldiers tried to capture Jesus, Peter drew his sword and swung it at the head of one of them, Malchus, a slave of the High Priest. He missed, but he severed the unfortunate man’s ear.
Peter Denies Jesus
After his arrest, Jesus was carried to Caiphas’, the High Priest’s, residence. This was an official home with a central courtyard that was open to the public. While Jesus was being questioned, Peter was waiting outside.
Until this point, Peter had kept his word: he had remained by Jesus’ side while the others fled. But someone, a female servant, identified him as a Jesus believer and challenged him. Fear gripped Peter, and he declared three times that he did not know Jesus. He was immediately sorry for his frailty.
Peter at the Resurrection
When Mary Magdalene broke into the chamber where the disciples were huddled and announced that Jesus had risen from the dead, Peter and the much younger John did not pause; they dashed as swiftly as they could towards the Tomb. John beat Peter to the finish line. However, as soon as Peter came, he went directly into the Tomb by himself. There was no one there — only a sheet where Jesus’ corpse had been.
Peter is imprisoned but escapes with the help of an angelPeter is imprisoned and escapes.
After Pentecost, Peter embarked on a new chapter about his life. Inspired, he began telling everyone he met about Jesus of Nazareth. In a sense, he was the forefather of early Christianity. It was not an easy road to take. Herod Agrippa, I, Herod the Great’s grandson, pursued and imprisoned the early Christians (who slaughtered the Innocents at the time of the birth of Jesus).
Peter was imprisoned as well, but after the Christian communities prayed, God released him: an angel of the Lord appeared, the chains dropped off his wrists, and Peter followed the angel out of the jail cell.
Peter at the Last Supper
Jesus washed the feet of each of his followers during the Last Supper. Although Peter opposed having his feet washed by someone he admired, Jesus insisted.
When danger approached, Jesus knew that his disciples would scatter and run. But Peter disagreed, promising Jesus and the other disciples that he would remain true even if everyone deserted him until the end.
Transfiguration of ChristPeter at the Transfiguration of Jesus
This was a watershed point in Jesus’ life. Peter had just declared that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah.
Separated from the others, Jesus, Peter, James, and John ascended the flat summit. Something happened there that the disciples tried to explain to the others later: Jesus had been transformed, and at the same time, the figures of Moses (the Law) and Elijah (the Prophets) appeared and spoke with him.
They felt as if a voice came from nowhere and everywhere, telling them that Jesus was God’s Son, chosen by God and now shown to them.
Peter, who was always full of energy, wanted to set up tents or pavilions, but Jesus gently restrained him. Peter and the other disciples did not comprehend the significance of all of this until after the Resurrection.
Summary St. Peter Biography
The story of Peter, in summary, proves Saint Peter was a Galilean fisherman who lived on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (see top right of map) with his wife, his brother Andrew and his mother-in-law.
People at the time worked as a family unit. Therefore, Peter’s family’s men and women worked together to capture and preserve/dry fish for export to the nearby towns.
This family was most likely collaborating with Zebedee and his sons, James and John (Matthew 4:21).
Frequently Asked Questions about Apostle Peter
Who denied Jesus three times?
It was Peter who denied Jesus three times, according to the Gospels. After Jesus was arrested, Peter followed him at a distance and ended up in the courtyard of the high priest. There, a servant girl recognized him as one of Jesus’ disciples and accused him of being one as well. Peter denied it, saying he didn’t know what she was talking about.
Later, another person saw him and said that he had been with Jesus in Galilee. Once again, Peter denied it, this time more forcefully.
Then, bystanders trap size Peter by telling him that they had seen him with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Peter then cursed and swore that he did not know the man.
Why did God choose Peter?
God chose Peter for a number of reasons. First, Peter was a fisherman by trade, so he was used to hard work and challenges. Second, Peter was Printable positive, and always looking on the bright side – something critical when Guide led the early Christians. Third, Peter was brave and not afraid to stand up for what he believed in – even when it meant going against authority. Finally, because of his faithfulness to Christ, Peter would ultimately become one of the most important figures in Christianity.
What did Jesus say about Peter?
Jesus said some pretty great things about Peter. For example, he called him the “rock” upon which he would build his church (Matthew 16:18). And after Peter denied him thrice, Jesus redeeming popped up and restored his bedraggled disciple (John 21:15-19)
So it seems that, despite Peter’s many shortcomings, Jesus saw something special in him. He believed in him enough to give him a significant leadership role in his church.
And even when Peter failed miserably, Jesus was willing to forgive and give him another chance
Why was St Peter crucified upside down?
Legend has it that Peter asked to be crucified upside down because he didn’t feel worthy to die in the same way as Jesus.
There is also a theory that Peter was crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to die in the same way as his master. Some say that he asked for this specific type of crucifixion as an act of humility. Others suggest that Rome may have chosen this method to make it clear that Peter was not equal to Jesus.
Who is 1 Peter addressed to?
Peter is addressed to the Christians living in Babylon.
Babylon was a place of great cultural diversity and religious syncretism. It was a melting pot of different religions and cultures, and Christianity was just one of many religions practiced there. So Peter’s letter is meant to be an encouragement to the Christians living in Babylon – who were undoubtedly feeling overwhelmed and outnumbered – that they are not alone, and that God is with them.
What is the central message of 1 Peter?
The main message of 1 Peter is that believers are to live holy lives because they are God’s elect, peculiar people (1 Pet. 2:9). As such, they are to put off various sinful practices and put on various righteous practices. The letter also exhorts believers to suffer from joy because of their hope in Christ. Finally, the letter ends with a call to all Christians to be holy in their conduct and love (1 Pet. 4:7-8).
Who wrote the 2nd Peter in the Bible?
Peter. 2nd Peter is traditionally attributed to the Apostle Peter, who was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus.
What miracles did St Peter perform?
Peter was known for his powerful faith and unshakeable belief in Jesus. He was also known for his ability to perform miracles. Here are some of the miracles attributed to St Peter:
-Peter healed a lame man by touching him (Acts 3:1-10)
-He raised a dead girl back to life with just a touch (Acts 9:36-42)
-He exorcised a demon from a man (Mark 9:14-29)
-He healed many people who were sick or possessed by demons (Acts 5:16)
-Peter even walked on water for a while (Matthew 14:28-31)