PETER (Lat. Pcfrus, from Gk. rirpoc, Peter, Tirpoe, rock), or SEttox PETER. The Apostle of .lesus Ivho is limped first in each of the lists of the Twelve in the Synoptic Gospels. His original name was the Hebrew ,Aint`f3n, which was easily shortened to conform to the Greek Simon. Ile was the son of a certain Jona and (cf. :John i. 44) was a native of Bethsaida. In his early manhood he was a citizen of Capernaum. Here he had a house, and with his brother Andrew was engaged in the fishing business in partnership with Zebedee and his sons (Mark i. 16-31, and parallels). He was married, but whether he had any children is not known. It is likelythat he was a man of some property. not a poor, grossly ig norant laborer, though he was not rich. Of his early education and attainments we know noth ing. Galilee, his home, was practically a bilin gual country, with a fair degree of Greek cul ture possessed by the Gentile elements of the population. hence Peter had opportunity for becoming acquainted with colloquial Greek. and there is no good reason for supposing that he was unable to use his Greek Old Testament intelli gently.
When the news of the preaching of .John the Baptist reached Galilee Peter and Andrew went to hear him. They were impressed and attached themselves to him as at least temporary dis ciples. Ilere they became acquainted with :Jesus, who gave to Simon the surname Cephas, i.e. rock, or, in Greek, Peter (John i. 35-42). After continuing with Jesus a while the brothers re turned to their aceustemed occupation. Soon after Ile opened His public ministry in Galilee Jesus summoned them frmn their nets to a per manent discipleship (\lark i. 16, and parallels). They at once left all and followed Him. Into the details of Peter's experiences during his two years' intimate association with Jesus we cannot enter. The many incidents recorded in the Gospels give a fairly adequate idea, of his general character and disposition. Be was a whole-hearted though often blundering disciple. His willingness to be taught enabled him to grasp certain great essentials of Jesus' character and mission, so that Jesus could say that he was the 'rock' on whirl he would build Dis Church (Matt. xvi. 18). Ile was one of the three disciples with whom Jesus was most intimate, who alone witnessed Ilis trausfiguration (Mark ix. 2-10) and agony in Gethsemane (Mark xiv. 33). Thoroughly cm; vineed of Jesus' Messiahship, even when the tide of popular favor had begun to ebh, he was yet in great need of enlightenment as to what it really signified (Mark viii. 29-33). His impul
sive nature led him to deny his discipleship when Jesus was on trial, but his deeper and mere permanent love for his Master soon reasserted it self, and lie returned to the scene and was an eyewitness of the Passion (cf. 1. Peter v. 1, and the article PETER. EPISTLES or). Ile was the first of the Apostles to whom Jesus revealed Himself after Ills resurrection (I Coy. xv. 5; ef. Luke xxiv. 34), was present at most of the post-resurrection. interviews between Jesus and • the disciples, and to him in particular Jesus tenderly and suggestively reintrnsted his apos tolic commission, at the same time intimating the self-denial and suffering that awaited hint in his future career (.John xxi. 15 sqq.).
After the departure of Jesus Peter was easily recognized as one of the leading spirits of the little company of believers who were hoping for something, just what they did not know, and who formed the nucleus of the Church. It was lie who suggested the appointment of Matthias to take the place of Judas Iscariot, and a few clays later, on the day of Pentecost, made the first pith lie attempt to explain and set forth the claims of Christianity and urge its acceptance upon his fellow Jews (Acts L and ii). During the next few years. when the first converts were being secured and the first steps in organization planned, Peter seems to have been the most in fluential man in the Church. His fellow worker and most intimate friend was John. When Chris tianity spread beyond the hounds of Jerusalem into the various districts of Palestine, Peter and John, and afterwards Peter alone, rendered effi cient aid by visiting and further instructing the new converts. In Samaria, on such a visit, he came in contact with the local magician Simon Magus (q.v.), a professed convert, whose ignorant cupidity he sternly rebuked (Acts viii. 20). An other such tour led him as far as Joppa, on the coast, whence, by divine guidance, but against his prejudices, he went to Caesarea to proclaim Christianity to Cornelius, the Gentile centurion. He received him and his house in Christian fel lowship, and set aside his prejudices so far as to sit at table with them, something he had never before done (Acts x.). For such conduct an ex planation was demanded by some in the mother church. Though it was pronounced satisfactory, it is probable that certain ultra-conservatives did not approve of what had been done (Acts xi.).