Life of St. Peter

St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles

“You are the Christ.”

All four Gospels agree on the preeminence of St. Peter among the original twelve apostles. A Galilean fisherman and the brother of Andrew, Peter was in fact one of the first apostles to be called by Christ, and he is cited as a witness to many of the most significant events in the Gospel story.

Though Peter was originally named Simon, it seems that Jesus gave him an Aramaic name, Cephas, which has the meaning of “rock.” From its Greek form it is rendered Peter. This provided Jesus with a memorable pun when he addressed the disciple with the fateful words, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.” Upon this text the Catholic Church has built a formidable claim for the primacy of the pope as successor to Peter. For understandable reasons, the Church draws less attention to the subsequent verse, also addressed by Jesus to the first pope: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block; for you are not on the side of God, but of men.”

Both declarations reflect the complex characterization of Peter as a man torn between his better and his weaker qualities. As a leader and a spokesperson for the Twelve, he is in many ways not only the preeminent but the paradigmatic disciple. And yet Peter is far from an idealized figure; the Gospels go to great lengths to stress his weakness, fear and failures. What distinguishes him from his companions is not his infallible judgment but his articulation of their common faith—“You are the Christ”—and his zealous determination, after repeatedly falling, to get back up and rejoin the struggle.

Apart from Jesus himself, Peter is surely the most fully articulated character in the New Testament. His appearances in the Gospels consistently highlight the competing elements of his personality: a bold impetuosity, a tendency to act or speak first and think later, accompanied by a capacity for fear, doubt and childlike meekness.

As a spokesman for the disciples, Peter had his good days. But it was also Peter who was so fearful upon witnessing the transfiguration that he babbled on about building tents for Moses and Elijah. He asked whether we should forgive as many as seven times seven; he tried to walk on water, but lost faith and almost drowned. He won full marks after Jesus asked them, “Who do you say I am?” and he answered, “You are the Christ.” This was one of his grandest moments. But he instantly failed the test and earned a stinging rebuke when he disputed Christ’s words about his coming passion and exclaimed, “God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”

At the Last Supper, Peter made a bold claim: “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” But before the night was over, he had denied his Master three times. None of the subsequent sins of the Church can be any more scandalous than that betrayal. Yet Peter was also the one who spoke for the disciples when Jesus asked if they too planned to desert him: “Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life and we believe.” He wept after his betrayal of Jesus, and when on Easter morning he heard that the Lord was risen, he ran to the tomb to see for himself. And on this “rock” the Church was founded. What could this mean but that if the Gospel was to be carried forward in time, it would be upon the foundation of faith and grace and not by the natural strength, wisdom or virtue of any ecclesiastical authority?

John’s Gospel ends on a touching note that defines the “petrine” ministry in memorable terms. It is not a matter of preeminence in authority or power. What Jesus seeks is preeminence in love, expressed in service and self-sacrifice. Three times—echoing Peter’s triple denial—the risen Christ asks him: “Do you love me?” Each time, when Peter answers, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you,” Jesus commands him, “Feed my sheep.” Finally, he says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go.”

According to the book of Acts, Peter continued to serve as a leader of the early Church in Jerusalem. He preached the first sermon after Pentecost, performed the first healing, and authorized the extension of the Christian mission unto the gentiles (though he would be publicly rebuked by Paul for vacillating on this crucial policy). More than once he would be arrested and imprisoned, only to be delivered by miraculous means. After the final incident we are simply told that “he departed and went to another place.” He is mentioned no more.

According to ancient tradition, Peter became the first bishop of Rome and was there martyred during the reign of Nero (c. 54-68). Eusebius, on the authority of Origen, records that Peter was crucified. He notes, furthermore, that Peter—believing himself unworthy of emulating his Master—requested to be hung upside down.

Source:
Ellsberg, Robert. All Saints. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1997.