Peter
A fisherman who became one of Jesus' twelve apostles and a leader of the early church.
At a glance
- Name
- Peter
- Also known as
- Simon, Simon Peter, Cephas
- Type
- Person
- Period
- New Testament
- Appears in
- The Gospels and Acts
- First appearance
- John 1
- Known for
- Leading among the twelve apostles
Who is Peter?
Peter is a fisherman from Galilee and the brother of Andrew. Jesus calls him from his nets to follow, and he becomes one of the twelve apostles and part of Jesus' inner circle. He is known first as Simon; Jesus also gives him the name Cephas, which is translated as Peter.
Peter often speaks for the disciples. He confesses that Jesus is the Christ, but on the night Jesus is arrested he denies knowing him three times. After the resurrection Jesus restores him.
In Acts, Peter preaches at Pentecost and becomes a leading figure among the early believers.
Peter in the Bible
Jesus calls Simon by the sea
Jesus calls Simon and his brother Andrew from their fishing to follow him.
Read Matthew 4 →Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ
Peter declares that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Read Matthew 16 →Peter denies Jesus three times
On the night Jesus is arrested, Peter denies three times that he knows him.
Read Matthew 26 →Peter preaches at Pentecost
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter preaches to the crowd in Jerusalem and thousands respond.
Read Acts 2 →People connected with Peter
- follows Jesus Jesus calls Peter to follow him and later restores him.
Not to be confused with
- Simon the Zealot Another of the twelve apostles who was also named Simon.
- Simon of Cyrene The man compelled to carry Jesus' cross, a different Simon.
- Simon Iscariot The father of Judas Iscariot, named in John's Gospel.
- Simon the sorcerer A magician in Samaria who tried to buy the power of the Holy Spirit, in Acts 8.
- Simon the tanner The man in Joppa at whose house Peter stayed, in Acts 9 and 10, a different Simon.
- Simon the leper A man in Bethany at whose house Jesus was anointed, a different Simon.
- Simon the Pharisee The Pharisee at whose house a woman anoints Jesus, in Luke 7, a different Simon.
- Simon, a brother of Jesus One of the brothers of Jesus named in Matthew 13:55 is also called Simon, distinct from Simon Peter.
Key passages featuring Peter
These are key passages, not a complete list of every appearance.