Apostle living at the time of the New Testament

Peter

Matthew 4:18–20; 16:13–19; John 21:15–19; Acts 1–15; 1 Peter 1:1

Simon, the son of Jonah, a fisherman of Bethsaida who lived in Capernaum, brought to Jesus by his brother Andrew, and renamed Cephas, Peter, “rock” (John 1:40–42). Jesus called him from his nets to be a fisher of men (Matthew 4:18–20). He was the first to say, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and Jesus said, “on this rock I will build my assembly” (Matthew 16:15–19). He was impulsive: he walked on water and sank, and denied his Lord three times on the night Jesus was arrested (Matthew 14:28–31; Luke 22:54–62). After the resurrection Jesus restored him with three questions, “do you love me?” and the command, “Tend my sheep” (John 21:15–17).

At Pentecost he preached, and about three thousand were baptized (Acts 2:14–41). He healed, was jailed, and was freed by an angel (Acts 3–5; 12:1–11), and took the gospel to the Gentile centurion Cornelius (Acts 10). He wrote two letters. Jesus foretold that he would die a death that glorifies God (John 21:18–19), and tradition holds that he was martyred in Rome.

His birth year isn't recorded; the bar assumes he was a young man when called in AD 30. A Galilean fisherman from Bethsaida, married, with a house in Capernaum (Mark 1:29–30). Leader of the Twelve and of the early church in Jerusalem. Jesus foretold that he would die by being bound and led where he didn't want to go (John 21:18–19); early church writers say he was crucified in Rome under Nero, and Ussher dates this to AD 67. Many historians prefer AD 64 to 68.

Family

Father

Jonah

Wife

A wife of Peter

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