Their story
Simon Peter is called from his fishing nets at the Sea of Galilee in Matthew 4:18-20 alongside his brother Andrew. Jesus renames him Cephas, translated Petros in Greek and Peter in English, meaning "rock." Peter appears throughout the gospel narratives as the outspoken leader of the Twelve: he walks on water briefly before doubting and sinking (Matthew 14:28-31); he confesses Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living God" at Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:16), receiving in reply "upon this rock I will build my church"; he witnesses the Transfiguration alongside James and John (Matthew 17:1-8); and he denies Jesus three times during the trial (Matthew 26:69-75), a denial that ends with weeping bitterly at the cock's crow. John 21:15-17 records his restoration: Jesus asks three times "lovest thou me?" and three times commands him to feed his sheep, reversing the three denials. In Acts 2, Peter delivers the Pentecost sermon that draws three thousand converts on the day the Holy Spirit descends. In Acts 10 he receives the rooftop vision of clean and unclean animals, then baptizes the Roman centurion Cornelius, opening Gentile inclusion in the church. Peter appears in the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 supporting Paul's Gentile mission. The New Testament attributes two letters (1 and 2 Peter) to him. Church tradition identifies Peter as the first Bishop of Rome, martyred under Nero around 64 to 68 AD; the traditional account is that he was crucified upside down at his own request, refusing to be executed in the same manner as Jesus.
Why they matter
Peter matters in Christian tradition as the foundational apostle whose confession, denial, and restoration frame the apostolic narrative. The Matthew 16:18 "upon this rock" passage anchors Christian ecclesiology, with Catholic tradition reading it as the foundation of the papacy and Protestant tradition emphasizing the confession itself as the rock. His Pentecost sermon in Acts 2 launches the early church, and his rooftop vision in Acts 10 opens Gentile inclusion. Across Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, and Reformed traditions, Peter is honored as the first among the apostles.
Key Bible passages
What people often get wrong
Peter's original name was Simon; Jesus renamed him Cephas (Aramaic for "rock"), which is Petros in Greek and Peter in English. The New Testament often uses "Simon Peter" together, treating both as the same figure at different narrative moments.
Peter did not write the four gospels. Mark's Gospel is traditionally associated with Peter as Mark's teacher (per patristic tradition, notably Papias and Eusebius), but Peter is not credited with authorship of any canonical gospel. He is credited with 1 Peter and 2 Peter.
The "keys of the kingdom" (Matthew 16:19) are given to Peter but also to the disciples collectively (Matthew 18:18). Catholic and Protestant readings differ on the specific implications; both traditions read the passage as ecclesiologically significant.
Common questions
Who was Peter in the Bible?
Peter was the lead apostle of Jesus, a Galilean fisherman renamed from Simon to Cephas ("rock"). He is central to the gospel narratives and to the founding of the earliest Christian church in Acts.
What is Peter best known for?
Peter is best known for his confession of Jesus as the Christ ("Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," Matthew 16:16), his three-fold denial of Jesus during the trial (Matthew 26:69-75), and his restoration by Jesus after the resurrection (John 21:15-17).
Why was Peter called the "rock"?
Jesus renamed Simon as Cephas, Aramaic for "rock" (Petros in Greek). The renaming happens in Matthew 16:18 in response to Peter's confession: "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church."
Why does Peter matter to Christians?
Peter is the foundational apostle whose Matthew 16:18 confession anchors Christian ecclesiology, whose Pentecost sermon (Acts 2) launches the early church, and whose Acts 10 rooftop vision opens Gentile inclusion. Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, and Reformed traditions all honor him as first among the apostles.