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St. Peter’s original name was Simon, Peter being a name given him by Jesus. At the time of Jesus’ public life, Peter was a grown man. This would place his birth sometime around the end of the 1st century B.C. Of his early life we know little except that he came from the village of Bethsaida in Galilee and that his father was a fisherman. By the time he met and joined Jesus, he was already married; he lacked any formal education and worked the fishing nets with his father and his brother Andrew at the lakeside town of Capernaum. Andrew also joined the group of Jesus’ disciples on the same day.

Peter and Andrew were among the first to be chosen by Jesus to be his close followers. Thereafter Peter accompanied Jesus everywhere. Jesus gave Peter the added name of Cephas, an Aramaic appellation meaning “rock.” This was translated into Greek as Petros (from the Greek petra, “rock”) and became the Latin Petrus and the English Peter. The Gospels differ as to when Jesus conferred this name on him. Throughout the public life of Jesus, Peter is represented in the Gospels as the spokesman and the principal member of Jesus’ followers. He is the first named in all the lists given of these followers and was present with a privileged few at special occasions: when Jesus brought the daughter of Jairus back to life; when Jesus had a special communication with Moses and Elias on Mt. Tabor; and in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before Jesus died. Peter was the first of the Apostles to see Jesus after his resurrection from the dead.

Jesus Christ, according to the Gospel, gave Peter special assignments, such as paying the tribute or tax to the authorities on behalf of Jesus and his group. Jesus also said that he would build his new organization on Peter’s leadership (Matthew 16:17-19) and entrusted his followers and believers to him (John 21:15-19). Many commentators have thrown doubt on the texts which ascribe this special role to Peter, but it is certain that the Gospels thus present Peter as the chosen leader.

In the early days after the death of Jesus, Peter is presented in the Acts again as the leader of Jesus’  followers. The Jewish Sanhedrin treated him as the leader, and he preached the first mass appeal to the Jerusalemites about Jesus. He also directed the economic life of the Christian community and decided who would be admitted to it. About 49, when the Christians faced their first major decision—whether to admit non-Jews to their group—it was Peter who received guidance from God and made a positive decision accepted by all the other followers of Jesus present. That there was a difference of opinion concerning doctrinal matters between himself and Paul is beyond doubt. Paul, besides, reproached Peter for certain insincerity and even manifested independence from Peter.

St. Peter (died ca. 65) is traditionally considered to be the head of Jesus’ 12 Apostles and the first Bishop of Rome.

Two Catholic epistles in the New Testament are ascribed to Peter, although the majority of biblical scholars rejects the Petrine authorship of both. The Gospel of Mark was traditionally thought to show the influence of Peter’s preaching and eyewitness memories. Several other books bearing his name – the Acts of Peter, Gospel of Peter, Preaching of Peter, Apocalypse of Peter, and Judgment of Peter – are rejected by the Catholic Church and every other Christian church as apocryphal.