Who was Peter?

Name: The name Peter can be considered as something of a nickname bestowed upon him by his good friend and teacher, Jesus. The word Petros means "Rock" in Koine Greek, the language in which the New Testament of the Bible was written. Jesus also called him "Cephas," which translates as Peter. His birth name was Simon (sometimes also written as "Symeon"). Since his father's name was John (or Johannes), Peter's legal name would have been "Simon bar John," or "Simon, son of John."

Family: As mentioned above, Peter was the son of John and was born in Bethsaida. He had a brother named Andrew who also became a disciple of Jesus. At some point before he met Jesus, Peter married and moved to Capernaum, where he lived in the same house as his mother in law. According to tradition, Peter also had children. Prior to following Christ, his brother Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist.

Career: Peter and Andrew were fishermen, working in Lake Genesareth. According to Luke 5:3, Peter owned his own boat.

Place of honor: In every instance when the disciples are mentioned in the Bible, Peter's name is the first listed. In addition, Peter and his fellow disciples James and John (who were brothers) were present at a couple of key events that the other disciples were not privy to, notably the Transfiguration of Jesus. In addition, they were tasked by Jesus to keep watch as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gesthemane on the night that Jesus was arrested. Peter was also among the first to see the empty tomb and the risen Lord on the first Easter.

Peter's fumbles I: Despite his place of honor, Peter was far from perfect. During the discussion in which Jesus calls Peter the rock, Peter states that he will never let Jesus be killed. Jesus, knowing he must fulfill his role as the savior, famously tells Peter to "Get thee behind me Satan," and not to tempt Jesus with what is in a man's mind, but to focus solely on the will of God.

Peter's fumbles II: In a key exchange at the Last Supper, Jesus informs Peter that Peter will deny him three times that very evening. Peter strenuously denies he would ever do such a thing. Later, in a moment of fear and weakness, Peter does indeed deny Jesus, after Jesus has been arrested. Peter realizes what he has done and weeps bitterly at his own inability to serve Jesus in His darkest hour.

The Acts of Peter: In the book of Acts, after he has witnessed the risen Lord and finally understands Jesus' message of salvation, Peter becomes the principal spokesman for the fledgling new church.

Writings: Most scholars say the Gospel of Mark is more or less based on the memoirs of Peter and that Mark was an assistant to Peter in the years after the resurrection. There is considerable debate on if Peter actually wrote the Bible's 1 Peter and 2 Peter. I believe it likely that a secretary or scribe actually wrote them, at the direction of Peter and conveying his wisdom.

First Pope?: It is generally agreed upon, though not included specifically in the Bible, that Peter lived the end of his life in Rome and was a (or "the") church leader there. According to tradition, Peter too was crucified, though asked to be crucified upside down, as he was not worthy of the same manner of death as his Lord. While the office of Pope and Bishop is much different today than it was 2,000 years ago, if Peter was living in Rome and was the leader of the church there, he would technically have been the "bishop of Rome" and therefore the very first Pope. To recall the work and life of Peter, all Popes wear the "Fisherman's Ring" as a symbol of Peter's role as a "fisher of men."

Heaven's gatekeeper: Peter is often depicted in pop culture as being the arbiter of who gets into Heaven and who doesn't. Why is this? Jesus tells Peter in Matthew 16:19 that "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven." This also explains why in countless paintings and other artworks over the centuries, Peter has been depicted holding a key or set of keys.

Quote: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." - The disciple Peter, as quoted in Matthew 16:16.