Saint Peter Quiz: Challenge Your Knowledge

Saint Peter: Apostle, Saint, and First Bishop of Rome

Saint Peter was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and one of the first leaders of the early Christian Church.
He was crucified in Rome under Emperor Nero and is venerated as a major saint and founder of the Church of Antioch and the Church of Rome.
According to Catholic teaching, Jesus promised Peter a special position in the Church, and he is considered the first bishop of Rome or pope.
Peter's original name was Simon, and he was a Jewish fisherman from Bethsaida. He was the brother of Saint Andrew, and both were fishermen.
Peter is mentioned in all four New Testament gospels as well as the Acts of the Apostles. He is also mentioned in Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians and the Epistle to the Galatians.
The New Testament includes two general epistles, First Peter and Second Peter, that are traditionally attributed to him, but modern scholarship generally rejects the Petrine authorship of both.
Catholic and Orthodox tradition accredits him as the first bishop of Rome and the first bishop of Antioch.
The sources used to reconstruct Peter's life can be divided into three groups: the New Testament, accounts, and tradition.
Peter is always listed first among the Twelve Apostles in the Gospels and in the Book of Acts. He often confesses his faith in Jesus as the Messiah and is depicted as spokesman of all the Apostles.
Peter denied Jesus three times during the events of the crucifixion, but after the resurrection, Jesus reaffirmed Peter's position.
The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter on the Sea of Galilee is seen as the traditional site where Jesus Christ appeared to his disciples after his resurrection.
Outside of the New Testament, several apocryphal books were later attributed to him, but scholars believe these works to be pseudepigrapha.Summary Title: The Life and Legacy of Saint Peter
Peter was considered one of the Pillars of the Church along with James the Just and John the Apostle.
Peter assumed leadership of the group of early followers and formed the Jerusalem ekklēsia mentioned by Paul.
Peter's leadership was soon eclipsed by James the Just, who took over the more conservative faction of adherence to the Jewish Law.
Peter was known for his little faith but became an exemplar of the forgiven sinner after the Easter event.
The "rock" dialogue between Jesus and Peter is interpreted differently between the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
Peter's leadership forms the basis of the Apostolic succession and the institutional power of orthodoxy.
Peter may have visited Corinth and was potentially the first Patriarch of Antioch.
The Catholic Church speaks of the pope, the bishop of Rome, as the successor of Saint Peter.
There is no obvious biblical evidence that Peter was ever in Rome, but early Church tradition says that he founded the Church in Rome with Paul, served as its bishop, authored two epistles, and then met martyrdom there along with Paul.
Peter died by crucifixion (with arms outstretched) at the time of the Great Fire of Rome in the year 64.
The famous Latin phrase "Quo vadis, Domine?" comes from an apocryphal story about Peter fleeing Rome to avoid execution and meeting the risen Jesus.
Peter's death is attested to by Tertullian, who noted that Peter endured a passion like his Lord's.The life and death of Saint Peter, according to Catholic tradition, includes his inverted crucifixion in the gardens of Nero in Rome, where he was buried in Saint Peter's tomb nearby. The burial site was identified by Caius in his Disputation Against Proclus, who claimed that the remains of the apostles Peter and Paul were deposited there. The Emperor Constantine I decided to honour Peter with a large basilica, but the precise location of Peter's burial was so firmly fixed in the belief of the Christians of Rome that the church to house the basilica had to be erected on a site that was not convenient to construction. In 1950, human bones were found buried underneath the altar of St. Peter's Basilica, claimed by many to be those of Peter. In the 1960s, items from the excavations beneath St. Peter's Basilica were re-examined, and the bones of a male person were identified as likely to be the relics of Apostle Peter. The feast day of both Peter and Paul is 29 June, and the feast of the Chair of Saint Peter is celebrated on 22 February. According to Catholic belief, Peter was, as the first Bishop of Rome, the first Pope, and every Pope is considered his successor and the rightful superior of all other bishops. The Catholic Church's recognition of Peter as head of its church on earth is based on its interpretation of two passages from the canonical gospels of the New Testament, as well as sacred tradition. The first passage is John 21:15–17, seen by Catholics as Christ promising the spiritual supremacy to Peter, and the second passage is Matthew 16:18, where Christ says, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church."Interpretations of the "Rock" in Matthew 16:18 have been debated by different Christian denominations. The Catholic Church sees Peter as the rock on which the Church will be built, while some Protestant scholars claim that Peter's name means "pebble" and the rock in question refers to either Jesus or Peter's faith. The New Testament was written in Koiné Greek, and some authorities say no significant difference existed between the meanings of petros and petra. Protestants argue that prior to the Reformation, Matthew 16 was rarely used to support papal claims. Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox do not recognize the Bishop of Rome as the successor of St. Peter. The Syriac Orthodox Church acknowledges the unique office of Peter in the primitive Christian community. The New Apostolic Church sees Peter as the first Chief Apostle. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accepts apostolic succession from Peter but rejects papal successors as illegitimate. According to an old Jewish tradition, Simon Peter joined the early Christians at the decision of the rabbis. Muslims consider Jesus a prophet of God and include Peter among the disciples.