St. Peter the Apostle

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He is Simon the son of Jonah from Bethesda on the Lake of Galilee. He and his brother St. Andrew might have been former disciples of St. John the Baptist. They were fishermen. His first meeting with the Lord happened when St. Andrew informed him, upon advice of St. John the Baptist, we found the Messiah and they took him to the Lord Jesus Christ where the Lord told him (You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas which is translated “a stone.” John 1:42). However, St. Peter followed the Lord Jesus Christ as a disciple after the miracle of catching an over abundance of fish (Luke 5:1-11) and the Lord called him Peter as a symbol of his apostolicity.

St. Peter was one of the two disciples who went to prepare the last Passover on Good Thursday and one of the three disciples who were witnesses to the miracle of raising the daughter of Jarius, Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ, The Lord Jesus Christ’s Prayer in Gethsemane and was one of the four disciples which heard the Lord Jesus Christ’s prophecy about destruction of Jerusalem and its temple.

St. Peter was the first one who confessed the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the first one who preached with the Lord Jesus Christ on Pentecost and cut the ear of the servant of the high priest however, he denied the Lord Jesus Christ three times before servants and slaves. St. Peter repented and the Lord Jesus Christ returned him once again to his apostolicity and said to him feed My sheep. (Johns 21:15-17).

After the day of Pentecost, he preached among the Jews in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. The Lord did many miracles through him such as healing of a lame man (Acts 3), healing of Aeneas, and raising of Tabitha from death (Acts 9). He began preaching to Gentiles starting with Cornelius and his house after seeing a vision (Acts 10). He preached in Antioch, Galatia, Pontus, Cappadocia, and Bithynia. He achieved the crown of martyrdom in Rome about 67 AD during Nero’s time.