Peter

John 1:42 Thou are Simon, the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation a stone’.” There is in the Greek, a play upon the words Thou are Peter (Petros – literally, ‘a little rock’ or ‘pebble’) and upon this Rock (Petra) I will build my Messianic Church. He does not promise to build His Messianic Church upon Peter, but upon Himself, as Peter himself is careful to tell us.” 1 Pet. 2:4-9.
Peter’s Planarian – a treatise on heresies in Kfar-Nachum, from the very first day Y’Shua visited Capernaum, the building was marked out as the home of Simon and Andrew (Mk. 1:29). Here Y’Shua healed the mother-in-law of Peter. The house of hospitality is next described as surrounded by such a crush of people seeking Y’Shua that here was no room even outside (Mk. 2:2). To this home Y’Shua returned after his journeys round the Lake, and after the official election of the twelve apostles (Mk. 3:19). It was here that He imparted his more intimate teaching (Mk. 7:17). The last time the house is mentioned in Mark is when Y’Shua came back from a tour of preaching (Mk. 10:10).
Peter was brought to Y’Shua by his brother Andrew. They were both fishermen, plying their trade on the Sea of Galilee. Peter was a young man when he first met Y’Shua, and certainly he was interested in the Messiah. When his brother Andrew announced that he had found the Messiah, Peter eagerly dropped his nets and went along to see for himself. Then he returned to his trade.
It was sometime later that Y’Shua came to the shores of Galilee and there found Peter who had talked with Him before. There the invitation of the Messiah came, “Follow me and I will make you to become fishers of men.” (Matt. 4:19) Peter and Andrew straightway left their nets and boats and followed Y’Shua. He was married and his mother-in-law apparently lived with him and his wife.
Peter was not particularly modest, but usually was self-assertive. He frequently stood in the early days at the forefront of the Apostles and was their spokesman. In the list of Apostles in the Scriptures we find the name Peter preceding the rest of the twelve.
Peter was impulsive; he often acted first and thought second. He was a rare combination of courage and cowardice, of great strength and regrettable instability. Y’Shua spoke more often to Peter than to any other of His disciples, both in blame and praise. No other disciple is so pointed reproved by out L-rd as Peter, and to disciple ever ventured to reprove his Master but Peter! Peter’s overly tempestuous character became the personification of faithfulness to Y’Shua.
There was one redeeming factor about Peter’s character and that was his exquisite sense of sin. He was extremely sensitive and tender in his spirit in this respect. It was Peter who said, “Depart from me O L-rd for I am a sinful man.” (Lk. 5:8). Peter sinned as grievously as did Judas. Judas sold Y’Shua. Peter cursed Him. There is no essential difference, except that Peter repented and Judas did not.
Apparently Peter took his wife with him on his journey as we learn in 1 Corinthians 9:5. Peter considered himself the opponent of Paul, despite Paul’s arguments as recorded in Galations. Peter, himself, no doubt stood nearer to Paul than did the other members of the Jerusalem Believers. Peter, banished with the rest of the Jews from Rome, by the edict of Claudius, was absent in Britain. Peter, acting as a free-lance missionary, stemming from Avalon, preached in Britain during the Caradoc-Claudian war.
The visits of both Peter and Paul, with the family of the Pudens, is referred to Scripture. Other ancient records state that the children of Claudia and Rurfus Pudens were raised at the knees of Peter and Paul.
The first Messianic Church dedicated to Peter was founded by King Lucius, the British King, who was the first by royal decree to proclaim Christianity the national faith of Britain in Winchester A.D. 156. Three men – Eucharius, Valerius and Maternus – all of whom had been pupils of Peter at Rome, were sent by him to Trier to preach the gospel of Y’Shua.
The Acts tell us that in 43, after the death of James, Peter left Jerusalem ‘for another place’ (Acts 12:17). He is lost from sight until 49, when we find him at the Council of Jerusalem. No canonical text has anything to say about his missionary activity during this time. But Eusebius writes that he came to Rome about 44, at he beginning of Claudius reign. It seems certain that Rome was evangelized during the period from 43 to 49. Claudius expelled the Jews in 50, because they were growing agitated at the prompting of Chrestos. This shows that discussions between Jews and Judeo-Christians were taking place, leading to conflicts which came to the ear of the emperor. In fact at Corinth in 51 Paul met some converted Jews driven from Rome by Claudius: Aquila and Priscilla. Peter was in Babylon, which was located on the great Roman highway as the next great city to the east of Antioch.
It was in Rome that Peter died. Testimony from the year 170 concerning the graves of the two Apostles at Rome (Peter and Paul) were actually buried in two places in Rome. It has now been officially announced by the Pope that the grave of Peter has been found. It is possible that Rev. 11:3-13 contains a cryptic account of the martyrdom of Paul and Peter in Rome. That this passage is both historic and prophetic is evident. The historical aspect of it may be a reference to the death of Paul and Peter in Rome, though this text seems to point primarily to a future fulfillment.
Near the close of the gospel of John there is a hint given as to the manner of Peter’s death. It agrees with the tradition which has been long with us that Nero had Peter crucified head-downward on the Vatican Hill. It says, ‘As long as you were young, you girded yourself and went wherever you chose, but when you become ole, you will stretch out your hands and another will gird you and carry you where you do not want to go.’ The phrase ‘stretching out of the hands’ (John 21:18) may indicate the manner of execution, which is crucifixion.
Maliciously condemned, Peter was cast into the horrible, fetid prison of the Mamertine. There, for nine months, in absolute darkness, he endured monstrous torture manacled to a post. Never before or since has there been a dungeon of equal horror. Historians write of it as being the most fearsome on the brutal agenda of mankind. Over three thousand years old, it is probably the oldest torture chamber extant, the oldest remaining monument of bestiality of ancient Rome, a bleak testimony to its barbaric inhumanity of its murdered victims. It cam be seen to this day, with the dungeon and the pillar to which Peter was bound in chains.
Paul is therefore said to have been beheaded at Rome, and Peter to have been crucified under him. And this account is confirmed by the fact, that the names of Peter and Paul still remain in the cemeteries of that city even to this day. Both suffered martyrdom about the same time, Dionysius bishop of Corinth bears the following testimony, in his discourse addressed to the Romans. “Thus, likewise you, by means of this admonition, have mingled the flourishing seed that had been planted by Peter and Paul at Rome and Corinth. For both of these having planted us at Corinth, likewise instructed us; and having in like manner taught in Italy, they suffered martyrdom about the same time.”
Peter’s body was embalmed by Marcellunus the Presbyter after the Jewish manner, then buried in the Vatican near the Triumphal Way. Over his body a small Messianic Church was erected. Peter’s body was removed to the cemetery in the Appian Way, 2 miles from Rome where it rested obscurely until the Reign of Constantine who rebuilt and enlarged the Vatican to the honor of Peter. They say Peter’s body was slender of a middle size inclining to tallness. His complexion pail and almost white. His beard curled and thick but short. His eyes black but flecked with red due to frequent weeping. Eye brows thin or none at all.