Portal:Christianity/Selected biography/September 2006

  Saint Peter, also known as Simon ben Jonah/BarJonah, Simon Peter, Cephas and Kepha &mdash; original name Simon or Simeon (Acts 15:14) &mdash; was one of the Twelve Apostles whom Jesus chose from among his original disciples. His life is prominently featured in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles.

A Galilean fisherman, he (with his brother Andrew) was literally "called" by Jesus to be a disciple. Above all the other disciples, Peter was assigned a leadership role by Jesus (Matt 16:18; John 21:15–16); and indeed, his supremacy within the early Church is recognized by many such as St Clement of Rome (1st Epistle to the Corinthians,1,59:1) St Iranaeus (Adversus Haereses 3:3:20).

Simon Peter is considered a saint by many Christians, and the first Pope by the Roman Catholic Church, including its Eastern Rites.

Other Christian denominations recognize his office as Bishop of Antioch and later Bishop of Rome, but do not hold that his episcopacy had primacy over other episcopates elsewhere in the world. Other opinions are that his primacy was merely that of a first among equals; that he held a mere primacy of honour; or that his primacy was indended to last only during his lifetime. Still others do not view Peter as having held the office of bishop or overseer, holding that the office of bishop was a development of later Christianity. Furthermore, many Protestants do not use the title of "saint" in reference to him.

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