Peter

Peter, epistles of the New Testament

Peter, two letters of the New Testament, classified among the Catholic (or General) Epistles. Each opens with a statement of authorship by the apostle St. Peter. First Peter, the longer book, is addressed from "Babylon" to the Christians of the churches of Asia Minor. The work opens with a reminder of the hope of redemption and an exhortation to holiness, then passes to duties of Christians—obedience to the state, and the obligation of slaves to their masters, wives to husbands, husbands to wives, and all to each other. This leads to consolation and encouragement under persecution. The conclusion is exhortatory. While the ascription to Peter has been often doubted by modern scholars who generally date the work to c.A.D. 100, the letter was accepted as Petrine and canonical from the earliest times. Second Peter, however, is almost universally recognized as pseudonymous, and is dated by many scholars as late as A.D. 150. It was one of the last New Testament books to be admitted to the canon. In the face of the delayed second coming of Jesus, the author exhorts the readers to godly living, warning against scoffers and false teachers and affirming that the second coming will happen. Parts of Second Peter are adapted from the letter of Jude.

Bibliography

See R. J. Bauckham, 2 Peter and Jude (1983); J. R. Michaels, 1 Peter (1988); P. H. Davids, 1 Peter (1990).

---

Peter¹ New Testament

1. Saint. Also called: Simon Peter. died ?67 ad, a fisherman of Bethsaida, who became leader of the apostles and is regarded by Roman Catholics as the first pope; probably martyred at Rome. Feast day: June 29 or Jan. 18

2. either of two epistles traditionally ascribed to Peter (in full The First Epistle and The Second Epistle of Peter)

---

Peter²

New Testament either of the two epistles traditionally ascribed to the apostle Peter (in full The First Epistle and The Second Epistle of Peter)

---

Peter 

(nickname from the Greek Petros, literally, “rock”; real name, Simon).

In New Testament mythology, Peter was an apostle, one of the closest disciples of Christ. According to the Gospels, he was a fisherman and son of the fisherman Jona of Bethsaida. The image of Peter in the Gospels is contradictory. In the Gospel of Matthew, Peter was the first to declare Jesus the messiah (Christ), for which Christ called him a “rock,” on which the church would be built. In the same Gospel, the story is told of Peter denying Christ three times. In the Acts of the Apostles, it is alleged that after the crucifixion Peter became the leader of the Christian community in Jerusalem. Church tradition names Peter the first bishop of Rome, executed around A.D. 65, during the persecution of Christians in the reign of Nero. On the basis of legends circulating in Rome from the third century, excavations were carried out by the Vatican from 1940 to 1949 to find Peter’s tomb; they were unsuccessful.

Two epistles of the New Testament are attributed to Peter. Even theological critics, however, do not accept his authorship and date the earlier one from A.D. 90 to 95 and the other from A.D. 125 to 150. The cult of Peter is especially widespread in the Catholic Church, and the popes consider themselves his successors.

Peter’s name is associated with a movement (Petrinism) in early Christianity to preserve certain elements of Judaism.

REFERENCE

Voropaeva, K. L. Kto takie apostoly? Leningrad, 1973.