Peter (4074 ) (Petros; Latin = Petrus) is a masculine proper noun which means a "stone" and generally a smaller stone than the feminine form petra which refers to a massive rock or a foundation boulder (eg Mt 7:24-note). Peter is the Greek equivalent of the Syriac or Aramaic name Cephas (Kephas from Aramaic kay fah) which was assigned to Simon by Jesus. Peter was not always a model of rock-like (petros is a symbol of imperturbability as determined from used in Greek literature) firmness. Note for example his actions in Gethsemane, his denial three times of Christ, his unsuccessful attempt at walking on water and his conduct at Antioch (Gal 2:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21) where he is called Cephas. Despite all this Peter was clearly the leader of Jesus’ disciples, the spokesman for the Twelve and one of the three closest to Jesus. Petros is used 156x in 151v - Matt 4:18; 8:14; 10:2; 14:28f; 15:15; 16:16, 18, 22f; 17:1, 4, 24; 18:21; 19:27; 26:33, 35, 37, 40, 58, 69, 73, 75; Mark 3:16; 5:37; 8:29, 32f; 9:2, 5; 10:28; 11:21; 13:3; 14:29, 33, 37, 54, 66f, 70, 72; 16:7f; Luke 5:8; 6:14; 8:45, 51; 9:20, 28, 32f; 12:41; 18:28; 22:8, 34, 54f, 58, 60f; 24:12; John 1:40, 42, 44; 6:8, 68; 13:6, 8f, 24, 36f; 18:10f, 15ff, 25ff; 20:2ff, 6; 21:2f, 7, 11, 15, 17, 20f; Acts 1:13, 15; 2:14, 37f; 3:1, 3f, 6, 11f; 4:8, 13, 19; 5:3, 8f, 15, 29; 8:14, 20; 9:32, 34, 38ff; 10:5, 9, 13f, 17ff, 21, 25f, 32, 34, 44ff; 11:2, 4, 7, 13; 12:3, 5ff, 11, 14, 16, 18; 15:7; Gal 2:7f; 1 Pet 1:1; 2 Pet 1:1 See nice summary of Scriptures relating to Peter in the Thompson Chain Ref Peter is known by several different names in the New Testament as indicated by the following passages. Matthew says he was Simon who was called Peter (Mt 4:18) (ISBE article on Simon Peter) Later Matthew records that "the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter..." (Mt 10:2) Matthew later refers to him as "Simon Peter" (Mt 16:16) at his confession to Jesus that "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Jesus "answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona ("Bar-jonas" = son of Jonah or John) for, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter (Petros), and upon this rock (petra) I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. (Mt 16:17,18) At the inception of Jesus' ministry the apostle John records another name for Peter writing that his brother Andrew "brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, "You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter)." (Jn 1:42) (Article on Cephas) Kenneth Wuest has this note on Peter's name writing that "Thayer says of petros the Greek word from which we get the name Peter, “an appellative proper name, signifying ‘a stone, rock, ledge, or cliff,’ used metaphorically of a soul hard and unyielding, and so resembling a rock,” and says that it is so used in classical writings. Defining petra the feminine form of the word, he says that this word means “a rock, large stone,” and was used metaphorically to refer to a man like a rock by reason of his firmness and strength of soul." Wuest goes on to add that "We find the English name “Peter,” used in the expression, “It just petered out,” meaning that the thing referred to, just failed and failed until it ceased to exist. This comes from the example of Peter’s character before he was filled with the Spirit, vacillating, unpredictable, frequently failing, especially in crises. But as the Lord used it, it means what the Greek word means of which it is the transliteration, and is descriptive of a rock-like man, dependable, immovable, equal to the emergencies and crises that confront him." (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans) PETER'S NAMES Summary Simon Mt 4:18 Shimon (Hebrew) Simon Peter Mt 16:16 Simon Barjona Mt 16:17 Peter Mt 10:2 Petros (Greek) Cephas 1Co 15:5 Kephas (Aramaic) Peter synonymous with Cephas Jn 1:42 Peter fulfilled his commission by laying the foundation of the church among the Jews on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40) and also among the Gentiles after a special revelation resulting in the subsequent conversion of the Gentile Cornelius (Acts 10:1, 2, 3, 4ff, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 30, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45). As Paul in his letters does not call himself by his original name of Saul, so Peter calls himself, not Simon, but Peter, the name most significant and precious both to himself and to his readers, because it was bestowed upon him by his Lord. By the addition of the title apostle to his name, Peter at the very beginning of his letter, claims to be one who is divinely commissioned to preach the gospel and authorized to plant Christianity. Peter puts forward his apostleship in the introduction probably because he is addressing churches with which he had no immediate connection, and he appeals to his apostleship in explanation of his writing to them. 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