PERSON OF CHRIST.— See Christ, Cheist-
OLOGY.
PETER 1. Names.— Peter is known by four
ditt'erent names in the NT. By far the most common designation is simply ' Peter ' (20 times in Mt., IS times in Mk., 15 times in Lk., 16 times in Jn., 52 times in Ac, twice in Gal. [2"-], and once in 1 Peter [1']). 'Simon,' standing alone, occurs less frequently (twice in Mt., 5 times in Mk., 10 times in Lk., once in Jn.), and ' Symeon ' but once (Ac 15").* With two exceptions (Gal 2"), ' Cephas' is the term uniformly employed by St. Paul (1 Co 1'- 3" 9= 15^ Gal l'" 2"- "• ") ; and John once speaks of 'Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter) '( 1''=). 'Simon 'and ' Peter ' sometimes stand in conjunc- tion with one another (3 times in Mt., once in Mk., twice in Lk., 18 times in Jn., 4 times in Acts, and once in 2 Pet. (!'), where 'Symeon' rather than 'Simon' is, however, the better attested reading [SAKLP ct «y.]). Of the various names, ' Sj'ineon ' ('Simeon') and 'Cephas' are Semitic in origin, while 'Simon' and 'Peter' are Greek. 'Symeon' (Zvij.(uv) appears frequently in the LXX as the rendering of the Heb. \\);^a (i7ij;«'(3» = Simeon) ; but, since it is applied to Peter at most only twice in the NT (Ac 15", 2 P 1'), it can hardly have been his real name. In these two instances the usage, if not accidental, may have been designed to add solemnity and force to the narrative, and was made all the easier be- cause the Greek 'Simon' CZifiuv), the name by which Peter probably had been known from child- hood, was so like the Hebrew in sound. But among the Jews in Hellenistic times the Hebrew name had been largely supplanted by the Greek, and the latter was even written in Semitic char- acters (po'p). Some e.\aniples of Jews with the Greek name are Simon the Maccabaean, although his great-grandfather was called 'Symeon' (1 Mac 2^) ; Simon the son of Onias (Sir 50') ; a certain Benjamite (2 Mac 3*) ; and Simon Chosameus (1 Es 9^-). In Josephus' writings Jewish persons are very frequently called 'Simon,' less often 'Symeon.' Both names seem to have been employed, and usually with discrimination, by Jews in the Hellen- istic period ; but ' Simon ' was the more common, and this in all probability was the Apostle's original name. In the Apostolic Age, however, he was known chiefly by his surname, ' Peter.' That this usage had been established already within the primitive Aramaic-speaking community is amply
* Peter is not to be confused with other ' Simons ' mentioned in the NT, e.g. the 'CananLcan' (Mt ini, Mk 3i»), wlio is also called 'the Zealot' (Lis (iis, Ac V). the brother of .leans (Mt IS'S, Mk 63), the Pharisee (Lk 7-'0-«f-), the man of Cvrene (Mt 2732, Mk 1521, Lk 2:J'-'l>), the father of Judas (.In 6'1 12* VS^-6), the ' Great" (.■\c 89- 13. Is. 24), the ' tanner ' (Ac 1)« in6. 17. 32) ; or with other 'Symcons,' e.if. of .Jerusalem (Lk 22-''-34), one of Jesus' ancestors (Lk 330), 'Niger' (Ac 13'), the patriarch (Key 77).
attested by St. Paul's frequent ' Cephas' (KTj^at), a Gia'cized transliteration of the Aramaic k;'3 (Kepha), which when translated into Greek be- comes ' Peter' (lUrpos, 'stone').
There is some uncertainty as to the exact cir- cumstances under which the Apostle lirst receive<l this ajipellation. According to Mk 3", Lk fi", early in his Galila'an ministry Jesus set apart the Twelve to be His helpers and gave .Simon the sur- name Peter (koI i-jritiriKev 6vo/ia T(f 2,tnijiyi ll&pov) In referring to the same incident, Matthew (10-) speaks of ' the so-called Peter' (6 Xeyd/Kvo^ lUrpoi), but seemingly intends to make the A postle's famous confession at CiP.sarea Philippi the occasion for the Messiah to bestow upon him the name ' Peter' and to designate him formal head of the Church (Mt 16""'"). In the Gospel of John, when Simon was lirst brought to Jesus, the latter exclaimed, ' Thou art to be called Cephas' (<ru kXti^^itb K?)0as [1^-]), jirobahly meaning from this time forth, since John does not recur to this subject and henceforth alw.ays (except in 21) uses ' Peter' either alone (16 times) or in conjunction with ' Simon' (18 times). Finally, there are intimations, though these are very vague, that the special recognition of Simon's sujiremacy may at one time have rested upon his early belief in Jesus' resurrection. He was generally thought to have been the hrst disciple to see — if not to believe in (Jn 20')— the Risen Lord (1 Co 15^ Mk 16', Lk 24"), and, as St. Paul had attained apostle- ship through a similar vision, so Peter had been 'energized' for his work as an apostle (Gal 2'). There is here no statement that Simon received bis surname on this occasion — indeed, he is already known as 'Peter '(or 'Cephas') in this connexion — but it is possible that liis initial vision, which made him the corner-stone of the new community, established, if not for the first time, at least more completely, the custom of referring to him as ' Peter.' The infrequency of the word as a proper name at that time, and the fact that ' Simon ' would readily have served all ordinary needs either in .Jewish or in Christian circles, make it still more evident that the designation 'Cephas' (Peter) was called forth by special circumstances, uncertain though some of the details may be at present. The usage undoubtedly originated early, probably in the lifetime of Jesus ; and the significance of the appellation was at the outset, or soon became, intimately associated with Peter's prominent posi- tion within the company of early disciples.