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Saint Peter’s Role in Early Christianity and the Church’s Foundation Essay

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Saint Peter’s Identity and Biblical Significance

The author of the passage 1 Peter 2: 1–12 is Saint Peter the Apostle, one of Jesus’ main disciples and his closest companions. There is no generally accepted opinion about the date of Peter’s birth, but it is known that he died around 64-68 AD (Walsh, 2020, p. 32). He was originally named Simon, but Jesus later called him Cephas (New International Version, John 1:42).

This name can be translated as “rock” from the Aramaic language, so Peter is frequently referred to as stone in the Bible (Walsh, 2020). In the passage, Peter writes, “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house” (New International Version, 1 Peter 2:1-12). Therefore, he is referring to himself, noting that he was chosen by God in order to serve him and help people.

Accounts of Peter’s First Encounter with Jesus

There is no unified opinion on the events of the first meeting. As noted in Matthew and Mark, Jesus first met Peter when Christ came to his house as his mother-in-law had a fever (Walsh, 2020). At that time, the future Apostle was a fisherman; he was fishing with the brother Andrew when they first met Jesus (New International Version, Matthew 4:19). The Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of John describe other versions of their first meeting (Walsh, 2020). In their opinion, Jesus led Peter’s boat for a miraculous catch.

Peter’s Role in Early Christianity and His Legacy

Peter is deemed one of the founders and leaders of the Christian Church. Specifically, he made all the necessary decisions with James the Just and John (Walsh, 2020). Peter is believed to be the first pope, which is confirmed by the words of Jesus himself in the Gospel of Matthew (New International Version, Matthew 16:17-19). It is commonly considered that Peter was the rock upon which Jesus wanted to build his Christian church (Walsh, 2020). According to tradition, In 64 AD, Emperor Nero crucified Peter in Rome after the Great Fire of Rome (Walsh, 2020, p. 46). Saint Peter the Apostle played one of the critical roles in the establishment of the Christian Church and the dissemination of Jesus’s teachings.

Background

Author’s Residence and Historical Context

The New Testament needs to be more consistent about where Peter lived. Mark notes that Peter lived in Capernaum, as Jesus went to his house after teaching in the local Synagogue (New International Version, Mark 1:21-29). At the same time, John claims that “Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida” (New International Version, John 1:44). However, there is evidence that the Church of the Apostles was built atop Peter and Andrew’s house (Schuster, 2022). Bethsaida is also where Jesus cured a blind man (Walsh, 2020). Therefore, the location is probably where Peter lived and helped build the first Christian church.

Political and Social Climate During the Author’s Lifetime

The situation was tied to Roman power and government in terms of political and social context. There was “the importance of religious embeddedness in conceiving and constructing positions of power, and the importance of relevant anchors in a society dominated by tradition” (as cited in Dijkstra, p. 5). Therefore, Peter lived when the political and social forces sought to unite the people within the framework of one religious doctrine. Thus, the Apostle Peter became the unifying point for building a new Roman empire within the framework of the Christian faith.

Context

Overall, within the context of the chapter, the passage describes Peter as a leader of the Christian Church. The role of Peter as the leader chosen by God is underlined. About the book, the passage reveals that Peter played a unique role in developing the Christian Church. It emphasizes that Peter urged all the people, notwithstanding their religious views, to lead Godly lives. The passage fits into the New Testament, focusing on establishing the Early Christian Church. Finally, it refers to the Bible, describing Peter’s role in unifying people under God.

References

Dijkstra, R. (2020). . In R. Dijkstra (ed.), The early reception and appropriation of the Apostle Peter (60-800 CE) (pp. 3-25). Brill. Web.

. (n.d). Bible Gateway. Web.

Schuster, R. (2022). Haaretz. Web.

Walsh, W. (2020). Saint Peter the Apostle. Lulu Publishing.

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IvyPanda. 2024. "Saint Peter's Role in Early Christianity and the Church's Foundation." October 31, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/saint-peters-role-in-early-christianity-and-the-churchs-foundation/.

1. IvyPanda. "Saint Peter's Role in Early Christianity and the Church's Foundation." October 31, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/saint-peters-role-in-early-christianity-and-the-churchs-foundation/.


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