The Apostle Peter

Overview

The Gospel accounts tell us that Peter’s original name was Simon, a common Jewish name, and his father’s name was John. Simon grew up in the town of Bethsaida on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, then later moved to Capernaum. He first heard about Jesus of Nazareth from his brother Andrew. After that, Simon became one of Jesus’s key disciples. Simon was an insider to some of the most glorious moments in Jesus’s life, such as when Jesus revealed his divine nature on the top of a mountain in the event known as the Transfiguration. Jesus later gave him the name Peter, which means “rock.”