According to the canons of the Catholic Church, he is the first Pope of Rome. In Christian symbolism it is depicted as the guardian of paradise.

Childhood and youth

Not all facts of the biography of historical figures are known to descendants. So one can only guess about the date of birth of the Apostle Peter. But in the gospel traditions there is an indication of the place where the saint was born - Bethsaida of Galilee, a small town in Palestine. The region of Galilee was located farthest from Jerusalem. Its territory was inhabited mainly by pagans, who later became Peter’s first flock.

At birth the apostle received the name Simon. The name Peter, which is translated from Greek as “stone,” was called by Jesus for his special devotion, implying the foundation of the Church in a faithful follower of the teaching.

Peter was married to the niece of the Apostle Barnabas and raised a daughter and son. He earned his living by simple and unpretentious work - fishing on Lake Gennesaret. An occupation that did not bring much income required perseverance and patience.

The Gospels of Matthew and John tell different stories of how Peter came to know Jesus and came to believe in his teachings.

According to one version, Simon was brought to Jesus by brother Andrew, who became a disciple and learned from him about the Messiah. Jesus, looking at Simon, called him Cephas (in Aramaic - “stone”, Peter - in Greek). The stone is allegorically the faith on which the Church is built.

According to another, the Lord found the brothers while fishing on the shore of the lake, and addressed them with the words:

"Follow me. I will make you fishers of men."

Jesus showed the deep meaning of the phrase by filling the boats of Peter and Andrew to the brim with fish.

Researchers see no contradiction between the two narratives. They believe that Matthew emphasized the lives of ordinary people engaged in hard work. While John emphasized that long before meeting the Lord, the fishermen were spiritual, they listened to sermons and prepared for the coming of the Messiah.

Christian service

Peter did not immediately become imbued with apostolic ministry; he doubted his own capabilities and the power of the Lord. The Holy Scriptures present the apostle as a simple man, with his passions and weaknesses. For love and devotion, Jesus Christ allowed Peter to show them more often than others.

Saint Peter is the only one of the disciples who, having recognized the Lord Jesus Christ walking on the sea, went to meet him on the water, but doubted the Divine help of the Teacher and began to drown, but was saved by the Lord, who reproached him for his lack of faith.

When Jesus predicted coming suffering, Peter contradicted him here too, saying that it was impossible. The Apostle persuaded Christ to abandon the Way of the Cross, for which he called Peter “temptation and Satan,” since he thought “not about the things of God, but the things of man.” Saint Peter listened to the reproaches addressed to him and nevertheless did not abandon Christ.

Peter, despite the fact that he often allowed his ardent temperament to take over, was always nearby, along with Jacob he formed an intimate circle of disciples. Jesus initiated Peter into the greatest secrets of his life. The Apostle witnessed the Divine glory on Mount Tabor, prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, and Divine power during the resurrection of Jairus’s daughter by Christ.

Moreover, Peter was the only one when, when asked by Jesus who his disciples thought he was, he answered without hesitation or delay: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” thereby pronouncing the main postulate of faith.

The turning point in the life of Saint Peter, again the only one of the apostles, was his threefold denial of the Son of God. After his betrayal, Jesus was arrested and interrogated in the house of the high priest. Three servants noticed the apostle and said that he was one of Christ’s disciples. Peter, fearing for his life, responded to each statement that he did not know Jesus. At this time, a rooster crow was heard, the saint remembered the Teacher’s prophecy and left the house in tears, bitterly repenting of what he had done.

Some theologians interpret the apostle's reaction to the words of the servants as a manifestation of the weakness of the human spirit, and the rooster's crow as the voice of God, which does not allow one to relax and constantly reminds one of the purity of conscience.

By his own example, the first of the apostles saw how easily one could become the last. But the Lord forgave his beloved disciple when he also repented three times, restored him to apostolic rank and entrusted him with his flock, in other words, to teach the people the Christian faith.

Moreover, Christ entrusted the apostle, who committed a grave sin, with the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, making him a mediator between people and God, giving him the right to decide whose souls are worthy of going there. This emphasizes that through repentance, selfless service and pure faith, the truth is learned and the gates of Paradise are opened.

After the miraculous Resurrection, Christ first appeared to Peter. After the Ascension of the Savior, Peter, as the chief among the apostles, became the first teacher and preacher of the word of God.

At the same time, the saint understood perfectly well that love and faith would have to be paid for with peace and life; the crucifixion of the Son of God, which he observed, is a clear example of this. Martyrdom was a kind of condition of apostleship. But at the same time, Peter acquired miraculous power, similar to that characteristic of his Teacher.

After the events of Holy Pentecost, when, together with other disciples, Peter accepted the grace of the Holy Spirit, the apostle began his ministry. Thanks to his first sermon, three thousand people joined the Christian community.

He turned into a tireless and undaunted preacher of the gospel teaching, began to show miracles: he killed the married couple Ananias and Sapphira with a word for lies and sacrilege, raised a girl named Tabitha, met a lame man at the temple, and restored the ability to walk.

Even the shadow of a saint could cure illnesses: when the apostle walked along the street, the sick were taken out of their houses so that the shadow that fell on them would bestow healing. When, by order of King Herod, Saint Peter was imprisoned, an angel appeared at night and freed the apostle from prison.

At first Peter preached among the Jews. But then a revelation came to the apostle, people came with an amazing story that an angel appeared to one pagan and ordered him to invite Simon, who is called Peter.

“He will speak words by which you and your whole house will be saved.”

The saint shared the news with the other apostles, who regarded it as a sign that it was necessary to carry the faith of Christ not only among Jews, but also among other pagans. The first pagan to be baptized was the Roman centurion Cornelius and members of his family.

However, the apostle Paul later said that he was “entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, as Peter was to the circumcision.” It was assumed that Peter, a native of Galilee, had difficulty with the foreign languages ​​spoken by representatives of different nations living in the Eastern Mediterranean. Accordingly, converting non-Jews to Christianity is Paul’s task.

Church historians count six apostolic journeys of Peter. The Apostle preached in Judea and Samaria (the modern West Bank), Syria and Antioch (here the word “Christians” first appeared), in the territory of modern Turkey and Greece, in Rome and Babylon, Troy and Bithynia. Peter ordained the most faithful disciples as bishops.

Legend says that, having left Jerusalem, the apostle lived for twenty years in the Eternal City, where he headed the Church. While in Rome, Saint Peter exposed Simon the Magus, who did not accept baptism with a pure heart and pretended to be Christ. The Prologue and the Great Menaion-Chetya describe the deeds that Simon and Peter cited as proof of their strength. With the help of the prayer of Christ, the apostle resurrected a young man from the royal family, but Simon only managed to make him turn his head.

At the direction of the saint, the dog spoke in human language. Then Simon, threatening the people of Rome, promised to ascend to heaven and did this with the help of demonic powers. Peter turned to Jesus for help, praying that the demons would leave the sorcerer. Simon fell and was killed. And the citizens of Rome, observing the events, believed in the one God preached by Peter.

In his letters to new converts, the saint taught not to be afraid of threats and persecution, not to abandon Christian foundations to please the pagans, and to denounce false prophets who do not understand the principles of Christian freedom and deny the essence of the Savior.

The sermons of St. Peter are not just reasoning, but specific instructions, also presented in simple language. The Apostle calls to treat each other with respect, to love one’s neighbor, because love atones for sins, to fear God, and not to encroach on the property of others.

“As long as none of you suffers as a murderer, or a thief, or a villain, or as someone who encroaches on someone else’s property; and if you are a Christian, then do not be ashamed, but glorify God for such a fate.”

For two thousand years now, turning in prayer to the icons of the Supreme Apostle Peter, people have been asking for firmness in faith, for the return to the fold of the Church of those who have fallen into sects, for help in studying and for recovery from illnesses.

Death

The last place of the earthly life of the Apostle Peter was Rome. An angel informed the saint that death awaited him in this city, and Peter received the news with gratitude. With the help of the apostle, the beloved concubines believed in Christ and decided to lead a chaste lifestyle. By order of the Roman governor, Peter was captured.

The apostle persuaded the executioners to crucify him upside down, because he considered himself unworthy to die in the same way as the Son of God. Therefore, the inverted crucifix is ​​called the Peter's Cross. The estimated day of death of the saint is June 29 according to the Julian calendar. Saint Peter was buried on the slope of Vatican Hill by his disciple Clement of Rome.

There is a legend that, before falling into the hands of the Romans, Peter intended to leave the city, but on the way he met a vision of Christ. The Apostle asked where he was going, and received the answer that the Savior was going to Rome to allow himself to be crucified again. Peter was ashamed and returned.

For the Russian Orthodox Church, Peter's Day falls on July 12th. Special services are held in churches: the day before there is an all-night vigil, and in the morning there is a liturgy. Those who wish to receive communion are introduced to the mysteries of Christ. In Rus', Peter’s festivities began on this day; in addition to the day of remembrance, Peter and Pavel Ryabinnik were honored on September 23.

Memory

• 1511-1514 – , “The miraculous release of the Apostle Peter from prison”
• 1592 – , “Apostles Peter and Paul”
• 1601 – , “The Crucifixion of St. Peter”
• 1610-1612 – , “Apostle Peter”
• 1626 – St. Peter's Basilica in Rome
• 1703 – city of St. Petersburg (“city of St. Peter”)
• 1732 – Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg
• 1762 – Gabriel Kozlov, “Apostle Peter denies Christ”
• 1888 – Church of the Apostle Peter in Jaffa (Israel)
• 1910 – , “Gates of Heaven”
• 1962 – Nunoike Cathedral (Japan)
• 1990 – Washington Cathedral (Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul)

Having become a disciple of Jesus Christ, he accompanied him in all the paths of his earthly life. Peter was one of Jesus' favorite disciples. When Jesus asked his disciples what they thought of him, Peter said that he was “the Christ, the son of the living God.” In response, Jesus said:

By nature, Peter was very lively and hot-tempered: it was he who wanted to walk on water to approach Jesus, and it was he who cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant in the Garden of Gethsemane. On the night after Jesus was arrested, Peter, as Jesus predicted, showed weakness and, fearing to incur persecution, denied Him three times before the rooster crowed (see also the servant of the doorkeeper). But later Peter sincerely repented and was forgiven by the Lord.

Together with James and John, he was present on Mount Tabor when the transfiguration of Jesus took place.

Apostle in Acts and Church Traditions

After the Ascension of the Lord, the Apostle Peter preached the word of God in different countries and at the same time performed great miracles - he raised the dead, healed the sick and infirm, and headed the college of the twelve apostles. According to legend, he held the post of Bishop of Rome for 25 years - from 43 to 67-68.

Arrested in 42 by order of Herod Agrippa I, king of Judea, he was imprisoned in Jerusalem, from where he escaped a few days later, as the Acts of the Apostles relate. In 49, he took part in the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem, at which he agreed with other apostles, including the Apostle Paul of Tarsus, on the question of how to deal with pagans who wish to join Christian communities.

The Antiochian Orthodox Church (Roman Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and the whole East) traces its patriarchal (episcopal) lineage to the Apostle Peter, who, according to legend, together with the Apostle Paul, founded it around the year 37 in Antioch.

According to legend, during the persecution of Emperor Nero against Christians, the Apostle Peter was crucified on an inverted cross in the year 64 (according to another version - in 67-68) upside down at his request, because he considered himself unworthy to die the death of his Lord.

Resurrection of the Dead

According to the church, the Apostle Peter preached with such power that he immediately converted up to five thousand people to Christ, healed hopelessly sick people, and even resurrected the dead. People revered him so much that they carried the sick directly into the streets so that at least the shadow of the Apostle Peter would overshadow them. In Joppa, the Apostle Peter raised the dead maiden Tabitha. According to the description of Saint Simeon Metaphrastus, the Apostle Peter, preaching in Ancyra of Galatia, resurrected the deceased. The description of the ancient church historian Hegesippus, as well as the letter of Marcellus the Roman, speaks of the resurrection by the Apostle Peter of a young man of the royal family in Rome. The young man’s mother invited the son of the Apostle Peter and Simon the Magus, who were famous among the people for resurrecting the dead, to the burial. To prove the demonicity of Simon Magus (a number of scientists believe that Simon Magus from the “Acts” and Simon Magus, the founder of the Gnostic sect, are not the same person), whom many in Rome revered as God, the Apostle Peter resurrected the young man in front of a large crowd.

The Case of Ananias and Sapphira

The same fate befell Sapphira. When she arrived, the apostles decided to put her to the test. Having kept silent about what happened to her husband, they asked how much they received from the sale of the property. After Sapphira gave the wrong number, Peter said:

After these words, Sapphira fell dead at the feet of the apostle, and the young people buried her next to her husband.

Search for the tomb of the apostle

According to Christian tradition, the ancient Roman Basilica of Constantine was located above the burial place of the Apostle Peter. Later, the Vatican Basilica of St. Peter was built here. From 1939 to 1949, archaeological excavations were carried out under the cathedral, which revealed the remains of an ancient Roman cemetery. In 1952, a detailed report was published indicating that one of the graves in this cemetery was especially revered already in the 1st-2nd centuries. Further work was carried out under the guidance of the Italian archaeologist Margherita Guarducci. In 1964, her book “Relics of St. Peter under the Confessional Booth of the Vatican Basilica” (Italian: Reliquie Di Pietro Sotto La Confossione della Bas?lica Vaticana) was published, in which the likelihood that Peter was buried in this grave was regarded as very high. Impressed by archaeological research, Pope Paul VI announced in 1968 that, based on the research of scientists, it can be assumed that the tomb of the apostle had been found.

However, some scholars did not agree with the pope's point of view.

"Trophy" of the Apostle Peter

For the history of the Catholic Church and Rome as the seat of the pontiff, the interpretation of the word “trophy” is important, since a certain priest named Guy, who lived in Rome in the second half of the 2nd century, wrote that the “trophies” of the Apostle Peter remained in the Vatican, and the “trophies Paul were buried near the road to Ostia. This was the basis for the theory, which turned into almost a dogma, that Peter, the first Pope, was buried in the Vatican. Today, interpreters recognize that the word “trophy” in this context really most likely means “what remains of the martyrs.” Prominent scholars such as Renan and Guinébert have long believed that the word "trophy" of Peter means "monument" to Peter. It is also likely that the word "tropeum" refers to the walls - the building that was erected around the supposed burial of the apostle.

Criticism of claims about Peter's visit, death and burial in Rome

At the same time, early Christian authors write about the apostle’s stay in Rome: Origen (III century), Lactantius (early 4th century), Eusebius of Caesarea (“Ecclesiastical History”, 325).. As Scottish researcher Alexander Hyslop notes, the earliest mention of the stay Peter's in Rome dates back to the end of the 2nd century, and this mention is given in a dubious work of the late second - early third century called "Clementine", which talks about the meeting of Peter with Simon Magus. Peter questioned Simon's magical abilities and demanded proof of his supernatural abilities. Then the sorcerer flew into the air, and Peter lowered him to the ground, so quickly that the sorcerer broke his leg."

Reverence

The Apostle Peter is revered in the Orthodox and Catholic churches. The feast of the holy apostles Peter and Paul was established as the two most revered apostles, called the supreme holy apostles for their especially zealous service to the Lord and the spread of the faith of Christ. Orthodox Christians celebrate the holiday on July 12 (June 29, old style), while Catholics celebrate it on June 29. In most Christian churches, according to church tradition, it is believed that the Apostle Peter was the founder of the Roman Church (the Catholic Church reveres him as the first pope). The city of St. Petersburg (lit. “city of St. Peter”) is named after him.

Born into the family of a simple fisherman Jonah. The original name of the apostle was Simon (Hebrew Shimon).

The name Peter (Petrus, from the Greek πέτρος - stone) arose from the nickname Cephas (Aramic - stone), which Jesus gave him.

He was married and worked as a fisherman with his brother Andrey. When Jesus met Peter and Andrew, he said:

“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).

anonymus, Public Domain

Having become a disciple of Jesus Christ, he accompanied him in all the paths of his earthly life. Peter was one of Jesus' favorite disciples. When Jesus asked the disciples what they thought about Him, Peter said that He is

"Christ, the Son of the living God".

In response, Jesus said:

“I tell you: you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it; And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
(Matt. 16:18-19)

By nature, Peter was very lively and hot-tempered: it was he who wanted to walk on water to approach Jesus, and it was he who cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Anonymous, CC BY-SA 3.0

On the night after Jesus was arrested, Peter, as Jesus predicted, showed weakness and, fearing persecution, denied Him three times before the rooster crowed. But later Peter sincerely repented and was forgiven by the Lord.

anonymous, Public Domain

Together with James and John, he was present on Mount Tabor when the transfiguration of Jesus took place.

Apostle in Acts

The Apostle Peter is mentioned many times in the first part of the book of the Acts of the Apostles (chapters 1-15). In subsequent chapters he is not mentioned at all; they are devoted exclusively to the missionary travels of the Apostle Paul. In the first part of Acts, Peter plays a major role.

Acts describes how the Apostle Peter preached with such power that he immediately converted up to five thousand people to Christ, healed the sick and raised the dead. People revered him so much that they carried the sick directly into the streets so that at least the shadow of the Apostle Peter would overshadow them. In Joppa, the Apostle Peter raised the dead maiden Tabitha.

Main episodes of Acts with the participation of the Apostle Peter:

• Speech before the college of apostles about the need to elect a 12th apostle to replace the traitor Judas (Acts 1:15-22).
• Sermon to the Jews on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-40).
• Healing the lame man and preaching to the people (Acts 3:1-26).
• Speech before rulers and elders (Acts 4:8-23).
• The Episode of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11).
• Answer before the Sanhedrin (Acts 5:18-32).
• Episode with Simon Magus (Acts 8:14-25).
• Peter's visit to Lydda and Joppa, miraculous deeds (Acts 9:32-43).
• Peter and the centurion Cornelius. Reception of the first Gentiles into the Church (Acts 10:9-48)
• Reproaches from the circumcision, Peter justifies the acceptance of former Gentiles (Acts 11:2-18)
• Arrest of the Apostle Peter by King Herod, miraculous salvation (Acts 12:3-17)
• Apostolic Council (Acts 15:6-21)

Arrested in 42 by order of Herod Agrippa I, king of Judea, he was imprisoned in Jerusalem, from where he escaped a few days later, as the Acts of the Apostles relate.

Gerard van Honthorst (1590–1656), Public Domain

In 49 he took part in the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem, at which he agreed with other apostles, including the Apostle Paul of Tarsus, on the question of how to act towards pagans who wish to join Christian communities.

Epistles of the Apostle Peter

However, the view of biblical scholars on the authorship of these messages is very different. If the First Epistle was unconditionally recognized by the early Church as the authentic message of the Apostle Peter and was repeatedly quoted by early Christian authors, then the attribution of the Second Epistle to the pen of the Apostle raised doubts even in the earliest times.

Currently, most scholars reject Peter's authorship for this Epistle and consider it a later pseudepigraphal work.

Apostle in church traditions

According to legend, the Apostle Peter preached the word of God in different countries and at the same time performed great miracles - he raised the dead, healed the sick and infirm, and headed the college of twelve apostles. According to him, he served as the first bishop of Rome for 25 years - from 43 to 67-68.

The Antiochian Orthodox Church (Roman Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and the whole East) traces its patriarchal (episcopal) lineage to the Apostle Peter, who, according to legend, together with the Apostle Paul, founded it around 37 in Antioch.

According to the description of Saint Simeon Metaphrastus, the Apostle Peter, preaching in Ancyra of Galatia, resurrected the deceased. The description of the ancient church historian Hegesippus, as well as the letter of Marcellus the Roman, speaks of the resurrection by the Apostle Peter of a young man of the royal family in Rome. The young man’s mother invited the son of the Apostle Peter and Simon the Magus, who were famous among the people for resurrecting the dead, to the burial. To prove the demonicity of Simon Magus (a number of scientists believe that Simon Magus from the “Acts” and Simon Magus, the founder of the Gnostic sect, are not the same person), whom many in Rome revered as God, the Apostle Peter resurrected the young man in front of a large crowd.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Public Domain

According to legend, during the persecution of Emperor Nero against Christians, the Apostle Peter was crucified on an inverted cross in 64 (according to another version - in 67-68) upside down at his request, because he considered himself unworthy to die the death of his Lord.

“Annoyed with the Apostle Peter for converting his two beloved wives to Christianity, Nero ordered him to be imprisoned and then executed. Shortly before this, at the request of the believers, Peter went out of Rome at night to save himself; but while he was leaving the city, the Lord appeared to him in a vision, entering Rome. “Lord, where are you going?” - the apostle asked Him. “I’m going to Rome to be crucified again,” the Lord answered him. Peter realized that his removal was not pleasing to the Lord, and returned to the city. Here he was taken by soldiers, imprisoned and a few days later, in 67 A.D., put to death.”

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Years of life: died about 67 in Rome

Helpful information

Simon son of Jonah
Hebrew שמעון בר-יונה, פטרוס הקדוש
Arab. سمعان
Simon Peter
Apostle Peter
Greek Απόστολος Πέτρος
The name Peter (Petrus, from the Greek πέτρος - stone) arose from the nickname Cephas (Aram. כיפא - stone), which Jesus gave him
Arab. القديس بطرس ، بطرس الرسول

Reverence

In Catholicism, he is traditionally considered the first Pope.

The feast of the holy apostles Peter and Paul was established as the two most revered apostles, called the supreme holy apostles for their especially zealous service to the Lord and the spread of the faith of Christ.

Orthodox Christians celebrate the holiday on July 12 (June 29, old style), while Catholics celebrate it on June 29.

In most Christian churches, according to church tradition, it is believed that the Apostle Peter was the founder of the Roman Church (the Catholic Church reveres him as the first pope).

The city of St. Petersburg (lit. "city of St. Peter") is named in his honor.

Search for the tomb of the apostle

According to Christian tradition, the ancient Roman Basilica of Constantine was located above the burial place of the Apostle Peter. Later, the Vatican Basilica of St. Peter was built here.

From 1939 to 1949, archaeological excavations were carried out under the cathedral, which revealed the remains of an ancient Roman cemetery. In 1952, a detailed report was published showing that one of the graves in this cemetery was especially revered already in the 1st–2nd centuries.

Further work was carried out under the guidance of the Italian archaeologist Margherita Guarducci. In 1964, her book “Relics of St. Peter under the Confessional Booth of the Vatican Basilica” (Italian: Reliquie Di Pietro Sotto La Confossione della Basílica Vaticana) was published, which stated that it was in this place that Peter could have been buried.

In 1968, Pope Paul VI announced that, according to scientific research, the tomb of the apostle could be considered discovered. However, some scientists did not agree with his point of view.

"Trophy" of the Apostle Peter

For the history of the Catholic Church and Rome as the place of residence of the pontiff, the interpretation of the word “trophy” is important, since a certain priest named Guy, who lived in Rome in the second half of the 2nd century, wrote that the “trophies” of the Apostle Peter remained in the Vatican, and “ Paul's trophies were buried near the road to Ostia.

This was the basis for the theory, which turned into almost a dogma, that Peter, the first Pope, was buried in the Vatican.

Today, interpreters recognize that the word “trophy” in this context really most likely means “what remains of the martyrs.”

Prominent scholars such as Renan and Guinébert have long believed that the word "trophy" of Peter means "monument" to Peter. It is also likely that the word "tropeum" refers to the walls - the building that was erected around the supposed burial of the apostle.

Criticism of claims about Peter's visit, death and burial in Rome

A number of critics have noted the absence of any direct reference in Scripture to Peter visiting Rome. This, for example, is not reported by Justin Martyr, who wrote in the first half of the 2nd century in Rome.

“According to Gal. 2:9, Peter, James and John made an agreement with Paul and Barnabas by shaking hands that Paul and Barnabas would conduct their activities among the Gentiles, and Peter, James and John - among the Jews. Paul, who wrote a letter to the church in Rome, at the end of it greets twenty-seven persons by name, but Peter is not mentioned among them. Likewise, in many of the letters he wrote to churches and individuals, Peter is not mentioned even once.”

At the same time, early Christian authors write about the apostle’s stay in Rome: (3rd century), Lactantius (beginning of the 4th century), Eusebius of Caesarea (“Church History”, 325).

As Scottish researcher Alexander Hislop notes, the earliest mention of Peter's stay in Rome dates back to the end of the 2nd century, and this mention is given in a dubious work of the late second - early third century called "Clementine", which talks about Peter's meeting with Simon the Magus. Peter questioned Simon's magical abilities and demanded proof of his supernatural abilities. Then the sorcerer flew into the air, and Peter lowered him to the ground, so quickly that the sorcerer broke his leg.

Also, the argument that Peter did not visit Rome is based on the distribution of the places of his preaching by the apostles. Peter himself claimed that he wrote his first epistle from Babylon (1 Peter 5:13) and, according to a number of researchers, he had in mind the real city, and not the allegorical name of Rome.

In Peter's day, the real Babylon still existed. In addition, Babylon had a significant Jewish community. Since, according to Paul (Gal. 2:7-9), Peter was entrusted with preaching the Good News to the circumcised Jews, some researchers suggest that he visited Babylon for this purpose.

Be sober and watchful, because your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

1 Pet. 5

The Apostle Peter was a real historical figure and did more to preach Christianity than anyone else, excluding, of course, Christ himself. Constantly moving from place to place, preaching to slaves and freedmen, he literally sowed the seeds of Christianity. In the Roman Empire, the common people believed in their household and village gods, while educated people, if they believed in anything, only in the power of money.

The passionate preaching of Christianity, which sounded during this period with faith in the atonement of sins through suffering, in the Kingdom of Heaven, in eternal life, became rapidly

gain popularity among slaves and freedmen.

According to the Gospel of John, the first disciples came to Jesus from the preacher John the Baptist. These were Galilean fishermen named Andrew and John. Then Andrew went to his brother Simon, also a fisherman, and brought him to Jesus. Jesus immediately said about him: “You are Simon, son of John; You will be called Peter, which means “stone.”

In Rome in those days it was not forbidden to worship someone unless (!) the divine essence of the emperor was disputed (and thereby his powers were questioned). However, due to the very essence of their teaching, Christians could not agree with this thesis. All that was needed to pursue them was a reason, and soon it presented itself.

In 64, a terrible disaster struck Rome: a huge fire broke out and raged for nine days. A significant part of the city burned out completely.

Contemporaries were amazed that there were people who interfered with putting out the fire, and there were also those who, as Tacitus wrote, “openly threw burning torches into houses that had not yet been touched by fire, shouting that they were following orders, or in order to plunder unhindered, or actually obedient to someone else’s will.”

When the fire started, Nero was outside Rome. Arriving in the city, he ordered to provide assistance to the affected population and open the Field of Mars, large buildings and imperial gardens to the people.

“Food was brought from Ostia and other cities, and the price of grain was reduced to three sesterces. Taken for the sake of gaining popular favor, these events, however, did not achieve their intended goal, since a rumor spread that at the very time when Rome was engulfed in flames, Nero climbed the palace wall and began to sing about the destruction of Troy, comparing the misfortune that befell Rome with disasters of ancient times."

Rumors spread among the people accusing Nero of deliberately setting Rome on fire, allegedly in order to build a new one on the site of the old city and call it by his own name.

Then Nero, as Tacitus said, writing at the beginning of the 2nd century, in order to absolve himself of the accusations of rumor, declared sectarians, adherents of one of the eastern cults, to be the culprits of the fire; Tacitus called them "Christians."

So, first those who openly admitted that they belonged to this sect were captured, and then, on their instructions, “a great many others were convicted not so much of the villainous arson as of hatred of the human race.”

The words of Josephus and Tacitus have been interpreted differently in science; They even tried to recognize the words of Tacitus as a later insertion, but there are no serious grounds for this. Since Christians kept themselves apart, refused to participate in the national cult of emperors, their gatherings were surrounded by mystery and the uninitiated were not allowed to attend, this gave rise to rumors and suspicions of unseemly actions.

Peter, during Nero’s persecution, at the persistent persuasion of his fellow believers, who feared for his life, agreed to leave Rome and quietly left the city at night. But, having passed the city gates, the legend goes on, he suddenly saw a vision: Jesus Christ himself was walking towards him, carrying his cross. Peter asked:

"Where are you going?" (“Quo vadis?” - lat.)

“I’m going to Rome,” Jesus answered, “to be crucified there again,” and disappeared.

Peter realized that he had acted wrongly, not wanting to share the fate of his brothers, and returned to Rome. Imprisoned in prison, Peter, according to legend, managed to convert his jailer to Christianity and even baptize him, miraculously calling a spring from the stone floor of the prison.

When Peter was sentenced to crucifixion, he asked to be nailed to the cross, not like Jesus Christ, but upside down, because he considered himself unworthy to die in the same way as his teacher.

The execution of Peter and his other associates was of enormous importance for the future of the Christian movement. Joyfully accepting the crown of martyrdom, the early Christians seemed to show with their own eyes all the joys of the Kingdom of Heaven and all the emptiness and vanity of the earthly world.

The Catholic version of the legend of Peter eventually became a church doctrine that substantiated the very idea of ​​the papacy. A doctrine arose that Peter, this “prince of the apostles,” was the first bishop of Rome for twenty-five years, the founder of the “Roman see” (“Roman throne”), and the pope became his immediate successor, to whom Peter himself transferred his power and entrusted dominate the Christian world.

So the popes declared themselves “the vicars of St. Peter on earth.” And since Peter himself was only the “rock” on which Jesus Christ erected his church, the formula of the primacy of the pope sometimes sounds even more straightforward: “The Pope is the vicar of Christ on earth,” so to speak, his earthly representative.

The Catholic Church maintains that after Peter was martyred in Rome, he continues to reign forever in that center of his earthly glory as the invisible head of the Christian church.

The popes and their land holdings began to be called the “patrimony” or “legacy” of St. Peter.

The Orthodox and Protestant churches do not recognize the most important dogma of Catholicism about the succession of power and the viceroy of popes.

- worship of honest chains, June 29 - together with the apostle. Paul, September 5 - recollection of the appearance of the apostle. Peter to the faithful king Justinian in Atira in the century. (Greek; ROCOR) and in the Council of the Twelve Apostles

Other information about him is preserved only in church traditions. It is known that he preached the Gospel along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, in Antioch (where he ordained Apostle Evoda). The Apostle Peter preached in Asia Minor to Jews and proselytes (pagans converted to Judaism), then in Egypt, where he ordained Mark as the first bishop of the Alexandrian Church. From here he moved to Greece (Achaia) and preached in Corinth, then preached in Rome, Spain, Carthage and Britain. According to legend, the Apostle Mark wrote his Gospel for Roman Christians from the words of the Apostle Peter. Among the New Testament holy books there are two Council (district) epistles of the Apostle Peter. The first letter of Peter is addressed to “the strangers scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bethany” - the provinces of Asia Minor. The reason for writing was the desire of the Apostle Peter to confirm his brothers when troubles arose in these communities and persecutions that befell them from the enemies of the Cross of Christ. Internal enemies also appeared among Christians in the form of false teachers. Taking advantage of the absence of the Apostle Paul, they began to distort his teaching on Christian freedom and patronize all moral laxity.

Trinity Orthodox Russian Calendar for 2014, Holy Trinity Monastery. Typography Ave. Iva Pochaevskag in Jordanville, 2013, p. 120.