Saunt Peter

It is probable that he wis first cried "Shimon Ben-Yonah", or aiblins "Shimion Bar-Yonah" (baith is Hebrew, meanin "Simon son o John"). Gaun bi The Gospel o John, Jesus gied him the name "Cephas", meanin "Rock" that in Greek is "Petros", Laitinised as "Peter". He cried him this syne he said that Peter wis the rock that he wad big his kirk o the Yird on.

It isna kent whan Peter wis born, tho it seems he cam frae Bethsaida, no faur frae Capernaum, alang wi his brither Andra, Philip, an aiblins James an John. He wrocht as a fisherman wi his brither, until Jesus cawed thaim tae follae him - his first disciples. The Gospel o Matthew gies the follaein acoont:

Ae day he [viz. Jesus] wis travlin aside the Loch o Galilee, whan he saw twa brithirs, Símon, caa'd Peter, an Andra his brithir, castin a net intil the loch; for they war fishers tae tredd.

"Come efter me, " qo he til them, "an I s' mak ye men-fishers": an strecht they quat their nets an followt him. (Matt. 4: 18-20)

The fower Gospels aw gies Peter's name first in thair leets o disciples, an thay gie the impression that he wis ane o the heidmaist disciples e'en while Jesus wis aye wi thaim on the yird. He wis heidstrang, an commeetit tae Jesus' cause. Efter Jesus wis liftit, Peter follaed his captors intil Jerusalem (lik as no tae get mair wittins anent whit wad happent tae Jesus), but while thare, three times he threapit that he didna ken Jesus, as Jesus haed telt him he wad. The Gospels records that efter Jesus cam bak til the yird in life, he forgae Peter, an chairged him til leuk efter his hirsel (i.e. tae lead the kirk).

The beuk Acts o the Apostles records that efter Jesus wis taen back up til Heiven, Peter effectivley becam the leader o the kirk in Jerusalem, tho the ither Apostles, sic as Philip, an syne Paul wis unco important an aw, specially Paul. It wis Peter that gied the speech recordit in Acts 2 that is seen bi mony fowk as the stairtin pynt o the Christian Kirk. At some pynt he gaed til Roum, aiblins tae be wi Paul, tho this canna be pruiven. Early tradeetion hauds that thare he becam the first Bishop o Roum.

Whan Nero begoud his persecution o Christians, mony o the Kirk's leaders in Roum wis incarcerate or execute. It seems that Peter wis ane o them that wis execute, maist likely in 64AD, aiblins bi crucifiction, as wis Jesus. Auld-threaps hauds that he speired gin he coud be execute bi bein crucifee'd tapsalteerie, syne he felt he wisna wirthy tae dee efter the same cast as his Laird, an this wis grantit; tho mony scholars dinna jalouse that this is likely.

Syne Jesus telt Peter he wad big his kirk on the yird on him, an syne he becam ane o the heidmaist leaders o the Kirk, Peter is aften seen as haudin the keys tae the Yetts o Heiven - as is aften pictured daen sae in warks o airt.

The Feast Day o Saunt Peter in the Roman Catholic Kirk is the 29t o Juin, alang wi Saunt Paul. Peter is patron saunt o fishermen amang ither treds.

• A wabpage wi a wheen o information anent Saunt Peter Archived 2007-10-15 at the Wayback Machine
• Catholic Encyclopaedia page anent Saunt Peter Archived 2007-10-11 at the Wayback Machine