The divinely-blessed Peter was from Bethsaida of Galilee. He was
the son of Jonas and the brother of Andrew the First-called. He
was a fisherman by trade, unlearned and poor, and was called
Simon; later he was renamed Peter by the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself, Who looked at him and said, "Thou art Simon the son of
Jonas; thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation,
Peter)" (John 1:42). On being raised by the Lord to the dignity
of an Apostle and becoming inseparable from Him as His zealous
disciple, he followed Him from the beginning of His preaching of
salvation up until the very Passion, when, in the court of
Caiaphas the high priest, he denied Him thrice because of his
fear of the Jews and of the danger at hand. But again, after
many bitter tears, he received complete forgiveness of his
transgression. After the Resurrection of Christ and the descent
of the Holy Spirit, he preached in Judea, Antioch, and certain
parts of Asia, and finally came to Rome, where he was crucified
upside down by Nero, an