The time had come for Peter to leave Jerusalem. After labouring for some
time in Samaria, he returned to Jerusalem, and reported to the church there
the results of his work (Acts 8:14-25). Here he remained for a period,
during which he met Paul for the first time since his conversion (9:26-30;
Galatians 1:18). Leaving Jerusalem again, he went forth on a missionary
journey to Lydda and Joppa (Acts 9:32-43). He is next called on to open
the door of the Christian church to the Gentiles by the admission of
Cornelius of Caesarea (ch. 10).
After remaining for some time at Caesarea, he returned to Jerusalem (Acts
11:1-18), where he defended his conduct with reference to the Gentiles.
Next we hear of his being cast into prison by Herod Agrippa (12:1-19);
but in the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison gates, and he went
forth and found refuge in the house of Mary.
He took part in the deliberations of the council in Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-31;
Galatians 2:1-10) regarding the relation of the Gentiles to the church. This
subject had awakened new interest at Antioch, and for its settlement was
referred to the council of the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. Here Paul
and Peter met again.
We have no further mention of Peter in the Acts of the Apostles. He
seems to have gone down to Antioch after the council at Jerusalem, and
there to have been guilty of dissembling, for which he was severely
reprimanded by Paul (Galatians 2:11-16), who “rebuked him to his face.”
After this he appears to have carried the gospel to the east, and to have
laboured for a while at Babylon, on the Euphrates (1 Peter 5:13). There is
no satisfactory evidence that he was ever at Rome. Where or when he died
is not certainly known. Probably he died between A.D. 64 and 67.
- PETER, FIRST EPISTLE OF This epistle is addressed to “the strangers
scattered abroad”, i.e., to the Jews of the Dispersion (the Diaspora).
Its object is to confirm its readers in the doctrines they had been already
taught. Peter has been called “the apostle of hope,” because this epistle
abounds with words of comfort and encouragement fitted to sustain a
“lively hope.” It contains about thirty-five references to the Old
Testament.
It was written from Babylon, on the Euphrates, which was at this time one
of the chief seats of Jewish learning, and a fitting centre for labour among