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While the concept of Rasul is used to refer to the hidden meaning of Nebi as well as and the maturity of sainthood, the concept of Nebi is used to refer to the rules and to the activities of the life hereafter. The Qur'an describes Jesus Christ as a Rasul who has come before Mohammad (peace be upon him) and as a prophet who drew attentions through revelation. Jesus Christ opened a new way and brought a completely new dimension that the Absolute Reality is also felt in each individual's existence. There were 13 other apostles who were accompanying Jesus Christ and accepting his ideas. Of those people, the most important one was Simon Peter whom Jesus called as "The Stone", who was also known as Petrus. He is the most important character who knows Jesus Christ. We shall try to explain the life of this individual who has also known as a saint in the history of Islam in the light of our present knowledge as much as we can. Peter is called to be an Apostle One day when John the Baptist was with two of his disciples, Jesus passed by. John said : "Look, there is the lamb of the God.'' The two disciples left their master standing there and followed Jesus at a distance. Jesus turned and saw them following. "What do you want?'' He asked. They said: "Master, where do you llive?" "Come and see," He replied. So they went and saw where he lived, and stay with Him the rest of the day. One of the two men who visited Jesus that day was named Andrew, and he had a brother named Simon. Early the next morning, Andrew said to Simon: "We have found the Messiah." And he brought Simon to Jesus. Peter receives a new name Simon is more often called Peter, or Simon Peter. Yhay is because Jesus, When He first met Simon, gave him a new name. He told him: "You shall be called Peter." Jesus used the word "Cephas," which meant "rock" in the language spoken in the Holly Land in those times. Peter, Andrew, and John all lived in Bethsaida, a village on the Sea of Galilee. *The great catch of fish Once Peter, James and John had fished all night and caught nothing. Jesus told Peter to let down his nets once again. This time they caught so many fish that the nets almost broke. Peter was afraid and knelt before Jesus. Jesus said to him: "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." Jesus meant that Simon would bring many people into the Church. *Peter pays the temple tax Some people asked Jesus to pay tmeple tax that everyone had to pay in God's honor. As son of God, Jesus did not have to pay it, but He wanteed to give an example. He told Peter to go to the lake and let down his hook. The first fish to be caught would have silveer coin in its mouth. Peter did as Jesus said andfound the coin. filled wiyh joy, he came back and showed the coin to Jesus. Then he paid the temple tax. Jesus saves Peter One night Peter and the diciples were in a boaat moving through a stormy sea. Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. At Jesus' invitation, Peter got out of the boat and walk over the water toward Jesus. But he became afraid and began to sink. At once Jesus reached out and took hold of him. They got back into the boat, and all knelt before Jesus saying: ''You are indeed the Son of God!'' Peter 's faith One day Jesus asked His disciples who people thought He was. They said Elijah, Jeremiah or some other Prophet. Jesus then asked them who they thought He was. Peter spoke up: ''You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.'' Jesus said to Peter: 'You are Peter (which means Rock), and upon this rock I will build My Church. Peter sees Jesus transfigured Peter, James and John went up a mountainwith Jesus and saw Him transfigured. His face shone like the sun and His clothes were white as snow. Moses and Elijah appeard and talked with Jesus. Peter asked if they should build tents up there for all of them. Then a voice said. ''This is My beloved Son. Hear Him'' The Apostles were afraid, but Jesus told them not to fear. Jesus washes Peter's feet Just before the Last Supper,Jesus began to wash the feet of the disciples. Peter did not want Jesus to do so humble service for Him. Jesus said: "If I do not wash you, I shall heve nothing more to do with you.'' Hearing this, Peter said: ''Master, wash not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well.'' Peter hears that he will deny Jesusdrink all During the course of the Last Supper, Jesus said that He was going away and disciples would follow Him there later. Peter asked: 'Why, Master, cannot I follow you right now? I will lay down my life for You.'' Jesus answered: ''Will you lay down your life for Me? I tell you, before the cock crows twice, you will deny Me three times.'' Peter is ordained a priest by jesus Jesus then took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying: ''Take it and eat. This is My Body.'' Taking the cup of wine, He did the same, saying: ''Drink all of you from this, for this is My Blood. Do this in memory of Me.'' By these words Peter and the others were ordained priests, with the power to change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus. Peter falls asleep while Jesus suffers Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him when He went into the Garden of Gethsemani to pray. He said: ''Stay here and pray with Me.'' Jesus fell with his face on the ground, and great drops of blood came out on His face like sweat. He looked for consolation from the disciples but they slept. He said to them : "Could you not watch with me one hour?" And Peter did not know what say . The same thing happened twice more. Peter defends Jesus with a sword When Judas ' one of the twelve ' came with a band of soldiers . He said : " Hail ' Rabbi'" and kissed Jesus. As the soldiers laids hand on Jesus, Peter struck with a sword and cut off one of the ears of a certain Malchhus. Jesus restored it. Then He told Peter :"Put away the sword. Shall I not drink of the cup which the Father has given Me?" And He went with the soldiers. Peter denies Jesus three times When Jesus was taken a way , all the disciples fled. Peter followed Him at distance with John, up to the court of the high priest. Standing by the fire , Peter denied that he was a follower of Jesus. A cock crowed and he denied Christ twice more. Jesus turned and looked at Peter and cock crowed again. Peter remembered Jesus' word to him. He went out and wept bitterly. Peter at the tomb of Jesus In Peter's absence , Jesus was crucified , died , and was placed in a tomb. On the third day , Mary Magdalene told Peter and John that the tomb was empty. The two Apostles ran the tomb . Peter went in first and looked at the linen cloths and then at thefolded scarf which had been wrapped about Jesus' head . Then they left for home , wonderin what it all meant. Jesus appears to Peter and the apostles Late in the evening that the same day , Jesus came and stood before Peter and the other Apostles. He told them not to be afraid. Then He said : "Receive theHoly Spirit . Whose sins you shall forgive ' they are forgiven them , and whose sins you shall retain , they are retained." At this time Peter and all the other Apostles received the power to forgive sins. Jesus makes Peter the first pope Jesus appeared to Peter and the apostles by the seashore . After they shared a meal , He asked Peter three times whether he loved Him. Peter answered that he did, and each time Jesus told him to feed His lambs and sleep. He also told him him to bear his sufferings with patience. In this way Jesus made Peter the first Pope, his Vicar , and the Head of His Church. Peter sees Jesus rise to heaven During the forty day that followed His Ressurrection, Jesus taught the disciples often. They accepted His teaching. Then Jesus took His leave of them. He told them to tell others about Him. And He ascended in to heaven. This was the last time that Peter saw Jesus on earth. At pentecost Peter receives the Holy Spirit After Jesus' Ascension , Peter and the other disciples waited in prayer for Holy Spirit. On the tenth day (Pentecost), there came a sound like a great wind. Tongues of fire appeared and rested on each of them. They were all filled with the HolySpirit and began to speak in diffirent languages. They praised God and His wonderful works. Peter speaks about Jesus to the people That same day , Peter stood up before the people and said : "These are not drunken men . They are filled with God's Spirit." Then he told the people about Jesus , the Son of God. Whoever calls on His Name shall be saved. Those who beleived were baptized. About 3,000 people joined the Church that day. Peters cures a lame man One day as Peter and John were going to the temple , a lame man approached them seeking some alms. Peter said : " Silver and gold I do not have . But what I have I give you. In the Name of Jesus of Nazreth , get up and walk." Peter took the man by the right hand and lifted him up. At once, he coul walk and went in to the temple to praise God. Peter cures a man with the palsy The people began to bring their sick in to the streets so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on them and heal them. One day Peter went to a town called Lydda. There he saw a man named Aeneas who had the palsy and had been in bed for eight years. Peter said to him : " Aeneas , Jesus Christ makes you well. Stand up , and put away your bed." And Aeneas was cured. Peter raises dorcas from the dead A woman called Dorcas fell sick and died. Her friends sent for Peter and told him af all the good she had done while alive. Peter went alone into the room where the woman's body lay and knelt to pray . He said : "Dorcas ,arise." Dorcas opened her eyes and sat up. Lifting her to her feet ' Peter gave her back to her friends, alive. An angel frees Peter from prison The rulers put Peter and the apostlesw in prison. The next morning they sent for them but the officers culd not find them. While the Apostles were in prison , an angel had opened the doors by night and brought them out. He told to continue to teach the people. Obeying the angel , Peter and the Apostles went into the temple early in the morning and taught the people about Jesus. Paul visits Peter Paul was a jew who had been an enemy of the christian. Then he had received a vision and now he was a follower of Christ. After three years of prayer , he came to see Peter and the Apostles , to ask them about his own vocation as an Apostle. Paul listened to Peter's story and asked many questions . After fifteen days , he went out to preach Christ to the Gentiles. Peter's vision on the roof Peter had a vision on a roof. A great linen sheet was being lowered from the sky with all kind of birds and fowl in it. A voice from heaven told him to eat of them. Peter said no because some Jewish laws forbade it. But the voice said that he must eat. Just then Peter was told that Cornelius the centruion of Caesarea was seeking him. This man was not a Jew. Peter visits Cornelius Peter inderstood the vision. Cornelius was a foreigner , but God had moved the heart of this great man toward Jesus of Nazareth. Peter said : " God has showed me that I should not call any man unclean . God accepts any person who honors Him and does good." So Peter baptized Cornelius and all his family. And all praised God Who granted for giveness even to Gentiles. An Angel again frees Peter from prison King Herod had Peter put in prison. An angel woke Peter at night and made him get up quickly. He told Peter to put on his sandals and cloak and to follw him. They passed by the guards and went through a locked gate. Peter knew that it was God who had sent the angel to rescue him from the power of Herod. He went to rejoin the Christians. Peter goes to antioch and Rome Peter was Bishop of Antiooch two years before the Concuil of Jerusalem which took place in year 49. He was the head of that first Concuil of the Church. For the remainder of his life Peter preached boldly the Gospel of the living Christ and the joy of following in His footsteps. Fourteen years later , with James , the cousin of Jesus , and John , the son of Zebedee , Peter was called a "pillar of the Church." In time , Peter made his way to Rome where he ruled as the sipirutal head of the Church. He is said to have ruled about twenty-five years. Peter dies for Christ There is a story that Peter was leaving Rome when he met Jesus coming in , and he asked Him weher he was going. Jesus said : " I am going to be crucified again." Peter at once turned back , realizing that the cross was to be for him too. Peter was crucified in Rome in 66 or 67. By his own request he was hung on the Cross with his head downward. Peter , head of the church Peter was the first Pope, the first successor of Jesus Christ as the head of the Church. Our present Holy Father is the successor of St.Peter. Peter protects Church and prays for her needs in heaven. He watches over the Holy Father in Rome. The
source: Ahmet
F. Yuksel
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