Peter himself wrote in 2 Peter 1:13-15: [13] Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; [14] Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. As the story goes, Peter refused to be crucified upwards as his master Jesus, and so he requested an upside-down death. Peter and Paul. . The upside-down cross, or the inverted cross, is a symbol with a long history and, in modern times, divergent meanings. The person I was studying with has since called me asking where this can be found and I would like to give her the correct answer. The early church fathers are unanimous in claiming that Peter died in Rome, by crucifixion, during the persecution of Nero in AD 64. Papias & Dionysius of Corinth (Quoted in Eusebius), Origen of Alexandria (Quoted in Eusebius), 7. How could Jesus say His killers knew not what they were doing? Dionysius of Corinth, also about AD 200 "You (Pope Soter) have also, by your very admonition, brought together the planting that was made by Peter and Paul at Rome and at Corinth; for both of them alike planted in our Corinth and taught us; and both alike, teaching similarly in Italy, suffered martyrdom at the same time" When Eusebius reported the crucifixion of Peter and the beheading of Paul in Ecclestiacial History, he was simply passing along a tradition which has been the unanimous opinion of the church for two hundred years. Regardless of whether the prophecy was about Matthias, he was apparently stoned and then beheaded late in the 1st century. these stories are quite early -- for example "The Acts of Peter" (2nd It feels like we should know the answer to this question, right? But when you grow older, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where dou dont want to go." The Jewish historian Josephus reported that he was stoned and then clubbed to death. Others ascribe history to John, Andrew, Thomas, Paul, Philip, Barnabas, and so forth. It is from "The Acts of Peter" that we get the story of Peter For example, the apostle Peter was said to have been crucified upside down in Rome under the persecution of Herod. (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) Sign up to receive news and updates fromBible & Archaeology. After he was raised from the dead by Paul, the resurrected servant upset Nero by acknowledging Jesus as the "eternal king," leading Nero to discover that many others among his own bodyguard were Christians. Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Peter was crucified upside down because he felt he was unworthy to be crucified in a manner similar to Jesus. The other day in a discussion with a friend, a statement was made that the disciple Peter was crucified upside down. information on this matter (a link to the page is also provided): Read full chapter Galatians 2:20 in all English translations Galatians 1 Galatians 3 1 Peter 1:21 King James Version Share Show footnotes And they prayed and said, You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place. And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. Still, while its possible the tradition of Peters upside-down crucifixion preserves an actual memory of his fate, the historical evidence is simply inconclusive. In this sense, the inverted cross symbolizes humility in faith because Peter would not be crucified in the same manner that the Savior, Jesus Christ, was crucified. King James Version (KJV). What this brief excursus has shown is that there is no consensus view on Peter and Pauls executions. Where in the Bible did Peter say he could not be crucified like his Lord? 11 Bible Verses about Turning Upside Down Acts 17:6 When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have upset the world have come here also; Isaiah 29:16 Verse Concepts You turn things around! Clement, bishop of Rome (AD 88-97), to the Corinthians. Take it, then, you whose duty it is. Jews that were scattered abroad; who also, finally coming to Rome, was apparently widespread throughout the Church. Who created the argument that the head of the church in Rome had special authority using Matthew 16? A person hanging on such a cross would be positioned head-downwards. Why does the Bible give two conflicting accounts of Judas death? None of these books were accepted by the early church. And here we have a great example of how traditions develop over time and eventually become "what is known"stories we have heard and believe to be true, and often assume are preserved in the Bible somewhere, but actually aren't. He returned, was arrested, and requested to be crucified upside down. While this is church tradition, Jesus did prophecy that Peter would be crucified: Papias & Dionysius of Corinth (quoted in Eusebius). obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. The twelve apostles were just ordinary working men. The earliest account makes it part of a larger theological point about a world full of Platonic dualism and mysticismdepicting his death actually as a birth. As best as we can tell from history, Peter and Paul were put to death at roughly the same time (circa A.D. 64-68). Here we have two of the greatest Apostles mentioned in the Bible, so it stands to reason that we should have a few details about how each met their demise. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Lets start with location. All rights reserved. for intellectuals who just dont get it. Tertullian, about AD195 declared "But if you are near Italy, you have Rome, where authority is at hand for us too. The apostles were not the kind of group you might have expected Jesus to send forth on his mission to reach the world. There are some related passagesthat is, references to Peters old age and ultimate demise. Does God "delight" in evil, as it seems to say in Deuteronomy 28:63? You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. New King James Version (NKJV). beheaded at Rome, and Peter to have been crucified under him. Or, he may have been beheaded (Pauls supposed death). Whether he was crucified Maybe we'll have more luck if we shift to the other general questions. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Tradition associates their deaths with Nero and 64 CE, so lets see what we find that supports this tradition. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. http://www.bibleanswer.com What is the significance of church on Sundays? Then Jesus told him, 'Follow me.'. Someone brought up the fact As for crucifixion upside down, that is also testified to, but the evidence is weaker for this particular form of crucifixion. This is actually not all that far-fetched a claim. John reported, (probably after Peter died) "He said this to signify by what kind of death he would glorify God." Though the amount of time it was lost as well as the reasons for its rediscovery vary, it was eventually discovered and miraculously rejoined Paul's body. If Amos, Nahum, Habakkuk, Haggai, Malachi were names of real people, why are they not found elsewhere in Biblical history? These facts are related by Origen in the third volume of his Commentary on Genesis. down) is less certain. Sean McDowell, Ph.D. is a professor of Christian Apologetics at Biola University, a best-selling author of over 15 books, an internationally recognized speaker, and a part-time high school teacher. While this is church tradition, Jesus did prophecy that Peter would be crucified: Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go. Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God (John 21:18-19). It is a religious tradition that may be true, but we have no verification in the Scriptures. History affirms that the apostle Peter was crucified in Rome under the death of the emperor Nero, but the exact nature of that crucifixion (i.e., upside down) is less certain. While it is a frequent idea in religion, friend, there is actually no Bible verse to substantiate it. He sees the Roman soldiers come to arrest him and take him away to be executed. Did Peter actually write the book of Second Peter? Why was Peter crucified? History 2:25). If you want to see Peter in action . Some of Eusebius also records this story, but says his source is from a church Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go., Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go. After the death of the apostles, we do not find as significant missionary figures of the stature of Paul. Paul was beheaded because Roman citizens could not be crucified. R to L: The Apostle Peter, Jesus Christ, The Apostle Paul. Paul is sometimes guilty of converting Neros mistress or concubine in certain versions of the tale, and having converted almost the entire palace in others. A.D. 67-68), which tradition says he was. He concludes by saying, But it is time for you, Peter, to surrender your body to those who are taking it. Peter requested that he be crucified upside down as he did not feel worthy to die in the same manner as Our Lord. And he said, "Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.". Where do we go when we die? It is more common to see the upside down Petrine cross in horror films and among dark metal bands as a symbol of the antichrist (see What is the Antichrist and is it in the Bible? Also, rumors that associated this with the origins of the "Peace Symbol" were wrong. Answer? account is confirmed by the fact, that the names of Peter and Paul still And at last, having come to Rome, he was crucified head-downwards; for he had requested that he might suffer in this way. Joe R Price These cookies do not store any personal information. Peter's death: he was crucified in Rome during the time of Nero. that Peter was crucified upside-down. Nero burned down a large section of the city of Rome so he could build new structures. For instance, did you know that we have fifteen different versions of the deaths of Peter and Paulfour of Peter, five of Paul, and six of Peter and Paul togetherall written by the 6th century CE? So the idea that Peter was crucified (stretch out your hands) came from John, but this does not include the location or the physical position of his crucifixion. Even if we assume that Peter was crucified, note that John 21 says nothing regarding it occurring upside-down. However, it is highly unlikely that Christians would have been a large and distinct enough group yet in Rome in 64 CE to provide a believable scapegoat for Nero. James beheaded John exiled, died of old age (brother of James) Matthew speared to death Bartholomew beaten then crucified. Sean McDowell, Ph.D. is a professor of Christian Apologetics at Biola University, a best-selling author, popular speaker, and part-time high school teacher. ', Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry. I've heard about this too but I don't Sincerely, Here we have two of the greatest Apostles mentioned in the Bible, so it stands to reason that we should have a few details about how each met their demise. If Mark 16:9-20 was not in the original Mark, might the other post-resurrection accounts also be added later to the other gospels? **ATTENTION: Dear readers, as of late 2022, special-edition Q&A article #1000 is still in development. "Thus Nero publicly announcing himself as the chief enemy of God, was led on As its name implies, an upside-down cross is simply a Latin cross turned so that the crosspiece is closer to the bottom than the top. He was the son of Alpheus and is one of at least three James referred to in the New Testament. According to tradition and extra-biblical sources, the Apostle Peter was crucified during Nero's reign on an upside down cross. Through jealousy and envy the greatest and most just pillars of the Church were persecuted, and came even unto death Peter, through unjust envy, endured not one or two but many labours, and at last, having delivered his testimony, departed unto the place of glory due to him." How long did it take for Israel to cross the Red Sea? It turns out, though, that there are reasons to question this story about Nero.