The upside-down cross, or the inverted cross, is a symbol with a long history and, in modern times, divergent meanings. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The Lord Jesus told Peter in John 21:18: Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest 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 thee whither thou wouldest not., As far as the Bible is concerned, all we can say is that Peter was elderly when he died. In conclusion, we can reasonably conclude that Peter was in fact crucified in Rome. So, how do we sort out all of this material to find an answer? NKJV, Ancient-Modern Bible, Comfort Print: One faith. When Jesus raised someone, did he call them back from heaven? In which traditions are Peter & Paul executed at the same place? 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. apparently widespread throughout the Church. Contact Us (Mailing Address for Donations). He said, in his Letter to the Corinthians, "Let us take the noble examples of our own generation. Supposedly Peter requested that he be crucified New King James Version (NKJV). This passage is meant to remind his readers of the truths they already know. "Thus Nero publicly announcing himself as the chief enemy of God, was led on Someone has challenged the fact that Peter was ever crucified. Also, rumors that associated this with the origins of the "Peace Symbol" were wrong. Church tradition affirms that Peter was crucified. So why upside down? Then Jesus told him, 'Follow me.'. Among the more popular were the Apostolic Actscollections of stories about individual or groups of Apostlesand few reached the popularity of Peter and Paul. It is commonly assumed that the Apostle Peter was crucified upside-down because he did not feel he was worthy enough to be crucified right-side up like his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was. But the continued existence of the martyrdom traditions of the Apostles almost two millennia later is only further evidence that there is often a huge difference between what believers think should be the case and what is actually described in the Bible. His speech makes clear that Adam, the first man, fell head-downwards and turned the cosmos upside down but only through Christ can the world be seen upright. Thus, the crucifixions of Jesus and Peter restore the creation, through the New Adam, to its intended functioning. century), who says that Peter and Paul "suffered martyrdom about the same What is the evidence that Peter was crucified upside down in Rome? 20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Posted on February 16, 2007 May 21, 2007 by fanau. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Not much there as to the means or location of his death, but that it was an execution is clearly implied. The following are the most popular "traditions" concerning the deaths of the other apostles: Matthew suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword wound. 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. Many wonder how the 12 apostles died, but The New Testament tells of the fate of only two of the apostles: Judas, who betrayed Jesus and then went out and hanged himself, and James, the son of Zebedee, who was executed by Herod about 44 AD (Acts 12:2). The Bible does not specifically tell us that the Apostle Peter was crucified upside down on the cross, even though this is the most commonly accepted church tradition. that Peter was crucified upside-down. . 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. (Interestingly, a postmortem visit from Paul convinced Nero to release the other Christians!). 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Was Saint Peter Crucified Upside Down? Answered! 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). Still, while its possible the tradition of Peters upside-down crucifixion preserves an actual memory of his fate, the historical evidence is simply inconclusive. Nothing. (Acts 1:21-26). What do we need to say concerning Paul, who preached the Gospel of Christ from Jerusalem to Illyricum, and afterwards suffered martyrdom in Rome under Nero? 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! public schools! These men wrote about Peters death but did not describe him as being crucified upside down. ----- Sermons in Merced by Dr. John Oakes Mark II Kingdom Parables. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. information on this matter (a link to the page is also provided): Both were martyred in Rome about 66 AD, during the persecution under Emperor Nero. And He *said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. When you get a chance could you please tell me if this was indeed Peters fate and in what text this came from. Further details suggest he asked to be hung upside down, symbolic of his inferiority to Jesus. Eusebius (AD 325) claimed in his Ecclesiastical History that all the apostles were martyred except for John . While this seems like a terrible fate, it implies something Peter would find encouraging: his faith would never fail him again. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. 26:33-35, 69-75 ). What is the evidence that Peter was crucified upside down in Rome? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. He said, in his Letter to the Corinthians, "Let us take the noble examples of our own generation. Parthia, according to tradition, was allotted to Thomas as his field of labor, Scythia to Andrew, and Asia to John, who, after he had lived some time there, died at Ephesus. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Expand Context Summary Was Peter crucified upside-down? 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. 35 Peter saith unto him, Even if I must die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Rather, as I demonstrate more fully in The Fate of the Apostles, his upside down state symbolizes that fallen humanity has now been restored through the cross. After saying this, he told him, "Follow me. 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. Here are the respective missionary locations for the Apostles as found in Book 3 of the Church History of Eusebius: Meanwhile the holy apostles and disciples of our Saviour were dispersed throughout the world. In retaliation, the proconsul had Philip arrested and cruelly put to death. The names of Jesus' apostles have become the most common names for males in the Western world. All rights reserved. As for his crucifixion upside down, this is much more weakly attested to in only one ancient source which is probably much less reliable that Clement, Ignatius, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Eusebius and many others. While it is a frequent idea in religion, friend, there is actually no Bible verse to substantiate it. Both were martyred in Rome about 66 AD, during the persecution under Emperor Nero. After all, we not only have multiple, incredibly detailed accounts about the death of Jesus, but we possess many other death accounts of far less significant individuals in the New Testament like Judas (for more, see How Did Judas Die? Many often assume that Peters request shows humility, in that he did not consider himself worthy to die in the same manner as Jesus. He was the son of Alpheus and is one of at least three James referred to in the New Testament. How Did the Apostle Peter Die? - Bible Study And yet it does contain a historical core. Christian Apologetics at Biola University. You can be sure that any educated, first-century Roman citizen would have laughed at any prediction that, within three centuries, the Christian faith would be the official faith of the empire. He's crucified upside down by Nero in Rome. 12 disciples - how they died - bible basics (SBL Writings from the Greco-Roman World 39. "The names of the[original]twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him." There he is credited with writing the last book of the New Testament--the Revelation. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. He has a vision of his own crucifixion (Acts 10:9-16). He concludes by saying, But it is time for you, Peter, to surrender your body to those who are taking it. 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. Or, he may have been beheaded (Pauls supposed death). The Bible nowhere records the upside down crucifixion of an apostle. Someone brought up the fact If these less than savory characters have their deaths described in the Bible, then two of the most prominent Apostles should at least have their deaths described in a manner similar to the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts 7, right? There is some confusion as to which is which, but this James is reckoned to have ministered in Syria. Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, Who created the argument that the head of the church in Rome had special authority using Matthew 16? Similarly, near the end of the 4th century CE, John Chrysostom would argue that Pauls execution was caused by "those waging war against him" (On the Praises of Saint Paul 4.15). Church tradition indicates Peter was crucified and asked to be hung upside down out of respect for Christ's similar death. http://www.bibleanswer.com What Does the Bible Say About Upside Down? Peter was crucified upside down because he felt he was unworthy to be crucified in a manner similar to Jesus. How did the apostles die? Does the Bible say anything about the death When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. A servant, perhaps cupbearer, of Nero fell asleep in a window listening to Paul and fell to his death. 12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Take it, then, you whose duty it is. Mt. Scripture, however, offers evidence to the contrary. The short answer to our question of, "How did they die?" The apocryphal Acts of Peter is the earliest reference to crucifixion of Peter upside down. of my classes) regarding upside down crosses. documentation: Eusebius also records this story, but says his source is from a church Jesus's death, for example, is recorded four times in the New Testament, while Paul and the 12 remaining Apostles (after Judas Iscariot) have none of their deaths recorded.
