Isagoge in canonicas septem epistolas

AUTHOR OF THE EPISTLE.

The author of the epistle, by the consensus of all, is the Apostle Peter, who was a Galilean by nationality, born in the village of Bethsaida. He had a father named John, a fisherman, and a brother named Andrew, a man of the same profession, with whom he was called to the Apostolate while they were fishing in the Sea of Galilee, as is found in Matthew, chapter 4. His name from circumcision was Simon, which the Lord changed for him, as is found in Mark 3 and John 1: "You are Simon the son of Jonah, you shall be called Cephas," which is interpreted as Peter original: "Petrus". Now, "Ceph" or "Cepha" sounds like "rock," which the Greeks, according to the Attic manner, translated as petran rock. And because it is a Syriac term, for that reason they do not have this clause (which is interpreted as Peter) in their version. In the inscription of this epistle, however, all three are joined together, the Epistle of Peter Simon Cephas, so that we may understand without doubt that the epistle pertains to the Apostle Peter. Furthermore, Peter seems to have been so named because of the constancy and strength of his faith; besides the fact that he was endowed with singular boldness in questioning the Lord and responding for others, as can be seen in the 16th and 18th chapters of Matthew.