Even people with no more than a passing interest in religion know that the persons who were most closely associated with Jesus were called the twelve apostles. Naming the twelve is another matter, however-with the possible exception of one man, Simon Peter. His role is so storied that his name has become part of what students of language call a mild oath: for Pete's sake.

For Roman Catholics, Peter is the first pope, the rock upon which our Lord built the church. But even among Protestants who may not give him such unique credentials, Peter is almost surely the best known of the twelve apostles and probably the most beloved.

This one session study on the figure of Peter in the Bible is part of a study pack called "Figures in the New Testament" which consists of six studies of important persons found in the Gospels. Each study is independent of the others and you do not need to study all of them to enjoy just one or several of the studies. While any order may be used, we suggest the following order: Peter; Mary and Martha; James, Brother of Jesus; Priscilla; Lazarus; and Mary, Mother of Jesus.