“And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.”
And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, 'You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas' (which, when translated, is Peter) — Jesus' renaming parallels Old Testament covenant-name changes (Abraham, Israel), suggesting that Simon's relationship to Jesus transforms his identity. The name-change from Simon to Peter (Petros/Cephas, "rock") anticipates his role in the church, though John rarely emphasizes Peter's authority compared to Matthew. The renaming is not earned but bestowed, indicating grace's priority.
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