LESSON #1: A NEW NAME FOR SIMON THE SON OF JONAH
Simon Peter is the son of Jonah and he is Andrew’s brother. When Simon Peter met Jesus for the first time, Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone) (John 1:42). Jesus did not know him, but by the Holy Spirit He knew that his name was Simon and his father’s name was Jonah. Then, also by the Holy Spirit, He gave him a new name by which he would be called. That name was Cephas (Peter). It means a stone or a rock.
LESSON #2: FROM SIMON BAR-JONAH TO PETER A ROCK OF THE CHURCH
One day Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:15-16) Then, Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:17-18) Jesus again called him ‘Simon the son of Jonah’, but He also told him that he was ‘Peter’. He told him that He was going to build His church on the revelation which Simon received. Simon became Peter (a rock) because of that revelation.
LESSON #3: THE NAME SIMON PETER
The name ‘Simon Peter’ is a combination of the name given by his father and the name given by Jesus. The name ‘Simon’ was probably given because one of his parents’ relatives had been called by that name. That was the custom of the Jews. The name ‘Peter’ was given by Jesus because it revealed God’s destiny for him. God predestined him to receive the revelation of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God as the rock on which His church will be built. Thus, he was named ‘Peter’ (a rock).
LESSON #4: FROM A PROPHECY TO A DECLARATION
When Jesus told Simon Peter for the first time that he would be called Cephas (Peter), He did it as a prophet. He had never met him before. When Jesus told Simon Peter that he was Peter after he had received the revelation of who Jesus really is, He did it as a father. He had chosen Simon Peter as His disciple. When the name ‘Cephas’ was given to Simon Peter as a prophecy, it just revealed his destiny. But, when the name ‘Peter’ was given to him as a declaration from a father, it made him enter his destiny.
LESSON #5: A NEW NAME FOR THREE OF THE TWELVE
Jesus chose twelve disciples to be with Him. In his gospel, Mark wrote, “He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him: Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot.” (Mark 3:14,16-19) Out of the twelve, only three were given a new name by Jesus: Simon, James and John. Jesus often took these three disciples to be with Him.
LESSON #6: A NEW NAME FOR A FORERUNNER
God had a destiny for each of the twelve disciples of Jesus, but why did Jesus only give a new name to three of them: Simon, James, and John? It seems He only gave a new name to the ones whose destiny is to be a forerunner in the kingdom of God. Simon Peter is the first one among the twelve who would build the church (Acts 2:41), James is the first one among the twelve who would die as a martyr of Christ (Acts 12:2). John is the only one among the twelve who would remain until Jesus returns (John 21:22).
LESSON #7: ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB
God seems to give a new name only to a man whose destiny specifically is to be a forerunner or a father of something. The children of Israel came from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God gave a new name to Abraham (his old name is Abram) because his destiny is to be a father of many nations as well as to Jacob because (his new name is Israel) his destiny is to be a father of the twelve tribes of Israel. But, God did not give a new name to Isaac because his destiny is just to be a son, to be a successor of his father. He was not specifically predestined to be a father of something.
LESSON #8: A NEW NAME AS A REWARD FOR THE OVERCOMERS
If we are specifically predestined by God us to be a forerunner in His kingdom, then He will give a new name to us. But, He will only reveal that name in His time, either through an angel, a prophet, or a spiritual father. We do not need to ask or look for it. If we are not specifically predestined to be a forerunner in His kingdom, then we do not need a new name from God. Nevertheless, we still can receive a new name from God as a reward if we become overcomers. This new name will still be according to our destiny and it will be given privately to us. Jesus said to the church in Pergamos, "To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” (Revelation 2:17)
LESSON #9: OTHER WAYS A NEW NAME GIVEN
A new name can also be given by the elders (spiritually mature people) of the church. Joses was given a new name ‘Barnabas’ (which is translated Son of Encouragement) by the apostles, probably because he became a source of encouragement for the church by selling the land that he had, bringing the money and laying it at the apostles’ feet (Acts 4:36-37). A spiritually mature man can also give a new name for himself when he feels it is useful for the sake of the kingdom of God to do so, like Saul (Hebrew name) who called himself by a new name ‘Paul’ (Roman name) after he was sent by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 13:9). Jesus seemed to approve this change because He also changed the way He called him from ‘Saul’ (Acts 9:4) to ‘Paul’ (Acts 23:11).
