Corpus-Paul

[Richard Fellows <rfellows AT shaw.ca>]

Almost everywhere Paul uses the name "Cephas", rather than "Peter" when
referring to the apostle. Why did he largely avoid the name "Peter"? One
possibility is that the meaning of the name "Peter" would have been evident
to Paul's Greek speaking readers, whereas "Cephas" would probably not have
been understood. He was given his name, "rock" or "stone", by Jesus and it
represented his role as the bedrock on which the church was to be build.
Paul would not have wanted Peter to hold such a status in his gentile
churches, so he would wish to avoid the name 'Peter', in order to avoid
drawing attention to the fact that Jesus had honoured him with such a
significant name.

In any case, when Paul visited Galatia it is unlikely that he would have
used both names to refer to Cephas-Peter. It seems unlikely that he would
use two names to refer to a person whom they had never met. But in Galatians
both names are mentioned and this requires explanation. The Galatians must
have been familiar with both names, otherwise they would have no way of
knowing that the same person is referred to. So who told them about "Peter"?
Not Paul, I think, so some other outside influence is required. One strong
possibility is that the influencers had used the name "Peter" to refer to
Cephas. According to the majority view the influencers considered the
Jerusalem apostles to be the highest authority in the church, and this would
explain why they would select the name "Peter", because doing so would
confer authority on Cephas in Greek speaking communities.

Whereas the influencers might well have translated the name "Cephas" for the
benefit of Greek speakers, to draw attention to its significance, it is
unlikely that Paul did.

An explanation along these lines also explains why Paul uses the name
"Peter" WHEN he does (only at Gal 2:7-8). The meaning of names was very
important to the ancients so we should perhaps translate the word "Peter"
when rending these verses into English. We then get: "On the contrary, when
they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised,
just as The Rock had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised (for
he who worked through The Rock making him an apostle to the circumcised also
worked through me in sending me to the Gentiles)". These verses speak of
Cephas-Peter's authorized role in the church so it is appropriate that Paul
here uses the name "Peter", which also speaks of his role in the church,
when read by a Greek speaker who has been told its significance. Paul cannot
deny that Cephas had been given his name by Jesus and nor can he deny that
the name gives authority to Peter, but here he cleverly limits that
authority to the Jews. I suggest that the  influencers had told the
Galatians that Peter was the rock on which the church was built, but Paul
here says that The Rock is the keeper of the gospel only among the
circumcised.

Mark Nanos has suggested that the Galatians had no outside influence. If
that were the case, how did the Galatians learn that Cephas was The Rock?

Richard.