Cephas

Cephas is the Aramaic name meaning a rock or stone, given by Jesus to Simon the son of Jonas at the time of their first meeting (John 1:42). Its Greek equivalent is Petros (Peter), the name by which Simon is almost universally known in the Gospels. Paul employs the Aramaic form Cephas consistently in his letters (Gal. 1:18; 2:9, 11, 14; 1 Cor. 1:12; 3:22; 9:5; 15:5), possibly reflecting the name by which Peter was known in Palestinian Jewish Christian circles. The name's conferral by Jesus at the outset of his ministry is understood as prophetic, anticipating the foundational role Simon would occupy in the early church.