1 Corinthians 9:5

9:5 Do we not have the right to the company of a believing wife, like the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?

1 Corinthians 15:5

15:5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

John 1:42

1:42 Andrew brought Simon ¹  to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, the son of John. ²  You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). ³ 

Galatians 2:9

2:9 and when James, Cephas, ⁴  and John, who had a reputation as ⁵  pillars, ⁶  recognized ⁷  the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me ⁸  the right hand of fellowship, agreeing ⁹  that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰ 

¹ tn Grk “He brought him”; both referents (Andrew, Simon) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tc The reading “Simon, son of John” is well attested in Ì^66,75,106 א B* L 33 pc it co. The majority of mss (A B² Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï) read “Simon, the son of Jonah” here instead, but that is perhaps an assimilation to Matt 16:17.

³ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The change of name from Simon to Cephas is indicative of the future role he will play. Only John among the gospel writers gives the Greek transliteration (Κηφᾶς, Khfas) of Simon’s new name, Qéphâ (which is Galilean Aramaic). Neither Πέτρος (Petros) in Greek nor Qéphâ in Aramaic is a normal proper name; it is more like a nickname.

⁴ sn Cephas. This individual is generally identified with the Apostle Peter (L&N 93.211).

⁵ tn Or “who were influential as,” or “who were reputed to be.” See also the note on the word “influential” in 2:6.

⁶ sn Pillars is figurative here for those like James, Peter, and John who were leaders in the Jerusalem church.

⁷ tn The participle γνόντες (gnontes) has been taken temporally. It is structurally parallel to the participle translated “when they saw” in v. 7.

⁸ tn Grk “me and Barnabas.”

⁹ tn Grk “so,” with the ἵνα (Jina) indicating the result of the “pillars” extending the “right hand of fellowship,” but the translation “they gave…the right hand of fellowship so that we would go” could be misunderstood as purpose here. The implication of the scene is that an agreement, outlined at the end of v. 10, was reached between Paul and Barnabas on the one hand and the “pillars” of the Jerusalem church on the other.

¹⁰ tn Grk “to the circumcision,” a collective reference to the Jewish people.