This very common name appears 78 times in the NT; apart from Simon Peter, eight different persons are referred to by this name, which is a contraction of the Hebrew Simeon.
1) One of the twelve disciples chosen by Jesus (Matt 10:4). He is described as "the kananaios, a word that is variously translated "zealot" (NASB, NIV), "Cananaean" (RSV, NRS) or "Canaanite" (KJV, NKJ). The word does not refer to the ancient inhabitants of the land of Canaan as it is found in the OT; rather it is a Syriac word that designates the Jewish revolutionary sect of the Zealots. This is confirmed by Luke's designation of him as "Simon who was called the Zealot" (Lk 6:15). He was, therefore, a man who believed in violent militant means. It would have been interesting to know what impact walking with Jesus had on him and his beliefs, for nothing else is known about him.
2) One of Jesus' brother: "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?" (Matt 13:55; Mk6:3). (For more, see ☰
3) The Pharisee who invited Jesus to have dinner with him in his home (probably in Naim) where a "a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them" (Lk 7:37-38; the full story is told in 7:36-50).
4) A leper in whose house in Bethany Jesus was anointed by a woman who came "with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume" (Matt 26:6-13; Mk 14:3-9).
5) The passerby from Cyrene whom the Roman soldiers siezed upon to carry the cross when Jesus was being led out to Golgotha to be crucified (Matt 27:32; Mk 15:21; Lk 24:34). Mark adds the detail that he was "the father of Alexander and Rufus." It has been suggested, though it remains only a surmise, that this Simon was one of the "men from Cyprus and Cyrene" who went to Antioch to preach the good news to the Greeks there (Acts 11:20).
6) The father of Judas Iscariot. This fact is noted only by John, for whom the fact seems important because "Judas Iscariot, son of Simon" is his regular manner of referring to the traitor-disciple (Jn 6:71; 13:2, 26).
7) The sorcerer from Samaria who "amazed all the people of Samaria with his magic" and who became a convert as a result of Philip's preaching (Acts 8:5-13). Later, when he saw that the Holy Spirit was given to the believers "at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, 'Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.'" (v 18), upon which he received a sharp rebuke from the apostles. Simony, the practice of purchasing spiritual benefits or office in exchange of renumeration, is named after him.
8) A "tanner, whose house is by the sea" in Joppa, with whom Peter seems to have often stayed (Acts 9:36). When the angel of the Lord appeared to Cornelius, it was to Simon's house that he was commanded to send men to fetch Peter (Acts 10:5). It was on the roof of Simon's house where Peter had his vision of the large sheet being let down to earth, filled with all kinds of unclean animals that Peter was commanded to eat. (Acts 10:9-16).
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