Saint Peter

===Leader of the early Church===
[[File:Liberation of Saint Peter by Giovanni Lanfranco-BMA.jpg|thumb|left|''The Liberation of St. Peter'' from prison by an angel, by [[Giovanni Lanfranco]], 1620–21]]

Peter was considered along with [[James the Just]] and [[John the Apostle]] as the three  ''[[Early Christianity#Jerusalem church|Pillars of the Church]]''.<ref>Galatians 2:9</ref> Legitimised by Jesus' appearance, Peter assumed leadership of the group of early followers, forming the Jerusalem ''ekklēsia'' mentioned by Paul.{{sfn|Pagels|2005|p=45}}{{sfn|Lüdemann|Özen|1996|p=116}} He was soon eclipsed in this leadership by James the Just, "the Brother of the Lord."{{sfn|Pagels|2005|pp=45–46}}{{sfn|Lüdemann|Özen|1996|pp=116–117}} According to Lüdemann, this was due to the discussions about the [[Paul and Judaism|strictness of adherence]] to the Jewish Law, when the more conservative faction of James the Just<ref>{{cite journal |title=James the Just in History and Tradition: Perspectives of Past and Present Scholarship (Part I) |journal=Currents in Research |volume=5 |pages=73–122 |last=Myllykoski |first=Matti |publisher=Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, Finland |quote=James the Just, the brother of Jesus, is known from the New Testament as the chief apostle of the Torah-obedient Christians.|doi=10.1177/1476993X06068700 |year=2006 |s2cid=162513014 }}</ref> took the overhand over the more liberal position of Peter, who soon lost influence.{{sfn|Lüdemann|Özen|1996|pp=116–117}}{{refn|group=note|At the [[Council of Jerusalem]] (c. 50), the early Church, Paul and the leaders of the Jerusalem church met and decided to embrace Gentile converts. Acts portrays Peter and other leaders as successfully opposing the Christian Pharisees who insisted on [[circumcision]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Harris |first=Stephen L. |author-link=Stephen L Harris |title=Understanding the Bible |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U-yAQQAACAAJ |edition=8th |location=New York |publisher=McGraw-Hill |year=2010 |page=420 |isbn=978-0-07-340744-9|quote=Christian Pharisees demand that the entire Torah be kept, but Peter reportedly opposes this ([Acts] 15:10) and&nbsp;... silences the Judaizers.}}</ref>}} According to Methodist historian [[James D. G. Dunn]], this was not a "usurpation of power", but a consequence of Peter's involvement in missionary activities.{{sfn|Bockmuehl|2010|p=52}} The early Church historian Eusebius (c. AD 325) records [[Clement of Alexandria]] (c. AD 190) as saying: 
{{blockquote|For they say that Peter and [[James, son of Zebedee|James]] (the Greater) and [[John the Apostle|John]] after the ascension of our Saviour, as if also preferred by our Lord, strove not after honor, but chose [[James the Just]] bishop of Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/250102.htm |title=Church History Book II, Chapter I, quoting Clement of Alexandria's Sixth book of Hypotyposes |publisher=Newadvent.org |access-date=2010-09-12}}</ref>}}

Dunn proposes that Peter was a "bridge-man" between the opposing views of Paul and [[James the Just]] [italics original]:
{{blockquote|For ''Peter was probably in fact and effect the bridge-man'' (pontifex maximus!) ''who did more than any other to hold together the diversity of [[Apostolic Age|first-century Christianity]].'' James the brother of Jesus and Paul, the two other most prominent leading figures in first-century Christianity, were too much identified with their respective "brands" of Christianity, at least in the eyes of Christians at the opposite ends of this particular spectrum.|source={{harvnb|Dunn|2001|p=577|loc=Ch. 32}}}}

Paul affirms that Peter had the special charge of being apostle to the Jews, just as he, Paul, was apostle to the Gentiles. Some argue [[James the Just]] was [[Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem|bishop of Jerusalem]] whilst Peter was [[bishop of Rome]] and that this position at times gave James privilege in some (but not all) situations.