Matthew Poole and continuators on John 1:42

42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the Son of Jona , thou shalt be called Cephas , which is by Interpretation a Stone .

Andrew having found his Brother Simon, conducts him to Jesus. v. 44. telleth us, that Andrew, and Simon, and Philip were Citizens of Bethsaida, which was a City of Galilee; how near to the place where Iohn Baptized, or Christ lodged, we cannot say; probably Simon was one of Iohn's Disciples, and came to attend his Ministry, so as the Disciples onely sought him in the Croud, and came with him to Christ. When Christ beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon; he knew him, and called him by name, and told him his Father's name Ionas,

and giveth him a new name, Cephas, which by interpretation doth not signify an Head, (as the Popish disputant at Bern urged to prove him the Head of the Church, as if it had been a Greek word, and came from [non-Latin text not transcribed]; or as he pretended, ridiculously enough, from an old Greek word [non-Latin text not transcribed]) but a Stone (as this Text tells us) by which name we find him called, 1 Cor. 1.12. & 3.22. & 9.5. & 15.5. Gal. 2.9. in other places Peter, which signifieth a Stone also, or a Rock. Cephas is a Syriack word, Peter a Greek word; Christ gave him the name, Iohn 1.42.

Both Cephas and Peter are by interpretation, a Stone. Beza thinks, that our Saviour did not here give him that name, but foretel that he should be so called. Causabon thinks, that the name was here given to him, and with it a new Spirit; that whereas before he was (according to his Fathers name Ionas, which signifies a Dove) fearful and timorous; from this time forward he was as a Rock, steady, firm, and full of courage and constancy; but it is a greater question, how this Text is to be reconciled with Matth. 4.18, 19, 20. where Andrew and Peter are both said to be espied by Christ, walking by the Sea of Galilee; and Luke 5.10. where Simon is reported to be called, after they had taken a great draught of Fish; and with Mark 3.13. and Luke 6.13. where all the Apostles are named, as called at one and the same time; doubtless, the calls were different. This in Iohn seems rather to be a Prophecy than a Call. Those Texts, Matth. 4.18, 19, 20. and Luke 5.10. seem to be their calls to a Discipleship; the other Texts, Mark 3.13. Luke 6.13. respects their Election to the Apostleship, and the mission of them.

Marginal references: Math. 1[illegible: 1 letter].18.; Or Peter.