Real Bible People: The Family of "Jonas"

The Family Ministries of Jesus

"Jonas" and Sons: an Extended Family

Simon Peter and Andrew: Active Fishermen

Technical Note on the Name "Jonas," father of Peter and Andrew

In the Gospel of John chapter 21, at verses 15, 16, and 17, the King James Version refers to Simon Peter's father as "Jonas." His actual name is "John" and the "s" on the end of the name comes from the possessive form of the name in Greek  (Yohannes). At another place (John 1:42) the KJV calls this same man "Jona." Almost all modern translations use "John" instead of "Jonas" for this  man. Still, I have found the "Jonas" form useful to help differentiate this particular John from all the other John's in the New Testament.

The "Jonas" Extended Family: A Fishing Legacy

Jesus calls Peter and Andrew into a New Occupation

Besides father "Jonas," this family included son Simon Peter, Simon Peter's un-named wife, her un-named mother, and Peter's brother Andrew. They were spread out variously between Bethsaida and Capernaum.

Father "Jonas"

There is little doubt that "Jonas" the father of Simon Peter and Andrew lived in Bethsaida, on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee in the Jewish fishing village of Bethsaida. Whether the mother of his boys was still alive is unknown but certainly possible. Jonas does not seem to be active in the offshore fishing business during the ministry of Jesus. The boat that Peter and Andrew used for fishing and for transportation seems  to be available at any time it is needed at Capernaum and elsewhere, but it probably belonged to Jonas. Even though Jonas was retired from offshore fishing, he may have remained active in the wholesale fishing industry, preparing fish for market by drying, smoking, and salting the product.

Elder Son Simon Peter:

When we meet Simon in the Bible, he has recently become a married man, but yet has no children. He has moved from his ancestral home in Bethsaida to Capernaum, on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee in the province of Galilee under Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. He has taken the 27-foot family boat with him, and is working with the Zebedee family in a consortium of wholesale fishermen. His brother Andrew works with him in this endeavor, and he employs at least two hired hands to help operate the fishing boat.

When Jesus meets Simon, he gives him a new Aramaic name Kephas, which sounds like the Hebrew word Keph, meaning stone or rock (John 1:42). Later, when Peter identifies Jesus in Greek as the Christos (anointed one of God), Jesus gives him his name again, this time speaking in Greek. Jesus says, "You are Petros (Peter), and on this petra (stone or rock), I will build my called-out assembly (Matthew 16:18a). In the apostle Paul's writings, Paul often refers to Peter as Kephas.

Peter was often impulsive and outspoken, and has been identified by the western church as the leader of the apostles. After the resurrection, Peter became a powerful speaker. According to Clement of Alexandria (AD 276) he had children. He ended his life as overseer of the "called-out assembly" of Christ in Rome, where he was crucified head-down.

Younger Son Andrew:

Andrew was a fisherman, like his father and older brother. He was born in Bethsaida, but after Peter's marriage slept in Capernaum during fishing season with his brother's new family. We first meet Andrew down by the Jordan river when he and his friend John (younger brother of James) are calling themselves disciples of John the Baptist.

Like his friend, Andrew is likely to have been a teenager when he met Jesus. He and his friend were the first two disciples to follow Jesus, after leaving the Baptist. These two, along with their older brothers Peter and James, were the "inner circle" of the twelve apostles, taken by Jesus into situations where the other apostles were not invited.

Wife of Simon Peter:

There are extant traditions about the name of Peter's wife, but they do not agree with one another. When we meet her in the Bible, through mention of her mother, she is living in Capernaum with her husband Simon Peter. She probably travelled with Peter as one of the many female disciples who were following Jesus. Tradition has it that she later travelled with Peter through the Roman empire, and was martyred, possibly at Rome.

Mother-in-law of Simon Peter:

Although most Bible commentary assumes that Peter is the owner of the house he resides in at Capernaum, it is more likely that his widowed mother-in-law is the actual owner. She likely had no sons to claim ownership at their father's death, so it remained the house of his widow, to be inherited later by her only daughter. Jesus ministered to her by healing her fever and raising her from her bed, after which she went on to serve and feed Jesus and his band.

The house must have been quite large, for it served as residence for a great number of Jesus' disciples, or at least twelve of them. The mother-in-law must have married well to have such a grand house, and probably had financial means to support herself and to support Jesus' ministry, as many other women did. As a prosperous widow, she likely had at least one female servant to assist her with housekeeping.

Next Week:

The Scattered Family of Alpheus