Date of composition

• Late 100s.

Type of Apocrypha (heretical or in error (made up))

• Error and no heretical ideas.

Length

• 48 double-spaced pages patched together from different sources.
• We do not have the complete writing.

Summary

• Throughout the book, Peter performed healing miracles and raised people from the dead. It begins with Paul in Rome. God told him to go to Spain, and he left Rome. Soon afterward, Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:9-24) came to Rome after being forced to leave Israel due to his confrontation with Peter. [The account in Acts mentions the confrontation but not Simon leaving Israel.] Simon claimed that God gave him incredible power and convinced many Christians to reject the teaching of Paul.
• Peter was in Jerusalem, but God directed him to go to Rome and confront Simon. After many miracles by Peter, Simon the Sorcerer tried to convince the crowd that he was more spiritually powerful than Peter by rising and flying. Peter prayed for Simon to fall and break his leg in three places, which happened. He also forced Simon to leave.
• Peter convinced a wife of a prominent citizen plus several concubines of another prominent citizen to live a celibate life. Therefore, the two men caused Peter to be martyred. He was crucified upside down at Peter's request, preaching until he died.

Noteworthy from the book

1. Peter's daughter had palsy (paralysis) on the left side of her body. People wonder why Peter did not heal her when he healed other people. Peter told her to stand and walk to prove that God can heal everyone. She was healed of her palsy. Peter then told her to lie back down again, and when she did, the palsy returned. The people became confused and asked why. Peter explained that it was a gift from God. He told the crowd that when the girl was ten, a wealthy man decided to marry her against Peter's will. He took her to his house, but she was struck with palsy before he could marry her. He then ordered his servants to take her back to Peter's house, and they left her at the front door. God struck the rich man with blindness and directed him to return to Peter. While there, he received his sight and became a Christian. He died soon afterward and left a tract of land to Peter's daughter. Peter sold it and gave the money to the poor.
2. A poor man asked Peter to pray for his daughter [we do not know why]. Peter did and asked God to give the girl what was best for her, and the girl died. The poor man was moved to ask Peter to bring her back to life. Peter raised her back to life. Soon afterward, a slave kidnapped her, and they were never seen again.
3. Jesus told Paul in a vision to go to Spain.
4. Simon hid from Peter. Peter commanded a dog to find Simon and, finding Simon, spoke to him and told him Peter was waiting. The dog then returned to Peter, talked to him, and died.
5. Someone broke a marble statue of Caesar. Peter mended it by pouring water on it.
6. People asked Peter to show them a miracle. Peter brought a herring back to life, and it swam for a long time.
7. A seven-month-old child gave a speech to Simon after being commanded by Peter.
8. In this telling of the martyrdom of Peter, Paul is not mentioned and Peter died alone. See the Acts of the Apostles Peter and Paul. That book borrowed the story of Simon flying from the Acts of Peter and added details, such as Peter and Paul dying on the same day.