St. Peter's crucifiction?

Question

Catholics are always telling me about how Peter was crucified upside down. Is there a single verse in the entire Bible that even implies this? Give a verse.

Because I have found the upside down cross everywhere in Catholic structures, and upside down crosses are an anti-Christian symbol (obviously) and then Catholics started saying that Peter was crucified upside down. Could this be just some sad excuse, a masked attempt to sneak in Satanic symbols in the Vatican. And no other sect of Christianity counts, because we all know the Roman Catholicism is vast and affects the entire world, in church the other day (i attend Lutheran church) I saw the words in our book "worship to Virgin Mary and the Catholic church" which shows that their dogma affects everyone.

Answer 1

This comes from church tradition and is not found in the Bible anywhere.

Answer 2

Is there a single verse in the Bible that says everything that happened in the early Church has to be described in the Bible?? The Bible was never meant to be primarily a book of history. When you want to know God's Word about salvation and His relationship with the human race, look in the Bible. When you want to know historical details of the early Church, look in historical sources.

Answer 3

There is actually no documentation of St. Peter being crucified upside-down IN THE BIBLE. Many histories --journals of first-hand viewers, ancient government records , etc.-- show that he was. True or not, it doesn't make much of a difference to our salvation. If we're really interested, if we make it to heaven we can ask God then. XD

Answer 4

No, the Bible does not document Peter's death. Tradition holds that Peter was crucified in Rome and that he didn't want to make himself equal with Jesus by dying in the same manner and so he requested that if he had to be crucified that they do it upside down. Whether or not that is actually true is of little consequence. However, it does fit in with the pattern of behavior that Peter demonstrated as a follower of Christ. Peter was one of those "all or nothing" type of believers.

John 13:6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?" 7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you shall know after this." 8 Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me." 9 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" 10 Jesus said to him, "He that is bathed need only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."

On a personal note, I don't think that having an upside down cruicifix honors Jesus or Peter because it does the exact opposite thing of what Peter is reported to have desired. It puts Peter in the spot light for those who believe the traditional story instead of Jesus.

Answer 5

It is not in any Bible Verse, Christian or Catholic. It is a "tradition" and mainly catholic in origin. Peter never went to Rome & was never the "Head" of the Church." Paul's writings tell us, "Jesus is the Head of theChurch, which is His Body." Peter went East to Babylon & it is from there he wrote his Epistles found in the Bible. There is no historical evidence that he went West to Rome,
it is part of the catholic tradition, and they use it to try to give creedence to their tradition that he was the 1st pope. In the Book of Acts, it is evident that James was the party who had the leadership role over the Church, before the persecutions began. I believe, if memory serves me right, that "Foxes Book of Martyrs" is where the story of Peter's death is found, and it certainly is not "Divinely Inspired."

Answer 6

michael d,
Here's my source:
IX. Peter Among many other saints, the blessed apostle Peter was condemned to death, and crucified, as some do write, at Rome; albeit some others, and not without cause, do doubt thereof. Hegesippus saith that Nero sought matter against Peter to put him to death; which, when the people perceived, they entreated Peter with much ado that he would fly the city. Peter, through their importunity at length persuaded, prepared himself to avoid. But, coming to the gate, he saw the Lord Christ come to meet him, to whom he, worshipping, said, "Lord, whither dost Thou go?" To whom He answered and said, "I am come again to be crucified." By this, Peter, perceiving his suffering to be understood, returned into the city. Jerome saith that he was crucified, his head being down and his feet upward, himself so requiring, because he was (he said) unworthy to be crucified after the same form and manner as the Lord was.
- Foxe's Book of Martyrs

Answer 7

It isn't just catholics that believe this, protestants believe it too. It is claimed that he didn't want to be killed the same way as christ and for some reason the people who were killing him CARED what he wanted and crucified him upside down. I don't think it is mentioned in the protestant bible; it may be in the apocrypha though.

Answer 8

John 21:18-19

Though it doesn't mention crucifixion or being upside down. Those records came form outside sources.

Answer 9

In regards to your comment about the words in your worship book, please note that the word "catholic" is not capitalized. In the phrase "holy catholic church" "catholic" means world-wide and does not refer to the Roman Catholic church. I grew up a Lutheran and it always confused me, too.

Answer 10

Maybe they got their information from fossils of Saint Peter.

If it's not in the bible then it's mere gossip.