Peter’s name is used 24 times in Matthew’s gospel. He is identified as “Simon, who is called Peter” or “Simon Peter” three times (4:18; 10:2; 16:16), once called “Simon” (17:25) and once “Simon Barjona” (and two more times is identified as “Simon” (16:17).
The distribution of his major appearances in the gospel is important.
He is mentioned as one of the early apostles and receives power from Jesus (4:18; 10:2), and Jesus heals his mother-in-law of a fever (8:14). But it’s not until chapter 14 that there is a “Peter episode” in the gospel – the comparatively long “walking on water” story (14:22-33).
After chapter 14, Peter becomes a spokesman for the Twelve. He asks for Jesus to explain the parable concerning clean and unclean (15:15), confesses Jesus to be the Christ and then acts as a Satan (16:21-28), answers Jesus’ question about tax money (17:24-27), asks how often forgiveness should be given (18:21), asks for a reward (19:27), and insists he will never fall away (26:33, 35).
Twice he accompanies Jesus, with James and John, to witness Jesus – in glory on the mountain (17:1-8) and in anguish in the garden (26:36-46). He denies Jesus in the high priest’s courtyard (26:69-75), and the last we see him he is weeping bitterly over his sin.
He clearly becomes the most prominent disciple, and one of the four cornerstones. The fact that this prominence begins after Jesus has began to “withdraw” from Jews (cf. 14:13) suggests that Peter is the chief spokesman of a new Israel. Further, chapter 14 begins the “divided kingdom” period of Jesus’ ministry. John (Elijah) dies, and Jesus emerges as his successor, the new Elisha, and in this framework Peter is a kind of “Gehazi” figure.
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