Was Peter Crucified Upside-Down?
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Scripture tells us the fates of a couple of early church leaders. Stephen was stoned (Acts 7:59-6) and James was killed by the sword (Acts 12:2). Some literature suggests that Peter believed he was unworthy to be crucified in the manner of his Savior, so he requested to be crucified upside down.
Many of us are curious about how other believers died, perhaps wanting to know what it will take to proclaim Jesus as Lord if they face persecution, but also seeking encouragement from the faith of such people. But was Peter really crucified upside-down? What evidence do we have, and does it matter to us how he died?
The Evidence Surrounding Peter’s Death
Jesus told the disciples “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Jesus warned that following him would be hard, and one might even die for declaring him Lord and Savior. In Matthew 10:28, Jesus encouraged the disciples “do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” He expected his friends to face death and counselled them accordingly. Even if they were not killed outright, they would certainly die to self (Galatians 2:20). The Apostle John, for example, was not murdered but was exiled for his faith. There has to be death for a follower to be reborn. These are general assertions for all disciples of Jesus Christ.
But Jesus also prophesied specifically about Peter’s death, as recorded in John 21:18-19: “‘truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.’ (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’” This verse is one reason why Peter is believed to have been crucified, especially the words “stretch out your hands”. He could have been stretched out upon a cross.
In 2 Peter 1:14, the Apostle looks toward his imminent death when he writes “I know that the putting off of my body will be soon.” The signs are clear to him that he will die soon, at the hands of his enemies.
Historically, too, John Oakes indicates there is plenty of evidence that Peter died by crucifixion. “The early church fathers are unanimous in claiming that Peter died in Rome, by crucifixion, during the persecution of Nero in AD 64.” When there is a lot of writing by independent authors dating from roughly the same time regarding the same event, one can feel confident that this is history and not a legend passed down over time. Moreover, the evidence is presented as a bland, straightforward fact. Distortions tend to feature exaggerations and drama; events become romanticized to the point of being incredible.
Distortions in the Texts
A story has circulated about Peter’s speech to the Roman soldiers who executed him. This is supposedly recorded in the apocryphal “Acts of Peter” written towards the end of the 2nd Century. Sean McDowell asserts that, while “Roman executioners varied their crucifixion practices for their own sadistic pleasure, [...] do you think Roman executioners took suggestions from criminals as to how they wanted to be crucified? Probably not.” It seems unlikely they would allow their victim to dictate terms, even the terms of a torturous death.
Historians cannot find adequate evidence to support the claim that Peter was crucified upside down. Although this form of torture would have featured its own unique types of pain and humiliation, the idea was to cause asphyxiation.
Numerous experts explain how crucifixion would have killed a person. The body pulled against arms nailed through the wrists and stretched over the head or to the sides. A victim hung there, trying to exhale, but had to push against the feet nailed to the wood below in order to do so, causing new agonies. What agonies would Peter have endured? Jesslyn Shields say that hanging upside down puts strain on the lungs, intestines, diaphragm, heart, and other organs. Being upside down would have led to asphyxiation. The soldiers would have achieved the result they wanted, but even if Peter lost consciousness, there was another potential benefit to this approach.
The soldiers sought to mock the Messiah and to mock the disciples’ faith. Emily Hall explains that “in the last half-century, it has been common for the upside-down cross to be employed as a symbol of atheism, humanism, and the occult.” Is it possible that, far from being Peter’s choice, this was the soldiers’ way of heaping further humiliation onto the Apostle and burgeoning Christian church?
The Salient Facts
We know that Peter died for his faith. He was crucified. We can trust these facts because of Christ’s prophetic words and because of what was written by objective viewers. Evidence includes writings from the first and second centuries such as the Pseudo-Abdias – an early name for the New Testament Apocrypha – as well as 4th Century works by Jerome and a couple of early Christian converts such as Dionysius, mentioned in Acts 17.
Some details of his death have passed into the realms of tradition, however, and details are unreliable. Researchers at Bible & Archaeology remind us to beware: “here we have a great example of how traditions develop over time and eventually become ‘what is known’ — stories we have heard and believe to be true, and often assume are preserved in the Bible somewhere, but actually aren't.”
For example, many writers assume Peter was killed in Rome. Nicola Denzey Lewis at Biblical Archaeology says “there is no solid evidence” for this. Eusebius Pamphilius (3rd-4th Century historian) argues that “the tradition that Peter suffered martyrdom in Rome is as old and as universal as that in regard to Paul, but owing to a great amount of falsehood which became mixed with the original tradition by the end of the second century the whole has been rejected as untrue by some modern critics, who go so far as to deny that Peter was ever at Rome.”
Christian scholars have been keen to reinforce the reasonableness of their faith, highlighting the significant amount of evidence they possess surrounding Christ and the disciples, and dismissing any assertions suggestive of mere legend.
How Does This Impact Our Faith?
What if it turns out that Peter was not crucified upside-down – how would that impact the faith of many who came to believe this story? The answer is that it should not impact their faith in Christ. Those who worship Peter as a saint, believing in the stories about his life, are worshiping a god other than the Christian God. This is a form of idolatry, even Paganism.
Christians do not come to faith in God through Peter, or through the lives and truths of any person other than through the work of Christ on the cross, of which there is substantial evidence. The life of any faithful believer (of which Peter was one) points to Jesus. If a believer in life weakens when faced with death, this is not so surprising; Christ’s own disciples failed to do so. Even though we are assured of the Holy Spirit’s help when we face persecution (Luke 12:12), reports about martyrdom are remarkable.
Is there anything about the disputed subject of Peter’s crucifixion which can encourage us as believers? Two elements stand out:
1. What Christ tells us is always true, but we do not always need every detail. Christ told Peter he would die for following him; yet Jesus did not shed light on every specific facet of the event. He alluded metaphorically to death on a cross. Peter struggled with doubts, while Jesus spoke in parables a lot of the time. But Peter also became a faithful Apostle without a clear picture of his future. We can follow his example by faithfully continuing our Christian walk in spite of lacking a clearer picture of what we are going to face.
2. The proliferation of writings about Peter’s martyrdom reassures us, even if the details are hazy. Most people’s lives across the scope of humanity have been forgotten. People will not write about us unless we do something that stands out. The sheer fact of there being so many documents relating to the Apostle Peter should tell us that he was justly famous among religious scholars and historians. Peter’s fame glorifies God; he points to Christ at all times. His testimony is not believed and celebrated because of his fame – his fame is derived from the way he faithfully followed Christ to a cross of his own.
A Hero of the Faith
Peter might have been crucified upside down or right side up. There is simply too little evidence to suggest the former, although there were more than two options. The fact remains, however, that Peter died for his faith. His doubts about Jesus’ sovereignty were removed and he was willing to give his life in order to share the gospel with people who would ultimately kill him. Peter is justly considered a hero of the faith.
Sources
How did St. Peter die? | Britannica
What is the evidence that Peter was crucified upside down in Rome? – Evidence for Christianity
Photo credit: Unsplash/Daniele Franchi
