The question of whether Saint Peter, a prominent apostle of Jesus, was married often arises due to a seemingly straightforward clue in the Gospels: the mention of his mother-in-law. Custom dictates that a mother-in-law implies a wife, yet the New Testament’s portrayal of Peter’s marital status is more nuanced than it initially appears. Let’s delve into the biblical texts to explore the evidence and shed light on whether St. Peter was indeed married.
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke both recount an episode where Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law. Matthew 8:14-15 and Luke 4:38-39 describe her as being sick with a fever. Jesus miraculously heals her, and she immediately gets up and begins to serve Jesus and his disciples. This detail undeniably establishes that Peter had a mother-in-law. However, conspicuously absent from these accounts is any mention of Peter’s wife herself.
This absence is noteworthy. In a typical family scenario, especially during a mother’s illness, one would expect the daughter – in this case, Peter’s wife – to be present and concerned. Yet, neither Matthew nor Luke makes any reference to her presence. This omission is unusual and prompts questions. While it’s possible the Gospel writers selectively included details, focusing on the miraculous healing, the complete silence regarding Peter’s wife suggests another possibility: she may not have been present because she was no longer alive. It is plausible that Peter was a widower at the time of this event.
Some scholars point to 1 Corinthians 9:5 as evidence that Peter, also known as Cephas, did have a wife who accompanied him on his missionary journeys. The verse in the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSV-CE) reads: “Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife, as the other apostles and the brethren of the Lord and Cephas?” However, the interpretation of the Greek term “gunaika” in this verse is crucial. While “gunaika” can translate to “wife,” it can also mean simply “woman.”
A closer examination of the context and the original Greek phrase “adelphaen gunaika” offers an alternative understanding. “Adelphaen” signifies “sister,” suggesting a spiritual rather than a familial relationship. Therefore, “adelphaen gunaika” can be interpreted as “sister woman” or “sister in Christ.” In this context, Paul, defending his apostolic rights, might be referring to female assistants who accompanied the apostles, not necessarily as wives, but as fellow believers who provided support in ministry.
This interpretation is strengthened by the fact that Paul himself, the author of 1 Corinthians, was unmarried. He uses this example to argue for his and other apostles’ rights, not to detail his own marital practices. Furthermore, early Church Fathers like Jerome and Clement of Alexandria supported this view. Jerome, in his writings, suggested these “sister women” were not wives but women who assisted the apostles with their resources and in ministry to other women. Clement of Alexandria echoed this, stating these women were assistants who could minister to women in their homes, especially in situations where modesty was a concern, such as baptisms or charitable works.
Considering the biblical evidence, particularly the silence surrounding Peter’s wife in the Gospel accounts of his mother-in-law’s healing, and the alternative interpretation of 1 Corinthians 9:5 supported by historical context and early Church Fathers, it is a reasonable conclusion that St. Peter was likely a widower during Jesus’ ministry. While the Gospels confirm he had been married, the absence of his wife from key narratives suggests she was no longer living, leading to the understanding of Peter as a dedicated apostle who may have experienced personal loss before embarking on his significant role in Christian history.
