Men Named Simon

Yesterday I wrote about one of the most common female name in the New Testament, Mary.  One of the most common male names is Simon.  The most prominent Simon, of course, was the chief apostle.  His actually was known by multiple names which are a little hard to keep straight.  He was called Simon Peter (John 1:40, 2 Peter 1:1), Simon (John 1:41), Cephas (John 1:43), and even Simeon (Acts 15:14).  Simon was his original name, and then the Savior gave him the name of Cephas: “Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.”  Cephas is an Aramaic name, and Peter is the Greek name, both of which mean stone.  He was to be a rock to the Church as he led the Saints after the resurrection and ascension of the Savior.  The name Simon means “listen” and he surely did that—he listened and watched and learned from the Savior as he followed Him for three years, enabling him to then lead out in the work of the Master. 

               Several others in the New Testament have the name of Simon.  One other apostle was named Simon, called Simon the Canaanite and Simon Zelotes (Matt. 10:4, Luke 6:15, Acts 1:13).  The Bible Dictionary suggests that “the Canaanite” is not correct but should rather be “the Cananean” from an Aramaic word.  This Simon, though, doesn’t play a significant role in the stories in the Gospel.  Another Simon is he of Cyrene who “they compelled to bear his cross” at the crucifixion of the Savior (Matt. 27:32).  It is perhaps not a coincidence that his name was Simon like the chief apostle’s; perhaps this was a subtle reminder to Peter that it was he who should have born the cross for the Savior on the night he denied knowing Him.  Another Simon was the brother of Jesus; we don’t know much about him but he was mentioned twice: “Is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?” (Matt. 13:55)  There was also a certain “Simon the leper” who lived in Bethany and at whose house Mary washed the Savior’s feet, though we don’t know much about him (Matt. 26:6).  Interestingly, there is another Simon in a very similar story in which Jesus was at the man’s house and “a woman in the city, which was a sinner” came in and anointed the Savior by washing his feet (Luke 7:37). So in both stories, Jesus was at the home of a man named Simon and a woman came with oil to serve the Savior.  In Matthew and Mark this was Simon the leper, and in Luke this was a Pharisee named Simon.  If the chronology of the two stories is correct then they can’t be the same Simon (since Luke’s event takes place well before the final days which, in Matthew and Mark’s accounts, included this visit to the Pharisee).  Simon the leper and Simon the Pharisee both invited Jesus into their home to listen to His words, fulfilling the meaning of their own name.  We similarly should seek to bring the Savior’s presence into our home and seek His teaching and blessing to be there.