In the first letter Paul writes to the church in the city of Corinth, he goes into a bit of a rant about the expectations the Corinthian people place on him and their lack of support.
As part of Paul’s tirade, he implies Cephas (Peter) travels with his wife when visiting the various churches. While we know Peter is married, given that Jesus heals his mother-in-law, we know nothing about Mrs. Peter—except that she travels with him on his missionary journeys.
We don’t know why she does this.
It may be it isn’t safe for her to stay home alone—her husband’s detractors could go after her. Perhaps she seeks adventure or likes to travel. Possibly the couple gets lonely when they’re apart.
My preferred understanding is that she helps him in his work, that she’s part of his ministry. Though he receives the recognition while she toils in anonymity, the important thing is that the church Jesus started grows.
How do we react when our spouse or close friend basks in the spotlight while we labor in the background? Are we happy with our role, or do we grow jealous and grumble?
[Discover more about Peter’s wife in John 1:42 and 1 Corinthians 9:5.]
Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
