Peter ministered to the circumcision, but wasn't commissioned exclusively to them
Galatians 2:7-8 says:
"But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised..."

† This wasn't a divine restriction, but a description of how their ministries developed
† Peter focused on the Jews, especially the scattered tribes of Israel
† Peter wrote to the diaspora in regions like Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, not to Rome
† Paul, not Peter, was the one God chose to go to the Gentiles and to Rome (Acts 9:15, Romans 1:15)

Paul wrote from Rome, but never mentioned Peter
Paul was imprisoned in Rome (Acts 28) and wrote several letters during imprisonment, Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon are traditionally dated to Rome, though some scholars propose Caesarea or Ephesus. 2 Timothy reflects a Roman imprisonment.

† In 2 Timothy 4:11, Paul says: "Only Luke is with me"
† In 2 Timothy 4:16, he says: "At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me..."
† Paul lists many coworkers, but never Peter
† If Peter had been in Rome, Paul would've mentioned him
† Scholars note this silence is powerful evidence, Paul greets about thirty people by name in Romans 16, but not Peter

Peter wrote from Babylon, not Rome
1 Peter 5:13:
"She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark."

† Scripture never explicitly identifies "Babylon" with Rome, later writers do, and many modern scholars take "Babylon" as Rome, while others argue for literal Babylon. Revelation itself identifies Jerusalem as the "great city" called Babylon (Revelation 11:8, 17:5).
† Josephus confirms countless myriads of Jews were still living in Judea and Jerusalem in the first century. That proves Babylon (Jerusalem) was still a major Jewish center in Peter's day.
† Peter was ministering to the circumcision, Babylon (Jerusalem) makes sense, Rome doesn't
† There's no hint in Peter's letters that he was ever in Rome

Scriptures proving Babylon is Jerusalem

† Revelation 11:8 - "And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified." The "great city" is clearly Jerusalem, since Jesus was crucified there.
† Revelation 17:5-6 - "BABYLON THE GREAT... drunk with the blood of the saints." The city guilty of shedding prophetic blood is Jerusalem (Matthew 23:35-37).
† Revelation 18:24 - "In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints..." Jesus declared this guilt was on Jerusalem (Matthew 23:35).
† Matthew 23:34-37 - "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!" Jesus explicitly put the guilt of all prophetic blood on Jerusalem.
† Luke 13:33 - "It cannot be that a prophet would perish outside Jerusalem." Jerusalem, not Rome, was always the city that killed the prophets.
† Revelation 16:19 - "The great city was split into three parts..." Josephus records Jerusalem being split into three factions during the siege (Wars 5.1.1).
† Isaiah 1:21 - "How the faithful city has become a harlot!" The OT harlot imagery applied to Jerusalem.
† Jeremiah 2:28, 3:3, 6-8 - Jerusalem is repeatedly called a harlot because of her unfaithfulness.

The book of Acts never places Peter in Rome
Acts records Peter's ministry locations in detail

† Jerusalem
† Samaria
† Lydda
† Joppa
† Caesarea
† Antioch

Meanwhile, Paul is the one who arrives in Rome

† Acts 28:16: "When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him"
† Peter is never mentioned
† Modern historians like Otto Zwierlein argue there's no reliable literary or archaeological evidence connecting Peter to Rome at all

Jesus foretold Peter's death, but not where it would happen
John 21:18-19 describes how Peter would die

† "'...when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will put your belt on you, and bring you where you do not want to go'"
† This describes the type of death, not the location
† Scripture never says Peter died in Rome, that claim comes from tradition

Peter never claimed authority over Rome or any Gentile church
1 Peter 5:1:
"Therefore, I urge elders among you, as your fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ..."

† Peter calls himself a fellow elder, not someone with unique authority
† He never claimed oversight of the Gentile congregations
† There's no verse that connects Peter with the church in Rome or with leadership over it

The scriptures consistently place Paul in Rome, not Peter

† Paul wrote from Rome
† Paul preached in Rome
† Paul was imprisoned in Rome (Acts 28), early tradition holds he died there under Nero
† There's no biblical record of Peter ever being there
† Clement of Rome (c. AD 96) wrote a letter from Rome but gave no indication that Peter ever ruled there. That silence is as telling as Paul's

Acts 17:11 commands us to test all things by the scriptures
"Now these people were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so."

† Be like the Bereans
† Follow the scriptures, not traditions
† Reject every claim that lacks inspired support

A few historical writers claimed Peter was in Rome, but scripture proves otherwise

† Irenaeus (late 2nd century) wrote that Peter and Paul founded the church in Rome and appointed Linus as bishop
† Eusebius (4th century) claimed Peter ministered in Rome for twenty-five years, based on secondhand reports
† Tertullian said Peter was martyred in Rome under Nero
† But none of these men were eyewitnesses, and none of them were inspired by God
† Their writings contradict the clear biblical record
† As Bart Ehrman has noted, there's no solid evidence Peter ever went to Rome
† The Biblical Archaeology Society notes the Bible says nothing about Peter traveling to Rome and surveys the evidence
† Ferdinand Christian Baur and other scholars argue that Rome's church was founded through Paul's influence, not Peter's

The scriptures say:

† Peter wrote from Babylon (Jerusalem), not Rome (1 Peter 5:13, Revelation 11:8)
† Paul wrote from Rome and never mentioned Peter (2 Timothy 4:11, 4:16)
† Acts shows Paul in Rome, not Peter (Acts 28:16)
† Clement of Rome wrote from Rome yet said nothing of Peter there
† The Bible never says Peter died in Rome, and it never gives him authority there
† The inspired record completely omits Peter from Rome because he was never there

If history disagrees with Scripture, we trust Scripture.

Conclusion
While the traditional early church view affirms Peter went to Rome and died there, the scriptures never place him there. The silence of the inspired record, combined with modern scholarly analysis, shows the tradition arose later, likely to promote Rome's primacy.

† This is the fulfilled perspective we proclaim at Fulfilled Prophecies †

Source Index
† Josephus, Wars of the Jews 5.1.1 - Jerusalem split into three factions during the siege
† Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 11.133 - countless myriads of Jews living beyond the Euphrates
† 1 Clement (c. AD 96), letter from Rome to Corinth - no mention of Peter ruling in Rome
† Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.3.2 - claim that Peter and Paul founded the church in Rome
† Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 2.25 - claim that Peter ministered in Rome for 25 years
† Tertullian, Prescription Against Heretics 36 - claim that Peter was martyred in Rome under Nero
† Bart Ehrman, Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend - argues there is no solid evidence Peter ever went to Rome
† Otto Zwierlein, Petrus in Rom - argues no reliable literary or archaeological evidence connects Peter to Rome
† Ferdinand Christian Baur, Paulus, der Apostel Jesu Christi - argues Rome's church was founded through Paul, not Peter
† Biblical Archaeology Society, "The Apostle Peter in Rome" (https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-rome/the-apostle-peter-in-rome/) - notes the Bible says nothing about Peter traveling to Rome
† Foundations Bible Studies, "Was Peter Ever in Rome?" (https://foundations.vision.org/was-peter-ever-rome-952) - survey of the debate
† New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, "Clement of Rome" (https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04012c.htm)