ACC ~ John 13 v38

PETER DID NOT KNOW HIS OWN STRENGTH

AUGUSTINE: Peter knew his great desire. What he did not know was his own strength. He boasted of his will while he was still weak. But the Physician had an eye on the state of his health. … Will you do for me what I have not done yet for you? “Will you lay down your life for my sake?” Can you go before even though you cannot come after? Why are you so presumptuous? What do you think of yourself and what do you imagine yourself to be? Listen to what you are: “Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied me three times.” See, that is how you will very quickly get to know who you are—someone who talks big but has no idea that he is only a child. You promise me your death and yet will deny me your life. You, who think you are able to die for me, learn to live first for yourself. When you fear the death of your flesh, you occasion the death of your soul. Just as much as it is life to confess Christ, it is death to deny him. … The frailty of Peter himself acknowledged its sin when he witnessed by his tears the evil he had done in denying Christ. … Nor do we say this because we have pleasure in blaming the first of the apostles. But in looking at him, we learn that no one should place his confidence in human strength. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 66.1-2. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 7:319-20**; CCL 36:493-94.

PETER DIES BY DENIAL BUT LIVES BY TEARS

AUGUSTINE: That took place in the soul of Peter which he offered in the body, although it happened differently from what he intended. For before the death and resurrection of our Lord, he did both die by his denial and live again by his tears. He died because he was so sure of himself, but he lived again because Jesus looked on him with kindness. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 66.2. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 7:320*; CCL 36:495.

PETER WILL LEARN TO KNOW HIMSELF

CHRYSOSTOM: [Jesus] let him go without assistance so that he might learn his own weakness … and not fall into such sin again when he received the stewardship of the world, but that remembering what had happened to him, he might know himself. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 73.1. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 14:267-68**.

DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS COMPARED

AUGUSTINE: John is not the only Evangelist who details this prophetic announcement of Jesus’ own denial to Peter. The other three also record the same thing [1] but not at the same time in all cases. Matthew and Mark introduce it after they have left the house in which they were eating the Passover. Luke and John bring it in before he left that scene. We may suppose either that the two former are referring to what had passed or the two latter are anticipating what is coming. Or the great difference not only of the words but of the subjects that precede the speech and that excite Peter to the presumption of offering to die for or with our Lord may lead us to conclude that he made this offer three times and that our Lord three times replied, “Before the rooster crows, you shall deny me three times.” HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 3.2.5. [2]

[1] Mt 26:30-35; Mk 14:26-31; Lk 22:31-34.

[2] NPNF 1 6:178-79** ; CSEL 43:272-73.

JOHN AND MARK ARE NOT IN CONTRADICTION

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: This is not contrary to what is said in Mark. For he said, “The rooster will not crow twice before you will deny me three times.” [1] You see, as soon as he denied him, the rooster crowed. And as he denied for a third time, the rooster crowed for a second time, in some way bearing witness to the truthfulness of the Lord, as well as reminding Peter both what he said to the Lord and what he heard from him. Therefore, when he denied at first, by the will of the Lord the bird uttered a sound out of its proper time. [2] But when he denied for the third time, then it crowed at the appointed time. However Mark, dictating the Gospel according to Peter’s view, also said how many times the bird crowed during the denial, as if he wanted to establish more clearly the reproach of Peter by his own sin. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, FRAGMENT 119.13.38. [3]

[1] Mk 14:30.

[2] The Syriac text of Theodore says, “according to the will and command of the Lord.”

[3] ECS 7:112*.