Church Fathers Commentary Mark 14:66-72

"And as Peter was beneath in the court, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest; and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and saith, Thou also wast with the Nazarene, [even] Jesus. But he denied, saying, I neither know, nor understand what thou sayest: and he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. And the maid saw him, and began again to say to them that stood by, This is [one] of them. But he again denied it. And after a little while again they that stood by said to Peter, of a truth thou art [one] of them; for thou art a Galilaean. But he began to curse, and to swear, I know not this man of whom ye speak. And straightway the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word, how that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept." — Mark 14:66-72 (ASV)

St. Augustine of Hippo: Concerning Peter's temptation, which happened during the injuries mentioned, not all the Evangelists speak in the same order. Luke first relates Peter's temptation and then the Lord's injuries. John, however, begins to speak of Peter's temptation, then inserts some details about our Lord's ill-treatment, adds that He was sent from there to Caiaphas the High Priest, and then returns to finish the account of Peter's temptation which he had begun.

Matthew and Mark, on the other hand, first describe the injuries done to Christ, and then Peter's temptation.

Concerning this, it is said, And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the High Priest.

The Venerable Bede: What can be meant by his being first recognized by a woman, when men were more likely to know him? Could it be anything other than to show that the same sex that sinned in the death of our Lord would also be redeemed by His Passion?

It goes on: But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest.

Pseudo-Jerome: When Peter did not have the Spirit, he yielded and lost courage at the voice of a girl; yet with the Spirit, he was not afraid to stand before princes and kings.

Theophylact of Ohrid: The Lord, in His providence, allowed this to happen to him, both so that he would not become overly proud, and so that he might learn to be merciful to sinners, knowing from his own experience the effects of human weakness.

The text continues: And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

The Venerable Bede: The other Evangelists do not mention this crowing of the rooster; however, they do not deny that it happened, just as they pass over many other things in silence that others relate.

The text continues: And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.

St. Augustine of Hippoⁱ: This maid is not the same one, but another, as Matthew states. Indeed, we must also understand that during this second denial, he was addressed by two people: the maid mentioned by Matthew and Mark, and another person whom Luke mentions.

It goes on: And he denied it again.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Peter had now returned, for John says that he denied Him again while standing at the fire. Therefore, the maid said what was mentioned above not directly to Peter, but to those who had remained when he went out, though in such a way that he could hear it. For this reason, upon coming back and standing again at the fire, he contradicted them and denied their words.

If we compare the accounts of all the Evangelists on this matter, it is evident that Peter's second denial did not happen in the porch, but inside the palace at the fire. Matthew and Mark, who mention his having gone out, are silent about his return for the sake of brevity.

The Venerable Bede: From Peter's denial we learn that a person denies Christ not only by saying He is not the Christ, but also by denying that he himself is a Christian. For the Lord did not say to Peter, "You will deny that you are my disciple," but rather, Thou shalt deny me. Therefore, he denied Christ when he said that he was not His disciple.

The text continues: And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them, for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.

This is not to say that the Galileans spoke a different language from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for they were both Hebrews. Rather, each province and region has its own linguistic peculiarities and cannot avoid a regional accent.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Therefore, Peter was seized with fear. Forgetting the word of the Lord, Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him will I confess before My Father (Matthew 10:32), he denied our Lord.

Therefore, the text continues: But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.

The Venerable Bede: How harmful it is to associate with the wicked. Before unbelievers, Peter denies knowing the Man whom, among the disciples, he had confessed to be God. But Scripture is often accustomed to use the timing of events as a sign pointing to their deeper causes; thus Peter, who denied at midnight, repented when the rooster crowed.

For this reason, it is added: And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word which Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crew twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.

Theophylact of Ohrid: For tears brought Peter back to Christ through repentance. This refutes the Novatians, who say that a person who sins after receiving baptism cannot receive the forgiveness of that sin. For behold Peter, who had also received the Body and Blood of the Lord, is restored through repentance. The failings of the saints are recorded so that if we fall through carelessness, we too may be able to return by their example and hope to find restoration through repentance.

Pseudo-Jerome: In a mystical sense, the first maid represents wavering, the second represents assent, and the third person represents the act itself. This is the threefold denial that the remembrance of the Lord's word washes away with tears. The rooster crows for us when a preacher stirs our hearts to repentance and compunction. We then begin to weep when we are set on fire from within by the spark of knowledge, and we "go out" when we cast out what was previously inside us.