Question: Elder, you spoke to us earlier about the imperfection of the Apostle Peter, before Pentecost. Did he deny our Lord because of his imperfection?
Answer: The issue of Peter’s denial, according to the judgments of the Fathers, is an economy. For it was not possible for Peter, who throughout the entire period that he was with Christ and showed so much zeal and so much humility, to fall into such a great error, to deny the Lord Christ three times. This is not logical. Remember Peter’s confession! When our Jesus asked: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter confessed and said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus turned and said to him: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church” (Matthew 16:16-18).
Peter was by nature very zealous and uncompromising. In His all-wise wisdom, God, after his fervent confession, made him the foundation of the Church. However, because the Church would embrace all human nature, all characters, not only the zealous and strong but also the weak and feeble, the Lord allows the triple denial. For, let us not forget, most people are weak and feeble. Not even in five out of a hundred will we find strong characters, those who loved God completely and with the impulse of their love showed self-denial. Therefore, for these remaining weak ones, an economy was made. However, Peter, as a zealot and strong man, who had no sense of condescension within him, would not understand this.
Therefore, God makes an economy and allows Him to be denied. Then He heals him Himself. He approaches him and says: “Peter, do you love me? Peter, do you love me?” Peter was confused, he did not understand. But the three questions were the cure for the triple denial.
With the triple Confession, Peter eliminated guilt. However, he learned from experience that even zealots still need to be forgiven.
God does the same to the Apostle Paul. Because he was the backbone of the Church, He leaves him at the beginning to become a persecutor, an enemy; and then He takes him; and he, with a feeling of profound humility, says: “I am not fit to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of Christ.” However, I have one extenuating circumstance, that “I did it ignorantly.”
You see with what all-wise wisdom God disposes to give us comfort as well. For if these leaders entered the Church with the power of their momentum, how would they know that we, the weak, are now unable to hold on? In this way, divine goodness condescends to the weaknesses of people, so that we too may be able to reach it. God descends so that we may rise.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
Answer: The issue of Peter’s denial, according to the judgments of the Fathers, is an economy. For it was not possible for Peter, who throughout the entire period that he was with Christ and showed so much zeal and so much humility, to fall into such a great error, to deny the Lord Christ three times. This is not logical. Remember Peter’s confession! When our Jesus asked: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter confessed and said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus turned and said to him: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church” (Matthew 16:16-18).
Peter was by nature very zealous and uncompromising. In His all-wise wisdom, God, after his fervent confession, made him the foundation of the Church. However, because the Church would embrace all human nature, all characters, not only the zealous and strong but also the weak and feeble, the Lord allows the triple denial. For, let us not forget, most people are weak and feeble. Not even in five out of a hundred will we find strong characters, those who loved God completely and with the impulse of their love showed self-denial. Therefore, for these remaining weak ones, an economy was made. However, Peter, as a zealot and strong man, who had no sense of condescension within him, would not understand this.
Therefore, God makes an economy and allows Him to be denied. Then He heals him Himself. He approaches him and says: “Peter, do you love me? Peter, do you love me?” Peter was confused, he did not understand. But the three questions were the cure for the triple denial.
With the triple Confession, Peter eliminated guilt. However, he learned from experience that even zealots still need to be forgiven.
God does the same to the Apostle Paul. Because he was the backbone of the Church, He leaves him at the beginning to become a persecutor, an enemy; and then He takes him; and he, with a feeling of profound humility, says: “I am not fit to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of Christ.” However, I have one extenuating circumstance, that “I did it ignorantly.”
You see with what all-wise wisdom God disposes to give us comfort as well. For if these leaders entered the Church with the power of their momentum, how would they know that we, the weak, are now unable to hold on? In this way, divine goodness condescends to the weaknesses of people, so that we too may be able to reach it. God descends so that we may rise.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.