This shows that Peter professed his commitment three times during Christ's dialogue, and each time, the Lord informed him that before the cock crowed, he would deny Him three times.
It is plausible that at various moments, Peter fervently affirmed his loyalty, despite ultimately renouncing the Lord, and that the Lord repeated His warning three times. Following His resurrection, the Lord questioned Peter three times about his love for Him, and in reply to Peter's threefold affirmation, He directed him three times to care for His flock. The likelihood that Peter declared his faithfulness three times and was told about his impending denial three times can be further supported by the different accounts provided by the Evangelists.
Let us consider the passage from John's Gospel that I have just referred to. The Lord said, “Children, I will not be with you much longer. You will seek Me, and as I said to the Jews, where I go you cannot come, so I say to you now. A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Simon Peter then asked Him, “Lord, where are You going?” This indicates that Peter was compelled to inquire, and when Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but afterward you will follow me,” Peter insisted, “Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for You.” It was upon this assurance that the Lord foretold Peter's denial. In Luke's account, the Lord states, “Simon, behold, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, once converted, strengthen your brethren.” Peter insisted, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison and to death with You.” Yet, the Lord answered, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today before you deny three times that you know Me.” It is noteworthy that Peter had different reasons for expressing his loyalty in different instances.
Matthew records, “After they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Tonight you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Mark’s account mirrors this closely. Are these words and warnings similar to those that prompted Peter’s declarations of loyalty in the accounts of John and Luke? Matthew continues, stating that Peter responded, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” Jesus replied, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never disown You.” All the disciples made similar statements. Mark’s account closely resembles Matthew’s, but provides more precision regarding the timing of the prediction: “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will disown Me three times.” All the Evangelists remarked on how the Lord foretold Peter’s denial before the rooster crowed.
While not all specified the exact number of crowings, Mark was the only one to give that detail. Some may protest that Mark’s account contradicts the others, but such objections often come from those resistant to the Gospel's truth. Consequently, Peter's denial was indeed a threefold renunciation of his Lord. In the tumult of his confusion, he faced profound deception until he recognized the fulfillment of the prophecy, encountering healing through deep sorrow and tears. If we consider that this threefold denial began after the rooster's first crow, it could appear that the three Evangelists made an error. Matthew noted, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times,” whereas Luke records, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow tonight before you disown me three times,” and John states, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow before you deny me three times.”
In their distinct words and order, they all convey the same prophecy regarding Peter’s denial prior to the crowing. If Peter’s three denials were completed before the rooster crowed, then Mark would warrant scrutiny for his phrasing, “Truly, I say unto you, that tonight, before the rooster crows twice, you shall deny Me thrice.” What prompts Mark to mention "before twice," if Peter's threefold denial truly concluded before the first crowing? The key is that the denial began prior to the rooster crowing. For the first three Evangelists, the priority is not when Peter completed the denial but how many times he denied and the initiation of that denial—specifically, that it was a threefold act that began before the crowing, even though Peter fully experienced it inwardly before that moment.
Indeed, the threefold denial commenced before the first crowing and concluded before the second. The duration of Peter’s utterances is less significant than the reality that his heart was filled with overwhelming fear before the first crowing, which led him to deny his Lord not just once, but twice and thrice as soon as the inquiry was raised. It is evident that just as one who looks at a woman with lust has sinned in his heart, Peter encountered a fear so consuming that it compelled him to deny the Lord three times. Thus, even if the explicit denials escaped Peter's mouth only after the first crowing, it would not be unreasonable to assert that he had effectively denied his Lord in his heart before that moment.
Moreover, it is reasonable that Peter's threefold denial, which initiated before the rooster crowed, did not necessarily end before the first crowing. For example, if someone were forewarned, “Tonight, before the rooster crows, you will write a letter in which you will curse me three times,” it would not be considered false merely because the individual started writing before the rooster crowed but completed it afterward. Mark's prediction clarifies the timing, stating that before the rooster crows twice, you shall deny Me thrice. As we examine the Gospel accounts of Peter’s denial, it will become apparent that the Evangelists consistently agree in their portrayal of these events.
Should questions arise about the precise words of the Lord spoken to Peter, it may be impossible to ascertain them definitively, making any search fruitless, as the essential meaning, necessary for understanding, can be accurately gleaned from the varying expressions of the Evangelists. More likely, on separate occasions, encouraged by the Lord’s assurances, Peter affirmed his fidelity three times, and the Lord correspondingly foretold Peter's denials. It is also possible to reconcile the narratives of all the Evangelists into a unified dialogue showcasing Peter’s declarations of loyalty, coupled with a single foretelling by the Lord. However, in either scenario, we cannot blame the Evangelists for contradictory accounts, as there is no conflict present.
THEOSIS