The Proclaimer

Did Peter Use Profanity?

On the night of Christ’s betrayal, Peter “followed from afar” as Jesus was taken before the high priest among the Jews.  One of the servant girls of the high priest accused Peter of being one of those with Jesus.  Peter denied the accusation. Once again Peter is confronted, and Peter denies the accusation saying, “I neither know nor understand what your are saying” (Mark 14:68).  Finally he is confronted a third time as those that stood by said, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.  But he began to curse and swear, ‘I do not know this Man of whom you speak!’” (Mark 14:70, 71).  Many have taken the fact that Peter began to “curse and swear” to mean that the apostle of Christ began to use vile and vulgar language, such as might commonly be used today by those of the world.  But is that what Peter did? 

It’s obvious that Peter was afraid of being identified with Jesus and by the time of this last accusation had begun to panic.  It’s also obvious that he was so terrified that he was ready to resort to almost anything that would save him from the situation.  And so he began to reinforce his denial by cursing and swearing.  What he did was terribly wrong, but it was not the coarse, vile, gutter language that is commonly associated with the word “curse” today.

What Peter did was “to call down all manner of evil on himself if he, indeed, knew this man, and he did this with high and holy oaths to God to have him witness that he, indeed, did not know this man” (Interpretation of Mark, Lenski, p. 675).  The curses he brought were upon himself if he was not telling the truth.  Furthermore, he swore an oath before God that he was telling the truth.  Peter was a groveling coward who was willing to emphasize his lie and denial in the most extreme way.

The child of God is to tell the truth regardless of the consequences.  Peter was unwilling to do this.  But before we are too quick to criticize his actions, perhaps we should look at our own.  The fact is it is not necessary to “curse and swear” as Peter did to deny the Lord.  Sometimes we can do so by just remaining silent when the truth ought to be defended.   May God help us all to “Stand Up For Jesus” when the time comes. 

                                                                                                     -- Clark Dugger

The Proclaimer