Bible Questions Answered:
Was Peter a devil, Jesus called him Satan?
Beth/ Charlotte, North Carolina
Bible Answer:
Text:
Matthew 16:21-25 KJV
21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23 But He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan*: thou art an offence unto Me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
24 Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.
*Satan: Greek-Santanas (Sat-an-as): The accuser, the devil:-Satan.
(Abingdon's Strong's Concordance)
Matthew 16:21-25 NLT
21 From then on Jesus began to tell His disciples plainly that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem, and that He would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day He would be raised from the dead.
22 But Peter took Him aside and began to reprimand Him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from Me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to Me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me.
25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it.
Peter in essence had accused Jesus of not knowing or doing the will of the Father, that He was at best deluded in His desire to serve God.
Satan as the disciples knew was the adversary, and Peter, though no doubt “well-intentioned,” became an adversary, someone who was diametrically opposed to the eternal plan of God.
One would have thought that at the very least, the words of John the Baptist, would have resounded in Peter's thinking, for surely his brother had told him the words of John.
John 1:29,37 KJV
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
37 And the two disciples (Andrew & John) heard Him speak, and they followed Jesus.
Lambs were for the altar and sacrifice.
Lamb offerings were for covering the sins of the people ( O.T. ).
John the Baptist stated...”Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
Peter well knew the story of Genesis 22 (Abraham, sacrificing his only son.), and the Jews knew and read the words of Isaiah, yet many wondered who was this sacrificial Messiah?
Isaiah 53:1-12 KJV
1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
4 Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was He stricken.
9 And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall my Righteous Servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Certainly Peter was not thee Satan, but he through his fleshly intentions, had become an “adversary,” to the things of God.
Oh, how the evil one tried to cast doubt in the mind of the Saviour.
“If thou be the Son of God (Matthew 4:3), If thou be the Son of God (Matthew 4:6).
Matthew 4:9,10 KJV
9 And (the devil said) unto Him,... fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.
The precious Lord Jesus, was always in the will of His Father.
Matthew 17:1-6 KJV
1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2 And was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.
3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him.
4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
5 While He yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God's sinless sacrificial Lamb.
Matthew 8:16,17 KJV (Matthew)
16 When the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed with devils: and He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all that were sick:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
I Corinthians 5:7 KJV
"...For... Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:
Galatians 1:3-5 KJV
3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 5:2 KJV
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.
Titus 2:13,14 KJV
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Hebrews 9:28 KJV
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
I Peter 1:18-21 KJV (Peter, after Calvary and Pentecost.)
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
21 Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
I Peter 2:21-25 KJV (Peter, after Calvary and Pentecost.)
21... Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth:
23 Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously:
24 Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
I John 3:5,16 KJV
5 And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin.
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Revelation 1:5 KJV
And from Jesus Christ, who is the Faithful Witness, and the First Begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
