DAY 226
CHALLENGE
“The Gospels contradict one another regarding Peter’s three denials: (1) Mark has the cock crowing twice, but the other Gospels only once; (2) the dialogue used by Peter and his accusers differs; and (3) the people making the accusations are different.”
DEFENSE
None of these involve contradictions.
First, roosters crow multiple times at every dawn. Mark 14:72 mentions the second crowing specifically, and the others streamline the account for simplicity (see Day 37).
Second, no transcriptionist was present, and the dialogue is based on Peter and John’s memories (they being the only disciples present). It involves normal paraphrase and reconstruction within the limits of verbal approximation in ancient documents (see Day 258).
Third, although an ancient author would have been within his rights to simply reconstruct the accusations prompting the three deni- als—which are what would have been principally remembered—the Gospels recount details indicating eyewitnesses’ memories.
Thus all four Gospels state Peter’s first denial occurred after he was accused by a female servant, and John indicates it was the one who kept the door (Matt. 26:69; Mark 14:66–67; Luke 22:56; John 18:17).
Peter’s second denial was prompted by a group accusation. John says “they” made it (John 18:25), while Mark mentions that “the maid” (apparently the first maid) identified Peter “to the bystanders” (Mark 14:69) and Matthew mentions “another maid” spoke “to the bystanders” (Matt. 26:71), one of whom—a man—accused Peter more directly (Luke 22:58).
Peter’s third denial was also prompted by a group, which Matthew and Mark describe as “the bystanders” (Matt. 26:73; Mark 14:70). Luke indicates another person—again a man—accused Peter more directly (Luke 22:59–60), and John indicates it was “one of the servants of the high priest, a kinsman of the man whose ear Peter had cut off” (John 18:26).
Only the first denial is preceded by an accusation by a single person (the door maid), and as the idea begins to spread through the group, the latter two denials are preceded by accusations that at least two of the Gospels say involved groups (Matthew, Mark, and John in the case of the second denial and Matthew and Mark in the case of the third).
We thus see evidence that a real historical event is being recounted in keeping with the literary conventions of the time.