John 18:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The servant girl at the door said to Peter, "You also are not one of this man 's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not."

NIV: "You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?" she asked Peter. He replied, "I am not."

NASB: Then the slave woman who was the doorkeeper *said to Peter, 'You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?' He *said, 'I am not.'

CSB: Then the servant girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, "You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?" "I am not." he said.

NLT: The woman asked Peter, 'You’re not one of that man’s disciples, are you?' 'No,' he said, 'I am not.'

KJV: Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not.

NKJV: Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.”

Prior verses indicated that John was known to the family of the high priest (John 18:15–16), so when Peter hesitated to come into the courtyard, John was able to get him access. The doorkeeper, however, either recognized Peter's face, or possibly noticed his Galilean accent (Matthew 26:73). Either way, out of suspicion or curiosity, she brings up the possibility of Peter being a follower of Jesus.

The phrasing used here is rhetorical. The servant girl expects a "no" answer. In her mind, it would be foolish for someone whose master was under arrest to put himself in harm's way. This was not Jesus' intention, either (John 18:8).

At this point, Peter's posturing takes a dramatic turn. Earlier this same evening, he had claimed willingness to die for Christ (John 13:37). To the credit of his bravery, at least, he attempted to fight back when Jesus was under arrest (John 18:10). And he's secretly followed along to at least see what happens to his Master (Matthew 26:58). Now, under a different kind of threat, and without Christ by his side, Peter gives in to fear. He lies and claims he's not a follower of Christ.

This is what Jesus predicted would happen (John 13:38), and Peter will make this same denial two more times (John 18:25–27).

John 18:15–18 includes the first of Peter's predicted denials of Christ (John 13:36–38). Peter has followed the party who arrested Jesus, obviously at some distance, attempting to secretly see what will happen. Though Peter was brave in attempting to defend Jesus earlier, he shrinks in the face of danger here. Asked to admit his relationship with Christ, he lies. The unnamed disciple here is probably John, who may have been a relative of the priestly family.

Jesus is secretly, quietly arrested in the garden of Gethsemane and taken to a series of sham trials before Jewish leadership. This leads to His encounter with the local Roman governor. Jesus accepts being described as "King" but denies that His current purpose is earthly rule. A mob assembled by Jesus' enemies reject Pilate's attempt to free Jesus. In the meantime, Peter fulfills Christ's prophecy about a three-fold denial.

John's Gospel was written well after the other three, so he frequently chooses to present different details. Chapter 17 detailed Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, just before He entered the garden of Gethsemane. This chapter describes Jesus' arrest, sham trials before Jewish leadership, and the beginning of His trial before the Roman governor. In the following chapter, Jesus will be unfairly condemned, executed, and buried.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.