176 



LT.-COL. G. MACKINLAY^ ON 



(21) Peter^s three denials. 



Triplication No. (21) (see Table) tells of St. Peter's three 

 denials of His Master in His time of deepest trial, tlius emphasiz- 

 ing the failure of human love. 



Examining the structure of this triphcation, we notice that 

 the first and third components are the most striking, while 

 the intermediate one, which serves as a hnk between the two 

 others, is less prominent. The first attracts attention, while 

 the last leads immediately to the chmax, the fulfilment of our 

 Lord's sad prophecy to Peter, " The cock shall not crow this 

 day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me " 

 (Luke xxii, 34, 61). 



Our Evangehst states that the first challenger " looked sted- 

 fastly " on Peter, and said, " This man also was with him." 

 But he denied, saying, " Woman, I know him not." 



The last one " confidently affirmed " that the Apostle had 

 been with our Lord, " for he is a Gahlaean." But Peter said, 

 *' Man, I know not what thou sayest." 



The intermediate interrogator is recorded as simply saying, 

 " Thou also art one of them," without any mention of stedfast 

 looking or confident affirming. Peter's reply on the second 

 occasion is recorded in only three Greek words, whilst the first 

 denial is in four, and the last in five words. 



(22) Pilate's three failures to save our Lord's life, and (23) 

 Pilate's three testimonies to our Lord's faultlessness. 



The next two triphcations are interwoven with each other ; 

 we therefore take their components together. We find it con- 

 venient, in each case, to consider those of No. (23) before those 

 of No. (22). 



In the first component of No. (23) Pilate declared our Lord 

 faultless when He was brought before him ; but instead of 

 releasing Him as he should have done, he at once endeavoured 

 to evade his responsibihty by sending Him to Herod, No. (22). 



The second components of each triphcation are also close 

 together. Pilate repeated that he found no fault in our Lord, 

 As H.rod had also come to the same conclusion, there was a 

 stronger reason for release than before. Pilate, however, 

 suggested the fatal compromise, that he should chastise our 

 Lord in order to please the Jews, and then release Him according 



