…everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.  (Matthew 10:32-33 ESV)

Throughout the years that have followed Jesus’s death and resurrection, the last days of this earth, there have been many instances of Christians who been forced to deny Jesus on pain of death.

The Greek word that is translated ‘deny’ is ἀρνέομαι arneomai (Strong’s 722) ‘to repudiate’ (a person or belief); strictly, it means to refuse to confirm or identify with, hence the NIV has ‘disown’.  The English verb ‘deny’ derives from the Old French denoirr, which also embraces the sense ‘withhold’.

The passage above follows one of the most sobering teachings that Christ gave his followers.  In preparation for dispatching the twelve to preach the Gospel, he warns them:

‘I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.  Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues.  On my account, you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time, you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

 ‘Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.  You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.  When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes… (ibid 10:16-23)

This is one of many times that Jesus speaks of resistance and persecution, but while he sends the Holy Spirit to be a helper, he fully expects his followers to endure and not recant.

‘So, do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.   What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.   Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell… (ibid 10:26-28)

The message is stark: persevere and suffer earthly destruction, or deny him and suffer eternal destruction.

Complementing this, Scripture provides Peter’s repudiation and redemption:

‘Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you (plural – all the disciples) as wheat.  But I have prayed for you (singular), Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’

 But he replied, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.’

 Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.’

 Then Jesus asked them, ‘When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?’

 ‘Nothing,’ they answered.  (Luke 22:31-35)

Jesus both warns and reassures, referring back to the time when they were sent out.  Though Jesus tells Peter he will deny him, he also says he will ‘turn back’ and that Peter must use this to ‘strengthen his brothers’ – it is an imperative statement.

Of course, duly Peter did deny (arneomai) Christ:

Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.”  But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.”  And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.”  And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.”  But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.”  And he went out and wept bitterly. (Luke 22: 56-62)

But, to comfort all those that have, like Peter through human weakness in fear of their mortal lives, have denied him, Jesus offers redemption.  The Gospel of John recounts how Peter is restored; Jesus does not disown the disciple that disowned him.  [It may significant that this is the final account in his Gospel, for when John came to write it, most, if not all of the apostles were martyrs.]

Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”  He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”  He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.  Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”  (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”  (John 21:15-19)

The three denials were overcome with three avowals of love (and note Peter’s reward remains the grizzly death that he once feared and drove him to deny his beloved master).

There is no contradiction here with the warning in Matthew 10.  Jesus is saying before any face the mortal death, there is always a way back – but if any continue to deny him throughout your life, then there is no return to fellowship.  Peter repented but Judas did not.  Peter died in Christ in the sure hope of salvation, while there is no hope for Judas as far as Scripture tells.

Jesus experienced human weakness and is merciful, telling Paul that:

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

For those that are forced to deny him under duress, Scripture provides reassurance; none need ever worry that there is no way back to Jesus.