See the notes at Mat 26:33-35.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Luk 22:33

Both to prison and to death

Religious emotion

That violent impulse is not the same as a firm determination–that men may have their religious feelings roused, without being on that account at all the more likely to obey God in practice, rather the less likely.

As a general rule, the more religious men become, the calmer they become; and at all times the religious principle, viewed by itself, is calm, sober, and deliberate. Let us review some of the accidental circumstances I speak of.

1. The natural tempers of men vary very much. Some men have ardent imaginations and strong feelings; and adopt, as a matter of course, a vehement mode of expressing themselves. No doubt it is impossible to make all men think and feel alike. Such men of course may possess deep-rooted principle. All I would maintain is, that their ardour does not of itself make their faith deeper and more genuine; that they must not think themselves better than others on account of it; that they must be aware of considering it a proof of their real earnestness, instead of narrowly searching into their conduct for the satisfactory fruits of faith.

2. Next, there are, besides, particular occasions on which excited feeling is natural, and even commendable; but not for its own sake, but on account of the peculiar circumstances under which it occurs. For instance, it is natural for a man to feel especial remorse at his sins when he first begins to think of religion; he ought to feel bitter sorrow and keen repentance. But all such emotion evidently is not the highest state of a Christians mind; it is but the first stirring of grace in him. A sinner, indeed, can do no better; bat in proportion as he learns more of the power of true religion, such agitation will wear away. The woman who had been a sinner, when she came behind our Lord wept much, and washed His feet with tears. It was well done in her; she did what she could; and was honoured with our Saviours praise. Yet it is clear this was not a permanent state of mind. It was but the first step in religion, and would doubtless wear away. It was but the accident of a season. Had her faith no deeper root than this emotion, it would soon have come to an end, as Peters zeal.

3. And further, the accidents of life will occasionally agitate us–affliction and the pain; bad news; though here, too, the Psalmist describes tile higher excellence of mind, viz., the calm confidence of the believer, who will not be afraid of any evil tidings, for his heart standeth fast, and believeth in the Lord. In times of distress religious men will speak more openly on the subject of religion, and lay bare their feelings; at other times they will conceal them. They are neither better nor worse for so doing. Now all this may be illustrated from Scripture. We find the same prayers offered, and the same resolutions expressed by good men, sometimes in a calm way, sometimes with more ardour. Observe how calm Job is in his resignation:

The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. And on the other hand, how calmly that same apostle expresses his assurance of salvation at the close of his life, who, during the struggle, was accidentally agitated:–I am now ready to be offered I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. These remarks may suffice to show the relation which excited feelings bear to true religious principle. They arc sometimes natural, sometimes suitable; but they are not religion itself. They come and go. They will gradually lose their place within us as our obedience becomes confirmed–partly because those men are kept in perfect peace, and sheltered from all agitating feelings, whose minds are stayed on God; partly because these feelings themselves are fixed into habits by the power of faith, and instead of coming and going, and agitating the mind from their suddenness, they are permanently retained so far as there is anything good in them, and give a deeper colour and a more energetic expression to the Christian character. Now, it will be observed, that in these remarks I have taken for granted, as not needing proof, that the highest Christian temper is free from all vehement and tumultuous feeling. But, if we wish some evidence of this, let us turn to our Great Pattern, Jesus Christ, and examine what was the character of that perfect holiness which He alone of all men ever displayed. And can we find anywhere such calmness and simplicity as marked His devotion and His obedience? When does He ever speak with fervour or vehemence? Consider the prayer He gave us; and this is the more to the purpose, for the very reason that He has given it as a model for our worship. How plain and unadorned is it! How few are the words of it! How grave and solemn the petitions? What an entire absence of tumult and feverish emotion! To conclude: Let us take warning from St. Peters fall. Let us not promise much; let us not talk much of ourselves; let us not be high-minded, nor encourage ourselves in impetuous bold language in religion. (J. H. Newman, D. D.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

This is more largely recorded by Mat 26:33-35, and by Mar 14:27-30.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

33. I am ready,c.honest-hearted, warmly-attached disciple, thinking thy presentfeelings immovable as a rock, thou shalt find them in the hour oftemptation unstable as water: “I have been praying for thee,”therefore thy faith shall not perish but thinking this superfluous,thou shalt find that “he that trusteth in his own heart is afool” (Pr 28:26).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And he said unto him,…. That is, Simon, or Simeon, said unto him, as the Syriac and Persic versions express it; he made a reply to Jesus, saying, as one fearless of danger, and confident in himself:

I am ready to go with thee, both into prison and to death; he suggests, that he was not afraid of Satan, nor of his temptations, of being sifted, shaken, and tossed by him: he was not to be frightened out of his faith by him, or to be scared with a prison, and death itself; he was ready for both; and they were welcome, come when they would; and rather than part from, or deny his Lord, he was then prepared to go with him, at once, to either of them. The phrase, to go, is not in the Syriac version.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

To prison and to death ( ). Evidently Peter was not flattered by the need of Christ’s earnest prayers for his welfare and loyalty. Hence this loud boast.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

1) “And he said unto him, Lord,” (ho de eipen auto kurie) “Then he said to him, Lord,” or master. Peter replied to Him, to Jesus, with commitment, willing in the spirit, but weak in the flesh, emotional and impulsive.

2) “I am ready to go with thee,” (meta sou hetoimos eimi) “I am prepared to go with you,” to stand by your side, (Gk. poreuesthai) “to go along anywhere,” with you. The “with thee” is emphatic! I’ll stand by your side, Mat 26:33.

3) “Both into prison, and to death.” (kai eis phulaken kai eis thanaton) “Even into prison and into death,” Mar 14:29; Mar 14:31. And all the rest said the same thing, Joh 13:37.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

(33) Lord, I am ready to go with thee.There is something like a latent tone of indignation as well as devotion. The disciple half-resented the thought that a special prayer should be necessary for him. Here, again, the Greek order of the words is more emphatic than the English, With Thee am I ready . . .

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

‘And he said to him, “Lord, with you I am ready to go both to prison and to death.”

Peter was appalled at Jesus’ words. He had full confidence in his own ability to go through whatever was to come and to overcome it. So acknowledging Jesus’ Lordship, (see in parallel Joh 13:37. Compare also Luk 5:8; Luk 9:54; Luk 10:17; Luk 10:40; Luk 11:1 etc.) he insists that whether it be prison or death that he has to face, he will face it without fear. And he meant it. Furthermore we must remember that in the Garden he did show his courage and was ready to take on the whole Roman army (Luk 22:50 with Joh 18:10), and he was even prepared to infiltrate the ranks of the enemy in the courtyard of the High Priest’s house (Luk 22:54; Joh 18:15-18). But what in his self-confidence he was not aware of was what a night of terrible tension could do to a man’s nerves. It required a different type of person to Peter, so confident in his own ability but so vulnerable, to stand up to that. But only Jesus knew it. (This weakness comes out again in Peter’s controversy with Paul – Gal 2:11-14).

‘To prison and to death.” As a former disciple of John the Baptiser Peter would have imprinted on his mind what had happened to John and he thus wanted Jesus to know that he also was prepared to face up to what John had had to face.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

Ver. 33. Lord, I am ready ] Thus Peter overweened his own abilities; being melius semper animatus quam armatus, better affected than appointed.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

33, 34. ] Whether these words are in close connexion with the preceding, may I think be doubted. They may represent the same reply of our Lord as we have recorded in Joh 13:38 . One thing seems clear, without any attempt at minutely harmonizing: that two announcements were made by our Lord to Peter of his future denial, occasioned by two very different professions of his . One, during the last meal , i.e. before going out, and occasioned by Peter’s professed readiness to go to prison and to death (= to lay down his life) for and with the Lord: the other, on the way to the Mount of Olives , after the declaration that all should be offended, and occasioned by Peter’s profession that though all should be offended, yet would not he. Nothing is more natural or common than the repetition, by the warm-hearted and ardent, of professions like these, in spite of warning: and when De Wette calls such an interpretation eine Nothhulfe , all that we can say is to disclaim any wish to clear up difficulties, except by going into their depths and examining them honestly and diligently. If the above view be correct, I conceive that the account in John of this profession and our Lord’s answer, being in strict coherence, and arising out of the subject of conversation, must be taken as the exact one: and Luke must be supposed to have inserted them here without being aware of the intermediate remarks which led to them.

This is the only place in the Gospels where our Lord addresses Peter by the name . And it is remarkable as occurring in the very place where He forewarns him of his approaching denial of Himself.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Luk 22:33 . : more definite reference to the dangers ahead than in any of the parallels.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

Luke

PARTING PROMISES AND WARNINGS

Luk 22:24 – Luk 22:37 .

It was blameworthy, but only too natural, that, while Christ’s heart was full of His approaching sufferings, the Apostles should be squabbling about their respective dignity. They thought that the half-understood predictions pointed to a brief struggle immediately preceding the establishment of the kingdom, and they wished to have their rank settled in advance. Possibly, too, they had been disputing as to whose office was the menial task of presenting the basin for foot-washing. So little did the first partakers of the Lord’s Supper ‘discern the Lord’s body,’ and so little did His most loving friends share His sorrows.

I. Our Lord was not so absorbed in His anticipations of the near Cross as to be unobservant of the wrangling among the Apostles.

Even then His heart was enough at leisure from itself to observe, to pity, and to help. So He at once turns to deal with the false ideas of greatness betrayed by the dispute. The world’s notion is that the true use and exercise of superiority is to lord it over others. Tyrants are flattered by the title of benefactor, which they do not deserve, but the giving of which shows that, even in the world, some trace of the true conception lingers. It was sadly true, at that time, that power was used for selfish ends, and generally meant oppression. One Egyptian king, who bore the title Benefactor, was popularly known as Malefactor, and many another old-world monarch deserved a like name.

Jesus lays down the law for His followers as being the exact opposite of the world’s notion. Dignity and pre-eminence carry obligations to serve. In His kingdom power is to be used to help others, not to glorify oneself. In other sayings of Christ’s, service is declared to be the way to become great in the kingdom, but here the matter is taken up at another point, and greatness, already attained on whatever grounds, is commanded to be turned to its proper use. The way to become great is to become small, and to serve. The right use of greatness is to become a servant. That has become a familiar commonplace now, but its recognition as the law for civic and other dignity is all but entirely owing to Christianity. What conception of such a use of power has the Sultan of Turkey, or the petty tyrants of heathen lands? The worst of European rulers have to make pretence to be guided by this law; and even the Pope calls himself ‘the servant of servants.’

It is a commonplace, but like many another axiom, universal acceptance and almost as universal neglect are its fate. Ingrained selfishness fights against it. Men admire it as a beautiful saying, and how many of us take it as our life’s guide? We condemn the rulers of old who wrung wealth out of their people and neglected every duty; but what of our own use of the fraction of power we possess, or our own demeanour to our inferiors in world or church? Have all the occupants of royal thrones or presidential chairs, all peers, members of Parliament, senators, and congressmen, used their position for the public weal? Do we regard ours as a trust to be administered for others? Do we feel the weight of our crown, or are we taken up with its jewels, and proud of ourselves for it? Christ’s pathetic words, giving Himself as the example of greatness that serves, are best understood as referring to His wonderful act of washing the disciples’ feet. Luke does not record it, and probably did not know it, but how the words are lighted up if we bring them into connection with it!

II. Verses 28 to 30 naturally flow from the preceding.

They lift a corner of the veil, and show the rewards, when the heavenly form of the kingdom has come, of the right use of eminence in its earthly form. How pathetic a glimpse into Christ’s heart is given in that warm utterance of gratitude for the imperfect companionship of the Twelve! It reveals His loneliness, His yearning for a loving hand to grasp, His continual conflict with temptations to choose an easier way than that of the Cross. He has known all the pain of being alone, and feeling in vain for a sympathetic heart to lean on. He has had to resist temptation, not only in the desert at the beginning, or in Gethsemane at the end, but throughout His life. He treasures in His heart, and richly repays, even a little love dashed with much selfishness, and faithfulness broken by desertion. We do not often speak of the tempted Christ, or of the lonely Christ, or of the grateful Christ, but in these great words we see Him as being all these.

The rewards promised point onwards to the perfecting of the kingdom in the future life. We notice the profound thought that the kingdom which His servants are to inherit is conferred on them, ‘ as My Father hath appointed unto Me,’-that is, that it is a kingdom won by suffering and service, and wielded by gentleness and for others. ‘If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him.’ The characteristics of the future royalty of Christ’s servants are given in highly figurative language. A state of which we have no experience can only be revealed under forms drawn from experience; but these are only far-off approximations, and cannot be pressed.

The sacred Last Supper suggested one metaphor. It was the last on earth, but its sanctity would be renewed in heaven, and sadness and separation and the following grief would not mar the perfect, perpetual, joyful feast. What dim visions of rule and delegated authority may lie in the other promise of judging the twelve tribes of Israel, we must wait till we go to that world to understand. But this is clear, that continuing with Jesus here leads to everlasting companionship hereafter, in which all desires shall be satisfied, and we shall share in His authority and be representatives of His glory.

III. But Jesus abruptly recalls Himself and the Twelve from these remoter prospects of bliss to the nearer future of trial and separation.

The solemn warning to Peter follows with startling suddenness. Why should they be fighting about precedence when they were on the verge of the sorest trial of their constancy? And as for Peter, who had, no doubt, not been the least loud-voiced in the strife, he needed most of all to be sobered. Our narrow limits forbid our doing even partial justice to the scene with him; but we note the significant use of the old name ‘Simon,’ reminding the Apostle of his human weakness, and its repetition, giving emphasis to the address.

We note, too, the partial withdrawal of the veil which hides the spirit world from us, in the distinct declaration of the agency of a personal tempter, whose power is limited, though his malice is boundless, and who had to obtain God’s permission ere he could tempt. His sieve is made to let the wheat through, and to retain the chaff. It will be hard to empty this saying of its force. Christ taught the existence and operation of Satan; but He taught, too, that He Himself was Satan’s victorious antagonist and our prevailing intercessor. He is so still. He does not seek to avert conflict from us, but prays that our faith fail not, and Himself, too, fulfils the prayer by strengthening us.

Faith, then, conquers, and withstands Satan’s sifting. If it holds out, we shall not fall, though all the winds howl round us. We are not passive between the two antagonists, but have to take our share in the struggle. Partial failures may be followed by recovery, and even tend to increase our power to strengthen other tempted ones, by the experience gained of our own weakness, which deepens humility and forbearance with others’ faults, and by the experience of Christ’s strength, which makes us able to direct them to the source of all safety.

Peter’s passionate avowal of readiness to bear anything, if only he was with Christ, is the genuine utterance of a warm impulsive heart, which took too little heed of Christ’s solemn warning, and fancied that the tide of present feeling would always run as strong as now. Emotion fluctuates. Steadfast devotion is chary of mortgaging the future by promises. He who knows himself is slow to say, ‘I will,’ for he knows that ‘Oh that I may!’ is fitter for his weakness. Very likely, if Peter had been offered fetters or the scaffold then and there, he would have accepted them bravely; but it was a different thing in the raw, cold morning, after an agitating night, and the Master away at the far end of the great hall. A flippant maid’s tongue was enough to finish him then.

It is sometimes easier to bear a great load for Christ than a small one. Some of us could be martyrs at the stake more easily than confessors among sneering neighbours. Jesus had spared the Apostle in the former warning of his fall, but He spoke plainly at last, since the former had been ineffectual; and He addressed him by his new name of Peter, as if to heighten the sin of denial by recalling the privileges bestowed.

IV. The last part of the passage deals with the new conditions consequent on Christ’s departure.

The Twelve had been exempt from the care of providing for themselves while He was with them, but now they are to be launched into the world alone, like fledglings from the nest. Not that His presence is not with them or with us, but that His absence throws the task of providing for wants and guarding against dangers on themselves, as had not been the case during the blessed years of companionship. Hence the injunctions in verse 36 lay down the permanent law for the Church, while verse 37 assigns as its reason the speedy fulfilment of the prophecies of Messiah’s sufferings.

Substantially the meaning of the whole is: ‘I am on the point of leaving you, and, when I am gone, you must use common-sense means for provision and protection. I provided for you while I was here, without your co-operation. Remember how I did so, and trust Me to provide in future, through your co-operation.’

The life of faith does not exclude ordinary prudence and the use of appropriate means. It is more in accord with Christ’s mind to have a purse to keep money in, and a wallet for food-stores, than to go out, as some good people do, saying, ‘The Lord will provide.’ Yes, He will; but it will be by blessing your common-sense and effort. As to the difficulty felt in the injunction to buy a sword, our Lord would be contradicting His whole teaching if He was here commanding the use of arms for the defence of His servants or the promotion of His kingdom. That He did not mean literal swords is plain from His answer to the Apostles, who produced the formidable armament of two.

‘It is enough.’ A couple are plenty to fight the Roman Empire with. Yes, two too many, as was soon seen. The expression is plainly an intensely energetic metaphor, taking line with purse and scrip. The plain meaning of the whole is that we are called on to provide necessary means of provision and defence, which He will bless. The only sword permitted to His followers is the sword of the Spirit.

Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren

Lord. App-98. A.

to = into. Greek. eis, as “into” prison. App-104.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

33, 34.] Whether these words are in close connexion with the preceding, may I think be doubted. They may represent the same reply of our Lord as we have recorded in Joh 13:38. One thing seems clear, without any attempt at minutely harmonizing: that two announcements were made by our Lord to Peter of his future denial, occasioned by two very different professions of his. One,-during the last meal, i.e. before going out, and occasioned by Peters professed readiness to go to prison and to death (= to lay down his life) for and with the Lord:-the other,-on the way to the Mount of Olives, after the declaration that all should be offended, and occasioned by Peters profession that though all should be offended, yet would not he. Nothing is more natural or common than the repetition, by the warm-hearted and ardent, of professions like these, in spite of warning:-and when De Wette calls such an interpretation eine Nothhulfe, all that we can say is to disclaim any wish to clear up difficulties, except by going into their depths and examining them honestly and diligently. If the above view be correct, I conceive that the account in John of this profession and our Lords answer, being in strict coherence, and arising out of the subject of conversation, must be taken as the exact one: and Luke must be supposed to have inserted them here without being aware of the intermediate remarks which led to them.

This is the only place in the Gospels where our Lord addresses Peter by the name . And it is remarkable as occurring in the very place where He forewarns him of his approaching denial of Himself.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Luk 22:33. , with thee) These words, especially as being put in the beginning of the sentence, are emphatic. Comp. Psa 18:30.[239] , ready) Peter has much trust in himself. [There had been need of full willingness and of no common power. It is not without good reason one may conjecture that Peter, in his so overweening self-confidence, had respect to those things which had been mentioned but a while before concerning the perseverance of the disciples and the intercession of the Lord (Luk 22:28; Luk 22:32). And no doubt both had their efficacy, but not that kind of efficacy which he at the time imagined they had.-V. g.]-, into) The most grievous of all trials are imprisonment and death [But it was not becoming that Jesus should be kept confined in a prison. From the time that He once began, He continued on, even until He breathed His last, without hindrance amidst the very bands (or in the very hands) of His enemies, and on the cross, to do and teach all that was good.-V. g.]

[239] Rather 29, By thee (LXX. ) I have run through a troop, and by my God have I leaped over a wall.-E. and T.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

I am: 2Ki 8:12, 2Ki 8:13, Pro 28:26, Jer 10:23, Jer 17:9, Mat 20:22, Mat 26:33-35, Mat 26:40, Mat 26:41, Mar 14:29, Mar 14:31, Mar 14:37, Mar 14:38, Joh 13:36, Joh 13:37, Act 20:23, Act 20:24, Act 21:13

Reciprocal: Psa 78:9 – turned Pro 20:6 – proclaim Mat 8:19 – I will Luk 22:54 – And Peter Luk 22:57 – he denied Joh 11:16 – Let Joh 18:10 – General Act 12:4 – he put Gal 5:17 – so

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Luk 22:33. Lord, with thee I am ready, etc. In his sense of strength, Peter casts doubt upon the necessity of our Lords petition for him. This conversation differs sufficiently from that mentioned by Matthew and Mark, which occurred later, as we think. With thee, is specially emphatic, and shows that Peter regards the Lord as the source of his feeling of strength. But when the trial came, he followed only afar off, away from the source of strength.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

St. Peter’s resolution to accompany Christ both to prison and to death, was holy and good; but his too confident opinion of his own strength and ability so to do, without a divine aid and assistance, was his failing and infirmity. Self-confidence is a sin, too, incident to the holiest and best of men. Little did St. Peter think what a feather he should be in the wind of temptation, if once God left him to himself, and to Satan’s assaults.

Learn farther, how hard a matter it is for a Christian to excel in gifts, and not to be overconfident and conceited. To see a man eminent in gifts, and yet exemplary in humility, is a rare sight; if we stand in the evil day, it is an humble fear of falling that must enable us to stand.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

22:33 {12} And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

(12) In setting before us the grievous example of Peter, Christ shows that faith differs much from a vain security.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

Peter’s commitment to Jesus was admirable. Luke alone recorded that Peter promised to die with Jesus, and he made no reference to the other disciples. Nonetheless, Peter overestimated his own ability to remain faithful when persecuted. Luke is also the only evangelist who mentioned that Jesus told Peter that he would deny that he even knew Jesus. Perhaps this was a particular temptation for Theophilus and Luke’s original Greek readers. "Rocky" would hardly behave as a rock. His overconfidence should be a warning to every disciple.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)