When Jesus Called Peter "Satan"!

Some readers may believe I have been harsh or hateful in recent posts referring to the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) as being of Satan.  But, this is exactly what our Lord and Savior did when He called Peter “Satan”.

In the post “Liars & Murderers … God Says They Are The Same” (see contributor profile link) I analyzed John Chap. 8, especially verse 44, and provided the evidences that God sees liars the same as murderers, of which Satan was the first.   By changing God’s word, Satan called God a liar, and murdered the truth.   The summary of John Chap. 8 is that anyone who does not do the will of the Father, or speaks against His word is not of Him, but of the devil.   Please review this post for the evidence from the scriptures.

In Part VI of The Lies of The Roman Catholic Church – The Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit, I presented the evidences that the Scriptures are the words of God as dictated by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, and that all spirits of men, that is their teachings and words, are to be checked against the Spirit of God to see if men are telling the truth.  If the spirits of men are not speaking as the Holy Spirit of God, then  men are lying, and we are right back at John 8:44, where Jesus says that all liars are children of the devil.

So, we come to Matthew Chapter 16.  In verse 4 He confronts the scribes and Pharisees saying,

“ A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.”

He was of course referring to the 3 days and 3 nights that Jonah spent in the belly of the really big fish, which was a foreshadow of His death, burial and resurrection.  (Which wicked generation would see that fulfillment?)  Jesus then warns His disciples to beware of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees, after which He asks them in verse 13, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?“  (previously discussed in Part II of Lies of The Roman Catholic Church.)

As He certainly knew the answer, He was using the question to teach the disciples that He is the Son of God.  Then in verse 21, Jesus begins explaining to them that he is going to have to suffer many things from the elders and chief priests in Jerusalem, that He will be killed, and will rise again on the third day. 

Peter reacts immediately, as any of us might have done, protesting what Jesus has told them would happen to Him when in verse 22 he says, “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.“

Peter’s emotional denial is understandable to us, as we know that he didn’t want to see Jesus die.  The reader can empathize easily with Peter’s reaction.  And, when we read Jesus’ response in verse 23, we might think it very harsh and unfeeling, because our emotions are with Peter.    But, we need to be empathizing with God. 

 Jesus’ response was immediate and brutal.   He called Peter Satan.

             JESUS CALLED PETER “SATAN”!

Matt. 16:23, “But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”

Mark 8:33, “But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.”

Luke 4:8, “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

Peter’s denial and declaration that such events would be far from Jesus, that they would not happen to Him, was in effect calling both Jesus and the Holy Spirit liars.  Peter’s statement was a denial of the word of God from all Old Testament prophesy, and a denial of the words from Jesus’ own mouth.  Peter was contradicting the word of God.  That contradiction from Peter’s mouth was an act of Satan.   Jesus immediately put a stop to Peter’s step toward blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.  It was not a hateful statement, but a deep concern for Peter that he not blaspheme the Holy Spirit.

What then do we conclude?  The Holy Spirit gave us the Scriptures, the word of God.  Therefore, any denial of His word, or of the Holy Spirit, or of Jesus is from Satan.  And, any teaching of any church or organization that contradicts the Scriptures, the word of God, is a denial of the Holy Spirit and is from Satan.   Therefore, as their word is from Satan, they are of Satan.   (John 8:44, Rev. 2:9, 3:9)

As the Roman Catholic Church speaks against God’s word, against the Holy Spirit, they are of Satan.  See the previous posts “Lies of the Roman Catholic Church – Parts I – VI…” for more information at my contributor profile link.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.“  2 Tim. 2:15

If you do not know what the Scriptures say, how are you going to know a) when men are lying to you, and b) when you may be blaspheming against the Holy Spirit as Peter, for a moment, did?  (All bold emp. is mine.)