Peter answered and said unto him
Who was always a forward man, free to speak his mind, and was
often the mouth of the rest; observing what Christ had affirmed
concerning all of them, that that very night, in a very short
space of time, they would be offended because of him; and knowing
the strong love he had for Christ, and being persuaded it could
never be his case, thus addresses him;
though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will
I never
be offended:
his sense is, that though all the men in the world, friends, and
foes, though even all the rest of the disciples, who were his
most intimate friends, most closely attached to him, and who
dearly loved him, and sincerely believed in him, should be so
stumbled at what should befall him, as to flee from him, and be
tempted to relinquish his cause, and interest; yet nothing should
ever cause him, in the least, to stumble and fall, to desert him,
or hesitate about him, or cause him to take the least umbrage and
offence at what might come upon him; and this he was positive of
would be the case, not only that night, but ever after. No doubt
he said this in the sincerity of his heart, and out of his great
fervour of affection for Christ; but what he failed in, was
trusting to his own strength, being self-confident; and in
entertaining greater opinion of himself, and his steady
attachment to Christ, than of the rest of the disciples; and in
contradicting what Christ had so strongly affirmed of them all,
without any exception, and so of himself, and had confirmed by so
glaring a prophecy concerning this matter.
