But Peter followed him afar off
The Ethiopic version adds, alone; and which seems to be the true
case; for though there was another disciple who also followed
Jesus, and is thought to be John, yet it looks as if they
followed him separately, and not together; for the other disciple
went into the palace with Jesus, but Peter not till afterwards,
being espied by his fellow disciple standing without. These two
it seems, having a little recovered themselves from the fright
they had been put into, stopped and turned back, and followed
after Jesus, to see what would be the issue of things. Peter's
following Christ, showed love to him; he was lothe to leave him,
his bowels moved towards him, and he wanted to know how it would
fare with him, and what would become of him; and yet keeping at a
distance, following him afar off, betrayed fear, lest he should
be observed, and taken up, and come into danger: however, he
proceeded on his way in a slow pace, till he came
unto the high priest's palace, and went in and sat with
the
servants, to see the end;
of the matter, or business, as the Ethiopic and Persic versions
add; to see how it would go with him, whether he would exert his
divine power, and deliver himself out of their, hands, which he
knew he was able to do, when he would again join him; or what
punishment they would inflict upon him, whether they would
scourge him, and then let him go; or whether they would sentence
him to death; that so he might know how to provide for his own
safety: all which was indulging curiosity, and the carnal
reasonings of his mind; and it showed want of integrity at that
time, and some degree of hypocrisy, in placing himself among the
servants of the high priest, as if he was none of the followers
of Jesus, but was of the same complexion and cast with them: he
had got into bad company, and was in the way of temptation; and
though he had no design in following Jesus, and in going into the
high priest's palace, and seating himself among the servants to
deny his Lord, yet all this led on to it; for which reason these
several circumstances are taken notice of, the account of which
denial of his, is afterwards related.
