Denial Versus Betrayal: A Case Study Analysis of Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot in the Fourth Gospel

Abstract

This journal article undertakes a case study analysis of Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot in the Fourth Gospel. A review of the extant academic literature indicates this is a relevant lacuna, one meriting further consideration. Methodologically, the article situates the endeavor within the context of the Synoptic Gospels. This is followed by a descriptive analysis of the Fourth Gospel’s portrait of Peter and Judas, respectively. The wrap-up to the essay undertakes a theological and pastoral assessment of Peter’s denial versus Judas’s betrayal of Jesus. The major claim is that Peter experienced a restoration and reinstatement as the Savior’s disciple, whereas Judas endured despair, remorse, and suicide. While the underlying premise might appear to be self-evident, the reason for these two radically different outcomes is far from obvious. Seminal to this study is a consideration of 2 Corinthians 7:10–11, which provides theological insight concerning the divergent ends experienced by two of Jesus’s most iconic disciples.

Keywords

• simon peter
• judas iscariot
• synoptic gospels
• fourth gospel
• denial
• betrayal
• suicide
• repentance
• restoration