gateway

November 21, 2018

Peter denies Jesus (Mk 14:68-14:68)

“But Peter

Denied it.

He said.

‘I do not know

Or understand

What you are

Talking about.’

Peter went out

Into the forecourt.

Then the cock crowed.”

 

ὁ δὲ ἠρνήσατο λέγων Οὔτε οἶδα οὔτε ἐπίσταμαι σὺ τί λέγεις. καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἔξω εἰς τὸ προαύλιον·

 

This is similar to Matthew, chapter 26:70-71, and Luke, chapter 22:57-58.  John, chapter 18:17, has a simple denial.  Peter was warming himself at the fire in the high priest’s courtyard, when a young servant girl of the high priest came up to him and said that he had been with Jesus.  Mark said that Peter denied this (ὁ δὲ ἠρνήσατο).  Peter said that he did not know or even understand what she was talking about (λέγων Οὔτε οἶδα οὔτε ἐπίσταμαι σὺ τί λέγεις).  Then Peter walked away into the forecourt, the porch, or gateway to the courtyard (καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἔξω εἰς τὸ προαύλιον).  Some ancient Orthodox manuscripts had the cock crow at this point (καὶ ἀλέκτωρ ἐφώνησεν).  This first denial story of Peter, the great leader and follower of Jesus, was in all 4 gospels.  Not all leaders are perfect.

April 5, 2017

The vision of the glory of God (Ezek 8:2-8:4)

“I looked.

There was a figure

That looked

Like a human being.

Below what appeared

To be his loins

It was fire.

Above his loins

It was like

The appearance of brightness,

Like gleaming amber.

He stretched out

The form of a hand.

He took me

By a lock

Of my head.

The Spirit lifted me up

Between earth and heaven.

He brought me,

In visions of God,

To Jerusalem,

To the entrance

Of the gateway

Of the inner court

That faces north.

I went to the seat

Of the image of jealousy

That provokes jealousy.

The glory

Of the God

Of Israel

Was there,

Like the vision

That I had seen

In the valley.”

Ezekiel continued in the first person singular as he explained his vision. The description of the human figure and the fire is like that of chapter 1 of this book. There was a fire below his loins, with bright amber above his loins. Once again this Holy Spirit stretched out his hand. He lifted Ezekiel up by the hair on his head and brought him to Jerusalem in a vision. Ezekiel was at the entrance to the gateway of the inner court that faced north. He was put on the seat of jealousy. There the glory of the God of Israel appeared just as he had appeared in chapter 1 in the valley by the River Chebar.