“All religion is of life; and the life of religion is to do good.” - Doctrine of Life §1
Kempton New Church

Week 4
Day 2

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Luke 22

Peter’s denial foretold

Luke 22

31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has asked for you2, to sift you as wheat.
32 But I have entreated concerning thee, that thy faith may not fail; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brothers.
33 And he said to Him, Lord, I am prepared to go with Thee both into prison and to death.
34 And He told him, I say to thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow today before thou hast three times denied that thou knowest Me.
35 And He said to them, When I sent you out without purse, and pack, and shoes, did you lack anything? And they said, Nothing.
36 Then He said to them, But now, he who has a purse, let him take it, and likewise the wallet; and he who does not have a sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.
37 For I say to you that this that is written must yet come to an end in Me: And He was reckoned with the transgressors3. For the things concerning Me have an end.
38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And He said to them, It is enough.

AE 740:11-12. “Satan” means the hell that is the source of falsities.... Here, too, Peter represents faith without charity. This faith is the faith of falsity, for this was said to him by the Lord just before he denied Him three times. Because he represented faith, therefore the Lord says, “I prayed for thee that thy faith may not fail.” That he represented the faith of falsity is evident from the Lord’s saying to him, “When, therefore, thou shalt be converted, strengthen thy brothers.” As the faith of falsity is like chaff before the wind, it is said that “Satan demanded them that he might sift them as wheat,” “wheat” meaning the good of charity separated from chaff.

AE 443:5. “Simon,” when Peter is so named, has a similar signification as “Simeon” the son of Jacob, namely, obedience, the faith of charity, the affection of truth, and in general, truth from good; for in the Hebrew Simon means hearing, hearkening, and obedience.... While “rock” [petra], from which he is named Peter, signifies truth and faith, and in the contrary sense, falsity and absence of faith....

AE 840:6. What is meant by these words [verse 36] is evident from what follows there, namely, that “this that is written must yet come to an end” in the Lord (verse 37), thus that He was to suffer the cross. And since this could not help but distress the minds of those who were then living, as well as the minds of the disciples, and lead them into doubts respecting the Lord and His kingdom, and thus into temptations, and these doubts could be dispelled only by means of truths, therefore the Lord says, “he that has a purse and a pack, let him take them,” that is, he who possesses truths from the Word, in which it is foretold that Christ must suffer such things, let him take heed not to lose them; for the purse and the wallet have a similar signification as the coins and money in them, namely, the knowledges of truth and good from the Word. “But he who has no sword, let him sell his garments and buy one,” signifies let those who have no truths reject what is their own, and acquire the truths with which they may fight against falsities, “sword” signifying the combat of truth against falsity, and the destruction of falsity.


2 “You” is plural, while “thee” in the next verse is singular.

3 Literally, “the lawless”; Isa. 53:12

Questions and Comments
  1. In verse 31, the Lord is talking to Simon about all the disciples (“you”), but in the next verse, He is speaking to Simon himself (“thee, thy”). The Doctrine indicates that the plural (you) has to do with truths while the singular (thee) has to do with good or love. Can you see other signs of a shift from verse 36 to verse 37?
  2. Can you think of times people went into a situation full of confidence, like Peter, but had no idea what they were getting into, and then realized they had failed?
  3. The Lord warns Simon that his faith will fail, but at the same time promises that he can be “converted” or turned back to the Lord, and then he can strengthen his brothers. Can you think of examples of people who have failed in some respect but later were able to bring strength to others? Is religion all about repentance?
  4. How can we equip and arm ourselves to face the inevitable temptations?
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