Among the disciples, Peter is the boldest and the most unstable. He is called the “rock,” yet his story shows a man who can confess the deepest truth in one moment and stumble in the next. Nowhere is this clearer than when he declares Jesus to be the Christ, only to be sharply rebuked for resisting the path of crucifixion.
This tension makes Peter the perfect picture of our own consciousness in transition — the self that glimpses imagination as the Christ yet recoils from the death of the old identity it demands.
Recognition and Rebuke
Matthew 16:16–23 (BBE)
“And Simon Peter made answer and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
“And Jesus made answer and said to him, A blessing on you, Simon Bar-Jonah: because this knowledge has not come to you from flesh and blood, but from my Father in heaven… And I say to you, You are Peter, and on this rock will my church be based, and the doors of hell will not overcome it.”
“Then Peter, protesting, said to him, Be it far from you, Lord; it is impossible that this will come about.”
“But he, turning to Peter, said, Get out of my way, Satan; you are a danger to me: because your mind is not on the things of God, but of men.”
The Symbolism
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The Rock of Recognition: Peter’s confession is the cornerstone — recognition that Christ, the imagination, is the true foundation.
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The Adversary Within: When Peter resists, he voices the natural mind that clings to appearances. “Satan” here symbolises the adversarial thought that will not allow the old state to die.
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The Necessity of Crucifixion: Crucifixion is the fixing of an assumption in imagination — the dying of the old state so that the new may rise. Peter’s protest is our own whenever we resist this death.
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“Get Out of My Way”: The adversarial thought is not destroyed but placed behind. Recognition must lead; resistance must follow.
Walking on the Water – Faith and Doubt
Matthew 14:28–31 (BBE)
“And Peter, answering, said, Lord, if it is you, give me the word to come to you on the water.”
“And he said, Come. And Peter got out of the boat, and walking on the water, went to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was full of fear; and starting to go down, he gave a cry, saying, Lord, keep me safe.”
“And straight away Jesus put out his hand and took him, saying to him, O man of little faith, why did you let doubt come in?”
This mirrors the rebuke. Peter steps forward in recognition but collapses when appearances contradict the unseen. Faith must hold steady even when the storm rises.
The Denial Foretold
Luke 22:31–34 (BBE)
“Simon, Simon, Satan has made a request to have you, so that he may put you to the test as grain is tested: But I have made prayer for you that your faith may not be cut off: and when you have come back, make your brothers strong.”
“And he said to him, Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
“And he said, I say to you, Peter, before the hour of the cock’s cry today, you will three times have said that you are not my friend.”
Even here, Peter insists on his strength, but Jesus knows his faith must be tested through collapse. This is the same adversarial resistance exposed in the rebuke, now allowed to play itself out.
The Restoration
John 21:15–17 (BBE)
“Then when they had had food, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, have you any love for me more than for these? He says to him, Yes, Lord; you are certain of my love for you. He says to him, Then give my lambs food.”
“Again a second time he said to him, Simon, son of John, have you any love for me? He says to him, Yes, Lord; you are certain of my love for you. He says to him, Then take care of my sheep.”
“He said to him a third time, Simon, son of John, have you any love for me? Peter was troubled because he put the question to him the third time, Have you any love for me? And he said to him, Lord, you have knowledge of all things; you see that you are dear to me. Jesus says to him, Then give my sheep food.”
Here Peter’s threefold denial is reversed by a threefold confession of love. The one who wavered is now commissioned to strengthen others.
Overview of Peter
Peter is not a symbol of perfection but of process. He is the rock because of recognition, but he must be rebuked when reason resists the law of death and resurrection. He is the one who steps out in faith and sinks, who promises loyalty and fails, who weeps bitterly yet is restored.
In Neville Goddard’s terms, Peter is the part of us learning to stand on the foundation of imagination, to let old states die, and to follow recognition rather than resistance.
Conclusion
The rebuke — “Get out of my way, Satan” — is central to Peter’s story. It names the adversarial voice in all of us that seeks to avoid the crucifixion of the old self. Jesus’ words show the key: put that voice behind. Let recognition of Christ, imagination as the living power, take the lead.
Peter’s journey shows that though we falter, recognition will return, and wavering will give way to stability. The rock is formed through pressure, and the adversary becomes the servant once placed in its rightful place — behind.