Fathers

Loading…

What the Fathers say

John 18:18

Eastern Fathers

Cyril of Alexandria

Now the servants and the officers were standing there, having made a fire of coals; for it was cold, and they were warming themselves: and Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself. Peter, having passed inside the door, and finding himself encircled by the servants, affects to do what they do (though bowed down with grief and with an intolerable burden of agony at heart), that he might not be convicted by his despondent and sorrowful countenance of feeling sympathy with the Man Who was on trial, and be cast out from the …

Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book 11 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

With this same thought he also warmed himself. For outwardly he did the same thing as the servants, as one of them, so that they would not detect him by a change in his countenance, drive him out from their midst as a disciple of Christ, and deprive him of the opportunity to see Him.

Commentary on John ↗

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

"And the servants and officers stood beside the fire of burning coals, for it was cold, and warmed themselves." Though it was not winter, it was cold: which is sometimes wont to be the case even at the vernal equinox. "And Peter was standing with them, and warming himself."

Tractates on John 113 ↗

Ambrose of Milan

Let us also consider in what state he denied. "It was cold," he says. If we consider the temperature, it could not have been cold: but it was cold where Jesus was not recognized, where there was no one to see the light, where the consuming fire was denied. Therefore, it was cold of the mind, not of the body. In the end, Peter was standing by the coals, because he was chilled by emotion. The Jewish flame is wicked: it burns, not warms. …

Exposition on the Gospel of Luke 10.76 ↗

Gregory the Dialogist

Hence it is that it is beforehand remarked of Peter, when on the point of denying our Lord, that it was cold, and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself. For he was now inwardly unenlivened by the warmth of Divine love, but to the love of this present life he was warming up, as though his weakness were set boiling by the persecutors' coals.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book 2.2.2 ↗