Luke 22:57-60
Critics, skeptics, and cynics have asserted that there are clear contradictions between the Gospel accounts of the three denials prophesied by Jesus (Matt. 26:34; Mark 14:30; Luke 22:61; John 13:38). Luke records that Peter answered a woman and two men. Matthew and Mark seem to indicate that the first two inquiries (or accusations) came from women. John says the first was a woman, the second simply people in the crowd ("they"), and the third a relative of the man whose ear Peter had severed.
Two observations resolve these apparent contradictions rather easily: (1) Matthew and Mark do not say that the second challenge came from the maid directly; the maid said to the crowd that Peter was with Jesus and his disciples. With accusations flying in the crowd, a man, reacting to the maid's accusation, confronted Peter, and Luke records Peter's answer: "Man, I am not." (22:58). Both Matthew and Mark simply say it was the crowd, "they," that accused Peter the third time, so it could have been anyone in the crowd to whom Peter responded. Luke says it was again a man: "Man, I do not know what you are talking about!" John identifies that man as "a kinsman of him whose ear Peter cut off" (John 18:26). (2) The assumption is made that there were only three denials in total. Jesus simply said that before the cock crowed -- that is, before morning -- Peter would deny Jesus three times. In the confusion and chatter around that hearth, there were undoubtedly many accusations from different people, and Peter may have uttered several different responses.
What is certain is that after the cock crowed and
Jesus looked upon Peter, the latter remembered Jesus' words and knew that he
had denied Jesus -- at least three times -- and he went out and "wept
bitterly" (Luke 22:62)
As for whether the cock crowed once or twice . . . really!
Jesus was speaking of the time of day, that is, “cockcrow.” That is a
non-issue.
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