Once Jesus foretold that Peter would deny him three times, was it possible for Peter to avoid denying Jesus?

Question

Since Peter was supposedly a free being, how could Jesus foretell that Peter would deny him three times? What if Peter had summoned up the nerve not to deny Jesus? Did the opposite course of action not remain a factual possibility until Peter denied the master?

If Peter confessed that he knew Jesus after Jesus had foretold that Peter would deny him, then would that not have made Jesus's previous words false? Would that not have meant that Jesus held a belief, which Peter later falsified?

Answer 1

Jesus foreknew what Peter would do. He knows what each of us will do at every moment....however, he still gives us the freedom to choose. For example, all of heaven knew from all eternity that Mary would say yes to allowing the word of God to take flesh within her. Yet the angel still approached her and asked her permission -- and then waited for her reply.

Answer 2

Yes, Peter could have avoided denying Jesus even though Jesus foretold it.

God's foreknowledge does not deny us our free will. God's foreknowledge does not prevent us from making free choices. It does not cause our actions.

My rain gutters sag horribly and do not drain well. Every time it rains, the gutters overflow. When I see storm clouds gathers and know it is going to rain, I know ahead of time that the rain gutters will overflow. My foreknowledge does not make the rain gutters overflow.

Answer 3

1) power of suggestion
2) it was written that way after the fact
3) it's just a book and no one here was there to say that Jesus fortold anything

Answer 4

Only to save is own a*s. GOD BLESS