Luke 12:9
in Luke 12But whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
but he that denieth me in the presence of men shall be denied in the presence of the angels of God.
KJV
But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.
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This verse in Luke 12
Commentary
15 notes on this verseHe has also well introduced faith, stimulating us to its confession, and to faith itself He has placed virtue as a foundation. For as faith is the incentive to fortitude, so is fortitude the strong support of faith.
This site's exposition
everyone who confesses Me before men
on Luke 12:8-9
Confession and denial before men are answered in kind before the angels of God, in the courtroom language of the persecution warnings. The confession in view is public testimony under pressure, the setting verses 11 and 12 make explicit.
This site's exposition
will be denied before the angels of God
Eusebius notes the order: Jesus first confirms His disciples with the promise of verse 8, then rouses them with this threat. Tertullian reads the forewarning about those who kill the body as the ground for this clause on confessing Him. Peter denied Him at Luke 22:57.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
But the rest, those who denied and despised him, shall be denied: when the Judge shall say to them that, as it were, which was spoken by the holy prophets to certain of old; "As you have done, it shall be done unto you; and your requital shall be requited upon yours own head;" and shall deny them in these words: "Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity, I know you not." And who then are they that shall be denied? First of all, those who when persecution was pressing upon them, and tribulation had overtaken them, deserted the faith.
These therefore will be they whom He forewarns above not to be afraid of being only killed; and this forewarning He offers, in order that He might subjoin a clause on the necessity of confessing Him: "Every one that denieth me before men shall be denied before God" -by Him, of course, who would have confessed him, if he had only confessed God.
Nay, if they shudder at the magnitude of the guilt incurred; if with a truly medicinal hand they deal with the deadly wound of their heart and conscience and the deep recesses of the subtle mischief, let them blush even to ask; except, again, that it is a matter of greater risk and shame not to have besought the aid of peace. But let all this be in the sacrament; in the law of their very entreaty let consideration be had for the time; let it be with downcast entreaty, with subdued petition, since he also who is besought ought to be bent, not provoked; and as the divine clemency ought to be looked to, so also ought the divine censure; and as it is written, "I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me," so it is written, "Whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father and before His angels." For God, as He is merciful, so He exacts obedience to His precepts, and indeed carefully exacts it; and as He invites to the banquet, so the man that hath not a wedding garment He binds hands and feet, and casts him out beyond the assembly of the saints. He has prepared heaven, but He has also prepared hell. He has prepared places of refreshment, but He has also prepared eternal punishment. He has prepared the light that none can approach unto, but He has also prepared the vast and eternal gloom of perpetual night.
(ubi sup.) Both in condemnation a greater punishment is announced, and in blessing a greater reward; as if He said, Now you confess and deny, but I then, for a far greater recompense of good and evil awaits them in the world to come. There are other modes also of denying which St. Paul describes, saying, They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him. (Tit. 1:16.) And again, If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. (1 Tim. 5:8.) Also, Flee from covetousness, which is idolatry. (Col. 3:5.) Since then there are so many modes of denial, it is plain that there are many likewise of confession, which whosoever has practised, shall hear that most blessed voice with which Christ greets all who have confessed Him. But mark the precaution of the words. For in the Greek he says, Whosoever shall confess in Me, showing that not by his own strength, but by the aid of grace from above, a man confesses Christ. But of him who denies, He said not "in Me," but me. For though being destitute of grace he denies, he is nevertheless condemned, because the destitution is owing to him who is forsaken, or he is forsaken for his own fault.
Now they who deny are first indeed those who in time of persecution renounce the faith. Besides these, there are heretical teachers also, and their disciples.
7 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
But having confirmed them with good hope by so great promises, He again rouses them by more alarming threats, saying, But he that denieth me before men, shall be denied before the Angels of God. He rightly declares this threatening, in order that none should refuse to confess Him by reason of the punishment, which is to be denied by the Son of God, to be disowned by Wisdom, to fall away from life, to be deprived of light, and to lose every blessing; but all these things to suffer before God the Father who is in heaven, and the Angels of God.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Now He offers a reward for the confession of faith. Since He said, "do not fear those who kill the body" and added that "the very hairs of your head are all numbered," lest someone should say: then give me some reward as well, for …
From which appears the equity of retribution with respect to those who confess: and so that nothing be lacking, the equity with respect to those who deny is shown, when he adds: But he who shall have denied me before men shall be denied before …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
. [1.] To engage us to confess Christ before men, whatever we may lose or suffer for our constancy to him, and how dear soever it may cost us, we are assured that they who confess Christ now shall be owned by him in the great day before the angels of God, to their everlasting comfort and honour.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
But he that denieth me before men,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
We are taught, firstly, in these verses—that we must confess Christ upon earth, if we expect Him to own us as His saved people at the last day. We must not be ashamed to let all men see that we believe in Christ, and serve Christ, and love Christ, and care more for the praise of Christ than for the praise of man. The duty of confessing Christ is incumbent on all Christians in every age of the Church. Let us never forget that. It is not for martyrs only—but for all believers, in every rank of life.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
We are taught, firstly, in these verses—that we must confess Christ upon earth, if we expect Him to own us as His saved people at the last day. We must not be ashamed to let all men see that we believe in Christ, and serve Christ, and love Christ, and care more for the praise of Christ than for the praise of man. The duty of confessing Christ is incumbent on all Christians in every age of the Church. Let us never forget that. It is not for martyrs only—but for all believers, in every rank of life. It is not for great occasions only—but for our daily walk through an evil world. The rich man among the rich, the laborer among laborers, the young among the young, the servant among servants—each and all must be prepared, if they are true Christians, to confess their Master. It needs no blowing a trumpet. It requires no noisy boasting. It needs nothing more than using the daily opportunity. But one thing is certain—if a man loves Jesus, he ought not to be ashamed to let people know it. The difficulty of confessing Christ is undoubtedly very great. It never was easy at any period. It never will be easy as long as the world stands. It is sure to entail on us laughter, ridicule, contempt, mockery, enmity and persecution. The wicked dislike to see any one better than themselves. The world which hated Christ—will always hate true Christians. But whether we like it or not, whether it is hard or easy—our course is perfectly clear. In one way or another, Christ must be confessed. The grand motive to stir us up to bold confession is forcibly brought before us in the words which we are now considering. Our Lord declares, that if we do not confess Him before men, He will "not confess us before the angels of God" at the last day. He will refuse to acknowledge us as His people. He will disown us as cowards, faithless and deserters. He will not plead for us.
The words behind it
13 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὁ | ho | the [one] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἀρνησάμενός | arnesamenos | having denied | G720 → | 33 times |
| με | me | Me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἐνώπιον | enopion | before | G1799 → | 94 times |
| τῶν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνθρώπων | anthropon | men | G444 → | 549 times |
| ἀπαρνηθήσεται | aparnethesetai | will be denied | G533 → | 11 times |
| ἐνώπιον | enopion | before | G1799 → | 94 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀγγέλων | angelon | angels | G32 → | 175 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ. | theou | of God. | G2316 → | 1312 times |
ὁthe [one]
hoG3588 →19766 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
ἀρνησάμενόςhaving denied
arnesamenosG720 →33 times
μεMe
meG3165 →1936 times
ἐνώπιονbefore
enopionG1799 →94 times
τῶν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἀνθρώπωνmen
anthroponG444 →549 times
ἀπαρνηθήσεταιwill be denied
aparnethesetaiG533 →11 times
ἐνώπιονbefore
enopionG1799 →94 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἀγγέλωνangels
angelonG32 →175 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦ.of God.
theouG2316 →1312 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 9:26If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the…
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 2:12
if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us;
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 12:8–9
I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 10:32–33
Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven.
- Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Timothy 2:12
Through
Matthew 10:33But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.
it leads to
- Luke 9:26
If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 9:26
Through
Matthew 7:23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
it leads to
- Matthew 25:41
Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
- Psalms 6:8
Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the LORD has heard my weeping.
- Matthew 25:41
Through
Mark 8:38If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the…
it leads to
- 1 John 2:23
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 John 2:23
Where this verse is studied
About Luke
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Ambrose of Milan, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 12; Cyprian, Epistle XXX; Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, Sermon 88; Cyril of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Eusebius of Caesarea, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, Against Marcion Book IV and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.