Matthew 16:16

Why does Peter’s confession here differ from that recorded in Mark and Luke?

PROBLEM: Peter’s confession of Christ in Caesarea Philippi is stated differently in the three Gospels:

SOLUTION: There are several reasons why the Gospel accounts of Peter’s statements differ. First, Peter probably spoke Aramaic, while the Gospels are written in Greek. So, some changes come naturally as a result of translating the words differently. Second, the Gospelwriters sometimes paraphrased the essence of what people said, much like the way journalists do today. Third, other writers selected and abbreviated what was said to fit the theme of their book or the emphasis they wished to make.