In this highly original book Robert Gundry argues that the ways in which Matthew portrays the apostle Peter fit the description of false disciples and apostates elsewhere in Matthew's Gospel.

After surveying various wide-ranging assessments of Matthew's portrayal of Peter, Gundry offers a brand-new analysis, examining every Matthean passage where Peter's name occurs as well as passages where Matthew apparently omitted the name though it occurs in his sources. Gundry places Matthew's portrayal of Peter within the framework of two major, distinctive themes in the First Gospel -- the church as a mixed body of true and false disciples and persecution as exposing false discipleship.

Gundry uses this investigation to support his claim that Matthew portrays Peter as a false disciple and apostate, like Judas Iscariot, and that Peter's denials of Jesus rule him out of God's kingdom.