Not Knowing What to Say

Mark 9:5-6 KJV

And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.

It is the common observance that Peter was always the one speaking when he shouldn't have been. He made remarks a number of times when he would have been better off keeping silent:

• When he rebuked Jesus about predicting His death
• When he claimed that, though all would forsake Him, Peter would not

Here he speaks not knowing what to speak.

I have to agree that in general if you do not know what to say the best plan would be to say nothing.

But I also would point out that

• It was Peter who said in Mathew 16, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God" and
• It was Peter who stood on the day of Pentecost and preached so that 3000 people were saved and baptized and added to the church

An old axiom says "The only one who never makes mistakes is the one who does nothing."

It is better to speak out for God and misspeak than to keep quiet about God and get nothing done.