John 21:19

ποίῳ θανάτῳ. By what manner of death. This comment is quite in S. John’s style: comp. John 12:33; John 18:32 [22]. It will depend on the interpretation of John 21:18 whether we understand this to mean crucifixion or simply martyrdom. That S. Peter was crucified at Rome rests on sufficient evidence, beginning with Tertullian (Scorp. 15); and that he requested to be crucified head downwards is stated by Eusebius (H. E. III. i. 2) on the authority of Origen.

ἀκολούθει μοι. Certainly the literal meaning cannot be excluded. It is plain from ἐπιστραφείς that S. Peter understood the command literally, and began to follow, then turned and saw S. John following. The correspondence between ἀκολούθει and ἀκολουθοῦντα cannot be fortuitous. But the act is another instance of the symbolism which runs through the whole of this Gospel [23]: comp. John 3:1; John 10:22; John 13:30; John 18:1. Thus the command is also to be understood, as elsewhere in the Gospels, figuratively, the precise shade of meaning being determined by the context: comp. John 1:43; Matthew 8:22; Matthew 9:9; Matthew 19:21. Here there is probably a reference to ἀκολουθήσεις δὲ ὕστερον (John 13:36); and ἀκολουθεῖν includes following to a martyr’s death, and perhaps death by crucifixion.