XXI. [7. THE EPILOGUE TO THE GOSPEL. THE LINK BETWEEN THE PAST AND THE FUTURE (John 21). (1) THE DRAUGHT OF FISHES (John 21:1). (2) THE BREAKFAST. THE THIRD MANIFESTATION OF JESUS TO THE DISCIPLES (John 21:9). (3) THE TEST AND THE COMMISSION. ST. PETER AND ST. JOHN (John 21:15). (4) THE CLO... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THESE THINGS. — Comp. the same expression in John 5:1; John 6:1; John 7:1. It denotes not immediate succession, but rather an interval during which other events have taken place. Here it connects the events of this chapter with the Gospel which has been brought to a conclusion in John 20:30. A... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WERE TOGETHER SIMON PETER, AND THOMAS CALLED DIDYMUS. — It is most probable that we have here the names of all in the group of seven who were Apostles, and that the two unnamed persons were disciples in the wider sense in which the word is often used by St. John (John 6:60; John 6:66; John 7:3... [ Continue Reading ]
SIMON PETER SAITH UNTO THEM, I GO A FISHING. — The words are the vivid representation by an ear-witness of what actually took place as they re turned to their ordinary work during the interval between the Passover and Pentecost. It does not express either an abandonment of their higher vocation, or... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS STOOD ON THE SHORE. — Comp. John 20:19; John 20:26. The words express the sudden appearance without any indication of His coming. He was then standing in the midst, or on the shore, but no one knew whence or how. THE DISCIPLES KNEW NOT THAT IT WAS JESUS. — Comp. John 20:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
CHILDREN, HAVE YE ANY MEAT? — The word rendered “Children” (or, as the margin has it, _Sirs_)_,_ is used in addressing others only by St. John among the New Testament writers (1 John 2:13; 1 John 2:18). It is not the word used in John 13:33, where we have an expression denoting His affectionate tend... [ Continue Reading ]
CAST THE NET ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SHIP. — Comp. Note on Luke 5:6. Here the special direction is to cast the net on the right side. We must suppose that the net was cast on the left side, and that they think the speaker who stands on the shore sees some indication of fishes on the other side, for... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THAT DISCIPLE WHOM JESUS LOVED SAITH UNTO PETER. — Comp. _Introduction,_ p 375. The traits of character which have before met us are exactly preserved here. John, true to the life of contemplation, is first to trace in the present draught of fishes an analogy with the earlier one, and to d... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE OTHER DISCIPLES CAME IN A LITTLE SHIP. — Better.... _in the boat._ The two words “ship” and “boat” (πλοῖον and πλοιάριον) are interchanged here, as in John 6:17 _et seq._ FOR THEY WERE NOT FAR FROM LAND, BUT AS IT WERE TWO HUNDRED CUBITS. — That is, about 100 English yards. The shortness of... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SAW A FIRE OF COALS THERE, AND FISH LAID THEREON, AND BREAD. — In the original the tenses are present, describing the scene as it was impressed on the mind of the writer. _They saw a fire of coals and fish lying thereon, and bread,_ or, perhaps,.... _and a fish lying thereon, and a loaf._ For... [ Continue Reading ]
BRING OF THE FISH WHICH YE HAVE NOW CAUGHT. — Comp. Note on last verse. It is implied that they did so, and thus furnished part of the meal of which they are about to partake.... [ Continue Reading ]
SIMON PETER WENT UP. — The better reading inserts “therefore”: _Simon Peter therefore went up — i.e.,_ because of Christ’s command. He went up into the ship now lying on the shore with one end of the net fastened to it, and drew the remainder of the net to the shore. FULL OF GREAT FISHES, AN HUNDRE... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS SAITH UNTO THEM, COME AND DINE. — Comp. Note on John 21:15 and Luke 11:37, which are the only other instances of the verb in the New Testament. The meal referred to was the early morning meal which we call breakfast (John 21:4). AND NONE OF THE DISCIPLES DURST ASK HIM... — Comp. John 4:27. The... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS THEN COMETH — _i.e.,_ from the place where they had seen Him to the “fire of coals.” AND TAKETH BREAD, AND GIVETH THEM. — Better,... _the bread_ — _i.e.,_ the bread of John 21:9. Again (comp. John 20:22) we are reminded of the words used at the Last Supper. (Comp. Note on Luke 24:30.) AND FI... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS NOW THE THIRD TIME THAT JESUS SHEWED HIMSELF TO HIS DISCIPLES. — Better,... _that Jesus was manifested... — _Comp. Note on John 21:1. The writer is giving his own witness. He passes over, therefore, the appearances to Mary Magdalene and others, and counting only those “to the disciples” — to... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS SAITH TO SIMON PETER, SIMON, SON OF JONAS. — The better text here and in John 21:16, is, _Simon, son of John._ The contrast of the name by which the Evangelist denotes, and with that by which the Lord addresses Peter, at once strikes us as significant, and the more so because it comes in a con... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SAITH TO HIM AGAIN THE SECOND TIME. — The question is repeated in exactly the same form, except that our Lord does not continue the comparison “more than these.” He uses the same word for the higher, more intellectual love, and Peter replies by the same declaration of personal attachment, and the... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SAITH UNTO HIM THE THIRD TIME. — Again the question is asked, but this time the Lord uses Peter’s own word, and His question seems to say, “Dost thou, in personal affection and devotion, really love Me?” The third time, to him who had three times denied! and this time the love which Peter knows h... [ Continue Reading ]
VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO THEE. — This phrase is peculiar to St. John. (Comp. Note on John 1:51.) The remainder of the verse contains three pairs of sentences answering to each other: — “Thou wast young,”.... “Thou shalt be old;” “Thou girdedst thyself,”.... “Thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, an... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS SPAKE HE, SIGNIFYING BY WHAT DEATH HE SHOULD GLORIFY GOD. — These words are a comment by the writer, and quite in St. John’s style. (Comp. John 2:21; John 6:6; John 7:39; John 12:33.) “By what death,” or, more exactly, _by what manner of death_ (comp. John 12:33; John 18:32), indicates general... [ Continue Reading ]
PETER, TURNING ABOUT, SEETH THE DISCIPLE WHOM JESUS LOVED FOLLOWING. — We must suppose that St. Peter had retired with our Lord, and that St. John seeing this had followed at a distance. He had been the companion and friend of St. Peter (comp. _Introduction,_ p. 371). More than any other — and this... [ Continue Reading ]
LORD, AND WHAT SHALL THIS MAN DO? — The motive prompting this question was probably that of loving interest in the future of his friend. It may well be that the two friends, in the sadness of the dark days through which they had passed, had talked together of what their Master’s predictions of the f... [ Continue Reading ]
IF I WILL THAT HE TARRY TILL I COME, WHAT IS THAT TO THEE? — The answer must be taken as reproving the spirit which would inquire into another’s life and work, with the effect of weakening the force of its own. Here, as in all the earlier details of St. Peter’s life, his character is emotional, earn... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN (better, _therefore_) WENT THIS SAYING ABROAD AMONG THE BRETHREN. — For the word “brethren” comp. Notes on Matthew 23:8 and Acts 9:30. As a general name for the disciples, it is not elsewhere found in the Gospels, but we have the key to it in our Lord’s own words to Mary Magdalene (John 20:17).... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THE DISCIPLE WHICH TESTIFIETH OF THESE THINGS, AND WROTE THESE THINGS. — Comp. John 20:30. As we have there the formal close of what seems to have been the original Gospel, we have here the formal close of the epilogue. The words are, however, too wide to be limited to the epilogue, and clea... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE ARE ALSO MANY OTHER THINGS WHICH JESUS DID.... — The MSS. evidence for this verse is also so conclusive that almost every competent editor inserts it in his text, but it is not found in the famous Sinaitic Codex. The transference from the plural to the singular — “We know” (John 21:24), “I... [ Continue Reading ]