The authenticity and genuineness of the chapter upon which we now enter have been keenly contested; while many, who admit that John is the author of the chapter, see in it not so much an organic part of his original work as a section added at a later date, but before the Gospel had passed beyond the... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:1. AFTER THESE THINGS JESUS MANIFESTED HIMSELF AGAIN TO THE DISCIPLES AT THE SEA OF TIBERIAS, AND HE MANIFESTED HIMSELF THUS. The words ‘after these things' are indefinite, and throw no light upon the length of the interval that elapsed between the last and the present appearance of Jesus. T... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:2. THERE WERE TOGETHER SIMON PETER, AND THOMAS CALLED DIDYMUS, AND NATHANAEL OF CANE OF GALILEE, AND THE SONS OF ZEBEDEE, AND TWO OTHER OF HIS DISCIPLES. It is doubtful whether the seven persons here referred to are arranged, as is often supposed, in two groups, one consisting of three, and... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:3. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also come with thee. They went forth and entered into the boat, and that night they laid hold on nothing. It is hardly probable that in this the disciples thought of anything but the supply of their temporal wants. To John... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:4. BUT WHEN MORNING WAS NOW COMING, JESUS STOOD ON THE SHORE; THE DISCIPLES HOWEVER KNEW NOT THAT IT WAS JESUS. Night passed away, and the day began to break. Then Jesus stood on the shore, but they did not recognise Him, it may be that the light was insufficient, it may be that it was not y... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:5. JESUS THEREFORE SAITH UNTO THEM, CHILDREN, HAVE YE ANYTHING TO EAT? THEY ANSWERED HIM, NO. It is hardly possible to imagine that the word ‘children' is here used because Jesus is addressing Himself as ‘a master to his workmen,' or because He is. Speaking with the dignity of a superior. It... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:6. And he said onto them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and no longer had they strength to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Comp. Luke 5:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:7. THAT DISCIPLE THEREFORE WHOM JESUS LOVED SAITH UNTO PETER, IT IS THE LORD. WHEN SIMON THEREFORE, EVEN PETER, HEARD THAT IT WAS THE LORD, HE GIRT HIP COAT ABOUT HIM (FOR HE WAS NAKED) AND DID CAST HIMSELF INTO THE SEA. That the incident thus related of each of the two apostles is in closes... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:8. BUT THE OTHER DISCIPLES CAME IN THE LITTLE BOAT (FOR THEY WERE NOT FAR FROM LAND, BUT AS IT WERE TWO HUNDRED CUBITS OFF) DRAGGING THE NET OF FISHES. While Peter takes the lead, impetuously dashing into the water (comp. Matthew 14:29), his fellow - disciples reach land more slowly. Yet the... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:9. WHEN THEREFORE THEY CAME OUT ON THE LAND, THEY SEE A FIRE OF CHARCOAL PLACED THERE, AND A FISH PLACED THEREON, AND A LOAF. No intimation is given where the tire of charcoal had been obtained, or how it had been brought there. The thoughts of the Evangelist are so entirely occupied with th... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:10. JESUS SAITH UNTO THEM, BRING OF THE FISHES WHICH YE HAVE NOW LAID HOLD ON. The meal, therefore, consists of materials provided by the combined action of Jesus and His disciples.... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:11. SIMON PETER THEREFORE WENT UP, AND DREW THE NET TO THE LAND FULL OF GREAT FISHES, AN HUNDRED AND FIFTY AND THREE; AND FOR ALL THERE WERE SO MANY, YET WAS NOT THE NET RENT. Again Peter appears in all the prominence of his character and work, the leader of the apostolic company. The fishes... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:12. JESUS SAITH UNTO THEM, GO ME AND BREAKFAST. The bringing of the fish from the net to the fire is not recorded. The Evangelist hastens to the chief point in his narrative. Jesus gives the invitation to the meal, and it is accepted. NONE OF THE DISCIPLES DURST MAKE INQUIRY OF HIM, WHO AR... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:13. JESUS COMETH AND TAKETH THE LOAF, AND GIVETH THEM, AND THE FISH LIKEWISE. We might have expected to read of the ‘fishes' rather than the ‘fish,' for the meal prepared must have included a portion of the ‘fishes' of John 21:10 as well as the ‘fish' of John 21:9. Yet such is the importance... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:14. THIS IS NOW A THIRD TIME THAT JESUS WAS MANIFESTED TO THE DISCIPLES, AFTER THAT HE WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD. It is the third ‘manifestation,' although the fourth appearance, of the Risen Lord that has been described. The appearance to Mary Magdalene at chap. John 20:16 is not counted, ei... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:15. WHEN THEREFORE THEY HAD BREAKFASTED, JESUS SAITH TO SIMON PETER, SIMON, SON OF JOHN, LOVEST THOU ME MORE THAN THESE? HE SAITH UNTO HIM, YEA, LORD; THOU KNOWEST THAT I LOVE THEE. The question (‘lovest thou') contains the second of the two Greek verbs for loving, of which we have already s... [ Continue Reading ]
Before speaking of the contents of this paragraph it is necessary to make an effort to discover its place in the organism of the chapter. So far as we have seen, no successful effort has yet been made to accomplish this. The usual explanation is, that before finally departing Jesus desired to throw... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:16. He SAITH TO HIM AGAIN A SECOND TIME, SIMON, SON OF JOHN, LOVEST THOU ME? The same verb (‘lovest') which had been used by our Lord in His first question again occurs here, and the question only differs from the first in the gracious omission of the words more than these. Jesus had appreci... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:17. HE SAITH UNTO HIM THE THIRD TIME, SIMON, SON OF JOHN, LOVEST THOU ME? In this third question, apparently a repetition of the first and second, one word (‘lovest') is changed: for the word which he had used before, Jesus substitutes that less elevated, more familiar word with which Peter... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:18. VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO THEE, WHEN THOU WAST YOUNGER, THOU GIRDEDST THYSELF, AND WALKEDST WHITHER THOU WOULDEST; BUT WHEN THOU SHALT BE OLD, THOU SHALT STRETCH FORTH THY HANDS, AND ANOTHER SHALL GIRD THEE, AND BRING THEE WHITHER THOU WOULDEST NOT. Our readers may call to mind, before... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:19. BUT THIS SAID HE, SIGNIFYING BY WHAT MANNER OF DEATH HE SHOULD GLORIFY GOD. It is impossible to deny that in these words the Evangelist refers to ‘death' in the ordinary sense of the term. If, then, we consider (1) the peculiar expressions used in the last verse; (2) the tradition of the... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:20. PETER TURNING ABOUT SEETH THE DISCIPLE WHOM JESUS LOVED FOLLOWING, WHICH ALSO LEANED BACK ON HIS BREAST AT THE SUPPER, AND SAID, LORD, WHICH IS HE THAT BETRAYETH THEE. It is impossible to think that the Evangelist intends us to confine our attention to the literal details given in this v... [ Continue Reading ]
The effort to introduce the passage now before us into organic unity with the rest of the chapter has certainly been attended with as much difficulty and as little success as in the case of the second paragraph. Without dwelling upon the opinions of others we apply the same principle as that applied... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:21-22. PETER THEREFORE SEEING HIM SAITH TO JESUS, LORD, AND WHAT OF THIS MAN? It was a natural question. Although Peter did not know the full meaning of the words just addressed to himself, he felt that they betokened trial, sorrow, perhaps even prison and death. When, therefore, he saw John... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:23. THIS WORD THEREFORE WENT FORTH AMONG THE BRETHREN, THAT DISCIPLE DIETH NOT. YET JESUS SAID NOT UNTO HIM, HE DIETH NOT; BUT, IF I WILL THAT HE ABIDE TILL I COME, WHAT IS THAT TO THEE? Having reported the answer of Jesus, the Evangelist is constrained to correct a misapprehension of its me... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:24. THIS IS THE DISCIPLE WHICH WITNESSETH CONCERNING THESE THINGS, AND WROTE THESE THINGS. To what has been said above upon this clause we may add that the use of the present tense, ‘witnesseth,' seems to point out John as the writer of these words: any other would probably have written ‘wit... [ Continue Reading ]
The two verses before us bring the Gospel to a close. Their authenticity has been much disputed; and not a few who accept the rest of the chapter as John's, refuse to admit that they are the production of his pen. Both external and internal evidence forbid our passing upon them so sweeping a condemn... [ Continue Reading ]
John 21:25. AND THERE ARE ALSO MANY OTHER THINGS WHICH JESUS DID, THE WHICH, IF THEY SHOULD BE WRITTEN ONE BY ONE, I SUPPOSE THAT EVEN THE WORLD ITSELF WILL NOT CONTAIN THE BOOKS THAT WOULD BE WRITTEN. We have already expressed our belief that these are the words of no other than John himself. They... [ Continue Reading ]