John 21:11 — Community Reflections

JOHN 21:11 — KING JAMES VERSION 0

“Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.”

So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore full of 153 large fish; yet for all there were so many, the net was not torn — the specific number 153 has generated centuries of interpretation: gematria (Greek letters numerologically summing to 153), symbolic fullness of the eschaton, enumeration of fish species known to ancients, or the all-inclusive gathering of believers. The net's integrity despite the abundance suggests the church's unity maintained through great growth. This detail's precision suggests eyewitness testimony or symbolic theological coding.

Church Fathers on John 21:11

The preceding words of the Evangelist seem to indicate the end of the book, but He goes on farther to give an account of our Lord’s appearance by the sea of Tiberias: After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias.
Augustine · 4th century

He says, Afterwards, because He did not go continually with His disciples as before; and, manifested Himself, because His body being incorruptible, it was a condescension to allow Himself to be seen. He mentions the place, to show that our Lord had taken away a good deal of their fear, and that they no longer kept within doors, though they had gone to Galilee to avoid the persecution of the Jews.
Chrysostom · 4th century

The Evangelist, after his wont, first states the thing itself, and then says how it took place: And on this wise showed He Himself.
Bede · 8th century

Read all 26 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

Publish a reflection on this verse

No reflections on this verse yet. Be the first to write one!