JOHN 21:15 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.”
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?' He said, 'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my lambs' — Jesus uses Peter's birth name (Simon son of John) before his restored name, invoking his original identity before proceeding to restoration. The question 'more than these?' (more than the other disciples, or more than these fish/nets?) tests Peter's priority. Jesus' first query employs agapaō (divine love), and Peter responds with phileō (affectionate love). Many interpreters note this distinction (agape vs. philos, self-giving vs. affection), though the verbs may be stylistically variant.
Church Fathers on John 21:15
The dinner being ended, He commits to Peter the superintendence over the sheep of the world, not to the others: So when they had dined, Jesus says to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, Do love you Me more than these do?
He knew that Peter not only loved Him, but loved Him more than all the rest.
He is called Simon, son of John, John being his natural father. But mystically, Simon is obedience, John grace, a name well befitting him who was so obedient to God’s grace, that he loved our Lord more ardently than any of the others. Such virtue arising from divine gift, not mere human will.
Read all 14 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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