Annotations Upon the New Testament, John · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
Vers. 3. AND that night they caught nothing] The night is fittest for fishing, because in the day time the fearefull fishes are affrighted with the sight of men, and hide themselves in the deepe.
Vers. 7. Girt his fishers Coate unto him] Hee was not altogether naked before, but had put off his outward Garment.Nempe partim pudoris causa ut Beza annotat, partim etiam ne indusio laxat… ac diffluente impediretur in natando. Piscat. Vide de Dieu in loc.
He was clad after the manner of fishers, with some close inner garment onelyonly, and having girt it to him, did cast himselfe (in the vehemence of his desire to come unto Christ) into the Sea. Dr. Hals Paraphrase.
Notant quidam tot piscium numerari genera, eoque significari ex omnì hominum genere capturam fore. Grotius.Vers. 11. An hundred fifty and three] There are so many kinds of the chiefe fishes say some, whereby is signified that some of all kind of men shall be taken.
And for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken] So many and such great fishes in net but weake of it selfe, this also increased the Miracle.
Vers. 14. This is now the third time that Iesus shewed himselfe to his Disciples] It may be understood of the day when our Saviour appeared,Refer ad dierum numerum. Primum apparuit diversis ipso resurrectionis die: iterum dive octavo, nunc tertium. Grotius. Vide Brugensem. not of the particular appearances. This was the third day wherein he shewed himselfe to his Disciples, but not the third appearance, or we may understand it of his appearing to his Disciples, when they were together, not to severall persons, yet Grotius and Brugensis referre it to the appearances.
See Dike of the deceitfulnesse of the heart. p. 399. and Grotius. Mr. Hildersam, It is doubled in the vulgar, pasce agnos meos, pasce agnos meos.Vers. 15. Iesus said to Simon] Therefore to Simon alone, feed] Therefore rule over them as a King, My sheep] Therefore the whole Church scattered over the whole earth, so the Papists argue. When it is said to him it is said to all, lovest thou mee? feed my sheepe. Austin. He had denyed Christ thrice, therefore he thrice provokes him to a profession of his love; so the Fathers.
The Greeke verbe signifies to governe as a shepheard ruleth his sheepe, and addeth no more authority to Peter, than to any other Bishop or Elder of the Church, of whom it is also used. Act. 20.28.
More then these] Than thy nets, than thy fish, than thy friends, that are here about thee. Mr Hildersam.
Lambes] Peter must not feed his sheepe onelyonly but his lambes also, and first his lambes, for the increase of the whole flocke dependeth on the towardnesse of the lambes, and they being well fed, lesse paines need to be taken with the sheep. Greenham.
Vers. 16. Feed my sheepe] The Papists upon these words of Christ to Peter, Interrogatur amor & imperatur labor. Aug. Peter had a primacie of order, not of authority say the Fathers. See Rainolds conference with Hart, Chapter the third.Feede my sheepe] would gather Peters supremacy over the Church in all the world, but then it will follow that every Christian man should have the like Supremacy, and be a Pope, See Rev. 2.27. The words in the Originall are thus, Hee shall feed and rule the Nations, as a Shepheard feedeth and ruleth his lambes with his hooke. Mr Perkins.
Feede] By doctrine, life, discipline.
Vers. 17. Thou knowst that I love thee] That my love is true and sincere.Aequum erat ut triplici abnegationi triplex confessio apponeretur, ne de tanti peccati remissione & restitutione muneris Apostolici dubitaret Petrus. Beza. Peter being asked of the measure of his love, answered onelyonly concerning the truth; being asked of the quantity, he answered only of the quality.
Vers. 18. Thou shalt stretch forth thy hand] As captives are wont to doe;Syrus interpres vertit, alius cinget lumbos tuos. Glossa interlinearis, cinget inquit vinculis. Chamierus tomo secundo, l. 11. c. 16. Vide Bezam. by the same figurative speech Pauls death was signified, when Agabus taking a girdle bound his feete and hands. And carry thee whither thou wouldest not] That is, in malam crucem. Grotius.
Vers. 19. This spake hee, signifying by what death he should glorifie God] viz. By a violent and cruell death; a magnificent description of martyrdome,Grotius. it is a glorifying of God. See Iohn 13.31.
Follow mee] Not in respect of changing his place, as when he said to Matthew follow mee, but it is meant metaphorically of imitation and obedience, as Mat. 16. Chamier.
Vers. 22. Till I come] Some understand Christs comming at the end of the world,Die a naturall dea…h on his bed, not be put to death as thou shalt. v. 18. See Sands his Travells. See Mat. 16.28 and that hath been the ground of a vulgar, but sencelesse errour, viz. that Iohn the Evangelist is yet alive. Austen (tract in Iohn) saith that the place where he was buried bubleth like water, to testifie his breathing, and that he is not dead but sleepeth; but Beda sheweth that he died in peace the 98. yeare of his life at Ephesus.
Till I come] Not in person but in power, in the promulgation of the Gospell and conversion of sinners.
Follow thou mee] Non corpore sed corde, not with his body but heart.Quod Petro dicitur omnibus dicitur. sequere me. Emissenus. It may be that sharpe reprose of our Saviour, quid hoc ad te, made Peter give charge against curiosity, as against Theft or Murder. 1 Pet. 4.15.22. Dr. Sclater. Vide Grotium.