(3) that St. Peter transmitted to the Bishops of the same See, in endless succession, his own supposed authority over the rest of Christendom, Each one of these assumptions is simply un- founded and untrue ; opposed alike to Scripture and to reason ; to the records of the Early Church and the opinions of the primitive Fathers. With such fictions, nevertheless, do Romish writers distort the true image of Christianity ; disfiguring their commentaries therewith, and betraying with a reckless eager- ness to obtrude their ambitious and unscriptural theory on all occasions, their secret misgivings as to its real value."
[Simon, son of Jonas.] This mode of address, thrice repeated in this remarkable conversation, is only used by our Lord on this occasion, and when Peter first came to Him. (John i. 42.) I do not find that any Commentator gives a satisfactory expla- nation of it, and we are left to conjecture the reason, (a) Some think that our Lord purposely avoided the name Peter, in order to remind the Apostle how on a recent occasion he had shown himself not firm as a " rock," agreeably to his name, but weak as a reed, (b) Some think that our Lord meant to remind the Apostle of the memorable day when he first began to be a dis- ciple, when Jesus said to him, " Thou art Simon, the son of Jona." (c) Some think that our Lord would remind the Apos- tle of the day when he said, " Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona," after the good confession which Peter had made. (Matt. xvi. 17.) (d) Some think that our Lord intended to remind Peter of the lowly origin from which he sprung, as son of one who, like Zebedee, in all probability, was only an humble fisherman, {e) Some tliink that the expression was only used to distinguish. Simon Peter from the other Simon, who may possibly have been in company, as one of the two unnamed disciples. (Ch. xxi. 2.) My own impression is, if I must give an opinion, that our Lord intended to carry Peter's mind back to the day when he first began to be a disciple of Christ, and to all the three years that had elapsed. It is as though He said, " Simon, sou of Jonas, thou rememberest the day when thou didst first come to Me, and believe on Me as the Lamb of God. (John i. 35 — 42.) Thou knowest all that thou hast been, and all that thou hast gone through since that day. Once more I address thee by the same name with which I began. Before sending thee forth, and commissioning thee once more, in the presence of these six brethren, as a restored and trusted disciple, I ask thee. Dost thou love Me?" I throw out the thought as a conjecture. I see more in it than in any other view.
[Lovest thou Me .?] The question which Jesus asked of Peter was very simple, but very searching. It was simple, because it appealed to his feelings. Even a child knows what he feels, and whom he loves. If our Lord had asked, — " Dost thou be- lieve ? Art thou converted ? Art thou elect ? Hast thou faith ? Hast thou grace? Art thou born again ? Hast thou the Spirit? Art thou sanctified? Art thou justified?" — anyone of these questions would have been perhaps very difficult to answer.