15—22 lava, φιλεῖς µε; ᾿Ελυπήθη 6 εφιλεῖς pes”
~ 9 γινώσκεις ὅτι φιλῶ σε.
μου.
καὶ περιεπάτεις ὅπου ἤθελες: ὅταν δὲ γηράσῃς, σου, καὶ ἄλλος σε ζώσει, καὶ οἴσει ὅπου οὐ θέλεις. εἶπε, σηµαίνων ποίῳ θανάτῳ δοξάσει τὸν Θεόν. 20.
”
λέγει αὐτῷ, “'᾿Ακολούθει por.
871
~ , Πέτρος, ὅτι εἶπεν αὐτῷ "τὸ τρίτον, c ver 14. t καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, '' Κύριε, σὺ πάντα oidas: σὺ / οἱ ει [ο] ές / a , , Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς, “ Βόσκε τὰ πρόβατά 18. ἀμὴν duty λέγω σοι, ὅτε ἧς νεώτερος, 4 ἐζώννυες σεαυτὸν, d ver. 7.
© ἐκτενεῖς τὰς χεῖράς e Ecclus. - xv. 16.
19. Τοῦτο δὲ
καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν
Ἐπιστραφεὶς δὲ ὁ Πέτρος
βλέπει τὸν µαθητὴν, ὃν ἠγάπα 6 ᾿Ιησοῦς, ἀκολουθοῦντα, ὃς καὶ
-- , 4 - A nw AQ Σ ἀνέπεσεν ἐν τῷ δείπνω ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος αὐτοῦ καὶ etme, “ Κύριε, Τις f xiii. ιτεῖ:
ἐστιν 6 παραδιδούς σε; a [ή ” ““Kupie, οὗτος δὲ τί; 2
θέλω µένειν ἕως " ἔρχομαι, "
oh , τι προς σε;
21. Τοῦτον ἰδὼν ὁ Πέτρος λέγει τῷ ᾿Ιησοῦ, gx Tim. iv.
13. Bur-
lol 3 a > 22. Λέγει αὐτῷ 6 ‘Ingots, “Edy αὐτὸν τοπ, 326.
b Mt, xxvil. σὺ ἀκολούθει po.” 4. 7
1 Se omitted in ABC 33; inserted in NDX.
reiterated inquiry: Ἐλυπήθη ... He was grieved because doubt was implied, and he knew he had given cause for doubt. His reply is therefore more earnest than before, Κύριε . . . φιλῶ σε. He is so conscious of deep and abiding love that he can appeal to the Lord’s omniscience. The σὺ πάντα οἶδας [or πάντα σὺ οἶδας with recent editors] τε- flects a strong light on the belief which had sprung up in the disciples from their observation of our Lord. And again he is commissioned, or commanded to mani- fest his love in the feeding of Christ’s sheep. The one qualification for this is love to Christ. It is not for want of time πο other questions are asked, There was time to put this one question three times over ; and it was put because love is the one essential for the ministry to which Peter and the rest are called.—Ver. 18. To this command our Lord unexpectedly adds a reflection and warning emphasised by the usual ἁμὴν ἁμὴῆν λέγω σοι. It had been with a touch of pity Jesus had seen the impulsive, self-willed Peter gird his coat round him and plunge into the sea. It suggested to Him the severe trials by which this love must be tested, and what it would bring him to: ὅτε ἧς νεώτερος, “when thou wert younger” (the comparative used not in relation to the present, but to the γηράσης follow- ing) ‘thou girdedst thyself and walkedst whither thou wouldest,” 7.e., your own will was your law, and you felt power to carry it out. The “girding,” though suggested by the scene, ver. 7, symbolises all vigorous preparation for arduous work. ὅταν δὲ γηράσης ... θέλεις. The in-
terpretation of these words must be governed by the succeeding clause, which informs us that by them Jesus hinted at the nature of Peter’s death. But this does not prevent us from finding in them, primarily, an intimation of the helpless- ness of age, and its passiveness in the hands of others, in contrast to the self- regulating activity and confidence of youth. The language is dictated by the contrasted clause, and to find in each particular a detail of crucifixion, is to force a meaning into the words. ἐκτενεῖς τὰς χεῖρας σον is not the stretching out of the hands on the cross, but the help- less lifting up of the old man’s hands to let another gird him. δοξάσει τὸν θεόν. ‘“‘Magnificus martyrii titulus.” Grotius. ‘Die conventionelle Sprache der Mar- tyrerkirche klingt an in δοξ. τὸν θεόν: weil der Zeugentod zu Ehren Gottes erlitten wird.” Holtzmann. The expres- sion has its root in xii. 23, 28. καὶ τοῦτο ... pot. It is very tempting to refer this to xiii. 36, ἀκολουθήσεις δὲ ὕστερον, and probably there is a latent reference to this, but in the first instance it is a summons to Peter to accompany Jesus as He retires from the rest. This is clear from what follows.—Ver. 20. Ἔπιστρα- gels . . . oe. Peter had already followed Jesus some distance, but hearing steps behind him he turns and sees ]οῖς following. The elaborate description ot John in this verse is, perhaps afmose unconsciously, introduced to justify his following without invitation. On the word ἀνέπεσεν, see Origen, in Foan., ii. 191 (Brooke’s edition).—Ver. 21. Peter, however. seeks an explanation, Κύρι: