The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 494

his converts, " Be ye followers of God, as Master from the first, u.nd clang to him dol\r chilclro11;" "IJo yo followers of me, ns (lµ.,11,), abode with him, from !hose early rlnys I am of Uhriat,"-then the Lord gnth1,re<i till the moment at which these memornhlo, e.11 the rulos of conduct which were involved words were uttered. In the journeys to in hie previous discourses into one worcl, Jerusalem, l\t the interview with Nico- whon he lnid upon the mu.n who ehoul,I be demus, in Samaria, at the pool or Bethesda, a flehor of eoul.s, a fcecler of lnmbs, a shep• in the hu.11 of tho high priest, nncl in herd of eheop, a foedcr of the little eheep of Pilate's prmtorium, at the upper chamber, the flock, tho comprehensive duty, "Follow e.nd in thr, garden, to the cross, anrl to the me." Thoso interpretations which make grave of Joseph, the beloved disciple had tho words menn "Follow me ns universe.I "followed" his Maetcr. Peter's devotion biehop nnd p:i.stor," u.s that of Chrysostom was intense u.nd at times passionate, but it doee, are incomp!ltible with the narrative; was marked with a strildng disposition, from or if we eupposo them to signify," Follow flri!l to Inst, to lead e.e well as "follow," me into the invisible world," or" Imitate me to ndvise as well as to be guided, to stretch in my m!\rtyrdom," thie would be unpre.cticnl, forth his hands, ancl to gird himself for his a.nd by no meane in obvious hnrmony with own enterprises. But with all his extra- the kind of injunctions just given. We give ordinary peculiarities, he had never really the p!lssage from Ja.mes Innes' tmnslu.tion broken the bond or relinquished his faith; of Aug., 'Tr.,' oxxiii. 4, which Westcott u.nd now the Lord in one word correct, juetly implies is beyond translu.tion : " Such every one of hie failings anew, and institutes we.a the end ree.ched by thu.t denier e.nd him into his sublime mission by the call, lover; elated by his presumption, prostrated " Follow me." But even yet, Peter'e extra- by his deniu.l, cleu.nsed by his weeping, ordinary chu.racteristic, to guide re.ther than e.pproved by hie confession, crowned by his to follow, lends him once more to take the suffering,-this was the end he reached : to initiative. For whatever gesture it was die with u. perfected love for the Name of that our Lord made, which induced Pet.er to him with whom, by a perverted forwu.rdnese, think of immediate action, we cannot say; he had promised to die. He would do, but it would seem that, even before he began when strengthened by Christ's resurrection, to follow, he gu.ve another intensely vivid what in his weaJmesse he hnd promised characterization of himself. premu.turely. The needful order was that Vers. 20-2:1.-(3) The re1Jewtiuna lllllde Christ should. first die for Peter'e snlvu.tion, to patient waiting for the coming of the Lord, and then that Peter should die for the with correction of a misunderatanding touch- preaching of Christ." Our Lord, when ing the diaciple whom Jesus lo'!led. appealed to with reference to John, does not Ver. 20.-llaving tnmed himself round, merely repeat the injunction, "Follow me,'' instead of keeping every glance for his but forces upon Peter the original summons. Lord, Peter seeth the disciple whom 1esDB This undoubtedly gives a solemnity and loved following (&,co.\ov6oii11'TCZ), obeying the specialty to the work of Peter, to which the commu.nd without offering one suggestion. subsequent career of John was not an exact The writer adds, by way of further identifi- pu.rallel. It cannot be said th!\t our Lord cation, he who also leaned back at the in any sense forbids John to follow him, snpper, upon his breast, e.nd said, Who is he but says that, though John me.y abide, may that betre.yeth thee 1 (see notes on eh. xiii. rest, me.y meditate, m!\y see visions e.nd 23). The note is here introduced to show dream dreams, until be the Lord should the close connection of Peter u.nd the beloved come, that would in no respect alter the disciple. It was Simon Peter who had direct advice given to Peter. On referring beckoned e.t the l!Dpper to the beloved dis- to the ee.rliest scene described in this Gospel ciple to ask this very question. between Jesus nnd his disciples, we find Vere. 21, 22.-Peter then,' seeing this the.t " Fellow me " was nddressed to Philip, me.n, ae.ith to 1esns, Lord, B.I?.d thl!i man, Moreover, Andrew and John were, on their whe.t1 What ie the duty, place, rate, or first introduction to Jesus as "the Lamb of honour of thi~ man? Paulns and Tholuck God," already (ci,co.\ov6ovnczs) "following suggest in the words the inquiry, '· llfay him," and they were even then asking for not this man come now u.nd hear our inter- power or permiesion to "abide" (µe11fl11) course, aha.re in my travail and the like? ·• with him. But Peter was not then told to Meyer supposes it to be dictated by a certain "follow him," but was simply invested jealousy or curiosity, a consciousness of cou- with the great name of Cephas (oh. i. 42). trnst between his own impetuosity anu the These details are obviously supplemented 1 This oJ,, on the e.uthority of~. B, C, D, by those bofore us. The enti!e phmseol?gy is borrowed from the earlier ne.rre.hve. 83, l\nd Vulgate, Coptic, and Syrie.c, is in- The true solution of the problem of the troduced by Tiscbendorf (.'Sth edit.), Trc- paragraph is that John had followed the gelles, and R.T. T.R. omits it.  THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. [oa. xxr. 1....... 25,