The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-05-01
THE SABBATH SCHOOL,
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR MAY s.

Subject: jesus and Peter, John XII, u
22-Golden Text. John xxi, 17.-Men
ory Verses, 1B-17 . Commentary o.
the Days Lesson.
Is. "When they had dined." Eating
together was a token of fellowship and
here shows Jesus's perfect reconciliation
to all His disciples: Simon, son OF Jo-
mas" He does not call him .Cephas, or |
Peter, the name He had given him, for he1
had lost the credit of his strength and sta
thus addressing him it would the more aft |
feet him and bring wildly before him his |
denial. Lowest thou Me-" There Iwere}
special reasons why this question should bel
put to Peter. ~ He had denied his lovel
for Christ and there was reason for Christ
to suspect his love. (2) he must learn
that love for Christ is the thing most
commendable and the surest proof Of pen
itence. There is curious change OF terms
here, and, if we would fully understand
this passage, it is necessary to call atten.
ton to some Of the delicate shades OF
pear in our English translations. Jesus
uses the word love three times in His
questions, and Peter uses it three times IN
his answers; but in the original the wordy
which Jesus uses in His first two, ques..I
tions (agapao) is a different word from
that which Peter uses (phileo) in all his
answers. In the third asking Jesus uses
Peters word. more than these, That
is, more than these other disciples love
Me. He had declared, Though all men
shall be offended because of Thee, yet will
] never be offended. Christ would now
that that by by more more than these" Jesus meant
the boat. nets and fsh-in fact, his busi-
ness. Whether Christ meant this or not
it should be remembered that if our love
for Christ is perfect, we will love Him
more than we love our earthly possessions.
"Thou knowest that I love Thee" He
could not only profess love to Christ, but
he could tell Him that He knew that there
was love in his heart. He was confident 4
that Jesus knew that he loved Him.
Feed My lambs" This is commission
to give spiritual food to the youngest and
Ie. "Feed Ny sheep" Here He uses 9
word which signifies to tend flock, not
only to feed, but to take care Of, guide,
govern, defend, etc., by which He seems
to intimate that it is not sufficient merely
to offer the bread of life to the congrega-
tion of the Lord, but he must take care
that the sheep be properly collected, at !
tended to, regulated and guided,
II. "The third time" The three ques.
tions could not but recall the three denials,
and the form of the last question eouid
not but vividly bring back the thought aEa OF
ment of trial. Lowest thou Mew This
time Jesus uses Peters word for loXes.
"Was grieved." Because BE pressed the
question the third time and thus called at.
tention to his failure, and because IN
Changing the word he had used for lovs
He seemed to imply doubt of his love.
It has been suggested that Peter feared
lest Christ still saw something wrong IN
his heart that would lead to another fah.
"Thou knowest all things" He was sure
of Christ's perfect knowled dge,. and humbly
aRgsadsM M2 to baen 5@ for s 5i0s another ms word T Is
used here by Christ to represent the flock
committed to Peters care, which means
"little Sheep" "the sheeplings," the ten
der and delicate that needed special care.
The purpose of these questions seems TO
have been, /, To show Peter that Jesus
knew his failures and heartily forgave
them. 2, To guard him against his natural
self-confdence lest he should again faH 81
To show his brethren that be was fully re-
stored. 4. To set clearly before him the
great work he was to do. 5, To impress
love to Jesus could he do this work.
IS. "Verily, verify" These words ex.
press the truthfulness and unchangeable-
ness of what is to follow. When thou
vast young" etc. Peter must have been
about middle life. He now went where
he chose to go, but the time would cSme
when he would be carried by others. This
forecast of Peters future seems to have
been for the purpose of encouraging HIM
by the assurance that. however he raay
have failed in, the past, he would sense-
"Shall be old" Peter lived thirty-six
years after this, and was cruci6ed at Rome
about the year 66 A. D. Another shall
cird thee" Such as were condemned to be
crucifed were tied to the cross until the
nails were driven. "Wouldest not" While
Peter was willing to die for Christ, yet he
was man and would naturally shink from
the torture of the cross. Ancient writer's
state, however, that he considered 1t suSh
a glorious thing to die for Christ, that me
begged to be crucifed with his head down.
ward, not thinking himself worthy to dle
in the same posture IN which his Lore
did"
10. "Glorify God" The good man glo-
rifles God in his death as well as in his
life Psa. ll6: Is: Phil. l: 90. In an es-
pecial manner did the death of the mar
tyrs glorify Cod: for they gave their lives
IN defense of the truth. Follow MI"
Jesus probably desired to take. Peter aside
for the purpose of speaking privately with
him. Many think that Christ meant by
this that Peter was TO follow Him to the
20. "seeth the disciple" That is, Peter
turned atss about and oWns John % tRs Ssh0s also s
1oooo5 - nto 500 .Tohn IL. 2l-I5.
81. "What shall this man do? And
this man WHAT" r. v. margin. What iss
to become of him? Must he .partake OF
like sufTprinps, and testify his love by dy'
Ing for Thee? This question, although die
tated by love, should not have been asked.
To Peter it was given to know what man,
ner of death he was to die. but it would
not be best that this should be known In
the case of every disciple OF apostle. ~
%. "That he tarry till I come" There
is great difference of opinion as as to Chr1stss
meaning. BY the words. It'll ! come
did Jesus mean His second coming, ana
that John was never to die; or His coming
to destroy jerusalem; or did He mean
that John was to remain at that place un-
til He and Peter returned from a private
interview? John lived for many years at
ter the destruction of Jerusalem, and was
the onlv one of the apostles who did not
die a violent death. The disciples them
selves understood that Jesus meant that
John should not die. V. q. VINO can
saw when or how he. died? st. John him
self, at the time of writing this gospel,
seems not to have known clearly, whetneT
he should die or not; he merely, stated
what Jesus had said. and if he understood
he did not think it proper to explain.
John Wesley thinks John was translated.