The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1901-05-02
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR MAY 5.
Subject Jesus and Peter, John WI. rs.
22-Golden Text. John xxi. is-Mem-
DRY Verses, 1911 - Commentary on
the Days Lesson.


the Days Lesson.
Is. when they had diued" 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 he
had lost the credit of his strength and sta
bilIty which those names signihed BY
thus addressing him it would the more al
feet him and bring wildly before him his
denial. Lowest thou Me?" There were
special reasons why this question should be
put to Peter. % He had denied his love
for Christ and there was reason for Christ
to suspect his love. (2) He must learn
that love for Christ is the thing most
eommendable and the surest proof OF pen
itence. There is a curious change OF terms
here, and, if we would fully understand
this passage, 1t Is necessary to call atten-
ton to some Of the delicate shades OF
meaning in the Greek, which do not APP
pear in our English TRANSACTIONS. Jesus
uses the word love three times in His
questions, and Peter uses it three times in
his answers; but in the original the word
which Jesus uses in His first two ques-
tons (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, vet will
| never be offended" Christ would now
hear his present testimony. Others think
he boat nets and ih shn fae tsp his Sas.
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 1 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
that Jesus knew that he loved Him.
| Feed My lambs" This is a commission
| to give spiritual food to the youngest and
| weakest in the flock of Christ.
l6. Feed My sheep" Here He uses a
word which signifies to tend flock, not
only to feed, but to take care of, guide,
govern, defend, ETC., by which He seems
20 intimate that it is not sufficient merely
20 offer the bread of life to the congrega-
lion Of the Lord, but he must take, care
mai, the sheep, be properly, collected, at
tended to, regulated and guided.
II. 1.-The third time The three ques-
| tons could not but recall the three denials,
| and the form of the last question could
not but wildly bring. back the thought OF
ment of trial Lowest thou Me" This
time Jesus uses Peters word for love.
"Was grieved" Because He pressed the
question the third time and thus called at
tention to his failure. and because in
changing the word he had used for love
It has been suggested that Peter feared
lest Christ still saw something wrong in
his heart that would lead to another fall.
Thou knowest all things" He was sure
of Christ's perfect. knowledge. and humbly
appeals to Him for proof Of his love.
used here by Christ to represent the flock
committed to Peters care, which means
little Sheep" "the sheephngs," the ten
der and delicate that needed special care.
The purpose of these questions seems to
have been, l, To show Peter, that Jesus
them. q To guard him against his natural
self-confdence lest he should again fall. 3,
To show his brethren that he was fully re-
stored. 4; To set clearly before him the
great work he was to do. S, To impress
! upon him that only in deep and earnest
Is. "Verily, verify" These words ex-
press the truthfulness and Interchangeable
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 &C., but the time would come
| forecast of Peters future seems to have
been for the purpose of encouraging him
by the assurance that, however. he may
have failed in the past, he would hence
1Ortn go on DOlQly, even TO
"Shall be old" Peter lived thirty-six
years after this, and was crucified at Rome
about the year Sc A. d. Another shall
grid 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 writers
state however, that he considered it such
a glorious thing to die for Christ, that che
begged to be crucifed with his head down
ward, not thinking himself worthy to die
did, d ~ 9N-'' p
10. "Glorify Cod" The good man glo-
rifles God in his death as well as in his
life. Psa ZIG: Is; Phil. l: 90. In an es-
pecial manner did the death of the mar
tyrs ,glorify God; for they gave their by, hyes :;
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
"cross"
20. "Seeth the disciple" That is, Peter
this gospel, following. (Which also
leaned" etc. See John 10: 21-25.
81. "What shall this man do? "And
this man what?" R. Y. margin. What is
to become of him? Must he ,partake of
like sufferings, and testify his love by dy-
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 or apostle.
%. THAT he tarry till | come" There
is great difference Of opinion as to Christ's
meaning. BY Che words, ""till ]. come
did Jesus mean His second coming, and
that John was never to die; or His coming
to destroy Jerusalem; or did He mean
that John was to remain at that place I'M
til He and Peter returned from a private
interview? John lived for many years af-
ter the destruction of Jerusalem. and was
! the only one of the apostles who did not
die violent death. The disciples them
selves understood that Jesus meant that
John should not die. Y. 23 Who can
saw when or how he died? st. John him
self, at the time Of writing this gospel,
seems not to have known clearly whether
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.
In a 2OO-Word letter Andrew Carne-