Unquote: You certainly need all such help of the power of reason as well as such necessary signposts to God, as well as, all the necessary safeguards placed by God to authentically first guide, then benevolently and most freely order all souls, whether lambs or sheep Amen! Moreover as habitual or still relatively conscienceless sinners we may still be very much in need of liquid food Amen! :) :) :) ◄ John 21:15,16 ► Jesus Reinstates Peter 15So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord; You know that I love You. He said to him, Tend My lambs. 16He said to him again a second time, Simon, son of John, do you love Me? He said to Him, Yes, Lord; You know that I love You. He said to him, Shepherd My sheep.… ... Feed Psalm 78:70-72 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds… Jeremiah 3:15 And I will give you pastors according to my heart, which shall feed … Jeremiah 23:4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and … Ezekiel 34:2-10,23 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and … Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock, over the … 1 Timothy 4:15,16 Meditate on these things; give yourself wholly to them; that your … Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, … 1 Peter 2:25 For you were as sheep going astray; but are now returned to the Shepherd … 1 Peter 5:1-4 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and … lambs. Genesis 33:13 And he said to him, My lord knows that the children are tender, and … Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs … Matthew 18:10,11 Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones; for I say to you… Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not: and when you … Romans 14:1 Him that is weak in the faith receive you, but not to doubtful disputations. Romans 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, … 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 And I, brothers, could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to … 1 Corinthians 8:11 And through your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? Ephesians 4:14 That we from now on be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried … Hebrews 12:12,13 Why lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees… 1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may … Gills Exposition of the Entire Bible So when they had dined,.... The Persic version adds, Jesus turned his face to Simon Peter; he did not interrupt them whilst they were eating; but when they had comfortably refreshed themselves, he looked at Peter, and singled him out from the rest, and directed his discourse to him; and saith unto Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas; not John, as the Vulgate Latin, and Nonnus, and some copies read; for this answers not to the Hebrew word Jochanan, but Jonah, the same name with the prophet. Some have observed, that Christ spoke to him particularly by his original name, and not by that which he himself had given him, with a view to his strong faith, as Cephas, or Peter; but it should be known that Christ calls him by this name of Simon bar Jonah, when he made the most ample profession of his faith in him, and was pronounced blessed by him, Matthew 16:16 lovest thou me more than these? meaning, not than the fishes he had caught, nor the net and boat, or any worldly enjoyment, nor than he loved the disciples; but the question is, whether he loved Christ more than the rest of the disciples loved him: the reason of which was, because he had some time ago declared, though all the disciples were offended at Christ, and should deny him, he would not; and had just now thrown himself into the sea to come to him first, as if he loved him more than they did: which question is put, not out of ignorance, or as if Christ knew not whether he loved him or not, and what was the degree of his affection to him; but because the exercise of this grace, and the expressions of it, are very grateful to him; and that Peter also might have an opportunity of expressing it before others, who had so publicly denied him: he saith unto him, yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee: not in word and tongue, but in deed and in truth; in sincerity, and without dissimulation, fervently and superlatively; for the truth of which he appeals to Christ himself; for he was so conscious to himself of the reality of his love, and the sincerity of his affection, that he chooses to make Christ himself judge of it, rather than say any more of it himself; though he modestly declines saying that he loved him more than the rest of the disciples did, having had an experience of his vanity and self-confidence. He was sure he loved Christ heartily; but whether he loved him more than the rest did, he chose not to say: he saith unto him, feed my lambs; the younger and more tender part of the flock, weak believers, Christs little children, newborn babes, the day of small things, which are not to be despised, the bruised reed that is not to be broken, and the smoking flax that is not to be quenched; but who are to be nourished, comforted, and strengthened, by feeding them with the milk of the Gospel, and by administering to them the ordinances and breasts of consolation. These Christ has an interest in, and therefore calls them my lambs, being given him by the Father, and purchased by his blood, and for whom he has a tender concern and affection; and nothing he looks upon as a firmer and clearer proof and evidence of love to him, than to feed these lambs of his, and take care of them. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary 15-17. when they had dined, Jesus saith—Silence appears to have reigned during the meal; unbroken on His part, that by their mute observation of Him they might have their assurance of His identity the more confirmed; and on theirs, from reverential shrinking to speak till He did. Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?—referring lovingly to those sad words of Peter, shortly before denying his Lord, Though all men shall be offended because of Thee, yet will I never be offended (Mt 26:33), and intending by this allusion to bring the whole scene vividly before his mind and put him to shame. Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee—He adds not, more than these, but prefixes a touching appeal to the Saviours own omniscience for the truth of his protestation, which makes it a totally different kind of speech from his former. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs—It is surely wrong to view this term as a mere diminutive of affection, and as meaning the same thing as the sheep [Webster and Wilkinson]. It is much more according to usage to understand by the lambs, young and tender disciples, whether in age or Christian standing (Isa 40:11; 1Jo 2:12, 13), and by the sheep the more mature. Shall we say (with many) that Peter was here reinstated in office? Not exactly, since he was not actually excluded from it. But after such conduct as his, the deep wound which the honor of Christ had received, the stain brought on his office, the damage done to his high standing among his brethren, and even his own comfort, in prospect of the great work before him, required some such renewal of his call and re-establishment of his position as this. biblehub/john/21-15.htm catholicnews.sg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10367%3Amary-the-star-of-the-new-evangelisation&catid=490&Itemid=207
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 18:02:13 +0000
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