John

21:1-14

The epilogue, 21:1-25

i] The risen Christ beside lake Galilee

John's gospel ends with an epilogue which, like Matthew and Luke, serves as "a confident statement that [the apostolic] mission to the world, undertaken at Christ's command and under His authority, will be the means by which many are saved", Hoskyns. Chapter 21 is most likely a later addition to the gospel, probably added by the original editor to round off the gospel with a commission and to tackle the growing urban myth that Jesus would return before the death of the "beloved disciple", John the apostle. Chapter 21 is clearly part of the tradition used to craft the fourth gospel, a tradition ascribed to the apostle John.

The historical-critical method of Biblical interpretation has dominated the last hundred years of New Testament research, but one wonders if the allegorical reading of the Bible that dominated up to our more technical era, hasn't got something to say to us. Are they mutually exclusive? We must admit that the history of allegorical interpretation reveals a debris-littered trail. None-the-less, most commentators do lean toward the view that the story recorded in this passage, does, to some degree, have an allegorical edge to it - the story is all about the mission of the church. "The author of chapter 21 viewed Peter and his friends not as retreating to their old calling as fisherman, but as advancing to their vocation to be fishers of men on a new plane made possible by the resurrection of Jesus", Beasley-Murray. Discerning the level of symbolism present in the story, and thus the degree to which we can draw out an allegorical interpretation, is where we can so easily come unstuck. The notes and sermon on this site tentatively delve into the dangerous waters of allegory. To further research the history of Biblical interpretation see Kealy, Mark's Gospel: A history of its Interpretation; Grant and Tracy, A Short History of the Interpretation of the Bible, 2nd edition; Luz, Matthew in History: Interpretation, Influence and Effects.

meta tauto "after these things" - A very indefinite connection to chapter 20.

efanerwsen (fanerow) aor. "appeared" - manifested, make known, reveal. A bit stronger than just appeared. Christ's appearance is a revelation, although the editor has used this word, in previous chapters, of miracles etc. and not of a resurrection appearance. "He showed himself as he is", Morris.

efanerwsen de ouJtwV "it happened this way" - he was manifested thus. "This is how he revealed himself."

oJ legomenoV (legw) pres. pas. part. "called [Didymus]" - the one being called. The participle functions as a substantive. "Didymus" is the Greek word for the Hebrew "Thomas", both of which mean "twin". This seems an unusual common name to use of a person, but I actually knew a person whose commonly used name was "brother". His childhood name stuck into old age.

oiJ tou Zebedaiou "the sons of Zebedee" - the of Zebedee. John has not mentioned the brothers, James and John, before.

alloi ek twn maqhtwn autou duo "two other disciples were together" - others of the disciples of him two. Why are they unnamed? It has been suggested that the "beloved disciples" was one of them and therefore he was not John, the son of Zebedee.

aJlieuein (aJlieuw) pres. inf. "[I am going] to fish" - The infinitive is adverbial, expressing purpose; "I am going in order to fish".

exhlqon (exercomai) aor. "they went out" - they went forth. Westcott argues for the disciples are leaving the house they were staying at in Capernaum, possibly Peter's house.

to ploion "the boat" - The presence of the definite article implies that this is the boat that the disciples used for fishing, possibly owned by one or two of them. Possibly even "the particular boat" that nearly sunk two years before when weighed down with a great draft of fish.

prwiaV (a) "early in the morning" - The editor has used the declinable form of this noun, when on other occasions he used the indeclinable form. The phrase is: "early morning already having come", "when dawn was already breaking" .... "it was just after dawn."

eiV ..... epi "[Jesus stood] on [the shore]" - into, toward. The textual variant epi is followed for meaning sake, although eiV has stronger support. "Stood" is a verb of motion in classical Greek and therefore eiV is grammatically correct, even though properly rendered "on" here.

oJti "that [it was Jesus]" - that. Introducing a dependent statement of perception expressing what they did not realize, namely that it was Jesus.

paidia (on) "friends" - children, boys, lads... An intimate title for the disciples, although not the usual word used by Jesus elsewhere in the gospel. "Lads, have you caught any fish?", Barclay.

mh ti prosfagion ecete (ecw) "haven't you any fish?" - "You haven't caught any fish have you?" The word "have" carries the sense "caught" in the sentence. The negation mh is used in a question expecting the answer "no".

eiV "on" - to, into. Literally, "throw to the right side of the boat."

elkusai (elkuw) aor. inf. "to haul" - to drag, draw. The later form of the verb is used in the gospel of drawing people to Christ. Barrett suggests that the use of this word is a further hint that this story is intended to be interpreted allegorically in terms of the apostolic mission.

apo + gen. "because" - from. Literally, "they were not strong enough to draw from the multitude of the fish." Interestingly, in similar constructions in John, dia + acc. "because of / on account of", is used. It makes more sense if we give the preposition a causal sense in English, "because".

oJn hgapa oJ IhsouV "whom Jesus loved" - whom Jesus was loving. Again, the editor underlines the spiritual perception of this disciple. He is the first to recognize the risen Lord. Note how he is again linked with Peter.

akousaV (akouw) part. "as soon as [Simon Peter] heard [him say]" - having heard. The participle is adverbial, probably temporal, as NIV. Peter is reacting to "John's" words since he presumably still doesn't recognize the risen Lord.

oJti "-" - that [it is the Lord]. Here introducing a dependent statement of perception, expressing what Peter had heard said.

diezwsato (doazwnnumi) aor. "he wrapped [his outer garment around him]" - tied around, tucked up, put on. Peter is possibly working next to naked in a loin cloth and follows proper form by dressing before greeting an important guest. Brown suggests that the word properly means "tuck up" clothing to perform some chore, rather than "put on". So, Peter is possibly dressed "lightly" in a working/fisherman's smock, rather than underclothing ("for he had taken it off"), and this he tucks up under his belt before diving into the water.

ebalen (ballw) aor. "jumped" - threw [himself into the sea].

tw/ ploiariw/ hJlqon "followed in the boat" - in the boat came. It is possible to take the dative of "boat" instrumentally, "came by the boat"

wJV "when" - The comparitive sense, "as / like" is not intended here, but rather the temporal sense, here forming a temporal clause as NIV.

apebhsan (apobainw) aor. "they landed" - gone out. Of a boat, "disembarked".

anqrakian (a) "a fire of burning coals" - charcoal fire. The coals may or may not be burning.

oyarion (on) "fish" - The fish and bread are singular, but a collective sense my be intended, particularly with the bread. The fish is most likely fresh, but the editor has used the word for dried/picked fish, as in the feeding of the 5,000. So, what's the point of this incident? Allegorical interpretations abound, but some symbolic sense is surely intended. Is this another hint that the apostles are meant to be catching fish for the kingdom? A sacramental sense seems far fetched, but some link with the feeding of the 5,000 may well be intended.

enegkate (ferw) aor. imp. "bring" - A present imperative would be expected.

apo "[bring] some [of the fish]" - [bring] from [the fish]. Here the preposition serves a partitive function, ie. it serves to identify part of a larger whole. If Jesus had only one fish on the coals the disciples would need to bring some of their catch, but we are next told that Jesus invites them to eat breakfast with him. Did some of the disciples' fish get cooked as well? The point of Jesus' request seems to be for the disciples to discover how many fish there were and more importantly, that "the net was not torn" (none got away). More symbolism for the business of fishing for the kingdom.

anabh (anabainw) aor. "climbed aboard" - went up. The NIV has taken the sense of Peter going up into the boat to haul the net ashore, but it could just mean he went up on the bank, on the shore line, to pull the net ashore.

eJkaton penthkonta triwn "153" - Given the allegorical hints in this story it is only natural that many commentators have moved into numerology to unlock the secret of this very specific number. See Barrett for the maths supporting the claim that it is a number of "completeness and perfection." The suggestion that it equalled the actual number of disciples at this point of time is interesting, but unsupported. The fish were big, there were a lot of them, and, here's the point, none got away (at the first miraculous catch of fish the net was torn). None-the-less, Augustine should have the last word, the number is "a great mystery." See Brown or Carson for a full discussion on all possibilities.

o[ntwn (eimi) pres. part. "even with [so many]" - being [many]. The participle is adverbial, probably concessive; "although it was full of large fish." "Although there were so many of them, the net was not broken", Barclay.

deute "come" - An interjection that functions more as an exclamation than an imperative. Normally followed by an imperative as here, "come eat breakfast" (the morning meal).

oudeiV de "none" - not one but. The conjunction de (not found in all texts) functions as an adversative emphasizing that "not one" of the disciples dared ask Jesus.

exetasai (exatazw) aor. inf. "ask" - to scrutinize, examine. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the verb "was daring".

eidoteV (eidon) perf. part. "they knew" - having known. The participle is adverbial, possibly causal, "because they knew", even concessive, "although they knew", Morris.

oJti "-" - that. Introducing a dependent statement of perception, expressing what they knew.

ercetai (ercomai) pres. "[Jesus] came" - comes [Jesus]. If he were standing next to the fire, why does he come over to it? The word is possibly not expressing motion, in that sense it is pleonastic, ie. a redundant or unnecessary word and so best not translated.

lambanei (lambanw) "took" - takes. The verbs in this verse are best translated in the historic present. Jesus takes the food and distributes it, functioning as the host. Does this allude to either the last supper, or the feeding of the 5,000?

triton efanerwqh (fanerow) aor. pas. "the third time [Jesus] appeared" - third was manifested [Jesus]. Interesting how the editor ignores Jesus' appearance to Mary (she is a woman?) and how it does not at all flow from chapter 20. In fact, it reads as if it were a first time appearance.

egerqeiV (egairw) aor. pas. part. "after he was raised [from the dead]" - having been raised. The participle is adverbial, probably temporal, as NIV. Note again the possible theological passive, God does the raising, as NIV, although the passive here does necessarily imply the action of another, "this was the third time, now, that Jesus appeared to the disciples after rising from the dead", Moffatt.

John Introduction

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