Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 21:19-23

"Now this he spake, signifying by what manner of death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; who also leaned back on his breast at the supper, and said, Lord, who is he that betrayeth thee? Peter therefore seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what [is that] to thee? Follow thou me. This saying therefore went forth among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, that he should not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what [is that] to thee?" — John 21:19-23 (ASV)

1. After the Evangelist showed what our Lord had in mind for Peter, he now tells about John.

   First, we see the commendation of the disciple, John. Second, his Gospel is commended: but there are also many other things which Jesus did (John 21:25).

   In regard to the first, we see the occasion for John’s commendation, and then the commendation itself: Peter turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them.

2. The occasion for John’s commendation was Christ’s invitation to Peter to follow him. And when he had said this, he said to him, that is, after Christ told Peter about his office and martyrdom, Jesus said to him, that is, to Peter, follow me. For Augustine, this means to follow him in martyrdom by suffering for him. It is not enough just to suffer in some way; this must be done by following Christ, that is, by suffering for his sake: blessed are you when men hate you . . . on account of the Son of man (Luke 6:22); Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21).

3. Many others who were present would also suffer for Christ, especially James, who was the first to be killed: he killed James the brother of John with the sword (Acts 12:2). Why then does Christ say to Peter in particular, follow me?

   The reason, according to Augustine, was that Peter not only suffered death for Christ, but also followed Christ even in the kind of death, that is, death by the cross: if any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Matthew 16:24). Or, according to Chrysostom, in saying follow me, Christ means in your office as prelate. He was saying in effect: As I have the care of the Church, received from my Father—ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage (Psalms 2:8)—so will you be, in my place, over the whole Church.

4. But after Christ’s ascension, why did James hold first place in Jerusalem?

   We can say that James had a special jurisdiction over that place, but Peter had the universal authority over the whole Church of believers.

5. Now we see that John is commended: first, regarding his past, and then with respect to his future: therefore when Peter had seen him, he said to Jesus. John is commended on three points in his past.

6. First, John had the privilege of having Christ’s special love. The Evangelist says, Peter, turning around—for he had begun to follow Jesus even bodily—saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved. Here we see that Peter, already made a shepherd, was intent on the care of others: and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren (Luke 22:32). Now Jesus loved John without excluding the others, for above he said, as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you (John 15:9).

   But he loved John above the others with a special love. There were three reasons for this. First, because of his penetrating understanding, for teachers especially love their intelligent students: a servant who deals wisely has the king’s favor (Proverbs 14:35). Second, because of his purity, for he was a virgin: he who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend (Proverbs 22:11). Third, because of his youth, for we have tender feelings for the young and the weak and act with friendship toward them. This is the way Christ acted with the youthful John: when Israel was a child, I loved him (Hosea 11:1). We can see from this that God especially loves those who serve him from their youth: my soul desires the first ripe figs (Micah 7:1).

7. But this seems to go against Proverbs: I love those who love me (Proverbs 8:17). Peter loved Christ more than the others: do you love me more than these? (John 21:15). Therefore, Christ should have loved Peter more than John.

   I answer that it could be said that John, because he was more loved, was happier, while Peter, because he loved more, was better. But this would be a violation of justice. Consequently, this refers to a mystery: Peter and John stand for two kinds of life, the active and the contemplative, and the end and object of each is Christ. The active life, which Peter signifies, loves God more than the contemplative life, which is signified by John, because it feels more keenly the difficulties of this present life and more intensely desires to be freed from them and to go to God. But God loves the contemplative life more because he preserves it longer; it does not come to an end with death, as the active life does: the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob (Psalms 87:2).

8. Some try to solve this problem using the literal sense. They distinguish two kinds of love in Christ, according to his two wills, his human and divine will. They say that Christ loved Peter more with his divine love, but he loved John more with his human love. The objection to this is that Christ’s human will was entirely conformed to his divine will; and so the more he loved someone with his divine will, the more he also loved that person with his human will.

   Therefore, we should say that he loves that one more to whom he wills more good. He loved Peter more in the sense that he made Peter love him more; Christ loved John more in another sense, that is, by giving him a keener understanding. The Lord will fill him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding . Accordingly, Peter is better because charity is better than knowledge (1 Corinthians 13:8), but John is better in keenness of understanding. However, only God can weigh their merits: the Lord weighs the spirit (Proverbs 16:2).

   And so others say, and this is better, that Peter loved Christ more in the members of his Church, and in this way Peter was also more loved by Christ. For this reason the Church was entrusted to Peter. But John loved Christ more in Christ himself, and in this way was more loved by Christ, who entrusted his mother to John’s care.

   Or, one could say that Peter loved Christ more readily and fervently, while John was more loved by being given tokens of intimate friendship, which Christ gave him on account of his youth and purity.

9. John adds, who also leaned on his breast at supper, which commends him to us on the second point: his special intimacy with Christ. This was just explained.

10. Third, John is commended on account of the special confidence he had in Christ, so that he could question Christ with more assurance than all the others. Thus he adds that this disciple said: Lord, who is it that will betray you? (John 13:25). This was also explained before.

    John is recalling his own privileges in order to exalt Peter, according to Chrysostom. One might suppose that because Peter had denied Christ he would not be allowed back to his former intimacy. To reject this, John shows that he was admitted to a greater intimacy. The one who did not dare to question Christ at the supper, but asked John to do it, was made head over his brethren after the passion and is now questioning Christ not only for himself, but also for John. We can understand from this that those who fall into sin sometimes rise in greater grace: for just as you purposed to go astray from God, return with tenfold zeal to seek him .

11. And so the Evangelist immediately shows Peter asking a question, therefore when Peter saw him, he said to Jesus: Lord, what will this man do? This concerns the future of John.

    First, we have Peter’s question; second, Christ’s answer: Jesus said to him: so I will have him remain till I come; and then the interpretation of the answer: this saying therefore went about among the brethren, that this disciple should not die.

12. Regarding the first point, note that when our Lord said to Peter, follow me, Peter did begin to follow him with bodily steps, and so did John. When Peter noticed John following, he asked Christ about him, saying, Lord, what will this man do? This was like saying: I am following you in your suffering. But this man, will he die also? John would have asked the same question had he dared.

    But according to Chrysostom, Peter was questioning about the leadership, not about John’s martyrdom. For Peter loved John more than all the other disciples, and they are always found together in the Gospel and in the Acts of the Apostles. So Peter wanted to have John as his companion in the work of preaching. Peter says, Lord, what will this man do? as if to say, let him come with me.

13. Christ’s answer is given, so I will have him remain till I come, what is it to you? Note that the Greek text does not have so but if I will have him remain till I come, what is it to you? Yet the difference is not too important, for whatever the expression, the meaning understood by the apostles from the beginning was that John was not going to die.

    So I will have him remain till I come, was the same as saying, John will not die until I come. But this interpretation is rejected by what follows: and Jesus did not say to him: he should not die, but: so I will have him remain till I come, what is it to you?

14. Those who defend the first interpretation claim that John added this not to exclude the first interpretation but to show that our Lord did not convey that meaning by these words, but only by the words, so I will have him remain. This is the reason they say that John has not yet died.

    There are various opinions about John’s burial. All say that it is true that he was buried in a tomb which still exists. But some say he entered his tomb while still alive and then left it by divine power, transported to the region of Enoch and Elias, where he is being kept until the end of the world. According to this, the meaning is: so I will have him remain alive until the end of the world; and then, under the Antichrist, he will be martyred along with those other two. For it is not right that he should not die, for whatever is born dies: it is appointed for men to die once (Hebrews 9:27).

    Others say he entered his tomb at Ephesus alive, and he remains there still alive, but sleeping, until the Lord comes. They base their theory on the fact that the soil there moves up and down in rhythm with John’s breathing. Augustine rejects this by saying that it is not as good to be alive and sleeping as to be alive and blessed. Why then would Christ reward the disciple he loved above the others with a long sleep and deprive him of that great good for the sake of which the Apostle wanted to be dissolved and to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23)?

    Thus, we should not believe this. Rather, we should say that he died and arose with his body, as indicated by the fact that his body cannot be found, and remains happy with Christ, as Christ invited him: he who testifies to these things says: surely I am coming soon (Revelation 22:20).

15. Augustine explains this passage mystically. Then the word remain means ‘continue on,’ or ‘persist,’ as in remain in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49). Consequently, our Lord is saying about John, that is, about the contemplative life, so I will have him remain, that is, continue on, till I come, either at the end of the world, or at the death of any contemplative. For the contemplative life, although begun here, is not completed here. It remains incomplete and continues on until Christ comes to complete it: then they were . . . told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be complete (Revelation 6:11); Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her (Luke 10:42); long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor (Proverbs 3:16). Meanwhile, the active life, completed and vivified by the example of Christ’s passion, follows him by suffering for him.

16. Chrysostom understands it this way: so I will have him remain, that is, remain in Judea and preach on this earth; and I want you to follow me by having a concern for the entire world and by suffering for me. John is to remain till I come to destroy the Jewish nation. What is it to you? means these things are for me to decide. For we do see from history that John did not leave Judea until Vespasian came to Judea and took Jerusalem; then John set out for Asia.

17. Then there is the interpretation of Jerome: you follow me, Peter, by your martyrdom. And so, now speaking about John, I will have him remain, without the sufferings of martyrdom and death, till I come, to call him to myself: I will come again and will take you to myself (John 14:3). What is it, namely, this privilege, to you? And so in the stories about blessed John it is said that when he was ninety years old our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him and invited him to his banquet.

18. Then, when the Evangelist says the saying spread about among the brethren, that this disciple should not die, he shows how the disciples understood these words of our Lord. They thought that John would not die. The saying spread about among the brethren, that is, among the disciples—behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity (Psalms 133:1)—that this disciple, John, should not die. But he corrects this error, saying, and Jesus did not say to him: he should not die: are you also still without understanding? (Matthew 15:16). The rest has been explained.