Peter restored; beloved disciple; world’s books (John 21:13–25)

the beginning was an act of condescension. And he does the human things before the passion. And if Luke said that he also “ate,” not as still needing the flesh but for demonstration of the resurrection.

Wanting to rekindle him from the despondency after the denial he asks him, and through the three questions and confessions he wipes out the three voices of the denial and through words he sets right the faults that happened in words. And from this a custom has come that three confessions be required of those about to be baptized.

He asks him a third time not as not knowing—for how, also the one who foretold his passion?—but to show that he cares greatly for the oversight of his sheep and that Peter loved him greatly.

This signifies the death through the cross, which he underwent unwillingly, even if for the hoped-for things he was put to death willingly. Some from this thought that Peter suffered unwillingly, but it is not so; rather he wanted to suffer, yet did not want to be crucified, lest he seem among the simpler to have been counted worthy of the same honor as the Master. Therefore he teaches him not to be troubled; for this form is not of choice but brought on by others.

He said this wanting to cut off the untimely sympathy they had toward each other; for if they were not separated from each other, the inhabited world would have suffered the greatest loss. And he did not say “he does not die,” but “if I want him to remain”—that is: a work was entrusted to you, do this, care for your own; for what do you want, if I do not wish to send him with you but that he remain here?

The disciples received the Lord’s word as a decision that he will not die, which he did not say. But what he said, speaking in riddle, he said the long-livedness of his life; for in the times he died without punishment.

As having spoken without falsehood he bears witness to himself the truth. Therefore in many places naming himself indefinitely here he plainly signifies himself; for he himself is the one who wrote the gospel. One loved by God would not have been able to lie, therefore do not doubt; for the truth would not have loved him loosening the truth.

One must refuse to speak the things better than all writing in books, which not even the world itself can contain because of the greatness of contemplations. If all were written, no human would suffice for acquiring the books. For this it was not written, so as not to overpass the memory of the hearers. Or if all were written, the books would be numberless and no one could know all. Or if someone wants to present the greatness of what happened, neither the world nor human hearing contains them. Some say that those living worldly cannot contain hearing the God-signs according to what was said in the beginning: “and the world did not know him” (John 1:10), as also the Lord himself said that “not all contain this word” (Matthew 19:11).

Many and numberless are the God-signs and from many these were taken that can perfectly benefit.

So many are the things done and said by the Savior that all libraries would be full, he says I think, of books containing the histories of the Lord’s works and the words upon them, if one were going to write all according to each.

We understand the name of the world differently. And it is possible according to one meaning to present the truthfulness of the word and to refute the rashness of those who mindlessly mock the God-breathed words of the evangelists.