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the fishing of the irrational fish made them hopeful that also in the hunt for rational men they would have him working with them invisibly and beyond all expectation, drawing up men from the depth of error and drawing them to the knowledge of the truth according to godliness. 423 Jo 21, 13-14 Having shared the blessing of the bread and the fish, he immediately made himself known. Wherefore the evangelist added, saying, that this was the third time he appeared to his disciples after being raised from the dead. 424 Jo 21, 15-17 Wishing, I think, to rouse his mind from the indifference of his denial and to rekindle his love, he asked if he loved him more than the others. And he says to the question: Yes, Lord, you know that I love you; for it was of one who was confident and strongly persuaded not to take any other witness of his own conscience than he himself who searches the hearts and knows the secret things of men. Therefore, accepting him as speaking the truth, he entrusts to him the care of the rational lambs, saying, Feed my sheep. 425 Jo 21, 15-17 He asks these things, wishing through love to rekindle his mind from the indifference of his denial. But Peter, being confident that he knew the things in his heart, makes Christ a witness of what he was saying. Therefore, accepting him, the Savior entrusts to him the care of the rational lambs as to a genuine shepherd. But when he was asked the third time, he was grieved, not knowing the Savior's purpose and thinking that he was being distrusted as someone suspect. And he says that, if I were speaking to a man, it would be likely that I would be suspected as a liar; but since you know all things and nothing escapes you, you know that I love you. And he addressed him a third time, saying, Feed my sheep. And not being ignorant of his disposition did he ask a third time, but in order that he might wipe out the three utterances of denial through the three assents and confessions of love. 426 Jo 21, 18-19 For when he was younger, by his own free will, he did what he wanted; for this is what "you girded yourself and walked where you wished" means. But when he had become an advanced apostle, he came to the contest of martyrdom and was crucified; for this is what "you will stretch out your hands" signifies. He therefore endured death unwillingly, yet for the sake of the hopes to come he underwent it willingly. And by saying, Follow me, he urges him to imitate the way of life of the teacher and to walk in the footsteps of his virtue as far as possible. 427 Jo 21, 18-19 It is worthy to marvel also at this, the foreknowledge of the Lord, who foretold to him so many years before not only that he would become a martyr, but also that he would undergo his destruction by a cross; for the stretching of the hands and the binding of the belt signified nothing other than the form of the cross. And he wishes him to follow him, imitating him in everything in the way of life according to piety; for those who walk in the footsteps of his virtue and according to their ability imitate the exactness of his righteousness, these will then follow him as he leads them into his heavenly kingdom. 428 Jo 21, -23 Peter, having heard the things concerning himself, as he loved John, seeks to learn also the things concerning him, so that he too might be deemed worthy of the same things. But the Lord did not wish to perfect everyone through martyrdom. Therefore he also said, What is that to you. But since the Lord had spoken indefinitely and had not declared that he would remain until his second coming, many supposed that he would not die. Therefore John noted down their mistaken supposition in writing, saying that the Lord having said one thing, they were thinking another. 429 Jo 21, 24 Having in many places spoken indefinitely of the one loved by the Lord, he has now revealed that he is speaking about himself; for he is the one who wrote the present gospel. And knowing that he wrote all things without falsehood, he bears witness to himself of the truth. 430 col1 Jo 21, 25 There are therefore many signs that were done by the Savior, but the evangelists recorded only a few, so that the multitude of the narrative would not surpass the memory of the

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ἁλίας τῶν ἀλόγων ἰχθύων εὐέλπιδας αὐτοὺς ἐποίει ὡς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς λογικῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων θήρας αὐτὸν ἕξουσιν ἀοράτως αὐτοῖς συνεργοῦντα καὶ παρὰ πᾶσαν προσδοκίαν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐκ βυθοῦ τῆς πλάνης ἀνιμώμενον καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἕλκοντα τῆς κατὰ τὴν θεοσέβειαν ἀληθείας. 423 Jo 21, 13-14 Τῆς δὲ εὐλογίας τοῦ ἄρτου καὶ τοῦ ὀψαρίου μεταδοὺς παραχρῆμα ἑαυτὸν ἐπιγνῶναι ἐποίησεν. ὅθεν ἐπήγαγεν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς λέγων, ὅτι τοῦτο τρίτον ἐφανερώθη τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ ἐγερθεὶς ἐκ νεκρῶν. 424 Jo 21, 15-17 Βουλόμενος οἶμαι ἐκ τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἄρνησιν ῥᾳθυμίας διεγεῖραι αὐτοῦ τὸ φρόνημα καὶ ἀναζωπυρῆσαι τὴν ἀγάπην ἐπυνθάνετο, εἰ πλέον αὐτὸν τῶν ἄλλων φιλεῖ. ὁ δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἐρώτησιν λέγει· ναί, κύριε, σὺ οἶδας, ὅτι φιλῶ σε· θαρροῦντος γὰρ ἦν καὶ σφόδρα πεποιθότος τὸ μὴ ἄλλον τινὰ μάρτυρα τῆς ἑαυτοῦ συνειδήσεως παραλαβεῖν ἢ αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἐμβατεύοντα τὰς καρδίας καὶ τὰ κρύφια τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπιστάμενον. ὅθεν ὡς ἀληθεύοντα ἀποδεξάμενος ἐγχειρίζει αὐτῷ τῶν λογικῶν ἀρνίων τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν φήσας βόσκε τὰ πρόβατά μου. 425 Jo 21, 15-17 Ταῦτα ἐρωτᾷ βουλόμενος διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης ἀναζωπυρῆσαι αὐτοῦ τὸ φρόνημα ἐκ τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἄρνησιν ῥᾳθυμίας. ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ὡς θαρρῶν, ὅτι ᾔδει τὰ ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτὸν μάρτυρα ποιεῖται τὸν Χριστόν, ὧν ἐλάλει. διὸ ἀποδεξάμενος αὐτὸν ὁ σωτὴρ ἐγχειρίζει αὐτῷ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τῶν λογικῶν ἀρνίων ὡς γνησίῳ ποιμένι. ὅτε δὲ τὸ τρίτον ἠρωτήθη, ἐλυπήθη ἀγνοῶν τὸν τοῦ σωτῆρος σκοπὸν καὶ νομίζων, ὅτι ὡς ὕποπτος ἠγνοεῖτο καί φησιν, ὅτι εἰ μὲν πρὸς ἄνθρωπον ἐλάλουν, εἰκὸς ἦν με ὡς ψεύστην ὑπονοεῖσθαι· ἐπειδὴ δὲ πάντα οἶδας καὶ οὐδέν σε λανθάνει, οἶδας, ὅτι φιλῶ σε. ὁ δὲ τρίτον αὐτῷ προσεφώνησεν εἰπὼν βόσκε τὰ πρόβατά μου. οὐκ ἀγνοῶν δὲ αὐτοῦ τὴν διάθεσιν τρίτον ἠρώτησεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα τὰς τρεῖς τῆς ἀρνήσεως φωνὰς ἐξαλείψῃ διὰ τῶν τριῶν συγκαταθέσεων καὶ ὁμολογιῶν τῆς ἀγάπης. 426 Jo 21, 18-19 Νεώτερος γὰρ ὢν αὐτεξουσίῳ κινήματι, ὃ ἤθελεν, ἐποίει· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ ἐζώννυες σεαυτὸν καὶ ὅπου ἤθελες περιεπάτεις. ἐπειδὴ δὲ προβεβηκὼς γέγονεν ἀπόστολος, ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἀγῶνα καὶ ἐσταυρώθη· τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει τὸ ἐκτενεῖς τὰς χεῖρας. ὑπέμεινε μὲν οὖν ἄκων τὸν θάνατον, πλὴν διὰ τὰς μελλούσας ἐλπίδας ἑκὼν ὑφίστατο. εἰπὼν δὲ ἀκολούθει μοι προτρέπεται αὐτὸν μιμεῖσθαι τὴν τοῦ διδασκάλου πολιτείαν καὶ κατ' ἴχνος βαίνειν τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀρετῆς κατὰ τὸ δυνατόν. 427 Jo 21, 18-19 Ἄξιον καὶ ἐν τούτῳ θαυμάσαι τὴν τοῦ κυρίου πρόγνωσιν πρὸ τοJoύτων ἐτῶν προειπόντος αὐτῷ οὐ μόνον, ὅτι μάρτυς γενήσεται, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ διὰ σταυ ροῦ ὑποστήσεται τὴν ἀναίρεσιν· ἡ γὰρ ἔκτασις τῶν χειρῶν καὶ ὁ δεσμὸς τῆς ζώνης οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἐδήλου ἢ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ σταυροῦ. βούλεται δὲ αὐτῷ ἀκολουθεῖν αὐτὸν μιμούμενον αὐτὸν ἐν πᾶσι τὴν κατ' εὐσέβειαν πολιτείαν· οἱ γὰρ κατ' ἴχνος τῆς ἐκείνου βαίνοντες ἀρετῆς καὶ κατὰ δύναμιν μιμούμενοι αὐτοῦ τὴν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀκρίβειαν οὗτοι αὐτῷ τηνικαῦτα ἀκολουθήJoυσιν ὁδηγοῦντι εἰς τὴν κατ' οὐρανὸν αὐτοῦ βασιλείαν. 428 Jo 21, -23 Ἀκούσας τὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ὁ Πέτρος ὡς ἀγαπῶν τὸν Ἰωάννην ζητεῖ καὶ τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ μαθεῖν, ἵνα καὶ αὐτὸς ἀξιωθῇ τῶν ὁμοίων. ἀλλ' ὁ κύριος οὐ πάντας ἤθελε διὰ τοῦ μαρτυρίου τελειῶσαι. διὸ καὶ εἶπε τοῦτο τί πρός σε. τοῦ δὲ κυρίου ἀορίστως λαλήσαντος καὶ μὴ ἀποφηναμένου, ὅτι μένει ἕως τῆς δευτέρας αὐτοῦ παρουσίας, πολλοὶ ἐνόμισαν, ὅτι οὐκ ἀποθανεῖται. διὸ ὁ Ἰωάννης τὴν ἐσφαλμένην αὐτῶν ὑπόνοιαν ἐγγράφως ἀπεσημειώσατο εἰπών, ὅτι ἄλλο εἰρηκότος τοῦ κυρίου, ἄλλο ἐκεῖνοι ἐνενόουν. 429 Jo 21, 24 Ἐν πολλοῖς τόποις ἀορίστως εἰπὼν τὸν ἀγαπώμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου νῦν ἐφανέρωσεν, ὅτι περὶ αὐτοῦ λέγει· αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τὸ προκείμενον εὐαγγέλιον συγγράψας. εἰδὼς δέ, ὅτι ἀψευδῶς πάντα ἔγραψεν, ἑαυτῷ μαρτυρεῖ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. 430 col1 Jo 21, 25 Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν ἐστι τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος γενόμενα σημεῖα, ὀλίγα δὲ μόνον ἱστόρησαν οἱ εὐαγγελισταί, ἵνα μὴ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς ἀπαγγελίας ὑπερβαίνειν τὴν μνήμην τῶν