John 21:15-25
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jesus’ Threefold Restoration of Peter
15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John,[a] do you love[b] Me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.”
“Feed(A) My lambs,”(B) He told him.
16 A second time He asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love(C) Me?”(D)
“Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.”
“Shepherd(E) My sheep,”(F) He told him.
17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love(G) Me?”
Peter was grieved(H) that He asked him the third time, “Do you love Me?” He said, “Lord, You know everything!(I) You know that I love You.”
“Feed(J) My sheep,” Jesus said. 18 “I assure you:(K) When you were young, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to signify by what kind of death(L) he would glorify God.[c](M) After saying this, He told him, “Follow Me!”(N)
Correcting a False Report
20 So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved(O) following them. That disciple was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is the one that’s going to betray You?”(P) 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord—what about him?”
22 “If I want him to remain until I come,”(Q) Jesus answered, “what is that to you? As for you, follow Me.”
23 So this report[d] spread to the brothers[e](R) that this disciple would not die.(S) Yet Jesus did not tell him that he would not die, but, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”
Epilogue
24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.
25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if they were written one by one, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books[f] that would be written.(T)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- John 21:15 Other mss read Simon, son of Jonah; Mt 16:17; Jn 1:42
- John 21:15 Two synonyms are translated love in this conversation: agapao, the first 2 times by Jesus (vv. 15-16); and phileo, the last time by Jesus (v. 17) and all 3 times by Peter (vv. 15-17). Peter’s threefold confession of love for Jesus corresponds to his earlier threefold denial of Jesus; Jn 18:15-18,25-27.
- John 21:19 Jesus predicts that Peter would be martyred. Church tradition says that Peter was crucified upside down.
- John 21:23 Lit this word
- John 21:23 The word brothers refers to the late first century Christian community.
- John 21:25 Lit scroll
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