From: John 21:20-25
Peter’s Primacy (Continuation)
Conclusion
[25] But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them
to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would
be written.
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Commentary:
20-23. According to St. Irenaeus (”Against Heresies”, II, 22, 5; III, 3, 4) St. John
outlived all the other Apostles, into the reign of Trajan (98-117 A.D.). Possibly the
evangelist wrote these verses to dispel the idea that he would not die. According
to the text, Jesus does not reply to Peter’s question. The important thing is not
to be curious about what the future will bring but to serve the Lord faithfully, kee-
ping to the way He has marked out for one.
24. This is an appeal to the testimony of the disciple “whom Jesus loved” as a
guarantee of the veracity of everything contained in the book: everything which
this Gospel says should be accepted by its readers as being absolutely true.
Many modern commentators think that verses 24 and 25 were added by disci-
ples of the Apostle, as a conclusion to the Gospel, when it began to be circula-
ted, a short time after St. John completed it. Be that as it may, the fact is that
both verses are to be found in all extant manuscripts of the Fourth Gospel.
25. St. John’s account, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has as its
purpose the strengthening of our faith in Jesus Christ through reflecting on what
our Lord said and did. Like the Fourth Gospel, we shall never be able to capture
the full richness and depth of our Lord’s personality. “Once one begins to be inte-
rested in Christ, one’s interest can never cease. There is always something more
to be known, to be said—infinitely more. St. John the Evangelist ends his Gospel
making this very point (John 21:25). Everything to do with Christ is so rich, there
are such depths for us to explore; such light, strength, joy, desire have their
source in Him. [...] His coming to the world, His presence in history and culture
and [...] His vital relationship with our conscience: everything suggests that it is
unseemly, unscientific and irreverent ever to think that we need not and cannot
advance further in contemplation of Jesus Christ” (Paul VI, “General Audience”,
20 February 1974).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
First reading | Acts 28:16-20,30-31 © |
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Psalm | Psalm 10:4-5,7 © |
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Gospel Acclamation | Col3:1 |
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Or | cf.Jn16:7,13 |
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Gospel | John 21:20-25 © |
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