Verse 19. And this is what he said, signifying by which death he will glorify God... 2 A martyr's death is a glory not only for the dying disciple, but also for God, for the dying one, because he dies for God, and for God, because He has such a disciple.

Verse 19... And these rivers said to him, "Follow me." By this Jesus Christ again shows Peter that He is again calling him to the apostleship... or: Walk after Me, i.e. be ready to endure the same death as Me on the cross.

Verse 20. Turn then to Peter in the form of a disciple, whom Jesus loved, following ... 3 Who walks behind Peter; it so happened that John at that time walked closest to Peter.

Verse 20... Who also reclined on His face at the supper, and said: Lord, who is Thy betrayal?4 This was during the Last Supper. The Evangelist mentions the reclining at the Last Supper and the question in order to show how bold Peter had become by repenting of his denial. During the Last Supper, he did not dare to ask the Lord and used the help of his beloved disciple for this, and now he boldly asks about the beloved disciple himself.

Verse 21. When Peter saw this, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what is this this?5 And he will not follow you? Will he not follow the same path of death with us? Will he not be subjected to the same death as we are? Peter understood the meaning of the words, "Follow me," and, loving John dearly, desired that he also should be vouchsafed the same death; but since John did not dare to ask the Saviour, Peter himself asked, and thus repaid John for his former service. What about Jesus Christ? Not paying attention to their particular mutual love and teaching them not to inquire more than what they need to know, Jesus Christ shows that they are predestined to have an unequal fate (When Peter heard (some interpret) that he would die for Jesus Christ, he said, "But what about John? Will he also die?" Jesus Christ, of course, did not deny this, because everyone who was born, he will die, but only said, "If I had willed that John should remain until the end of the world, and then bear witness to Me, what has it to you?" On this basis, some say that John lives, and in the time of the Antichrist, together with Elijah and Enoch, he will be killed for preaching about Jesus Christ. And if his tomb is shown, what of it? He entered it alive and was taken from there like Elijah and Enoch. The Evangelist, on the other hand, refutes the false opinion of those who assume that this disciple of Christ will not die, since it is indeed false to suppose that John is immortal. Enoch and Elijah, though they are not dead, are mortal; so also this disciple, although he is not dead, will die yet. It is false not that John did not die, but that the assumption that he is immortal is false. Others assert that John died, and the expression, "If I will, let him abide, until I come," is understood to mean that John must remain in Judea until Jesus Christ comes against the Jews to smite them at the hands of the Romans, and that, therefore, Peter had to part with John in order to preach in various places for greater profit. We have, therefore, given here all the opinions, so that those who are interested in this subject may know everything. Moreover, those who say that John died, convey it in this way: they dug a pit, they say, and surrounded it with stones; Then they lowered it there and closed it. A few days later they examined this pit and did not find him; but since he was still put there, they say that he died).

Verse 22. Jesus said to him, "If I will, let him abide, until I come to you..." 1 If I want him to live until my second coming, what does it matter to you?

Verse 22... Thou comest after Me... 2 Think of thy death, not inquiring what kind of death awaits John.

Verse 23. And behold, the word went forth among the brethren... 3 What is this word?

Verse 23... For that disciple shall not die... Perhaps others also heard what was said to Peter. This word spread among the brothers, that is, that John would not die, although they were mistaken and did not understand the purpose of these words. Then the evangelist corrects such a false rumor.

Стих 23... И не рече ему Иисус, яко не умрет, но: аще хощу тому пребывати, дондеже прииду, что к тебе?4 А эти слова вовсе не означают того, что Иоанн не умрет, но имеют совершенно другую цель, как выше было сказано. Какое же остается основание у тех, которые продолжают утверждать, что Иоанн не умер, когда сам же он ясно говорит, что предполагающие это заблуждаются.

Стих 24. Сей есть ученик свидетелствуяй о сих, иже и написа сия: и вем, яко истинно есть свидетелство его.5 Я сам, как очевидец, знаю, что свидетельство это истинно. Очевидно, что и другие знали это. Итак, Иоанн, вполне уверенный в истине того, о чем он свидетельствовал, как бы так говорит: я знаю, что некоторым это может показаться подозрительным потому именно, что об этом нет упоминания у других евангелистов.

Стих 25. Суть же и ина многа, яже сотвори Иисус...6 То же самое евангелист и прежде сказал о чудесах Иисуса Христа.

Стих 25... Яже аще бы по единому писана быша, ни самому мню (всему) миру вместити пишемых книг. Аминь.7 (Не вместил бы этих книг мир и по другой причине, именно не вследствие множества написанных книг, а вследствие величия того, что в них написано). Это речь гиперболическая, указывающая на великое множество дел, совершенных Господом. Гиперболой очень часто пользуются и писатели и ораторы, когда хотят изобразить величие какого-либо предмета. Сам евангелист, прибавив слово мню, ослабил несколько гиперболу и усилил веру в то, что могло бы показаться невероятным, показывая, что он сказал так по причине великого множества дел, совершенных Господом. Весьма много и других дел совершил Иисус Христос, как всемогущий, потому что для Него легче было делать, чем для нас говорить; но евангелисты записали только более полезное и более необходимое для веры и благочестия, в том предположении, что неверующий записанному не поверил бы, если бы и больше было записано, а для принимающего с верой все записанное не будет никакой необходимости в большем. О, если бы и нам оказаться совершенными слугами Всесовершенной Троицы и окончить свою жизнь доброй кончиной во Христе Иисусе Господе нашем. Аминь.