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John 21:17
He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?" Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, "Do you have affection for me?" He said to him, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.
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Interpretation

John 21:17 shows a feed sheep that is lived within limits and longings—see "said" and "have". Let feed sheep in what we celebrate and refuse—turn hope into steady work.

Context

The setting is John—gospel narrative, highlighting feed sheep. Within ch. 21, a small unit frames the emphasis. Watch the terms “said” and “have”.

Authorship & Historical Background

Long‑standing tradition credits John to John the Apostle. Introductions to John often note: Tradition ties it to John’s circle; narrative differs from the Synoptics.. Scholars commonly date John AD 90–100. John seems aimed at Johannine circles.. Signs become windows into shared life with God. Signs and discourses create a distinct theological portrait.

More details
Traditional:John the Apostle
Modern scholarship:Johannine community; final redaction distinct from Synoptics.
Date:AD 90–100
Audience:Johannine circles.
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
The Greek text is preserved in over 5,800 manuscripts, more than any other surviving ancient work. Early papyri from the 2nd-3rd centuries like P46, P66, P75 provide text within 100–150 years of composition. Major uncial codices (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, 4th century) contain complete or near-complete texts. The Byzantine text family represents the majority of later manuscripts. Textual variants exist but are mostly minor: word order, articles, spelling. No central Christian doctrine depends on any disputed text. Modern critical editions compare all manuscript families to determine the best reflects the earliest recoverable text reading.
Sources & witness notes
SinaiticusVaticanusP46