The exchange between Jesus and Peter is one of the most celebrated dialogues in the Bible (21:15–17). Its interpretation turns on our understanding of verse 15: “Do you love me more than these?” What is Jesus’s comparison? (“These,” Greek toutōn, being any gender, has no clear antecedent.)On the one hand, is Peter being asked if his love for Christ exceeds his love for fishing? This is plausible since it was Peter who instigated the trip to sea (21:3), and Jesus will challenge the apostle to recommit his efforts to ministry with the new sheep metaphor. On the other hand, “these” may refer to the other disciples. If Peter’s love for Christ excels generally, then it should be followed by a coordinate care for God’s flock.

Either way, Jesus’s challenge to Peter is that he consider carefully…