From: Steven Cox (scox@ns1.chinaonline.com.cn.net)
Date: Fri Apr 17 1998 - 08:39:40 EDT
Hi Paul
Although I grew up with sheep in the next field I can't
claim to be an expert (any New Zealanders on the list?)
but from memory of something said by a lay preacher who
was in fact a sheep shepherd as well, the analogy in
this passage may well be based on animal-lore:
Quote: "Lambs don't need shepherding because they follow
the older members of the flock, so once they've been
shown the udder they will automatically stay with the
mother. The older sheep are the difficult ones because
they follow the grass, not the udder, and that can get
them into sticky spots. So first you have to pasture
the sheep along the road then you get to some grass
and keep them there while they eat.
Unquote: If that is the case then these three commands
could be seen in parallel to Paul's advice re care both
of the newly born, and the less newly born.
It also illustrates that John (i.e. Christ) didn't throw
near-synonyms around without reason ..with all respect
to Carl whose mail on the more infamous first half of
this chestnut just came into the inbox.. and I could well
be telling a shaggy sheep story :-)
Baaaa
S.
>Second, if the same question is being asked three times, should we also
>expect the resultant charges to be synonymous? Do they all mean the same
>thing?
>
> BOSKE TA ARNIA MOU
> POIMAINE TA PROBATA MOU
> BOSKE TA PROBATA MOU
>
>Is this just an emphatic way of driving home the point, i.e., if Peter
>really loved Christ, then he would tend His flock, which includes feeding
>and caring for the entire flock, young included?
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