John 21:15 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Lovest thou me more than these? More than the rest of my disciples love me? For so Peter had professed, when he told our Saviour, Matthew 26:33, Though all men should be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Peter now having by his temptation learned more humility and modesty, doth not reply, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee more than these; he only avers the truth and sincerity, not the degree of his love. Christ replies, Feed my lambs: by which he understands his people, his church; not the pastors of it, (as if Christ by this had made Peter the chief pastor over the rest of the apostles), but the community. The papists from this text argue for Peter's primacy and authority over his fellow apostles, as well as over the members of the church. But Christ said not to Peter only, but to all the rest of the eleven, Matthew 28:19 Mark 16:15, Go ye, preach the gospel to all nations; and it was to the rest as well as to Peter that he said, 1 Thessalonians 20:23, Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted. So as it is apparent, whether feeding only signifies instructing, or feeding by doctrine, or (as most judge) comprehends government, and signifies that universal charge which ministers have over the church, the same power which Peter had was also committed to the other disciples.