A common misinterpretation fixates on the Greek words for love—Jesus' agapao (unconditional love) versus Peter's phileo (brotherly affection)—suggesting Peter failed to love perfectly and Jesus demoted His expectations, yet this overlooks the interchangeability of terms in Johannine usage and the passage's focus on restoration and commissioning rather than a love quality test; another error assumes 'more than these' refers exclusively to the other disciples or the fish, diminishing the emphasis on Peter's personal recommitment amid his past failure.
John 21:15
King James Version (1769)
15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
In this post-resurrection encounter, Jesus tenderly restores Peter after his threefold denial by asking three times if he loves Him, shifting from Peter's initial claim of superior devotion to a humble affirmation of affectionate love, culminating in the commission to feed His lambs, underscoring that genuine love for Christ naturally overflows into sacrificial care and leadership for His followers.