The Miracles of Jesus Adult Bible Class Study

#7 The First Draught of Fishes

Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11

A quick overview from the gospel accounts

This is obviously a significant event for the disciples, but it was also a significant event for the early church. Their experience of following Jesus is mirrored in these four fishermen. For many Christians, Jesus’ call to become “fishers of men,” mixed with fear and worship, is all very familiar.

Furthermore, this incident shows that Jesus not only fraternized with the working class, but used them significantly in the propagation of the kingdom. While their “doctrinal faith” leaves much to be desired, their “practical faith” is exemplary. In other words, what they believe about Jesus turns out to be wrong; but their trust in Jesus is right on!

From this event comes the Christian acrostic of the fish. The Greek word for fish is ichthys. Each of the five Greek letters stand for the beginning of the following words: Jesus, Christ, God, Son, Savior. It was the secret password for the catacomb worship services. Christian theology is summarized in this symbol.

Mt 4:18 with Lk 5:1a [One day^LK] ¹⁸As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

Lk 5:1b-3 ¹… as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,^NIV-6-4 with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, ²he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. ³He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

Jesus calls these four men—two pairs of brothers, all aligned with their fishing business—Peter, Andrew, James and John. They worked on what is generally called the Sea of Galilee (also called Gennesaret, Chinneroth, or the Sea of Tiberias). But it is actually a lake, not a sea. It is shaped like a pear, twelve miles from north to south and seven miles across at its widest. Oddly, it sits in a basin six hundred and eighty-two feet below sea level, surrounded by a perimeter of one-thousand-foot hills, and it is teeming with fish.

Fishing was one of the three great industries of Palestine along with agriculture and shepherding. It was a lucrative business on this lake. A typically rabbinic exaggeration states that there were three hundred different kinds of fish in the Sea of Galilee. Edersheim describes several such rabbinic teachings about fish, including how to prepare them (I:473). Certainly, fishing was big business in Palestine. Even one of the gates of Jerusalem was called the “Fish Gate” (Neh 3:3).

As Jesus walks along the shore, the fishermen are cleaning their nets after working unproductively all night (Lk 5:5). This was the bane of their work—meticulously cleaning out the pebbles, grasses and sand which had tangled themselves in their nets and repairing the torn strands after heavy use all night.

Simon and Andrew are the first Jesus encounters. They are casting their nets into the lake. This is the only time this kind of net [amphible4stron], is mentioned in the Bible. This was a relatively small net which was cast into the water and sunk whatever was below it. It would then be drawn up and whatever was in its “bell” would be taken in. The second kind of net mentioned in the Bible was the sage4ne4—a drag net that was pulled behind the boat (only used in Mt 13:47). The most common net was the diktya, also mentioned twice in our passage. It was the normal casting net. These larger nets are being cleaned while one of these guys is fooling around in the shallows with the amphible4stron, trying to redeem their night of catching nothing.

The crowds press in on Jesus. He is already so popular that he cannot move about freely. Mobbed like a movie star, Jesus employs Peter’s empty fishing boat as a pulpit and uses the shore as an amphitheater.

Lk 5:4-7 ⁴When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down^NIV-6-5 the nets for a catch.” ⁵Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” ⁶When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. ⁷So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

Jesus asks Peter to push off a short distance from the shore in order to teach. But when he is finished he directs Peter to “cast off” into the deep and let down his net. This is a passionate scene. Peter is tired and frustrated. They have worked all night dropping and hoisting their nets and caught nothing. We must remember, this was not a fishing vacation with a little rod and reel. These are heavy boats, large nets, and their major means of support. Furthermore, Peter has just finished cleaning the nets. Now Jesus is asking him to dirty them up again. This landlubber does not even know that it is the wrong time to fish. In addition, the best fishing is usually near the shore, not in the deep of the lake.

Peter says, “But Master, because you say so, I’ll do it.” This unusual word “master” [epistata] is used only by Luke and always in reference to Jesus. This is a momentous phrase. Peter is a professional fisherman. He knows the sea and he knows the odds of going out there and catching a fish. Nevertheless, he has seen Jesus in action before. More than a year ago, as he followed John the Baptist, he saw Jesus baptized. He watched Jesus cleanse the temple, he was there in Samaria after Jesus talked to the woman at the well. He witnessed the healings in Judea and the miraculous transformation of water into wine in Cana. After nearly nine months of following Jesus, Peter went back to his family fishing business at the lake, while Jesus preached in his own hometown. Now they are reunited. Jesus makes this simple, although absurd, request. But because of Peter’s respect and trust in Jesus, he obeys.

As Peter pulls up the nets, his muscles flex, his eyes bug out, and an involuntary smile breaks out all over his face. It is such a large number of fish, in fact, that their nets begin to tear and their boat begins to sink. The smile turns to a grimace. He knows that he needs some help. Luke uses a word that means “to beckon with a nod.” That makes sense. His hands are full of net, he could hardly wave to his partners, and he certainly can’t let go. Besides that, he is too far out to shout effectively and too busy to have a friendly chat with his partners.

The second boat of their family business comes out to help, manned by James and John. They pass on the other side of the net and begin to pull up so that the net is between the two boats. As they pull up, fish begin to spill over into the boat. So many, in fact, that both boats sink deeper and deeper into the water in threat of going under. This was about all the blessing they could handle! They were shut out the night before with nearly nine months of bills to catch up on since following Jesus. But today, in one beautiful moment, the Lord takes care of their electricity bill and even provides enough extra for a new dress for Peter’s wife.

Lk 5:8-10a  ⁸When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” ⁹For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

You would think that Peter would kind of like having Jesus around. After all, he is good for business. After they got their boats steadied and their hearts stopped pounding, Peter falls to his knees on a slimy pile of fish. He had just seen Jesus, really seen him, for who he is. He says, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” A couple things ought to be observed. (1) Peter is thinking correctly. He, unlike the crowds, is not selfishly seeking a miracle. He is thinking about what it really meant to be in the presence of perfect purity. Jesus’ purity demands obedience and ushers in judgment. (2) Peter is responding out of fear of the presence of God himself. It was a fearful miracle to him. The people on the banks are no doubt laughing and cheering and selling souvenir T-shirts, but they were not in the boats that almost sank. They were not so personally touched by this miracle as Peter and Co. Besides, this is one professional fisherman who understands the power of the lake and majesty of this miracle. As Jesus saw through the waters to the fish, so he saw through Peter into the depths of his heart.

Lk 5:10b-11 with Mt 4:19-20, Mk 1:17-18 Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; [follow me^MT,MK] from now on you will catch men.” ¹¹So [at once^MT,MK] they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Mt 4:21-22 with Mk 1:20 ²¹Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. [Without delay^MK] Jesus called them, ²²and immediately they left the boat and their father [in the boat with the hired men^MK] and followed him.

Once the disciples are back on the shore the crowds would gather and start to count the fish as they were sorted. Peter’s employees (Mk 1:20), would no doubt start cleaning their nets (again). It is at this time that Jesus uses their present occupation to call them in a way that they can visualize—Fishers of Men. Like other analogies, not all points of comparison are applicable. Jesus is not asking them to trap or capture men, but simply to collect them into the kingdom of God. Peter and Andrew respond to Jesus’ call.

Luke departs here from the other synoptic writers. Matthew and Mark both say, “I will make you fishers of men.” The word Luke uses does not mean to fish but to take live captives. It is used only one other time (2 Tim 2:26). There it describes how we rescue from Satan those whom he has caught alive. This call is one of battle. We tread behind enemy lines to free the captives whom Satan has seized.

The three men walk a short distance farther and encounter their partners, James and John. They are sitting with their father, Zebedee, in their stout fishing boat, also cleaning their nets and repairing the torn spots from this massive catch. Jesus also calls them and they likewise respond, leaving their father in the boat with the hired servants (Mk 1:20).^6-8 Of these latter two, we observe that James was the first Apostolic martyr whose death is recorded in Acts 12. And John was the last surviving Apostle as he writes Revelation about a.d. 95, and according to tradition, the only Apostle who died a natural death.

I don’t suppose that Zebedee was any too happy to be left to clean up by himself. Of course, their business was big enough to have hired servants to do most of the dirty work. It may seem unkind for these two sons to leave their father with the family business, but such is the nature of discipleship (cf. Mt 10:37).

This call may seem too sudden to merit such a response. But we must remember that these four have already traveled with Jesus for about a year now (cf. Jn 1:35-51), and have just witnessed a miraculous catch of fish. Jesus enters into their domain and proves his power. He now calls them into his domain to be empowered to fish for men. What else is there to do when such a one as Jesus calls you to his vocation?

Jesus’ call of these men is unique: (1) There is already antagonism against Jesus in Jerusalem. They know there will be danger in following this man. (2) He calls them to abandon their occupations, which are lucrative, popular, and steady. This is a tremendous step of faith for them. (3) Jesus calls them, not to a new doctrine but to a new direction. The contemporary rabbis considered it a sacred duty to gather students about them. Jesus, however, doesn’t ask them to come and learn, but to come and do, or rather to come and be. The flicker of the kingdom begins to flair.

A verse-by-verse study

(5:1-11) Introduction: Jesus Christ set out to catch men, that is, to catch them for God. He desires to catch all men, but He is unable to catch everyone by Himself. He needs help, the help of all who will follow Him. The present passage is a descriptive picture of how Jesus goes about calling men to help Him in the enormous task of reaching the world.

         1.  Lake Gennesaret (v.1).

         2.  Step 1: seeing a vision of people who need to hear the Word of God (v.1).

         3.  Step 2: seizing resources (v.2-3).

         4.  Step 3: removing reluctant obedience (v.4-5).

         5.  Step 4: demonstrating godly power (v.6-7).

         6.  Step 5: stirring a deep confession (v.8-9).

         7.  Step 6: challenging men to discipleship, that is, to catch other men (v.10).

         8.  Step 7: watching for the decision to forsake all (v.11).

(5:1) Lake Gennesaret: the scene of this experience took place on Lake Gennesaret which was the same as the Sea of Galilee.

Sea of Galilee—Lake Gennesaret—Sea of Tiberias: a fresh water lake in northern Palestine. At its widest points it was only about 13 miles north to south, and 8 miles east to west. It would not be called a sea today because of its small size. There are several important facts to note about the Lake.

1.  The Lake was known by several names: the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 4:18; Matthew 15:29; Mark 1:16; Mark 7:31); the Sea of Tiberias (John 6:1; John 21:1); the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1); and simply the “Sea” (John 6:16-25) or the “Lake” (Luke 5:2; Luke 8:22). In the Old Testament it was called the Sea of Chinnereth (meaning heart shaped, Numbers 34:11; Deut. 3:17; Joshua 13:27) or Chinneroth (Joshua 12:3; 1 Kings 15:20).

2.  The Lake was surrounded by some of the richest and most heavily populated areas of Palestine. Large towns flourished along its shores, towns which play a prominent role in Scripture: Capernaum, Bethsaida (Mark 6:45), Chorazin (Luke 10:13), Magdala (Matthew 15:39), Gadara (Mark 5:1).

3.  The Lake was subject to violent storms. It sat 680 feet below sea level which gave the Lake a warm climate, but it was in a pocket-like basin surrounded by steep, fast-rising hills (2000 feet high) and funnel-like mountains. The funnels or deep ravines running down through the mountains have resulted from eons of erosion. When cold-fronts move in with their fierce winds, the cold whips through the funnel-like gorges and mixes with the warm temperatures of the Lake. Unpredictable and terrifying storms result (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25).

(5:1) Word of God, Hunger for—Righteousness—Vision: the first step to calling men is seeing a vision of people—people who need the Word of God. The people were actually “pressing” (epikeisthai) in upon Jesus. They gathered and crowded around Him. Note why: to hear the Word of God. They pressed to hear the Word of God. They had a craving, a hunger and thirst after righteousness.

There is in this story what we might call a list of the conditions of a miracle.

(i)  There is the eye that sees.  There is no need to think that Jesus created a shoal of fishes for the occasion.  In the Sea of Galilee there were phenomenal shoals which covered the sea as if it was solid for as much as an acre.  Most likely Jesus' keen eye saw just such a shoal and his keen sight made it look like a miracle.  We need the eye that really sees.  Many people saw steam raise the lid of a kettle; only James Watt went on to think of a steam engine.  Many people saw an apple fall; only Isaac Newton went on to think out the law of gravity.  The earth is full of miracles for the eye that sees.

(ii)  There is the spirit that will make an effort.  If Jesus said it, tired as he was Peter was prepared to try again.  For most people the disaster of life is that they give up just one effort too soon.

(iii)  There is the spirit which will attempt what seems hopeless.  The night was past and that was the time for fishing.  All the circumstances were unfavourable, but Peter said, "Let circumstances be what they may, if you say so, we will try again."  Too often we wait because the time is not opportune.  If we wait for a perfect set of circumstances, we will never begin at all.  If we want a miracle, we must take Jesus at his word when he bids us attempt the impossible.

Note two things.

     1.   Jesus met the hunger and thirst of people.

                 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

                 “Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh” (Luke 6:21).

                 “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).

     2.   Jesus saw that He could never meet the needs of all the people, not by Himself. He needed others to help.

                 “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2).

In that day, three methods of fishing were used. One was by hook and line, the second was by a throw net cast from the shallow water along the shore, and the third was by a large dragnet strung between two or more boats in the deep water. Peter and Andrew were here obviously using the second method. That  net was probably about nine feet in diameter, and the two brothers were skilled in its use, for they were fishermen by trade. The Greek term for that particular net was amphibleôstron (related to our amphibious, an adjective describing something related to both land and water) —so named because the person using the net would stand on or near shore and throw the net into the deeper water where the fish were.

When Jesus called those first disciples, He gathered together the first fish-catching crew of His church. They were the first of the original band of evangelists He called to fulfill the Great Commission. They were Jesus’ first partners in ministry. He had the power and the right to accomplish the work of  proclaiming the gospel by Himself. But that was not His plan. He could have done it alone, but He never intended to do it alone. From the beginning of His ministry, His plan was to use disciples to win disciples. He would command His disciples to do other things, but His first call to them was, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.

We are given specific details of the callings of only seven of the original twelve. But Jesus individually selected those who would become part of the first marvelous ministry of winning people to Himself. “He called His disciples to Him; and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles” (Luke 6:13). God always chooses His partners. He chose Noah and Abraham, Moses and David. He chose the prophets. He chose Israel herself to be a whole nation of partners, “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6). Jesus told His disciples, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit” (John 15:16; cf. 6:70; 13:18). Paul called Epaenetus  “the first convert [lit., “firstfruit,” aparcheô] to Christ from Asia” (Rom. 16:5). 

It is possible that at least seven of the disciples were fishermen (John 21:1-3). Consider the fact that fishermen generally have the qualities that make for success in serving the Lord. It takes courage and daring, patience and determination to work on the seas; and it also takes a great deal of faith. Fishermen must be willing to work together (they used nets, not hooks) and help one another. They must develop the skills necessary to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

If I had fished all night and caught nothing, I would probably be selling my nets, not washing them to get ready to go out again! But true fishermen don’t quit. Peter kept on working while Jesus used his ship as a platform from which to address the huge crowd on the shore. “Every pulpit is a fishing boat,” said Dr. J. Vernon McGee, “a place to give out the Word of God and attempt to catch fish.”

(5:2-3) Resource—Opportunity, Serving: the second step to calling men is seizing resources. Jesus had to find some way to handle the throng of people both then and later. The crowds were so large and their needs so many that He just could not handle their disorder. He could not meet the needs of everyone. Standing there and being confronted with the present problem, He scanned the horizon for some way to handle the matter.

As He looked around, He saw an opportunity and laid His plans. He saw a boat and a fisherman in the boat, and He needed both. The boat could be used as a pulpit, and the man could become a disciple. He asked the man to let Him use the boat as a pulpit and to steer the boat out from land a short distance. The point is this: Jesus seized and used the resources available. He had the vision of people needing the Word of God, but He needed a pulpit and others to help, so He scanned the horizon and found both.

(5:4-5) Obedience—Reluctance: the third step to calling men is the removal of reluctant obedience. As soon as Jesus finished His preaching, He decided to win Peter’s loyalty and discipleship. But first, He had to humble Peter. He had to show Peter that He, the Messiah, could look after and take care of him. He told Peter to put out to sea and fish. Peter objected because he had fished all night and had caught nothing. However, he stopped right in the middle of his objection and obeyed Jesus. Note what had happened.

1.  Peter was reluctant to obey Jesus. He objected to what Jesus asked. He was thoroughly exhausted, for he had “toiled all night.” He was disappointed, for he had caught nothing, and he had worked enough hours already. Despite needing to be home in bed, he had stayed and helped the Lord in His preaching by loaning his boat to Him.

2.  Peter caught himself in the middle of his objection and obeyed. What caused the switch, the change from reluctance to willing obedience? Probably two things.

a.  Peter was pretty well convinced that Jesus was who He claimed to be, the Messiah.

b.  Peter was drawn somewhat to follow Jesus. Therefore, when he began to object to Jesus’ will, there was a prick of conscience, and he obeyed his conscience. He followed his heart...

·     not his mind, thinking there were no fish.

·     not his experience, having already tried and failed to catch fish.

·     not his body, being too tired and exhausted, just incapable of going on.

Reluctance should always give in to obedience. We need the spirit that will try for God, no matter what the obstacles or how hopeless a situation may seem. When a man is drawn to Christ, he desperately needs to obey his heart and to obey it immediately.

The word translated “Master” (Luke 5:5) is used only by Luke and it has a variety of meanings, all of which speak of authority: chief commander, magistrate, governor of a city, and president of a college. Peter was willing to submit to the authority of Jesus, even though he did not understand all that the Lord was doing. And remember, a great crowd was watching from the shore.

How people respond to success is one indication of their true character. Instead of claiming the valuable catch for themselves, Peter and Andrew called their partners to share it. We are not reservoirs, but channels of blessing, to share with others what God has graciously given to us.

(5:6-7) Jesus Christ, Power—Obedience, Results—Humility: the fourth step to calling men is demonstrating godly power. Peter’s obedience produced results; his obedience caught fish, and the catch was no ordinary catch. It was much more, so much more that there could be no question about Jesus. Jesus was behind the miracle; Jesus was demonstrating the power of God. (Remember this was the very purpose of Jesus, to win Peter’s loyalty and willingness to become a disciple on a full-time basis.)

What happened is a little humorous when we remember what Jesus was doing with Peter, and Peter’s reluctance and objection, weariness and exhaustion. There was a sense in which the Lord was really laying it on Peter, really letting him have it. Peter thought he was tired, but he didn’t know what exhaustion was yet. The Lord must have stood to the side smiling to Himself. How our Lord loved this man Peter, even now! He was after Peter’s loyalty, and He was going to get it even if He had to make Peter drop in his tracks (which was exactly what was to happen, Luke 5:8).

At any rate, there was some humor in what began to happen to this man who was so reluctant, moaning and groaning about his tiredness. Just imagine Peter already bone weary, grumbling in his mind at this carpenter telling him, the skilled fisherman, how to fish. Imagine Peter’s exhaustion and weariness, reluctance and objection, moaning and groaning; and then all of a sudden a catch is made, a catch so great that he was going to have to work wearily along for hour upon hour.

Þ  Peter’s net broke.

Þ  Peter had to call for another whole crew and boat to help.

Þ  Both boats were filled as full as they could be.

Þ  Then to top it off, both boats began to sink.

Jesus had His man! What else was Peter to do other than what followed? In all the humor of the situation, our Lord’s heart was bound to be full of rejoicing because this big hunk of a fisherman, man though he was, was like a little child before the Lord. He was broken in humility before the Lord, and the experience was but the first of many experiences of brokenness yet to come.

(5:8-9) Confession: the fifth step to calling men is stirring a deep confession. Peter knew exactly what had happened. He had been reluctant and objected to the Lord’s request, and he had not been too happy that the great catch had caused so much trouble. But he was a skilled fisherman, and he knew that the great catch was no ordinary catch; it was a miracle of the Lord, a miracle which the Lord was using to teach him that he was to obey without reluctance and objection.

Note exactly what happened. When Peter saw the boat beginning to sink, he raced over to Jesus, fell upon his knees, and in a sense (continuing the humor) said, “Lord, I’ve had enough. Let me alone. I’ll do anything.” His confession was threefold.

1.  He confessed his sin of disobedience and unbelief: of being reluctant to obey the Lord, of questioning the Lord’s will and knowledge and power.

2.  He confessed Jesus to be the Lord. Note that Peter had previously called Jesus “Master” (epistate, Luke 5:5), which is a word used to address anyone in authority. But Peter had learned better. He now called Jesus “Lord” (kurie). He is the Lord who is holy and convicting, who must be obeyed and followed.

3.  He confessed a fear, a reverence, an awe for the Lord (cp. Luke 5:9-10).

                 “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5).

                 “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee: wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6).

                 “And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27).

                 “And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength” (Daniel 10:16).

                 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

                 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

                 “Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 3:13).

                 “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

                 “Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives” (Ezra 10:11).

(5:10) Call—Discipleship—Mission: the sixth step to calling men is challenging men to discipleship, that is, to catch other men. Note two significant facts.

     1.   The words “fear not” (me phobon) indicate that Peter was actually scared and frightened. Jesus was calming him, telling him to trust and stop fearing. He, the Lord, was in charge and looking after everything.

     2.   The call to Peter was to “catch men.” The word “catch” (zogreo) means to catch alive or to catch for life. The idea is that Peter was no longer to catch (fish) for death, but he was to catch (men) for life.

(5:11) Decision—Dedication—Forsaking All: the seventh step to calling men is watching for the decision to forsake all. Note three things.

     1.   The men responded immediately.

     2.   The men left all: their businesses, their professions, and the biggest catch they had ever seen.

     3.   The men followed Jesus. He was the Lord who had spoken, and they were to be His disciples who obeyed and followed.

                 “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

                 “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).

                 “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33).

                 “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour” (John 12:26).

That calling to bear fruit in evangelism is extended to everyone who belongs to Jesus Christ. The called ones are themselves to become callers. Speaking of all Christians, Peter wrote, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the  excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). Christ mandates that all of His followers be fishermen. The command, Follow Me (in the Greek an adverb of place expressing a command), literally means “come here.” The term after is used in the original to show the place they are to come:

“Your place is following after Me!”

The disciples’ obedience was instant: And they immediately left the nets, and followed Him. The sovereign authority of the Lord had spoken. Followed is from akoloutheoô; which conveys the idea of following as a disciple who is committed to imitating the one he follows.

Many years ago an Italian recluse was found dead in his house. He had lived frugally all his life, but when friends were going through his house to sort out the few possessions he had accumulated they discovered 246 expensive violins crammed into his attic. Some even more valuable ones were in a bureau drawer in his bedroom. Virtually all of his money had been spent buying violins. Yet his  misdirected devotion to the instruments had robbed the world of their beautiful sounds. Because he selfishly treasured those violins, the world never heard the music they were meant to play. It is even reported that the first violin the great Stradivarius ever made was not played until it was 147 years old!

Many Christians treat their faith like that man treated his violins. They hide their light; they squirrel away their great treasure. By not sharing their light and their treasure, many to whom they could have witnessed are left in spiritual darkness and poverty.

Some researchers estimate that as many as ninety-five percent of all Christians have never led another person to Jesus Christ. If that is true, ninety-five percent of the world’s spiritual violins have never been played! True love of our riches in Christ leads us to shine and share, not to hide and hoard.

Holman Bible Dictionary article

DISCIPLES; APOSTLES Followers of Jesus Christ, especially the commissioned twelve who followed Jesus during His earthly ministry.

Background of Apostle The English word “apostle” comes from the Greek term apostolos, which means a messenger, envoy, or ambassador. Related to the verb, “to send,” it refers to one who is “sent” on behalf of another. The conceptual background of the New Testament term apostolos has been variously represented. Many scholars believe that the rabbinic office of the shaliach—attested by 150 A.D.—constitutes the proper background for understanding the New Testament term “apostle.” The shaliach was established as a legal institution in rabbinic Judaism to insure that an appointed “messenger” was given due regard as the legal representative of his sender. The shaliach functioned with the full authority of the one who commissioned him. According to Jewish tradition, “A man’s agent (shaliach) is like to himself” (Mishnah Berakoth 5:5; Rosh ha-Shanah 4:9; compare 1 Sam. 25:40-41; 2 Sam. 10:1-19). It is not certain that the legal rabbinic notion of a shaliach was established before the time of Christ. Moreover, even if it were in use by that time, the differences between the rabbinic of shaliach and that of the New Testament term apostolos are significant enough to urge caution in relating the two terms too closely. The shaliach, for example, had a function that was more legal than religious (to serve documents, collect money, carry information), was applied generally to human representation (whether individuals or groups), and lasted for only a limited period. The New Testament apostle, on the other hand, emerges as a divinely appointed, lifetime witness to the saving acts of God, specifically, the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The Old Testament notion of a shaliach also differs from the rabbinic conceptions of that term and appears to be of more significance for understanding the New Testament term “apostle.” The “sending” and commissioning of the great prophetic figures Moses and Isaiah (Ex. 3:10; Isa. 6:8 where the Hebrew verb for sending, shalach, is translated by apostello in the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament, as divine spokesmen surely influenced the New Testament word, “apostle.” We may also note that the same “sending” terminology is applied to other noteworthy characters such as Elijah (2 Kings 2:2, 4, 6), Jeremiah (Jer. 1:7), and Ezekiel (Ezek. 2:3, 4). As a reference to a divine spokesman, Old Testament ideas of a “sent one” are certainly in line with the New Testament term “apostle.” Compare Jeremiah 7:25.

Apostle in the New Testament The term “apostle” in the New Testament is used primarily to designate that group of leaders within the early church(es) who were historical witnesses of the resurrected Lord and proclaimers of God’s saving mercies enacted through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus originally gave the title to His closest circle of friends, the twelve (Luke 6:13). He especially indicated their status as emissaries He had set apart to announce (as He had done) the good news of the kingdom (Matt. 10:1-23; Luke 8:1; 9:1-6). After the first Easter, the term was expanded by the early church to refer not only to the twelve, but to a wider circle of authoritative preachers and witnesses of the resurrected Lord (Acts 14:4, 14; Rom. 16:7; 1 Cor. 4:9; 15:5-9; 2 Cor. 11:13; Gal. 1:19; 2:7-9).

The early church’s expansion of the term was certainly justified given both the self-understanding of Jesus as One sent from God (Matt. 5:17; 10:34; Mark 2:17; 10:45; Luke 4:18; 9:48; John 5:19-47; 6:29-57; 8:14-42; compare Heb. 3:1) and His designation of His followers as those who, as His representatives, carried on His work (Matt. 28:16-20; Luke 24:44-49; John 20:21; Acts 1:6). Those facts coupled with the early church’s actual sense of continuity with the person and mission of the historical Jesus made rather natural their extended application of the term “apostle” to more than the original twelve, though not, as we shall see, to all Christian witnesses. Thus, the choice, meaning, and ongoing use by the early church of the term “apostle” as a reference to a unique class of witnesses is in large measure derived from its actual use by Jesus.

The term “apostle” did not, however, have limitless application in the New Testament period. It extended to gospel witnesses other than the twelve but not to all proclaimers of the gospel. It was never so broad in New Testament use as to be an ancient equivalent to the modern term “missionary.” The term “apostle,” most immediately brought to mind its central function: to preach the gospel; but all those who preached the gospel were not designated “apostles.” There is, for example, a striking absence of the term with reference to Timothy (2 Cor. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1), Sosthenes (1 Cor. 1:1), and Silas (1 Thess. 1:1, 2 Thess. 1:1), who were certainly not only Paul’s fellow workers but also preachers of the gospel (compare 2 Cor. 1:19). Thus, others in the Pauline missionary party were called, for example, “brother,” “fellow worker,” or “bond servant” (Rom. 16:3; Phil. 2:25; Col. 4:7-14; 1 Thess. 3:1); but the term “apostle” had a more exclusive, and thus more restricted, meaning.

The decisive criterion for the term’s application seems to have been the eyewitness status of some with respect to the resurrected Lord. Though the criteria employed for replacing Judas among the twelve (Acts 1:12-22) included being an eyewitness not only of the resurrected Jesus but also of the ministry of Jesus from the days of His baptism by John, there developed in the early church a slightly broader application of the term “apostle” which did not demand an eyewitness knowledge of Jesus’ ministry. James the brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55) was certainly no follower of his Brother during His ministry (Mark 3:21, 31-35; John 7:3-5). He still became an “apostle” and leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:1-21; Gal. 1:18, 19) following his encounter with the resurrected Lord (1 Cor. 15:7). In a similar way, Paul’s vision of, and calling by, the resurrected Lord won for him the designation “apostle” (1 Cor. 9:1; 15:8-11; Gal. 1:11-2:10); though this distinction was apparently not conceded by all (2 Cor. 3:1; 12:11-13). We may presume that Barnabas (Acts 14:4, 14), Apollos (1 Cor. 4:6-13), and also Andronicus and Junias (Rom. 16:7) were likewise witnesses of the resurrected Lord.

To be sure, Paul did speak of certain others as “apostles” who likely were not eyewitnesses of the risen Lord (2 Cor. 8:23 NASB and RSV notes; Phil. 2:25); but such passages are only apparent exceptions, for the helpers in question are called “apostles” (normally translated “representatives” or “messengers”) of the churches, clearly suggesting a status different from that of the “apostle of Jesus Christ.” Therefore, because it referred to a specific set of historical witnesses, the New Testament office of apostle, by definition, died with its first representatives. The New Testament certainly speaks of a succession of witnesses to the apostolic tradition (1 Tim. 6:20; 2 Tim. 1:14), so that the gospel they preached—the apostolic theology—has been handed on (the New Testament itself being the inspired, literary remains of that theology). No true personal or ecclesiastical succession of apostles continues in any New Testament sense of that term.

Background of Disciple The term “disciple” comes to us in English from a Latin root. Its basic meaning is “learner” or “pupil.” The term is virtually absent from the Old Testament, though there are two related references (1 Chron. 25:8; Isa. 8:16).

In the Greek world the word “disciple” normally referred to an adherent of a particular teacher or religious/philosophical school. It was the task of the disciple to learn, study, and pass along the sayings and teachings of the master. In rabbinic Judaism the term “disciple” referred to one who was committed to the interpretations of Scripture and religious tradition given him by the master or rabbi. Through a process of learning which would include a set meeting time and such pedagogical methods as question and answer, instruction, repetition, and memorization, the disciple would become increasingly devoted to the master and the master’s teachings. In time, the disciple would, likewise, pass on the traditions to others.

Jesus' Disciples In the New Testament 233 of the 261 instances of the word “disciple” occur in the Gospels, the other 28 being in Acts. Usually the word refers to disciples of Jesus, but there are also references to disciples of the Pharisees (Matt. 22:16; Mark 2:18), disciples of John the Baptist (Mark 2:18; Luke 11:1; John 1:35), and even disciples of Moses (John 9:28).

The Gospels often refer to Jesus as “Rabbi” (Matt. 26:25, 49; Mark 9:5; 10:51; 11:21; John 1:38, 49; 3:2, 26; 6:25; 20:16 NIV). One can assume that Jesus used traditional rabbinic teaching techniques (question and answer, discussion, memorization) to instruct His disciples. In many respects Jesus differed from the rabbis. He called His disciples to “Follow me” (Luke 5:27). Disciples of the rabbis could select their teachers. Jesus oftentimes demanded extreme levels of personal renunciation (loss of family, property, etc.; Matt. 4:18-22; 10:24-42; Luke 5:27-28; 14:25-27; 18:28-30). He asked for lifelong allegiance (Luke 9:57-62) as the essential means of doing the will of God (Matt. 12:49-50; John 7:16-18). He taught more as a bearer of divine revelation than a link in the chain of Jewish tradition (Matt. 5:21-48; 7:28-29; Mark 4:10-11. In so doing Jesus announced the end of the age and the long-awaited reign of God (Matt. 4:17; Luke 4:14-21, 42-44).

The Twelve As the messianic Proclaimer of the reign of God, Jesus gathered about Himself a special circle of twelve disciples, clearly a symbolic representation of the twelve tribes (Matt. 19:28). He was reestablishing Jewish social identity based upon discipleship to Jesus. The twelve represented a unique band, making the word “disciple” (as a reference to the twelve) an exact equivalent to “apostle” in those contexts where the latter word was also restricted to the twelve. The four lists of the twelve in the New Testament (Matt. 10:1-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:12-16; Acts 1:13, 26) also imply from their contexts the synonymous use of the terms “disciples”/“apostles” when used to refer to the twelve.

A Larger Group of Followers The Gospels clearly show that the word “disciple” can refer to others besides the twelve. The verb “follow” became something of a technical term Jesus used to call His disciples, who were then called “followers,” (Mark 4:10). These “followers” included a larger company of people from whom He selected the twelve (Mark 3:7-19; Luke 6:13-17). This larger group of disciples/followers included men and women (Luke 8:1-3; 23:49) from all walks of life. (Even the twelve included a variety: fishermen, a tax collector, a Zealot.) Jesus was no doubt especially popular among the socially outcast and religiously despised, but people of wealth and of theological training also followed (Luke 8:1-3; 19:1-10; John 3:1-3; 12:42; 19:38-39).

The twelve were sent out as representatives of Jesus, commissioned to preach the coming of the kingdom, to cast out demons, and to heal diseases (Matt. 10:1, 5-15; Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6). Such tasks were not limited to the twelve (Luke 10:1-24). Apparently Jesus’ disciples first included “a great multitude of disciples” (Luke 6:17). He formed certain smaller and more specifically defined groups within that “great multitude.” These smaller groups would include a group of “seventy” (Luke 10:1, 17), the “twelve” (Matt. 11:1; Mark 6:7; Luke 9:1), and perhaps an even smaller, inner group within the twelve, consisting especially of Peter, James, and John—whose names (with Andrew) always figure first in the lists of the twelve (Matt. 10:2; Mark 3:16-17; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13), whose stories of calling are especially highlighted (Matt. 4:18-22; John 1:35-42 and the tradition that John is the “Other”/“Beloved Disciple” of the Gospel of John—13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:20), and who alone accompanied Jesus on certain significant occasions of healing and revelation (Matt. 17:1; Mark 13:3; Luke 8:51).

All Followers of Jesus The Book of Acts frequently uses the term “disciple” to refer generally to all those who believe in the risen Lord (6:1-2, 7; 9:1, 10, 19, 26, 38; 11:26, 29). In addition, the verb form “to disciple” as it appears in the final commissioning scene of Matthew’s Gospel (28:19-20) also suggests a use in the early church of the term “disciple” as a more generalized name for all those who come to Jesus in faith, having heard and believed the gospel.

Conclusion We have seen that, as references to the twelve, the words “apostle” and “disciple” could be synonymous. However, just as the term “disciple” could mean other followers of Jesus than the twelve in the time of His ministry, so also after His resurrection the term “disciple” had a wider meaning as well, being clearly applied to all His followers. Whereas the term “apostle” retained a more specific meaning, being tied to certain historical eyewitnesses of the resurrected Lord, the word “disciple” tended to lose its narrower associations with the twelve, and/or those who followed the historical Jesus, or who saw the risen Lord, and became a virtual equivalent to “Christian” (Acts 11:26). In every case, however, the common bond of meaning for the various applications of the word “disciple” was allegiance to Jesus.