God's Call on Our Lives
"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."  - Matthew 4:19

  Fishers of Men

 

Reading	Common	Catholic	Episcopal
First	Isaiah 9:1-4	Isaiah 8:23--9:3	Amos 3:1-8
Second	1 Corinthians 1:10-18a	First Corinthians 1:10-13, 17	1 Corinthians 1:10-17
Psalm	27:1, 4-9	27:1, 4, 13-14	139:1-17 or 139:1-11
Gospel	Matthew  4:12-23	Matthew 4:12-23 or 4:12-17	Matthew  4:12-23

See Also:  Harmony of the Gospels, 043:  Call to Become Fishers of Men and 048:  Travel Throughout Galilee
 
 

 

Quotes & Notes on:    Matthew 4:19   John Wesley's Notes:   (No comment on this verse)   Treasury of Scripture Knowledge: * Follow. Mt 8:22; 9:9; 16:24; 19:21; Mr 2:14; Lu 5:27; 9:59; Joh 1:43; 12:26 Joh 21:22 * I will. Eze 47:9,10; Mr 1:17,18; Lu 5:10,11; 1Co 9:20-22; 2Co 12:16   Laypersons as well as ordained persons are gifted and called by God to lead the Church.  The servant leadership of these persons is essential to the mission and ministry of congregations.  They help to form Christian disciples in covenant community within the local congregation through spiritual formation and guidance for Christian living in the world. -  Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church 2000, (Nashville: UMPH, 2000)  ¶132   This promise is linked with the earliest expression of the gospel call and suggests that the main work of the Christian in the world is to win others for Christ. - C.E. Graham Swift, New Bible Commentary (1954): Matthew, p. 778   Follow me was a command to be obeyed literally and figuratively. - R.E. Nixon, New Bible Commentary, Revised (1970):  Matthew, p. 822   To call men out from their ordinary way of life in order to prepare for the coming of God's kingdom. - Howard Clark Kee, Interpreter's One-Volume Commentary: Matthew, p. 614   ...The preaching of the gospel, the calling of all people to discipleship and ministry... today's readings, especially the gospel, put special emphasis on the universality of that mission. - Reginald H. Fuller, Preaching the Lectionary, p. 114   It belongs to the sacramental nature of ecclesial ministry that it have a personal character.  Although Christ's ministers act in communion with one another, they also always act in a personal way.  Each one is called personally:  "You, follow me" in order to be a personal witness within the common mission, to bear personal responsibility before him who gives the mission, acting "in his person" and for other persons:  "I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." -  Catechism of the Catholic Church, (Missouri: Liguori, 1994)  ¶878   Ministers are fishers of men, not to destroy them, but to save them, by bringing them into another element.  They must fish, not for wrath, wealth, honour, and preferment, to gain them to themselves, but for souls, to gain them to Christ.  They watch for your souls (Heb. 13:17), and seek not yours, but you (2 Cor. 12:14, 16).  It is Jesus Christ that makes them so;  I will make you fishers of men.  it is he that qualifies men for this work, calls them to it, authorizes them in it, and gives them sucess in it;  gives them commission to fish for souls, and wisdom to win them.  Those ministers are likely to have comfort in their work, who are thus made by Jesus Christ. - Matthew Henry, Commentary, Vol. 5, p. 43   Fish in the waters are as sinners in the world.  It is the preacher's art so to bait the hook of divine truth as that, with ready appetite, the sinner will receive it and be captured for salvation. (unknown)   This was not a call to peity, to religious devotion, in the sense of mere worship.  Understand that this was a call to toil, service, work. - Joseph Parker, People's Bible, Vol. 28, p.119   1599 Geneva Bible Notes (No comment on this verse)   - Adam Clarke, Commentary   Follow me] Come after me, . Receive my doctrines, imitate me in my conduct-in every respect be my disciples. We may observe that most of the calls of God to man are expressed in a few solemn words, which alarm, the conscience, and deeply impress the heart. I will make you fishers of men.] Ezekiel Eze 47:8-10, casts much light on this place; and to this prophet our Lord probably alludes. To follow Christ, and be admitted into a partnership of his ministry, is a great honour; but those only who are by himself fitted for it, God calls. Miserable are those who do not wait fur this call-who presume to take the name of fishers of men, and know not how to cast the net of the Divine word, because not brought to an acquaintance with the saving power of the God who bought them. Such persons, having only their secular interest in view, study not to catch men, but to catch money: and though, for charity's sake, it may be said of a pastor of this spirit, he does not enter the sheepfold as a thief, yet he certainly lives as a hireling. See Quesnel. Some teach to work, but have no hands to row; Some will be eyes, but have no light to see; Some will be guides, but have no feet to go; Some deaf, yet ears, some dumb, yet tongues will be; Dumb, deaf, lame, blind, and maimed, yet fishers all! Fit for no use but store an hospital. Fletcher's Piscatory Eclogues. Ec. iv. 5, 18. Following a person, in the Jewish phrase, signifies being his disciple or scholar. See a similar mode of speech, 2Ki 6:19.   Family Bible Notes   Fishers of men; the means of taking them out of the kingdom of Satan, and bringing them into the kingdom of Christ.   People's New Testament Commentary:    Follow me. Already disciples, they were now called to preparation for apostleship.   Robertson's Word Pictures:     Fishers of men (haleeis anthrôpôn). Andrew and Simon were fishers by trade. They had already become disciples of Jesus (Joh 1:35-42), but now they are called upon to leave their business and to follow Jesus in his travels and work. These two brothers promptly (eutheôs) accepted the call and challenge of Jesus.   Albert Barnes' Commentary:    Fishers of men. Ministers or preachers of the gospel, whose business it shall be to win souls to Christ. "fishers of men" Lu 5:10; 1Co 9:20-22; 2Co 12:16   Jamieson-Faussett Brown:  And he saith unto them, Follow me--rather, as the same expression is rendered in Mark, "Come ye after Me" (Mr 1:17). and I will make you fishers of men--raising them from a lower to a higher fishing, as David was from a lower to a higher feeding (Ps 78:70-72).   Spurgeon Commentary: (No comment on this verse)   William Burkitt's Notes: (No comment on this verse)   Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary: (No comment on this verse)   The Fourfold Gospel:  (No comment on this verse)

Sermons, Outlines, & Commentaries
Lanora Wright, Lectionary Topic Librarian

See also:  220.7 - Bible Commentaries; 251 - Homiletics;  252 - Sermon Texts

• Assorted  Resources

  • Keyword Search:

  • Preaching  -- Google - Catholic Encyclopedia - Overture

  • Healing  -- Google - Catholic Encyclopedia - Overture

  • Gospel  -- Google - Catholic Encyclopedia - Overture

  • Evangelism  -- Google - Catholic Encyclopedia - Overture

  • Gospel of the Kingdom  -- Google - Catholic Encyclopedia - Overture

  • Fishers of Men  -- Google - Catholic Encyclopedia - Overture

  • Call to Preach  -- Google - Catholic Encyclopedia - Overture

  • Divine Call   -- Google - Catholic Encyclopedia - Overture

  • Matthew 4:23  -- Google - Catholic Encyclopedia - Overture

  • Matthew 4:19  -- Google - Catholic Encyclopedia - Overture

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The United Methodist Church

 

 

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