matthew-4:17-22,-psalm-27:7-8-niv

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:12-22

Call of the fishermen. I. THE OCCASION OF THE CALL . Driven from Nazareth, our Lord repaired to the busy western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Through this district ran the great caravan-roads; and several important towns gathered all kinds of tradesmen. Herod the tetrarch had his court in Tiberias. The valuable fishings in the lake gave employment to many. Courtiers, soldiers, tax-gatherers, watching the caravans and fisheries, fishermen, women reputable and disreputable, filled... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:12-25

The beginning of our Lord's ministry. I. HE REMOVES TO CAPERNAUM . 1 . John was cast into prison. His ministry was ended; the Lord's begins. God continues his'servants' work; when one passes away, another takes his place; when the voice of one prophet is silenced, a greater follows, Each must work in faith while time is given; the work is not man's, but God's. He will fulfil it. His servants may seem to be laid aside and to be forgotten; he will carry on their work. He does not... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:17

The proclamation. From that time ; ἀπὸ τότε (elsewhere in the New Testament only Matthew 16:21 ; Matthew 26:16 ; Luke 16:16 ); i.e. from the time of his residence in Capernaum ( Matthew 4:13 ). Apparently our Lord, after the baptism, went to John ( vide supra , verse 1), then retired to Galilee, going first to Nazareth, then finally leaving it as his home for Capernaum. At Caper-nauru his public activity begins. From that time ; the phrase expresses not merely "at... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:17

The summons—to repent! It would appear that while first John the Baptist uttered the summons, "Repent ye," when announcing the advent of "the kingdom of heaven" ( Matthew 3:1 ), and while now Jesus himself does the same, the charge to utter it was not committed to "the twelve" ( Matthew 10:7 ), nor to "the seventy" ( Luke 10:9 ). The reason, perhaps, is this, that the work of these disciples was intentionally didactic rather than dogmatic for the present, while all the weight of the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:17

The common message of John and Jesus. Here is a fact of the records to which sufficient attention has not been given. Our Lord did not realize at once the individuality of his Messianic message. He began public labour by doing John's work and repeating's John's message. Both had this for their gospel, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Another remarkable fact needs to be noticed in this connection. When our Lord sent out his apostles on their trial-mission—a beginning of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:18

And Jesus, walking . Revised Version rightly omits "Jesus," and inserts "he" before "saw." The right reading does not detract so much from the emphatic statement of Matthew 4:17 . By the Sea of Galilee . His walk lay along the lake. Socin speaks of "the probability that there was a frequented road from the mouth of the Jordan skirting the bank of the lake." Two brethren, Simon … and Andrew his brother ; the addition, "his brother," emphasizing the relationship. Christ's coming would... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:18-22

The summons to help in his work: his first formal adherents. On the relation of this call to the meeting with Andrew and Peter, recorded in John 1:40-42 , vide especially Bishop Westcott there. That was "the establishment of a personal relationship;" this "a call to an official work." read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:18-22

"Fishers of men." Jesus was not content to preach the word and leave it to work unseen and uncared for. He desired to gather in a harvest of souls. His first effort in this direction was to form a little group of recognized and confessed disciples who should help him in his great work. Himself the supreme Fisher of men, he drew choice souls that he might fit them to undertake the same work in seeking for others, I. THE FISHERS . 1 . Their relationship. Brothers. Family union is... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:18-22

The call of Christ to his first disciples. In the light of what we read in John 1:38-42 , we may regard the present passage as giving the account of the formal and final call of the four disciples named Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Note may also be taken of the circumstance that these four were all fishers. Notice— I. THE CALL ITSELF IN THESE ORIGINAL EXAMPLES OF IT . And under this general head consider: 1 . What it is in the essential meaning of it. The... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:18-22

The ministerial vocation. The Sea of Galilee, on the shore of which Jesus walked, was an inland lake of about six miles broad and seventeen long. It was surrounded by a varied scenery of mountain and valley, amidst which were embosomed several populous villages and towns. Henceforth this region was destined to become the theatre of many a wonderful history. The history before us invites attention to a vocation, a voice, and persons called. I. THE VOCATION . 1 . The call was to... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:12-22

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:12-25

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:17

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:17

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:17

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:18

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:18-22

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:18-22

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:18-22

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:18-22

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