Mark 1:14<And after John was delivered up> Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the glad-message of God,26trans - Now after John was delivered up--ASV; And after John had been taken into custody--NASB; After John had been arrested--Neb; Jesus went to Galilee--Mof; ...the gospel of God--ASV; proclaiming...---NEB; ...the good news...--Wms; ...from God--Rieu;TRNTyeager447,8 - Mk.1:14 - "Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God."          CCmeta de to paradothanai ton Ioannan althen ho Iasous eis tan Galilaian karusson to euaggelion tou theouDD.    

CCMetaDD (preposition with the accusative of time extent).    

CCdeDD (explanatory conjunction).    

CCtoDD (acc. sing. neut. of the article in agreement with CCparadothCCeDDnaiDD, articular infinitive, time expression).    

CCtonDD (acc.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with          

CCICCoDDannCCeDDnDD).    

CCICCoDDannCCeDDnDD (acc.sing.masc.of CCICCoDDannCCeDDsDD, general reference).     

CCCCeDDlthenDD (3d.persing.aor.mid.ind.of CCerchomaiDD, constative).    

CChoDD d(nom.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with CCICCeDDsousDD).    

CCICCeDDsousDD (nom.sing.masc.of CCICCeDDsousDD, subject of CCCCeDDlthenDD).    

CCeisDD (preposition with the accusative of extent).    

CCtCCeDDnDD (acc.sing.fem.of the article in agreement with           CCGalilaianDD).    

CCGalilaianDD (acc.sing.fem.of CCGalilaiaDD, extent).     CCkCCeDDrussCCoDDnDD (pres.act.part.nom.sing.masc.of CCkCCeDDrussCCoDDnDD, adverbial, circumstantial).    

CCtoDD (acc.sing.neut.of the article in agreement with CCeuaggelionDD.     CCeuaggelionDD (acc.sing.neut.of CCeuaggelionDD, direct object of CCkCCeDDrussCCoDDnDD).    

CCtouDD (gen.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with CCtheouDD).     CCtheouDD (gen.sing.masc.of CCtheosDD, definition).         

Translation - "Now after John was arrested Jesus went into Galilee, preaching the good news of God."         

COMMENT: Note the articular infinitive in the accusative case after CCMetaDD in a temporal expression - "After John was arrested -" Mark does not tell us that John was also thrown into prison following his arrest, although we know from other passages that he was (Mt.14:3). John 3:24 is the chronological anchor point around which other related events are related and thus related to each other. Every,thing in John 1-3 happened CCbeforeDD our present point in time. Mark does not tell us how soon after John's arrest Jesus left of  Galilee. Cf.Mt.4:12 which is parallel. Also Lk.4:14.  The news that John was taken seems to have had something to do with Jesus' decision (Mt.4:12). Note that Matthew uses CCanachCCoDDreCCoDDDD, as Mark use CCCCeDDlthenDD and Luke CChupestrephenDD. Note also that Luke supuports the last clause of John 3:34 by saying that Jesus went back to Galilee CCen ta dunamei tou pneumatosDD - "by means (under the leadership) of the Spirit." Thus there is total cooperation among the personalities of the Godhead. The HS is directing the Incar,nate Son to do the will of the Father. Review again comment on Mt.4:12 and have a look at the meaning of CCanachCCoDDreCCoDDDD. Jesus, like a military commander  in the field, deploys His forces. This is His second trip to  Galilee after His immer,sion. We shall see that this trip took Him through Samaria (Jn.4:1-3).  We saw Him last (Jn.4:22) with His disciples (Philip and Nathanael) out in the Jordan countryside after His conversation with Nicodemus.  As Jesus walked along the road from northern Judea, through Samaria abnd into Galilee He continued to preach the good news from God - the divine gospel. The essence of this message which He spread along the path to Galilee is found in Jn.4:1-42. The best reading omits CCbasileiasDD. Metzger says, "The insertion of CCtCCeDDs basileiasDD was obviously made by copyists to bring the unusual Markan phrase into conformity with the much more frequently used expression "the kingdom of God". .. This fidelity to the better reading is no attack upon the sanctity of the text, since the phrase CCbasileia theouDD occurs in the next verse. Cf. Lk.3:19,20. J&D37 - TIME--April, A.D. 28. We shall consider the incidents in detail in a later section. Suffice to say here that there was a year and one half lapse of time between the temptation of Jesus and the imprisonment of John the Baptist. PLACE-- Probably Nazareth and Capernaum. Cf. Luke 4:14; also Luke 4:16-32; Matt. 4:12-17. PARALLEL ACCOUNTS--Read Matt. 4:12- 17; Luke 4:14, 15; John 4:1-3, 43-45. OUTLINE-- 1. Jesus preaches.  2. His message.  Mark omits the marriage at Cana--our Lord's first Passover--his discourse with Nicodemus and John's testimonies of him,--passing promptly to our Lord's public, official ministry.  Do not fail to note that Christ begins to preach when John ceases.  "Galilee." The light of his gospel was to spring up upon the borders of Zebulon and Naphtali. See Matt. 4:13. He would also go out of the jurisdiction of Herod, who had imprisoned John. Galilee was the northern division of Palestine, and was divided into Upper and Lower Galilee--the former called also "Galilee of the Gentiles."  "Preaching the gospel, etc." How beautifully Mark here describes our Lord's first preaching, as distinct from John's, which was under the law, and a mere heralding of something better to come. The substance of this discourse was the good tidings of the kingdom having come, as spoken of by Daniel, 2:44. And this is the very message which Isaiah sees the messenger publishing, as he comes with beautiful (or timely) feet upon the mountains, (Isa. 52:7) viz. the advent of the kingdom of God. Christ preached the "good news" of his kingdom of grace--the new dispensation in which he was to reign. They had other ideas of his kingdom, that it was temporal and consisted in earthly power and show.BW70 - Article. To Call Attention To a Proper Name. "... the Galilee". Cham171 - CLAUSES. The Infinitive in Temporal Clauses. 4. CCmeta toDD, 'after.' There are fifteen instances of this idiom: 'after John was delivered up.'Wuest27 - "Preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God." "Preaching" is CCkCCeDDrussCCoDDDD "making proclamation as a herald." The words "the kingdom of" are not in the best texts. "Gospel" is CCeuaggelionDD, "good news." "Of God" is subjective genitive, "the good news that comes from God."McGarvey267 - "after John was put in prison."--The imprisonment of John is the only event named in the gospels to fix the time when the Galilean ministry of Jesus began. (Comp. Mt. 4:12). An account of the imprisonment is given in Mark 6:17- 20.Barclay15,16 - (i) There is CCthe good newsDD. It was pre-eminently  good news that Jesus came to bring to men. If we follow the word CCeuaggelionDD, CCgood news, gospelDD through the new Testament we can see at least something of its content. (a) It is good news of CCtruthDD (Gal. 2:5; Col. 1:5). Until Jesus came, men could only guess and grope after God. "O that I knew where I might find Him," cried Job (Job 23:3). Marcus Aurelius said that the soul  can see but dimly, and the word he uses is the Greek word for seeing things through water. But with the coming of Jesus men see clearly what God is like. No longer do they need to guess and grope; they know. (b) It is good news of CChopeDD (Col. 1:23). The ancient world was a pessimis- tic world. Seneca talked of "our helplessness in necessary things." In their struggle for goodness men were defeated. The coming of Jesus brings hope to the hopeless heart. (c) It is good news of CCpeaceDD (Eph. 6:15). The penalty of being a man is to have a split personality. In human nature the beast and the angel are strangely intermingled. It is told that once Schopenhauer, the gloomy philosopher, was found wandering. He was asked, "Who are you?" "I wish you could tell me," he answered. Robert Burns said of himself, "My life reminded me of a ruined temple. What strength, what proportion in some parts! What unsightly gaps, what prostrate ruins in others!" Man's trouble has always been that the is haunted both by sin and goodness. The coming of Jesus unifies that disintegrated personality into one. He finds victory over his warring self by being conquered by Jesus Christ. (d) It is good news of God's CCpromiseDD (Eph. 3:6). It is true to say that men had always thought rather of a God of threats than a God of promises. All non- Christian religions think of a demanding God; only Christi- anity tells of a God who is more ready to give than we are to ask. (e) It is good news of CCimmortalityDD (II Tim. 1:10). To the pagan, life was the road to death; man was character- istically a dying man; but Jesus came with the good news that we are on the way to life and not to death. (f) It is good news of CCsalvationDD (Eph. 1:13). And that salvation is not merely a negative thing; it is also a positive thing. It is not simply liberation from penalty and escape from past sin; it is the power to live life victoriously and to con- quer sin. The message of Jesus is good news indeed. TCGTCcranfield61,2 - CCparadidCCoDDmiDD as a technical term in police and law-court jargon for "deliver up as a prisoner" is attested in papyri and inscriptions; but, since it simply means "to handover" and can be used in a wide variety of connections, in Greek usage generally it is normal to make clear by additional words in what particular sense it is being used. Mark's lack of explicitness here is possibly just careless writing, but more probably it is intentional. Either one or both of two possible considerations may have influenced him. On the one hand, the use here of a general term without any addition to make it explicit might suggest the parallel between the delivering up of John and the subsequent delivering up of Jesus, whereas the addition of CCeis phulakCCeDDnDD would only have obscured this, as Jesus was never imprisoned. On the other hand, the use of the general term, particularly in the passive, could suggest that behind the schemes and actions of men in relation to John CCGod'sDD purposing and doing were to be recognized. ......But note that CCeuaggelionDD is used in a slightly different sense here. Whereas in 1:1 it meant the publica,tion of the good news, here it means rather the content of the good news, the message.      

TLaToJTMedersheim(V.1)422 - The brief harvest in Samaria was, as Jesus had indicated to His disciples, in another sense also the beginning of sowing-time, or at least that when the green blade first appeared above ground. It formed the introduction to that Galilean ministry, when 'the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did at Jerusalem at the Feast' (Jn.4:45). Nay, in some respects, it was the real beginning of His Work also, which, viewed as separate and distinct, commenced when the Baptist was cast into prison. Accordingly, this circumstance is specially marked by Matthew (Mt.4:12), and by Mark (here), while beginning of Christ's sole and separate Work with the history of the Temptation (Lk.4:14).Mark 1:15[and saying]--  The season is fulfilled,  And the kingdom of God hath drawn near,--  Repent ye, and have faith in the glad-message.26trans - ...The season...--Rhm; saying, the time has come at last--Phi; The time is ripe--Wms; and the reign of God is near--Gspd; and God's kingdom of God has arrived--Phi; You must change your hearts and minds--Phi; let your hearts be turned from sin--Bas; Turn from your sins--Tay; ...in the gospel--ASV; ...this Good News--Wey; and put your trust in the Good News--Rieu;J&D38 - "The time, etc" The period mentioned by the prophets when Christ was to appear. The nation had expectations of the Messiah about this time. The seventy weeks of Daniel (or 490 years) were now accomplished. The time and place of our Lord's birth agreed with the interpretations of prophecy common among the Jews. "Repent ye, etc." - John preached repentance. So did Christ, but not with out the gospel as the burden of his preaching. He preached repentance and faith. They were commanded to turn from sin and from all their false views, and to embrace the gospel. TGr121 - The latter part of this verse should not be translated, "I believe in the gospel," but "in this gospel dispensation, you must repent and believe" ("believe, in the sphere of the gospel"--T237 and MT67).T75 - The present imperatives CCmetanoeiteDD and CCpisteueteDD mean "persevere in repentance and belief." TRNTyeager501,2,3 - Mk.1:15 - "And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of kGod is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."         

CCkai legon hoti Peplarotai ho kairos kai aggiken ha basileia tou theou. metanoeite kai pisteuete en to euaggelio.DD              

CCkaiDD (adjunctive conjunction, joining participles).    

CClegCCoDDnDD (pres.act.part.nom.sing.masc.of CClegCCoDDDD, adverbial, manner).    

CChotiDD (recitative).    

CCPeplCCeDDrCCoDDtaiDD (3d.per.sing.perf.pass.ind.of CCplCCeDDroCCoDDDD,      consummative).    

CChoDD (nom.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with CCkairosDD).    

CCkairosDD (nom.sing.masc.of CCkairosDD, subject of CCpeplCCeDDrCCoDDtaiDD).    

CCkaiDD (continuative conjunction).    

CCaggikenDD (3d.per.sing.perf.act.ind.of CCeggizCCoDDDD, consummative).    

CChCCeDDDD (nom.sing.fem.of the article in agreement with CCbasileiaDD).     CCbasileiaDD (nom.sing.fem.of CCbasileiaDD, subject of CCCCeDDggikenDD).     CCtouDD (gen.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with CCtheouDD).     CCtheouDD (gen.sing.masc.of CCtheosDD, definition).    

CCmetanoeiteDD (2d.per.pl.pres.act.impv.of CCmetanoeCCoDDDD, command).    

CCkaiDD (adjunctive conjunction, joining verbs).    

CCpisteueteDD (2d.per.pl.pres.act.impv.of CCpisteuCCoDDDD, command).    

CCenDD (preposition with the locative of sphere).    

CCtCCoDDDD (loc.sing.neut.of the article in agreement with CCeuaggeliCCoDDDD).   

CCeuaggeliCCoDDDD (loc.sing.neut.of CCeuaggelionDD, sphere). Translation - "...and saying, 'The time is up and the kingdom of God is here. Repent and believe in the good news.'"         

COMMENT: This is Jesus' second visit to Galilee since His baptism and temptation, as is clear when we look at Mk.1:14 and learn that this trip began CCafterDD John the Baptist was incarcerated. In His previous trip to Galilee He visited Cana, turned the water to wine and  then returned to Jerusalem for the next Passover, at which time He cleansed the temple for the first time, after which He had His visit with Nicodemus. Cf.#767 for CCkairosDD in the sense of an era or a dispensation. The time (CCkairosDD) which Jesus means here is the era in human history marked out by the beginning of God's promise to send Israel and the world at large a Messiah-Saviour, and ending with Messiah's presentation of Himself to the world in that capacity. Cf. Gal.4:4, where Paul uses CCchronosDD. We may also interpret: "The opportunity for you to be saved, long in preparation, has now been fulfilled and  the Kingdom of God is yours if you can qualify." How? Change your attitude and believe - this is the force of the two present imperatives CCmetanoeite kai pisteueteDD. CCen tCCoDD euaggeliCCoDDDD can be taken as an instrumental of means or of cause or as a locative of sphere. We have chosen the latter, although all three can apply. "Believe CCby means ofDD (because of) the good news" or "Believe CCbecause ofDD the good news" or "Believe the material CCin the sphere ofDD the good news." No damage is  done to the  interpretation and therefore no distortion of one's theology occurs  when we indulge in these hairsplitting exegetical exercises. In fact they provide good exercise for the beginner. It must be kept in mind that an appeal to the grammatical and syntactical forms of classical Greek is not valid since the NT writers were writing CCkoinCCeDDDD, not classical Greek. We need not accuse them of an  undue use of Hebraisms, as grammarians did before Winer, a century ago,  but we are justified in saying that the  Greek of the common people (CCkoinCCeDDDD)   which was used in  the homes, on the streets and in the business world, and which was the Greek of the NT, had  undergone an evolutionary development during the Hellenistic period, which began roughly with the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C.          While means and cause both make sense in Mk.1:15 it seems that the locative of sphere makes more sense and fits the context best. Jesus preached that they should repent and believe a specific bodfy of truth. There are many spheres of truth in which we believe certain relevant things. In  the sphere of modern athletics I may believe that the Yankees are going to win the pennant. In the sphere of politics I may give allegiance to one political party or to another. In the sphere of religion I believe in the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.            Some teach that it does not matter what we believe - in what sphere of theory we place our trust, as long as we are sincere in our belief. This passage denies this. We must believe the good news that relates to the person and work of the incarnate Son of God. The gospel is well defined in I Cor. 15:3-11. This passage spells out with clarity the minimum body of truth that must be accepted, insofar as we are able to understand it, if we are to be saved. No one can be saved if, after reflection, he rejects the essential deity of Jesus of Nazareth.          The woman at the well had believed CCen tCCoDD euaggeliCCoDDDD in this sense. Note that the gospel is all that we need if we are to repent and believe. If the Samaritans could be saved though no miracles were performed, could not also the Jews? This is why Jesus refused to perform miracles for the unbelieving Jews who had only a vulgar curiosity about the "stunts" which He might  perform for their amusement (Mt.12:38-42). This is why He stood in dignified silence before Herod (Lk.23:6-9).          Our passage is parallel to Mt.4:17. Note that Matthew reports that He preached CCha basileia ton ouranonDD (Mt.4:17) and Mark has it CCha basileia tou theouDD. Some dispensationalists have imagined a difference between the two and have proceded to build an empire on the fallacy. In these expressions both CCtou theouDD and CCtCCoDDn ouranCCoDDnDD can be either ablative or genitive - source from which if ablative and definition if genitive.  So the kingdom is both from God and Heaven (ablative) and is defined both as Godlike and heavenly (genitive). God in heaven is the source and sustainer of CChCCeDD basileiaDD and we may be sure that it reflects His character in the moral universe which He created.          Nor is it possible to make a case for the chronological distinction between the two for Jesus preached both CCand at the same timeDD. It is not far wrong to translate CChCCeDD basileia tou theouDD as "the sovereignty of God." God is sovereign over all that He created, whether in time or eternity, whether in Palestine, the convenant land, or elsewhere, whether in relation to the Jews as the physical seed of  Abraham or to the human race generally. Thus we have  the kingdom of God - CChCCeDD basileia tou theouDD. He is also sovereign in the program to fulfill His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and David, which promises involved the coming of Jesus as Messiah. That program - CChCCeDD basileia tCCoDDn ouranCCoDDnDD - is a component part of the kingdom of God - CChCCeDD basileia tou theouDD. The whole is greater than any of its components and includes them all.          Thus to say that when Jesus came preaching His first emphasis was upon the kingdom of the heavens and that He emphasized the kingdom of God only after He was rejected by Israel and that we get "church truth" only in the latter part of His ministry (indeed some teach that it comes only in the prison epistles of Paul) is to ignore the sacred text.           For CCpisteuCCoDDDD with CCenDD cf.Eph.1:13; Gal.3:26. The two imperatives put repentance and faith together. Note that Paul defines "the work of faith" - CCtou ergou tCCeDDs pisteCCoDDsDD (I Thess. 1:3) by saying that they "turned to God (faith) from idols (repentance) - CCepestrephate pros ton theon apo tCCoDDn eidCCoDDlCCoDDnDD - (I Thess.1:9). Thus we see that repentance and faith are heads and tails of the same coin. Faith is impos,sible without repentance, since faith involves a shift from a CCpoustoDD within  the universe while faith gives us a CCpou stoDD - "point of reference") outside it. Repentance without faith is despair. Faith without repentance is presumption.           It will be noted from the account in Mt.4:12-17 (which study carefully) that Jesus stopped at Nazareth on His way to Capernaum (Mt.4:13). While there in  Nazareth He fulfilled the Isaiah 9 prophecy (cf.Mt.4:14-16). Now note that Mr.4:17 says CCapo tote CCeDDrxato ho ICCeDDsous CCeDDrusseinDD...k.t.l." This is parallel to Mk.1:15. This matching of scripture sheds light on CCkairosDD in Mk.1:15. For during His visit in  Nazareth (Lk.4:16-30) He  cited Isa.61:1-2 and said "This day is the scripture fulfilled in your ears." NTChendriksen55,6 - A new section of Mark's Gospel begins here. Between Christ's baptism and temptation, one the one hand (1:9-13), and his arrival in Galilee, recorded here in vs.14, on the other, there may well have been a time interval of about a year. But though thus separated in time from the earlier events reported by Mark, yet what the evangelist is about to report is closely related in thought to that which precedes. The preparation for, and inauguration of, the work which the Father had given his Son to do is ended. The beginning has been accomplished. Having been introduced to Israel by the herald, John the Baptist, Jesus by means of the baptism which he himself requested has reaffirmed his decision to take upon himself the sin of the world. Moreover, he has proved himself worthy, for in the wilderness he has triumphed over Satan. He has done this as his people's representative, the last Adam, succeeding where the first Adam failed. Therefore nothing can now prevent him from carrying forward the task assigned to, and voluntarily assumed by him.           The time of Christ's departure from Judea to Galilee (see John 4:1-3, 43) had something to do with the imprisonment of John the Baptist. When John had been taken into custody (Mark 1:14), and the Pharisees, with headquarters in Jerusalem, had heard that Jesus was gaining and, through his disciples, was baptizing more disciples than John, the Master left Judea and started on his way to Galilee. He was aware of the fact that his own great popularity in the country region of Judea would bring about such keen resentment on the part of the religious leaders of the Jews that in the natural course of events this hatred would lead to a premature crisis. As soon as the appropriate moment for his death would arrive Jesus would voluntarily lay down his life (John 10:11, 14, 15, 18; 13:1). He was going to do this CCthenDD, but not before then. Besides, Galilee, too, has lost sheep that must be brought into the fold.           So Jesus came into Galilee "preaching the gospel of God," that is, heralding or proclaiming the good tidings of salvation as God's free gift to men, a salvation which from start to finish is God's work. To be sure, all of God's true servants tell the story, but God (in Christ) saw to it that there was a story to tell. It was he who provided the way of salvation, apart from which all men would have been everlastingly lost. This good news is therefore in truth "the gospel CCof GodDD." What could be a better commentary than the following series of passages: John 3:16; Rom. 8:3, 32; II Cor. 5:20, 21; Gal. 4:4, 5; Eph. 2:8-10; Titus 3:4-7?Wuest27,8 - "Time" is CCkairosDD, referring to a particular time marked by an epochal event, not CCchronosDD, time as such. The older order was giving place to a new one, the dispensation of law to the announcement of the good news of God as later defined, the Kingdom of Heaven, namely, the Messianic earth- rule of Messiah. But that rejected by Israel, the gospel of grace and the Age of Grace would be brought in, with the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ functioning in the interim between the rejection of Israel and its dispersion A.D. 70, and its regathering for the Millennial Kingdom (?). It is like Paul's "The fulness of times" of Galatians 4:4.          "Is fulfilled," perfect passive, "has been fulfilled, with the present result that the time is ripe," signifying that the change over is near at hand.           The kingdom of God is defined as God's rule over all moral intelligences willingly subject to His will, including the holy angels, and all believers of all ages. The kingdom  was announced as at hand in that events were at that time moving towards a speedy and final conclusion. The Age of Grace and the Millennial Kingdom would be followed by a perfect earth with the saved of the human race dwelling upon it for all eternity. This will be the answer of our Lord's prayer, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."          Translation. "And after John was put in prision, Jesus came into Galilee, making a public proclamation of the good news of God and saying, The time has been fulfilled with the present result that the present moment is epochal in its significance, and the kingdom of God is near. Be having a change of mind regarding your former life, and be putting your faith in this good news."McGarvey267,8 - "The time is  fulfilled."--The time fixed in the writings of the prophets and in the purpose of God., for the long expected Messiah to make his appearance, and for the kingdom of heaven to be at hand.          "repent ye, and believe."--Jesus was preaching to persons who already believed in the true God, and in the revelation which God had already made, and his object, at this stage of his ministry, like that of John, was to bring them to repentance as a preparation for faith in himself and his kingdom. This accounts for the order in which repentance and faith are here mentioned. To repent toward the God in whom they already believed, but whose revealed will they were violating, naturally and properly took precedence over believing in him whom God was about to reveal. it was not a necessary order, for some who had not repented toward God, might have been induced to believe in Jesus; but it was the more practicable order, and it enabled Jesus to begin his argument on common ground with his hearers. At the same time, a penitent state of heart was the best possible preparation for considering favorably the claims of Jesus, and for ready faith in him. Barclay17 - (ii) There is the word CCrepentDD. Now repentance is not so easy as sometimes we think. The Greek word CCmetanoiaDD literally means CCa change of mindDD. We are very apt to confuse two things--sorrow for the consequences of sin, and sorrow for sin. There is many a man who is desperately sorry because of the mess that sin has got him into, but that man very well knows that, if he could be reasonably sure that he could escape the consequences, he would do the same thing again. It is not the sin that he hates; it the consequences of the sin. But real repentance means that a man has come, not only to be sorry for the consequences of his sin, but to hate sin itself. Long ago that wise, old writer, Montaigne, wrote in his autobiography, "Children should be taught to hate vice for its own texture, so that they will not only avoid it in action, but abominate it in their hearts--that the very thought of it may disgust them whatever form it takes." Repentance means that the man who was in love with sin comes to hate sin because of its exceeding sinfulness.          (iii) There is the word CCbelieveDD. "Believe," says Jesus, in the good news." To believe in the good news simply means to take Jesus at His word, to believe that God is the kind of God that Jesus told us about, to believe that God so loves the world that He will make any sacrifice to bring us back to Himself, to believe that what sounds too good to be true is really true.NTChendriksen56,7,8 - "...and saying, The time is fulfilled...." Cf. Gal. 4:4; Eph. 1:10. The appropriate season or golden opportunity [Note, "Fulfilled (is) the CCkairosDD." In distinction from CCchronos, kairosDD here views CCtimeDD from the aspect of the opportunity it provides, and not simply as a change from the past into the present into the future, not mere CCdurationDD.] for the fulfilment of God's redemptive promises and along with it for the promulgation of the gospel had arrived. The hour for the realization of Isa. 9:1,2 had struck. Hence, Jesus continues: "and the kingdom of God is at hand." Note "kingdom CCof GodDD," or simply "CCthe kingdomDD" (when the context makes clear that what is meant is "the kingdom of heaven or of God") CCindicate God's kingship, rule or sovereigntyDD, recognized in the hearts and operative in the lives of his people, and effecting their CCcomplete salvationDD, their constitution as a CCchurchDD, and finally a CCredeemed universeDD. Note especially the four concepts:          a. God's kingship, rule, or recognized sovereignty. That may be the meaning in Luke 17:21, "The Kingdom of God is within you," and is the meaning in Matt. 6:10, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done...."          b. Complete salvation, i.e., all the spiritual and material blessings--that is, blessings for soul and body-- which result when God is King in our hearts, recognized and obeyed as such. That is the meaning, according to the context, in Mark 10:25, 26, "It is easier...than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. And they...said, "Then who can be saved?"          c. The church: the community of men in whose hearts God is recognized as King. Kingdom of God and church when used in this sense are nearly equivalent. This is the meaning in Matt. 16:18, 19, "...and upon this rock will I build my church...I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven."          d. The redeemed universe: the new heaven and earth with all their glory; something still future: the final realization of God's saving power. Thus in Matt. 25:34, "... inherit the kingdom prepared for you...."          These four meanings are not separate and unrelated. They all proceed from the central idea of the reign of God, his supremacy in the sphere of saving power. The CCkingdomDD or CCkingshipDD (the Greek word has both meanings) of heaven is like a gradually developing mustard seed; hence, both present and future (Mark 4:26-29). It is present; study Matt. 5:3; 12:28; 19:14; Mark 10:15; 12:34; Luke 7:28; 17:20, 21; John 3:3-5; 18:36. It is future; study Matt. 7:21, 22; 25:34; 26:29.          Jesus spoke of the work of salvation as the kingdom or reign of heaven in order to indicate the supernatural character, origin, and purpose of our salvation. Our salvation begins in heaven and should redound to the glory of the Father in heaven. Hence, by using this term Christ defended the truth, so precious to all believers, that everything is subservient to God's glory.           Accordingly, when Jesus says, "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand" an excellent commentary would be Matt. 4:14-16; 11:4, 5; Luke 4:18-21. It is understandable that Jesus says "is at hand," for when these words were spoken Christ's work of preaching, teaching, and healing in and around Galilee was only just beginning.           Jesus continues: "be converted and believe the gospel." Compare "Be converted, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," spoken by the Baptist (Mt. 3:2; see also Mk. 1:4), with "The kingdom of God is at hand; be converted...," spoken by Jesus. The meaning is the same. In fact, in Matthew's Gospel the identical words are ascribed to both John (3:2) and Jesus (4:17). Basically, therefore, their gospel was the same. John was a true way-preparer.          Though the rendering found in many of our translations, namely, "Repent," which stresses only the negative aspect of the required change, is probably not the best, repentance is definitely demanded. Genuine sorrow for sin and an earnest resolution to break with the evil past is at times even emphasized (Luke 3:13-14). But the word used in the original looks forward as well as backward [CCmetanoeiteDD, sec. per. pl. present imperative of CCmetanoeCCoDDDD. The verb occurs five times in Matthew (3:2; 4:17; 11:20-21; 12:41), twice in Mark (1:15; 6:12), nine times in Luke, five times in Acts, once in II Cor. (12:21), and eleven times in the book of Revelation. The cognate noun CCmetanoiaDD is also fo frequent occurrence, beginning with Matt. 3:8, 11.]. It means "Be converted," "undergo a radical change of heart and life, a complete turnabout of life. The positive side of conversion is given further emphasis in the added words "and believe the gospel." [I do not accept Lenski's reasoning that because CCpisteueteDD follows CCmetanoeiteDD, the latter refers only to contrition. A word is not so easily deprived of its basic meaning. The addition of CCpisteueteDD is for the sake of  emphasis on the positive aspect of CCmetanoiaDD.] Such believing or faith implies knowledge, assent, and confidence. In the language of the Heidelberg Catechis, "True faith is not only a sure knowledge, whereby I hold for truth all that God has revealed to us in his Word, but also a firm confidence which the Holy Spirit works in my heart by the gospel, that not only to others, but to me also, remission of sins, everlasting righteousness and slavation are freely given by God, merely of grace, only for the sake of Christ's merits." A person accepts a message when he acts upon it. TCGTCcranfield62,3,4,5,6,7,8 - CChotiDD here is CCrecitativumDD, i.e. it introduces a quotation, so is equivalent to inverted commas.          CCpeplCCeDDrCCoDDtaiDD. Cf. Gen. 25:24; 29:21, etc. in the LXX, where the same verb is used, and Gal. 4:4, and also Luke 1:57; 2:6, where a different verb meaning "fill," fulfil," is used. The form of expression is common in the OT, the Hebrew verb being CCmaleDD. The idea is that of "the completion of a fixed period of time": where we think of the point of time at which a particular event is to happen, "the Hebrews thought of the space of time which must elapse before something happened." So the meaning here is that the CCkairosDD has come.          CCho kairosDD. In ordinary Greek the word denotes the favourable time for a particular undertaking, so "opportunity." In the LXX it most often represents Hebrew CCetDD, and the idea of the right time or decisive time being determined by God is prominent. So in Dan. 7:22 the LXX has CCkai ho kairos edothCCeDDDD (sc. by God). In Ezek. 7:12 (and often elsewhere) it is the time of God's judgement. In the NT use of the word the thought of determination by God is more than ever important. It is God's decision that makes a particular moment or period of time in a CCkairosDD, a time filled with significance. So here the meaning of the sentence is that the time appointed by God for the fulfilment of his promises, the time to which the OT was pointing, the eschatological time, has come. Cf. Lk. 4:21. The exact nuance of CCkairosDD here is given by the words which follow....          CChCCeDD basileia tou theouDD. When Jesus preached about the kingdom of God, he did not have to begin by telling his hearers that there was such a thing. He could assume that they had already heard about it. "Kingdom of God" in the teaching of Jesus has an OT and Rabbinic background.          The kingship (root CCmlkDD) of God is thought of in two main ways in the OT: (i) God is thought of as being even now the King of Israel (e.g. I Sam. 12:12; Isa. 41:21; 43:15; Jer. 8:19) and of the whole world (e.g. Jer. 10:7; Mal. 1:14; Ps.145:11-13; I Chron. 29:11f). But the men of the OT were conscious of very many thing which seemed to contradict the statement that God was king. Even his rule over his own people Israel was called in question by their disobedience and disloyalty. So we get (ii) the other main class of passages, in which the divine kingship is referred to in terms of expectation and hope, as something yet to be rea,lized (e.g. Isa. 24:23; 52:7; Obad. 21; Zeph. 3:15; Zech. 14:9).          But these two ways of thinking are, of course, not mutually exclusive watertight compartments. Nor can we put every reference into one or the other class securely. Rather the reference into one or the other class securely. Rather the two ways of thinking about God's kingship intermingle and now one, now the other, predominates. When the Hebrew thought in the second way he was after all looking forward to the time when God would make manifest and unambiguous that kingship which he knew was all the time a reality. But it was natural, especially in the times of frustration and suffering, that attention should be directed increasingly to this future manifestation of God's rule (which was, besides, the more exciting thought), and that there should be a ten- dency to understand in a more and more eschatological way passages in which the eschatological way of thinking had not originally been predominant.           When we turn to the Rabbinic background, while the gen- eral picture is the same, there are some special features that are important for our present purpose:          (i) The use of the expression "kingdom of heaven" (Heb.      CCmalkut samayimDD; Aram. CCmalkuta dismayyaDD). About this two things are to be noted. First, that "heaven" is used to avoid mentioning the divine Name; so in the gospels the Mat- thaean "kingdom of heaven" is the more Jewish form, and therefore likely to be what Jesus used. Secondly, that "kingdom" here reflects the tendency in late Judaism to avoid using verbal expressions of God and to use abstract nouns instead (so the Targum of Onkelos substitues for "the Lord shall reign" in Ex. 15:18, "God's kingdom stands firm"). So the phrase CCbasileia tou theouDD in the Gospels means not the area or the people over which God reigns, but simply God's rule, his acting as king.           (ii) The references to the kingdom's "being revealed" (Aram. CCgly, gl'DD), which express vividly the meaning of the eschatological thought of the kingship of God. At present God's rule is in a real sense hidden; but it is to become manifest and unambiguous (cf. Lk. 19:11: CCanaphainesthaiDD).          (iii) The references to "receiving" (and "throwing off") "the kingdom" (or "the yoke of the kingdom") "of heaven". It is because God's rule is at present hidden that men are in a position to decide whether they will receive or reject it; and the fact that the day is coming when it will be made manifest makes that decision a matter of urgency.           Jesus shares with the OT and with later Judaism the conviction that God is even now "the great King" (Mt. 5:35), the "Lord of heaven and earth" (Mt. 11:25), without whom not even a sparrow can fall to the ground (Mt. 10:29); but, when he preaches about the kingdom of God, it is to the eschatological CCmalkut samayimDD, the kingdom of God in the sense of the decisive manifestation of God's kingship, that he refers. We may now indicate briefly some of the main points about the kingdom which emerge from Jesus' teaching.           (i) It has come near (in this verse CCCCeDDggikenDD, on which see below); it has come upon those to whom he is speaking (Mt. 12:28 = Lk. 11:20); it is in their midst (Lk. 17:21). That which for the OT was in the future, the object of hope, is now present.          (ii) Yet, paradoxically, Jesus can still speak about it as future. His disciples are to pray, "Thy kingdom come" (Mt. 6:10); he "will not drink from henceforth of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come" (Lk. 22:18).          (iii) It is intimately connected with his own person. it is in his activity that it has come upon his contemporaries (Mt. 12:28 = Lk. 11:20); it is because he is in their midst that it is in their midst (Lk. 17:21). It is in his words and works and person that the kingdom has come. In fact, we may actually go so far as to say that the kingdom of God CCisDD Jesus and that he CCisDD the kingdom. ... and the words of Origen, CCComment. in Matt.DD Tom. 14:7, on Mt. 18:23: "As he is the wisdom itself and the righteousness itself and the truth itself, so maybe he is also the kingdom itself (CCautobasileiaDD)...and, if you ask how the kingdom of heaven is theirs, you can say that Christ is theirs.") he is himself the fulfilment of God's promises, God's royal intervention in judgement and mercy. The fact that the kingdom of God is, for the evangelists, identical with Jesus himself is indicated by the way in which a reference to Jesus himself is indicated by the way in which a reference to Jesus may be parallel to a reference to the kingdom (e.g. Mk. 10:29 = Mt. 19:29 = Lk. 18:29; Mk. 9:1 = Mt. 16:28). Here we have the key to the problem how (i) and (ii) can be reconciled. The kingdom has both come and is still to come, because Jesus has come and is to come again. The prayer of Mt. 6:10 is equivalent to "Marana tha" (I Cor. 16:22) and "Come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20).          (iv) If what has just been said is true, then we must be chary of explaining the contrast between the kingdom already come with Jesus and the kingdom still to come in terms of a contrast between partial and complete. It is rather a contrast bwtween veiled and manifest. The kingdom in its fulness came in Christ, for he came really and fully. What the Church now awaits is not something more complete that Christ himself, but rather Christ manifest and in glory. But this contrast between hidden and revealed is not the same as that which we have already seen above between the two senses of God's kingship in the OT and Judaism; for in Christ God did manifest his kingdom, did intervene deci- sively, but it was a "veiled manifestation"; he revealed his kingdom, not in such a way as to make assent unavoidable, but in a way that still left room for men to make a personal decision. (On this see further on 4:11f and 4:21).          (v) The future coming of the kingdom is (in some sense) imminent. On this see further on 13:28ff.          (vi) From what has already been said it should be plain that the identification of the kingdom of God with the Chruch made by Augustine, which has become deeply rooted in Christian thinking, is not true to the teaching of Jesus.          (vii) Finally, it is instructive to notice the variety of terms by which men's relation to the kingdom is indicated. It is first of all God's gift (Lk. 12:32; Mt. 21:43). Of men it is said that they receive it (Mk. 10:15 = Lk. 18:17), wait for it (Mk. 15:43 = Lk. 23:51), inherit it (Mt. 25:34), enter it (Mt. 5:20; 7:21; 18:3; par., 19:23f. par., 23:13; Mk. 9:47; Mt. 21:31). It is also said that the kingdom belongs to certain people (Mt. 5:3, 10; Mk. 10:14). Men are summoned to seek it (Lk. 12:31 = Mt. 6:33), to strive to enter it (Lk. 13:24: cf. Mt. 7:14 which speaks of the gate and the way to life, a synonym for the kingdom); the rich young ruler is told to sell all and give to the poor in order to enter it (Mk. 10:17ff.). No sacrifice is too costly in order to win it (Mt. 13:44-46; Mk. 9:47).         

The meaning of CCCCeDDggikenDD has been much discussed (see R.H.Fuller, CCThe Mission and Message of JesusDD (London, 1954), pp. 20-5;... The linguistic objections to Dodd's proposal to translate it "has come" are strong. It is better to translate "has come near". But it does not follow that we must therefore understand this in the sense of "is imminent". Fuller notes that of the thirty-five times that CCeggizCCoDDDD occurs in the NT (apart from the times it refers to the kingdom of God) it is used twenty-four times in a spatial sense. He then says: "It is the remaining occurrences referring to time which interest us here." But it is unwise to brush aside the majority of the occurrences in this way. In both the other occurrences of the verb in Mk. 11:1; 14:42) it is strictly spatial; and it is better here too to understand "has come near" in a spatial rather than a temporal sense. The kingdom of God has come close to men in the person of Jesus, and in his person it actually confronts them. (Cf. 12:34.) Thus the verb is given its natural meaning, "come near", and at the same time full justice is done to the theological truth which Dodd's translation expresses.         

CCpisteuete en tCCoDD euaggeliCCoDDDD. The only clear example of CCpisteuein enDD in the NT (Jn. 3:15; Eph. 1:13 are probably to be explained otherwise). Probably a Semitism. It occurs in the LXX (though in nearly every place there is a CCv.l.DD omitting the CCenDD) and there it is clearly imitation of the Hebrew CChe' min bDD.--They are to believe the good news that the hoped for kingdom of God has come near.  Mark 1:16And <passing by near the sea of Galilee> he saw Simon, and Andrew the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea,--for they were fishers;26trans - And passing along by...--ASV; As he was passing along the shore of the Sea of Galilee--Gspd; ...and Andrew the brother of Simon--ASV; at work with a casting-net--NEB; about to drop a large net into the water--Nor; casting a net (to and fro) in the sea--Amp; for they were fishermen--RSV; TRNTyeager541,2,3 - Mk.1:16 - "Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers."         

CCkai paragon para tan thalassan tas Galilaias eiden Simona kai Andrean ton adelphon Simonos amphiballontas en ta thalassa, asan gar alieis.DD    

CCKaiDD (continuative conjunction).    

CCparagCCoDDnDD (pres.act.part.nom.sing.masc.of CCparagCCoDDDD, adverbial, temporal).    

CCparaDD (preposition with the accusative - "alongside of").    

CCtCCeDDnDD (acc.sing.fem.of the article in agreement with          

CCthalassanDDf).    

CCthalassanDD (acc.sing.fem.of CCthalassaDD, "alongside of").    

CCtCCeDDsDD (gen.sing.fem.of the article in agreement with CCGalilaiasDD).    

CCGalilaiasDD (gen.sing.fem.of CCGalilaiaDD, definition).    

CCeidenDD (3d.per.sing.aor.act.ind.of CChoraCCoDDDD, constative).    

CCSimCCoDDnaDD (acc.sing.masc.of CCSimCCoDDnDD, direct object of CCeidenDD).    

CCkaiDD (adjunctive conjunction, joining nouns).    

CCAndreanDD (acc.sing.masc.of CCAndreasDD, direct object of CCeidenDD).    

CCtonDD (acc.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with CCadelphonDD).    

CCadelphonDD (acc.sing.masc.of CCadelphosDD, apposition).    

CCSimCCoDDnosDD (gen.sing.masc.of CCSimCCoDDnDD, relationship).    

CCamphiballontasDD (pres.act.part.acc.pl.masc.of CCfamphiballCCoDDDD, adverbial, circumstantial).    

CCenDD (preposition with the locative of place where).    

CCtCCeDDDD (loc.sing.fem.of the article in agreement with CCthalassCCeDDDD).     CCthalassCCeDDDD (loc.sing.fem.of CCthalassaDD, place where).     CCCCeDDsanDD (3d.per.pl.imp.ind.of CCeimiDD, progressive description).     CCgarDD (causal conjunction).   

CChaleeisDD (nom.pl.masc.of CChalieusDD, predicate nominative).          Translation - "And as He was walking along beside the Sea of Galilee He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon casting a net about in the sea because they were fishermen."         

COMMENT: As we resume an investigation of Mark's  ac,count we remember that we left Jesus in Judea.  The time is shortly after John the Baptism was incarcerated. Jesus left Judea, having finished His second visit to Jerusalem (His first having been His introduction to Israel at His baptism and temptation), and travelled north into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God and announcing that the kingdom of God was at hand. He accompanied this announcement with His call to repentance and faith in the good news of the gospel (Mk.1:14,15). Mark omits Jesus' visit to Samaria and His subsequent visit to  Nazareth which we have just studied (Jn.4:4-42; Lk.4:16-30). Mark does not deny that these events occurred. He only fails to mention them. It is the student's privilege, under the guidance of the HS, the Divine Author of the NT, to match scripture with scripture and discover the chronological order of the events. We have already noted that at this time (after Nazareth and the episode in the synagogue) Jesus had only two of His twelve disciples. They were Philip and Nathanael. Now that Jesus is back in  Capernaum for His second visit (cf.John 2:12 for His first) He is about to select four more disciples, viz. Simon and Andrew, James and John. It will also be remembered that He had met Simon and Andrew on a previous occasion, although He did not call them to follow Him at that time (John 1:35-42). He may also have met John who may have been the unnamed man of John 1:40. We cannot dogmatize about this. It is an intyeresting conjecture, which is not really important since it raises no crucial theological issues.          Simon and Andrew were fishing near their home town, Bethsaida (John 1:44). This was also Phillip's city.  The full details of the formal call of Simon and Andrew to discipleship are recorded in Lk.5:1-11, which see CCinfra. Cf.DD also Mt.4:13-22. Note that Matthew uses CCeis tCCeDDn thalassanDD and Mark says CCen tCCeDD thalassCCeDDDD for the same expression. Both are correct and we see how CCeisDD and the accusative interchages with CCenDD and the locative to denote place where. We will reserve the fuller comment for Lk. 5:1-11. J&D39,40 - TIME--April, A.D. 28; PLACE--Along the sea of Galilee near Capernaum.; PARALLEL ACCOUNTS--Read Matt. 4:18-22; Luke 5:1-11. OUTLINE-- 1.The  place and persons of the call of the master vs.16.  2. The call to man-fishing vs.17.  3.The immediate response vs.18.  4.Two more to answer the call. vs.19.  5. They left the nets to others and they went after him. vs.20.  Observe the Harmony. The fact of our Lord's first gaining disciples when John first points him out to two of his followers, is recorded in John 1:25-35. Simon and Andrew were then first made acquainted with Christ, and this explains their prompt compliance here. After their first call, they had continued in their worldly business. This is the further call to attend upon Christ in his ministry, leaving all and following him wheresoever he went. There is still a further call to the Apostleship, with ordination, ch. 3:14. The accounts in Matthew and Mark are almost in the same words. Luke is more full, and gives us the narrative of a miracle which Christ wrought at this time  which throws light upon Mark's more brief statement here. It is worthy of note, that this miracle, so full of meaning, was twice wrought by our Lord; both now, when he called them to their work, and at the last, when he was about to leave them. (John 21:6). And in both cases, he would show by it how he could and would make their work successful. See Eze. 47:10; Jer. 16:16. He who could make them from "fishermen" to become "fishers of men", could make them catch men in their new work as easily and abundantly as now he could make them catch fish. So our Lord uses the figure of a net (Matt. 13:41).Cham132 - CCamphiDD, the primary meaning, 'on both sides,' is seen in the following verbal compounds: CCamphiballCCoDDDD, 'I cast on both sides';Ear110,11 - Sea or Lake? The Greek word is CCthalassaDD. It occurs 92 times in the NT and is always translated "sea" in the KJV. This is correct in many places. But most of the 17 times it occurs in Matthew and the 19 times it occurs in Mark the reference is to the Sea of Galilee. This is hardly a "sea" in modern terminology, for it is only about 13 miles long and 7 miles wide. Also, since it has an inlet and an outlet it is more properly a lake. Thus the translation here and in most places in Matthew and Mark should be "lake." Luke, who was used to traveling the Mediterranean Sea, uses for the smaller body of water CClimnCCeDDDD, which specifically means "lake." In Revelation CCthalassaDD is used for the oceans in general, and so is correctly translated "sea" (26 times). The use of CCthalassaDD for "lake" is labeled by A&G a "Semitic usage". Without question "lake" communicates a more accurate picture to the reader today but the expression "Sea of Galilee" is retained by the NIV as being the traditional name. Wuest28 - "Walked by the sea." "By" is CCparaDD "alongside." Mark uses this preposition twice here, drawing a realistic picture of Messiah walking along the seashore, near the edge of the water. That was the best way He could reach the men He was after, and whom He had observed often and studied carefully, preparatory to making His choice of disciples. When God looks for someone to use in a special mission, He looks for the person who is already busy, the energetic individual. "Casting a net," CCamphiballCCoDD, ballCCoDDDD "to throw" and CCamphiDD "on both sides," thus, "to throw around, to cast to and fro, now to one side and now to the other." This refers to fishing with a net, making a cast and then a haul.          Translation: "And while He was walking along the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon, casting about their net in the sea; for they were fishermen."McGarvey268 - vs.16-20. This paragraph is almost identical with the parallel in Matthew, differing from it chiefly in some forms of expression, which show that Mark did not copy from Matthew. The human sources of information enjoyed by the two must have been the same.NTChendriksen58,9,60 - The wonderful gospel of the kingdom was not intended only for the men living during the time of Christ's earthly ministry. It was intended for the ages. It is not at all surprising, therefore, that at the very beginning of his ministry Jesus chose men who, by means of their testimony both oral and written, would perpetuate his work and proclaim his message. For a teacher to have not only a general audience but also a band of CCclose companionsDD or CCdisciplesDD was nothing new. Did not Socrates have disciples? Did not John the Baptist? The Pharisees? The rabbis? Christ's disciples were to become the links between himself and his church. Think, for example, of the importance of such men as Matthew, John, and Peter in the formation of the Gospels, which are our chief sources of information about Jesus Christ. Accordingly, while he was passing along the Sea of Galilee Jesus invites certain men to come to him.          It must be understood, however, that the call which Jesus extended to the four men mentioned here in Mark 1:18- 22 was not the first one they received. A year earlier Andrew and an unnamed disciple, in all likelihood John, had been invited to "come and see" where Jesus lived and had become his spiritual followers. Andrew had brought his brother Simon to Jesus. John had probably rendered the same service to his own brother James. See NTC on John 1:35-41. So now, according to Mark 1:16-20, about a year later these same four disciples become the Lord's more steady companions, and are made more conscious than ever of the fact that they are being trained for apostleship, that is, for becoming "fishers of men."  The men who were chosen by Jesus to be his immediate companions needed to be trained for apostleship. Simon the fickle must become Peter the rock. Something similar was true with respect to all. When we first meet these men, and to a certain extent even much later, they manifest lack of deep spiritual penetration (Mark 4:10, 13; 8:4, 16-21, 32, 33; 9:10-13; 10:10, 24-27); of fervent sympathy (6:35, 36; 10:13, 14); of profound humility (9:33, 34); of the gladly forgiving spirit (10:41); of persevering prayerfulness (9:28, 29); and of an unflinching courage (14:50, 66-72). Nevertheless, on their part it required a degree of courage to become Christ's followers and thereby face the opposition of many, including the religious leaders. ... In this connection one fact must not be ignored. CCTheirDD decision to side with Jesus exhibits CChisDD greatness: the impelling force of his influence over the minds and hearts of men, so that when he calls they follow immediately. The breadth of his sympathy and the magnitude of his power are also shown here. Is it not marvelous that he was willing and able to take such common folk, four fishermen, etc., unschooled individuals, and, in spite of all their prejudices and superstitions, to transform them into instruments for the salvation of many; to make them leaders who, by means of their testimonies, would turn the world upside down? The four mentioned in vs. 16-20 are: Peter, the impetuous (Matt. 14:28-33; Mark 8:32; 14:29- 31, 47; John 18:10), who becomes the leader of The Twelve, and is mentioned first in every list of apostles (Matt. 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; and Acts 1:13). Peter's brother Andrew, who is always bringing people to Jesus (John 1:40-42; 6:8-9, cf. Matt. 14:18; John 12:22).         

Zebedee's son James, the first of The Twelve to wear the martyr's crown (Acts 12:1-2).         

His brother John, who is called "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23; 19:26; etc.). To be sure, the Lord loved all "his own" very intensely (John 13:1-2), but between Jesus and John the tie of attachment and understanding was the tenderest.           A few more details now on vs.16-18. Jesus passing along the Sea of Galilee, saw two men, Simon and his brother Andrew, throwing a casting-net into the sea. When such a net is cast over the shoulder it will spread out, forming a circle as it strikes the water. Then, because of the pieces of lead attached to it, it will quickly sink, capturing the fish underneath. These two brothers, then, were engaged in their daily occupation, for they were fishermen. "They were fishermen." This is the type of people the Lord chooses in order that they may become the foundation of his church (Rev. 21:14, 19, 20). By worldly standards not many are wise or powerful or highborn. But God chose those whom men consider foolish, to shame the wise (I Cor. 1:26, 27). It is important to note that the Lord by saying, "Come follow me." exercises his sovereignty over Simon and Andrew. He shows that he has a right to claim them for service in his kingdom. They must be ready to follow immediately when he calls them.           Simon and Andrew hailed from Bethsaida (John 1:45), but Simon (i.e., Peter) had recently moved to Capernaum (Matt. 4:13; 8:5, 14, 15; Mark 1:21, 29, 30; Luke 4:31, 33, 38). By this time these men had come to know Jesus, because a year had elapsed since the unforgettable event recorded in John 1:35-42. Hence, when he now said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make y o u become fishers of men,d" they at once left their nets and followed, encouraged by the promise of their Lord to train them for a task far superior even to the honorable one in which they were now engaged. Instead of catching fish for the table they would recruit men for the kingdom. It must not escape us that by means of the promise, "I will make y o u become fishers of men" Jesus sets the seal of his approval upon the words of the inspired author of the Book of Proverbs, "He who wins souls is wise" (Prov. 11:30); confirs Dan. 12:3: "They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever"; adds his own authority to Paul's striking statement, "To all I became all, that in one way or another I may save some" (I Cor. 9:22); and anticipates his own glorious invitation, "Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give y o u rest" (Matt. 11:28).TCGTCcranfield68,9 - The presence of such details as CCamphiballontas en tCCeDD thalassCCeDDDD and CCkatartizontas ta diktuaDD and the mention of Zebedee and the hired servants, the fact that Peter is himself directly concerned, and the improbability that the metaphor of fishing for men would be used in the sense it has here except in close connection with the actual occupation of those who were called--all these things encourage us to believe that here we have a Petrine story and are near to an actual eye-witness account. The suggestion of Bultmann that this is an "ideal scene" spun out of the metaphor "fishers of men" is extremely unlikely. What Taylor calls "the somewhat schematic character" of the narratives of these two calls and that related in 2:14 may well reflect constant repetition in preaching, and the emphasis on the decisiveness of the break in the prepeated CCaphentesDD may also be due to the use of the story in preaching and catechizing, for which this material was obviously valuable.          In this section we have the first of a series of incidents that illustrate the authority of Jesus. His word lays hold on men's lives and asserts his right to their whole-hearted and total allegiance, a right that takes priority even over the  claims of kinship. In other sections we shall see how this same authoritative word of Jesus casts out the demons, heals the sick, quells the temptest, raises the dead. In this pericope the good news (1:1, 15) is veiled under the outward form of stern and total demand, but it is nonetheless present; for the section points to the mystery of the person of this man who thus disturbs men's lives.         

CCthalassanDD. Lk. more correctly use CClimnCCeDDDD of the Lake of Galilee; but the use of CCthalassaDD in the sense of CClimnCCeDDDD is thoroughly Semitic.         

CCSimCCoDDnDD was a common Greek name, at any rate since the fifth to fourth century B.C. Being a near-sounding name, it was apparently used as a Greek equivalent of the Hebrew CCSim'onDD, which is represented in the canonical books of the LXX by CCSumeCCoDDnDD. In Acts 15:14 and II Peter 1:1 Simon Peter is called CCSumeCCoDDnDD.         

CCAndreasDD was a Greek name, but it also occurs in the Talmud.         

CCamphiballCCoDDDD occurs only here in the NT. Here it is used absolutely of casting a net.         

CCenDD used where classical Greek would use CCeisDD. Cf. on v.     

9:17. On the meaning of CCDeute opisCCoDD mouDD, and also CCakoloutheinDD in the next verse, and CCaperchesthai opisCCoDDDD in v. 20, see on 8:34ff. What following Jesus means will become plain as the Gospel proceeds. It is interesting to compare the narrative in I Kings 19:19-21.         

CCpoiCCeDDsCCoDD humas genesthaiDD. For CCpoieinDD + accusative and infinitive meaning "to cause someone to do something" cf. 7:37; Mt. 5:32, etc. The usage is good Greek.           CCaleeis anthrCCoDDpCCoDDnDD. The metaphor is used in the OT in a bad sense only (Jer. 16:16; cf. Ezek. 29:4f.; Amos 4:2; Hab. 1:14-17), and similarly in Rabbinic literature. So it would hardly have been used in the sense it has here, if it had not been suggested by what the two men were actually doing. TL&ToJTMedersheim472,3,4 - If we surrender ourselves to the impression which the Evangelic narratives give us when pieced together, it would almost seem, as if what we are about to relate had occurred while Jesus was returning from Jerusalem. For the better reading of Mk.1:16 gives this as the mark of time: 'As He was passing on by the Sea of Galilee.' But perhaps, viewed in connrection with what follows, the impression may be so far modified, that we may think of it as on the first morning after His return. It had probably been a night of storm on the Lake. For, the toil of the fishermen had brought them no draught of fishes, and they stood by the shore, or in the boats drawn up on the beach, casting in their nets to 'wash' them of the sand and pebbles, with which such a night's work would clog them, or to mend what had been torn by the violence of the waves. It was a busy scene; for, among the many industries by the Lake of Galilee, that of fishing was not only the most generally pursued, but perhpas the most lucrative.          Tradition had it, that since the days of Joshua, and by one of his ten ordinances, fishing in the Lake, though under certain necessary restrictions, was free to all. [In order not to impede navigation, it was forbidden to fix nets.] And as fish was among the favourite articles of diet, in health and sickness, on week-days and especially at the Sabbath- meal, many must have been employed in connection with this trade. Frequent, and sometimes strange, are the Rabbinic advices, what kinds of fish to eat at different times, and in what state of preparation. They were eaten fresh, dried, or pickled; a kind of 'relish' or sauce was made of them, and the roe also prepared. We are told, how the large fish was carried to market slung on a ring or twine, and the smaller fish in baskets or casks. In truth, these Rabbis are veritable connoisseurs in this delicacy; they discuss their size with exaggerations, advise when they are in season, discern a peculiar flavour in the same kinds if caught in different waters, and tell us how to prepare them most tastfully, cautioning us to wash them down, if it cannot be with water, with beer rather than wine. It is one of their usual exaggerations, when we read of 300 different kinds of fish at a dinner given to a great Rabbi, although the common proverb had ti, to denote what was abundant, that it was like 'bringing fish to Acco.' Besides, fish was also largely imported from abroad. It indicates the importance of this traffic, that one of the gates of Jerusalem was called 'the fish-gate.' Indeed, there is a legend to the effect, that not less than 600,000 casks of sardines were every week supplied for the fig-dressers of King Jannaeus. But, apart from such exaggerations, so considerable was this trade that, at a later period, one of the Patriarchs of the Sanhedrin engaged in it, and actually freighted ships for the transport of fish.           These notices, which might be largely multiplied, are of more than antiquarian interest. They give a more vivid idea of life by the Lake of Galilee, and show that those engaged in that trade, like Zebedee and his son ... were not infrequently men of means and standing. This irrespective of the fact, that the Rabbis enjoined some trade or industrial occupation on every man, whatever his station. We can picture to ourselves, on that bright autumn morning, after a stormy night of bootless toil, the busy scene by the Lake, with the fishermen cleaning and mending their nets. Amidst their work they would scarcely notice the gathering crowd. As we have suggested from the better reading of Mk.1:16, it was Christ's first walk by the Lake on the morning after His return from Judaea. Engaged in their fishing on the afternoon, evening, and night of His arrival in Capernaum, they would probably not have known of His presence till He spake to them. But He had come that morning specially to seek four of these fishers, that He might, now that the time for it had come, call them to permanent discipleship--and, what is more, fit them for the work to which he would call them.          Jewish customs and modes of thinking at that time do not help us further to understand the Lord's call of them, except so far as they enable us more clearly to apprehend what the words of Jesus would convey to them. The expression 'Follow Me' would be readily understood, as implying a call to become the CCpermanentDD disciple of a teacher. Similarly, it was not only the practice of the Rabbis, but regarded as one of the most sacred duties, for a Master to gather around him a circle of disciples. Thus, neither Peter and Andrew, nor the sons of Zebedee, could have misunderstood the call of Christ, or even regarded it as strange. On that memorable return from His Temptation in the wilderness they had learned to know Him as the Messiah (Jn.1:37ff) and they followed Him. And, now that the time had come for gathering around Him a separate discipleship, when, with the visit to the Unknown Feast, the Messianic activity of Jesus had passed into another stage, that call would not come as a surprise to their minds or hearts. Mark 1:17and Jesus said unto them--  Come after me,  And I will make you become fishers of men;26trans - Jesus said to them--NEB; Follow me--RSV; Come with me-- NEB; Come, follow me--Gspd; ...make you fishers of men--NEB; ...make you fish for men--Mof; and I will teach you to catch men--Phi;TRNTyeager543 - Verse 17 - "And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men."         

CCkai eipen autois ho Iasous, kDeute opiso mou, kai poiaso humas genesthai halieis anthroponDD.    

CCkaiDD (continuative conjunction).    

CCeipenDD (3d.per.sing.aor.act.ind.of CCeiponDD, constative).    

CCautoisDD (dat.pl.masc.of CCautosDD, indirect object of CCeipenDD).    

CChoDD (nom.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with CCICCeDDsousDD).    

CCICCeDDsousDD (nom.sing.masc.of CCICCeDDsousDD, subject of CCeipenDD).    

CCDeuteDD (particle of exhortation, incitement, etc.,)    

CCopisCCoDDDD (improper preposition, used adverbially with the ablative).    

CCmouDD (abl.sing.masc.of CCegCCoDDDD, separation).    

CCkaiDD (continuative conjunction).    

CCpoiCCeDDsCCoDDDD (1st.per.sing.fut.act.ind.of CCpoieCCoDDDD, predictive).    

CChumasDD (acc.pl.masc.of CCsuDD, general reference).    

CCgenesthaiDD (aor.pass.inf.of CCginomaiDD, complementary).    

CChalieisDD (nom.pl.masc.of CChalieusDD, predicate nominative).     CCanthrCCoDDpCCoDDnDD (gen.pl.masc.of CCanthrCCoDDposDD, description).          Translation - "And Jesus said to them, 'Come after me, and I wll make you into fishers of men.'"         

COMMENT: Note CCDeuteDD, the improper preposition with the ablative in CCmouDD. "kCome after me" or more loosely, "here, follow me." CCopisCCoDD mouDD in a metaphorical ethical sense as well as in a physical sense. The price of being made a successful fisher of men for them is high. CCDeute opisCCoDD mouDD cannot be taken lightly. Simon and Andrew were being invited to join  a man who had only recently narrowly escaped death in His own home town. Though the fishers did not then realize the moral implications of discipleship, they were soon to find out. Cf. Mt.10:38 where we have CCakoloutheCCoDDDD in connection with CCopisCCoDD mouDD and the added suggestion that to "follow Jesus" involves carrying a cross. Cf. also Mt.16:24 where the concept of self-denial is added. Mk.8:34; Lk.9:23; we cannot be His disciples if we do not bear His cross (Lk.14:27). The only way to be a "learner" is to learn by the experience of sharing His suffering. Jesus' personality was so attractive and the call of the HS so effective that Simon and Andrew did not hesitate for a moment as we learn in R1023 - In this verse the adverb CCdeuteDD has the force of an      imperative, "come."DM291 - Conditional Clauses. Irregular Forms of Condition. ...Variations are found which cannot be reduced to logical analysis,... (2) ...CCimplied conditionsDD ...the apodosis is expressed and the protasis implied in a participle ...., imerative (here), ; Cham200 - Conditional Clauses. Elliptical Conditions. By verb in the imperative mood: (here)FoSbullinger747 - Hypocatastasis. (or, Implication). Gk., CChupokatastasisDD, CCsubstitutionDD or CCimplicationDD; from CChupoDD, CCunderneathDD, CCkataDD, CCdownDD, and CCstasisDD, CCa stationingDD. Hence, CCa putting down underneathDD. ...Hence CCHypocatastasisDD is implied resemblance or representation: i.e., an implied CCSimileDD or CCMetaphorDD. If CCMetaphorDD is more forcible than CCSimileDD, then CCHypocatastasisDD is more forcible than CCMetaphorDD, and expresses as it were the superlative degree of resemblance.          For example, one may say to another, "You are like a beast." This would be CCSimileDD, tamely stating a fact. If however, he said, "You are a beast" that would be CCMetaphorDD. But, if he said simply, "Beast!" that would be CCHypocatastasisDD, for the other part of the CCSimileDD or CCMetaphorDD ("you"), would be CCimpliedDD and not stated. "I will make you to become fishers of men." The Lord does not say CClikeDD fishers, nor does He us direct CCmetaphorDD. The resemblance is only by CCimplicationDD.Wuest28,9 - "Come ye after Me." "Come" is the translation of CCdeuteDD the word our Lord used when He said, "Lazarus, come forth." It means, "come here, come." "After," CCopisCCoDDDD, when used with CCdeuteDD, has the idea of "after" in the sense of joining one's party. "Make you to become." The addition of the words "to become," indicates a long, slow process in making them soul winners.          Translation. "And Jesus said to them, Come, after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men."Barclay18,19,20 - There were many fishermen in Galilee. Josephus, who for a time, was governor of Galilee, and who is the great historian of the Jews, tells us that in his day 330 fishing boats sailed the waters of the lake. Ordinary people in Palestine seldom ate meat; usually they ate it not more than once a week. Fish was their staple diet (Luke 11:11; Matt. 7:10; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 24:42). Usually the fish was salt fish because there was no means of transporting fresh fish. Fresh fish was one of the greatest of all delicacies in the great cities like Rome. The very names of the towns on the lakeside show how important the fishing business was. CCBethsaidaDD means CCHouse of FishDD; CCTarichaeaDD, another of the lake-side towns, means CCThe Place of Salt FishDD, and it was there that the fish were preserved for export to Jerusalem and even to Rome itself. The salt fish industry was big bus- iness in Galilee. The fishermen used two kinds of nets, both of which are mentioned or implied in the gospels. They used the net called the CCsagCCeDDnCCeDDDD. This was a kind of seine--or trawl-net. It was let out from the end of the boat. It waqs so weighted that it stood, as it were, upright in the water. The boat then moved forward, and, as it moved, the four corners of the net were drawn together, so that the net became like a great bag which was drawn through the water, thus enclosing the fish. The other kind of net, the net which Peter and An- drew were using here, was called the CCamphiblCCeDDstronDD. It was a much smaller net. It was skilfully cast into the water by hand. It was shaped rather like an umbrella, and as it was drawn through the water it caught and enclosed the fish.It is very naturally of the greatest interest to study the men whom Jesus picked out as His first followers.(i) We must notice CCwhat they wereDD. They were simple folk. They did not come from the schools and the colleges; they were not drawn from the ecclesiastics or the aristocracy; they were neither learned nor wealthy. They were fishermen. That is to say, they were ordinary people. No one ever believed in the ordinary man as Jesus did. Once George Bernard Shaw said, "I have never had any feeling for the working-classes, except a desire to abolish them, and replace them by sensible people." In CCThe PatricianDD John Galsworthy  makes Miltoun, one of the characters, say, "The mob! How I loathe it! I hate its mean stupidity, I hate the sound of its voice, and the look on its face--it's so ugly, so little!" Once in a fit of temper Carlyle declared that there were twenty-seven millions of people in England-- mostly fools! Jesus did not feel like that. Lincoln said, "God must love the common people--He made so many of them." It was as if Jesus said, "Give me twelve ordinary men and with them, if they give themselves to me, I will change the world." A man should never think so much of what he is as of what Jesus Christ can make him. A man should never think so much of what he thinks of someone else as of what Jesus thinks of him. (ii) We must notice CCwhat they were doingDD when Jesus called them. They were doing their day's work. They were catching the fish and mending the nets when Jesus called them. It was so with many a prophet. "I was no prophet," said Amos, "neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman and a gatherer of sycomore fruit; and CCthe Lord took me as I followed the flockDD, and said unto me, 'Go, prophesy unto my people Israel'." (Amos 7:14-15). The call of God can come to a man, not only in the house of God, not only in the secret place, but in the middle of the day's work. As Macandrew, Kipling's Scots engineer, had it: "From coupler flange to spindle guide I see Thy hand, O God;         

Predestination in the stride Of yon connecting rod." The man who lives in a world that is full of God cannot ever escape God. (iii) We must notice CChow He called themDD. Jesus summons was, "Follow me!" It is not to be thought that on this day for the first time He stood before them. No doubt they had stood in the crowd and listened; no doubt they had stayed to talk long after the rest of the crowd had drifted away. No doubt they already had felt the magic of His presence and the magnetism of His eyes. But Jesus did not say to them, "I have a theological system which I would like you to investi- gate; I have certain theories that I would like you to think over; I have an ethical system I would like to discuss with you." He said, "Follow me!" It all began with a personal re- action to Himself; it all began in that tug on the heart which begest the unshakable loyalty. This is not to say that there are none who think themselves into Christianity; but it is to say that for most of us following Christ is like falling in love. It has been said that "we admire people for reasons; we love them without reasons." The thing happens just because they are they and we are we. "I," said Jesus, "if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me." (John 12:32). In by far the greatest number of cases a man follows Jesus Christ, not because of anything that Jesus said but because of everything that Jesus is.         

(iv) Lastly we must note CCwhat Jesus offered them. He offered them a taskDD. He called them not to ease but to service. Someone has siad that what every man needs is "something in which he can invest his life." So Jesus called His men, not to a comfortable ease and not to a passive and lethargic inactivity; He called them to a task in which they would have to spend themselves and burn themselves up, and, in the end, die for His sake and for the sake of their fellow men. He called them to a task wherein they could only win something for themselves by giving their all to Him and to others. TL&ToJTMedersheim(V.1)474,5 - So far as the Master was concerned,      we mark three point. First, the call came CCafterDD the open breach with, and initial persecution of, the Jewish authorities. It was, therefore, a call to fellowship in His peculiar relationship to the Synagogue. Secondly, it necessitated the abandonment of all their former occupations, and, indeed, of all earthly ties. Thirdly, it was from the first, and clearly, marked as totally different from a call to such discipleship, as that of any other Master in Israel. It was not to learn more of doctrine, nor more fully to follow out a life-direction already taken, but to begin, and to become, something quite new, of which their former occupation offered an emblem. The disciples of the Rabbis, even those of John the Baptist, 'followed,' in order to learn; they, in order to do, and to enter into fellowship with His Work. 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' It was then quite a new call this, which at the same time indicated its real aim and its untold difficulties. Such a call could not have been addressed to them, if they had not already been disciples of Jesus, understood His Mission, and the character of the Kingdom of God. But, the more we think of it, the more do we perceive the magnitude of the call and of the decision which it implied--for, without doubt, they understood what it implied, as clearly, in some respects perhaps more clearly, than we do. All the deeper, then, must have been their loving belief in Him, and their earnest attachment, when, with such unquestioning trust, and such absolute simplicity and entireness of self- surrender, that it needed not even a spoken CCYeaDD on their part, they forsook ship and home to follow Him. And so, successively, Simon and Andrew, and John and James--those who had been the first to hear, were also the first to follow Jesus. And ever afterwards did they remain closest to Him, who had been the first fruits of His Ministry.Mark 1:18and </straightway\ leaving the nets> they followed him.26trans - ...they left the nets--ASV; At once they dropped their nets--Mof; and went after him--MOf; TRNTyeager544 - Verse 18 - "And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him."          

CCkai euthus aphentes ta diktua akolouthasan autoDD.    

CCkaiDD (inferential conjunction).    

CCeuthusDD (adverbial).    

CCaphentesDD (aor.act.part.nom.pl.masc.of CCaphiCCeDDmiDD, adverbial, temporal).    

CCtaDD (acc.pl.neut.of the article in agreement with CCdiktuaDD).    

CCdiktuaDD (acc.pl.neut.of CCdiktuonDD, direct object of CCaphentesDD).    

CCCCeDDkolouthCCeDDsanDD (3d.per.pl.aor.act.ind.of CCakoloutheCCoDDDD,           ingressive).    

CCautCCoDDDD (dat.sing.masc.of CCautosDD, personal advantage).         

Translation - "And immediately they abandoned the nets and began to follow Him."         

COMMENT: Cf. Mt.4:20 for comment. We only point out here that CCkaiDD is inferential and CCCCeDDkolouthCCeDDsanDD is ingressive. Their action that day in abandoning the nets and following Jesus was only the beginning of a lifestyle which occupied them until they died the death of martyrs for His sake.          

Jesus now has four disciples, CCvizDD. Phillip, Nathanael,      Simon Peter and Andrew. He was soon to call two more. Wuest29 - "They forsook their nets." "Forsook" is CCaphiCCeDDmiDD, "to send from one's self, to yield up, to leave." The prefixed preposition implies a separation, here, a separation from the fishing business to the preaching of the Word of God. The participle is in the aorist tense, speaking of a once for all action. It was a complete break from their former life, and a permanent one.          "Followed Him." "Followed" is CCakoloutheCCoDDDD from a word meaning "to walk the same road." The word is used with the associative-instrumental case, the idea being "to follow with" another. It implies fellowship, joint-participation, a side-by-side walking with another. Thus it has come to mean, "to join one as a disciple, to cleave steadfastly to one, conform wholly to his example, in living and, if need be, in dying."          Translation. "And immediately, having put off their nets, they followed with Him."TCGTCcranfield70 - CCeuthusDD has here its full value--their response is immediate. ...         

CCaphentesDD. CCAphiCCeDDmiDD, a verb with a wide variety of meanings, here means "leave."Mark 1:19And /going forward a little\ he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, and them who were in the boat putting in order the nets;26trans - Going on a little--Ber; Walking a little farther--Rieu; they too were in their boat, mending their nets--Mof; who were in the boat overhauling their nets--NEB; these too were in their boat, repairing their nets--Knox;TRNTyeager544,5 - Verse 19 - "And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his bro,ther, who also were in the ship mending their nets."         

CCKai probas oligon eiden Iakobon ton tou Zebedaiou kai Ioannan ton adelphon autou, kai autous en to ploio katarti,zontas ta diktua,DD    

CCKaiDD (continuative conjunction).    

CCprobasDD (aor.act.part.nom.sing.masc.of CCprobainCCoDDDD, adverbial, temporal).    

CColigonDD (acc.sing.neut.of CColigosDD, adverbial, extent).    

CCeidenDD (3d.per.sing.aor.act.ind.of CChoraCCoDDDD, constative).    

CCIakCCoDDbonDD (acc.sing.masc.of CCIakCCoDDbosDD, direct object of CCeidenDD).    

CCtonDD (acc.sing.masc.of the article, in apposition).    

CCtouDD (gen.sing.masc.of the article, relationship).    

CCZebedaiouDD (gen.sing.masc.of CCZebedaiosDD, relationship).    

CCkaiDD (adjunctive conjunction, joining nouns).    

CCICCoDDannCCeDDnDD (acc.sing.masc.of CCICCoDDannCCeDDsDD, direct object of CCeidenDD).    

CCtonDD (acc.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with CCadelphonDD).    

CCadelphonDD (acc.sing.masc.of CCadelphosDD, apposition).    

CCautouDD (gen.sing.masc.of CCautosDD, possession).    

CCkaiDD (explanatory conjunction).    

CCautousDD (acc.pl.masc.of CCautosDD, direct object of CCeidenDD).    

CCenDD (preposition with the locative of place).    

CCtCCoDDDD (loc.sing.neut.of the article in agreement with CCploiCCoDDDD).    

CCploiCCoDDDD (loc.sing.neut.of CCploionDD, place where.    

CCkatartizontasDD (pres.act.part.acc.pl.masc.of CCkatartizCCoDDDD, adverbial,circumstantial).    

CCtaDD (acc.pl.neut.of the article in agreement with CCdiktuaDD).    

CCdiktuaDD (acc.pl.neut.of CCdiktuonDD, direct object of CCkatartizontasDD).          Translation: "And after He had gone a short distance He saw James, the son of Zebedee and John, his brother. Now these men were in the boat repairing the nets."         

COMMENT: Cf. comment on Mt.4:21. CCprobasDD, the temporal participle is antecedent in time to CCeidenDD. After Jesus called Simon and Andrew He walked a little farther along the beach until He saw James and John. They were not fishing as Simon and Andrew were but they were putting their nets in order in preparation for fishing. Mark's syntax is remiss here. He omitted the copulative verb in his imperfect peri,phrastic. We supply CCCCeDDsanDD to go with the present participle CCkatartizontas. autousDD is accusative plural, the object of CCeidenDD.          

Jesus found them putting their nets  in order so that they might pursue a business that would provide them financial and temporal security. But He then called them to the task of putting in order the lifestyles of people - a more noble task, far more important than the fishing busi,ness. Cf.#401 as it is used in other spiritual ways, e.g. Rom.9:22 - through the ministry of the Apostles, the word was preached and thus many vessels are "fitted" (CCkatartizCCoDDDD) to destruction. Praise is perfected (Mt.21:16); faith is perfected (I Thess.3:10). Cf. also Heb.13:21; I Pet.5:10; II Cor.13:11; Lk.6:40; Gal.6:1; I Cor.1:10 (where the idea of joining together a split church is strikingly similar to joining together torn fishing nets). R659 - The adjective CColigonDD in the accusative case is used as an adverb, "a little further."BD442(9) - The conjunction in CCkai autousDD is emphatic here, "who also."BW67 - An Adjective used As An Adverb. Sometimes the adjective modifies the verbal idea rather than a noun and is therefore used like an adverb. The adverbial adjective will usually be in the accusative case.(DM119).Wuest29 - "In the ship." Not CCploiarionDD, the rowboat attached to a large vessel, but the CCploionDD, the large fishing boat itself.         

"Mending their nets." The word is CCkatartizCCoDDDD, "to mend what has been broken or rent, to fit out, equip, put in order." The word has in it the idea of equipping something or preparing it for future use.         

"Called," from CCkaleCCoDDDD, "to call aloud, to utter in a loud voice..." This together with the fact that James and John were in the large boat which had to be moored some distance from shore unless there was a wharf there, indicates that our Lord called across a stretch of water in order to reach them. NTChendriksen61,2 - These two were not fishing, like Peter and Andrew (vs.16-18). They were not with the other two brothers but a little distance removed from them. James and John were with their father in his boat. Instead of fishing they were mending their nets, getting ready for the next attempt at catching fish. When Jesus saw these two he repeated what he had done a moment before in connection with the other two: at once he called them to follow him. Accordingly, also of them he demands that they enter into a closer relation to him; that is, that they, too, by means of a more constant presence with their Master, begin their training for the apostolate.          

They immediately leave their father and begin to follow Jesus. Now this action of theirs, even though it had been prepared for by the event that had occurred a year earlier, requires more than passing notice. It was really very remarkable. In the spirit of Matt. 13:55; John 1:47; 6:42, they might have said, "Isn't he the son of the (late?) carpenter from nearby Nazareth? Isn't he himself also a carpenter? Why should we become CChisDD apprentices?" In fact, if the theory held by many and not to be lightly rejected is correct--see NTC on John 19:25--, namely, that their mother Salome was a sister of Jesus' mother Mary, they might even have added, "And aren't James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? Isn't he merely our cousin? Why then should we follow him?"--The fact that they say nothing of the kind but immediately leave their father and join Jesus is not only to their credit but also and CCespeciallyDD shows the magnetic and majestic character of their Master!         

The question might be asked, "But did not these men act rather rashly? Were they not unkind to their father Zebedee in leaving him in the lurch?" Answer: a. At this particular stage in the increasing degree of association that was being established between these men and their Lord, helping their father by doing a little fishing now and then as long as Jesus had his headquarters in Capernaum is not excluded. b. Mark--not Matthew--informs us that James and John left their father in the boat "with the hired men." So, whenever Zebedee's sons were not able to be with him, these hired men could be depended upon to find ways in which to fill the gap. Provision has been made for every need. c. Overarching all other considerations is the fact that when Jesus calls there must be prompt obedience. The "but's" must be left to him. He has the solution.          

As to Zebedee, though Mark mentions him also later in his Gospel (3:17; 10:35) as being the father of James and John, he is not heard from again as a man engaged in a fishing enterprise. Did he perhaps die soon afterward? And could this be the reason why in the story of the request of his sons (Mark 10:35) and of their mother (Matt. 20:20) no action is ascribed to him? This is possible, but it is clear from Mark's Gospel that our attention should be concentrated not on Zebedee, his wife Salome, their sons James and John, but on the Lord, on him alone and thus on his majesty, power, and love. TCGTCcranfield70,1 - CCIakCCoDDbosDD is the Greek form of Hebrew CCYa'kobDD (LXX: CCIakCCoDDbDD).         

CCZebedaiosDD represents Hebrew CCZabdayDD or CCZ bad yahDD. LXX has various forms.          

From Luke 5:10 we learn that James and John were "partners to Simon".          ...         

CCkatartizontasDD. The verb means "put in order," "render CCartiosDD". Used with reference to nets it would include not only mending, but also cleaning and folding--making ready for another night's fishing.Mark 1:20and /straightway\ he called them,--and <leaving their father Zebedee in the boat, with the hired men> they came away after him.26trans - And immediately...--RSV; Them, too, He gave an immediate call--Ber; ...in the boat--RSV; with the hired hands--Ber; with the crew--Mof; and left to follow him-- NASB;TRNTyeager545,6 - Verse 20 - "And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him."         

CCkai euthus ekalesen autous. kai aphentes ton patera auton Zebedaion en to ploio meta ton misthoton apalthon opiso autou.DD    

CCkaiDD (continuative conjunction).    

CCeuthusDD (adverbial).    

CCekalesenDD (3d.per.sing.aor.act.ind.of CCkaleCCoDDDD, constative).    

CCautousDD (acc.pl.masc.of CCautosDD, direct object of CCekalesenDD).    

CCkaiDD (inferential conjunction).    

CCaphentesDD (aor.act.part.nom.pl.masc.of CCaphiCCeDDmiDD, adverbial,           temporal).    

CCtonDD (acc.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with CCpateraDD).     CCpateraDD (acc.sing.masc.of CCpatCCeDDrDD, direct object of CCaphentesDD).     CCautCCoDDnDD (gen.pl.masc.of CCautosDD, relationship).    

CCZebedaionDD (acc.sing.masc.of CCZebedaiosDD, apposition).     

CCenDD (preposition with the locative of place where).    

CCtCCoDDDD (loc.sing.neut.of the article in agreement with CCploiCCoDDDD).     CCploiCCoDDDD (loc.sing.neut.of CCploionDD, place where).    

CCmetaDD (preposition with the genitive of accompaniment).    

CCtCCoDDnDD (gen.pl.masc.of the article in agreement with CCmisthCCoDDtCCoDDnDD).    

CCmisthCCoDDtCCoDDnDD (gen.pl.masc.of CCmisthCCoDDtosDD, accompaniment).     CCapCCeDDlthonDD (3d.per.pl.aor.dep.ind.of CCaperchomaiDD, constative).     CCopisCCoDDDD (improper preposition, adverbial, with the ablative).      CCautouDD (gen.sing.masc.of CCautosDD, separation).         

Translation - "And forthwith He called them. Therefore they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired hands and went away after Him.."         

COMMENT: Cf. comment on Mt.4:22. Mark adds that there were CCmisthCCoDDtoiDD also in the boat whom James and John left with Zebedee. Two lessons can be drawn from the fact that the hired fhands were present: (1) Zebedee's fishing business was well developed and lucrative enough to merit his employment of extra help. Thus James and John made some personal sacrifice in leaving a business in which they had some financial interest, as heirs of their father, and which some day they would own. (2) Also we can see that the decision of the sons to leave their father and follow our Lord did not leave Zebedee alone with a labor shortage. DM108 - CCMetaDD. Resultant meaning: (1) with the genitive: CCwithDD. (here).Wuest29,30 - "Went after Him." The verb is CCapCCeDDlthonDD, "went off" after Him. Again, the prefixed preposition CCapoDD shows separation.McGarvey268 - "with the hired servants"--The presence of hired servants is the only item added by Mark to those given by Matthew. The fact that the four partners (Luke 5:10), Simon and Andrew, and James and John, with Zebedee, the father of the latter two, had hired servants in their employ, shows that they were conducting a business of respectable proportions. Though their capital was probably very small, they were enterprising business men. TCGTCcranfield71 - CCekalesenDD. The words CCkalCCoDD, klCCeDDsis, klCCeDDtosDD are rich in theological significance in the Bible. See, e.g., Prov. 1:24, Isa. 41:9; 42:6; 43:1; 45:3; 46:11; 48:12, 15; 50:2; 51:2; 65:12; Rom. 8:30; 9:11, 24; I Cor. 1:9, 26; 7:15ff., I Peter 1:15; 2:21; 5:10