Becoming Fishers of Men

By Jeff Curtis

In Luke 5, Jesus called certain men to become His apostles. The apostles were Jesus’ followers who were given special responsibilities and endowed with miraculous powers. They had a unique role to play in the establishment, organization, and guidance of the early church – a role that doesn’t need to be duplicated today. The apostles, in other words, had no successors. Nevertheless, what they did in fishing for men and women is something that others in the first century did and something that must continue until Christ returns. So, we need to learn from their experiences what becoming fishers of men requires today.

“Am I the person Jesus can use?” Becoming fishers of men starts with being the kind of people Jesus can use to spread His Gospel. In Luke 5:1-2, we’re introduced to the fishermen Jesus called to follow Him.

Why did Jesus call these particular men? Did He see something special in them? Some would say “no.” They would say that the only difference between the apostles and other disciples is that apostles answered Jesus’ call affirmatively; others refused to respond to His summons.

This viewpoint is flawed. Throughout the Bible, when God had a certain work to do, He chose a particular person to do it, not just anyone who happened to volunteer for the job. For example, He chose Saul of Tarsus to be an apostle to the Gentiles because Saul (later called Paul) had the right combination of qualities to do what Christ wanted him to do. We can then assume that the other apostles also had qualities that Jesus saw and that He wanted them to use as His apostles.

The people of Jesus’ own day probably didn’t understand why Jesus chose these fishermen. They were working men, evidently rough men, maybe even loud and boisterous, and perhaps quick-tempered. Even so, Jesus must have seen in them something others couldn’t see. He looked beneath their rough exterior. He didn’t know only the present, but also their potential. He viewed them not as they were, but also as who they could become.

In addition, their very occupation hinted that these were men who could do the job that needed to be done. They were fishermen. That tells us that they were healthy, vigorous, and strong physically. They worked hard for their living and would be dependable. Being fishermen probably meant that they had a measure of patience in their work that would come handy when they began the task of bringing people to Christ.

“Am I acquainted with Jesus?” Becoming fishers of men requires being acquainted with Jesus. According to Luke 5:3, Jesus got into Simon’s boat “and ask him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat.” Did Jesus know Peter and the others before this time? Matthew, Mark and Luke give us no hint the He did. However, John 1:29-42 seems to indicate that Andrew and Peter had begun to follow Jesus not long after His baptism by John in Judea. Apparently, these men already knew Jesus and had been traveling with Him and listening to His teachings since that time. They had returned with Him to Galilee from Judea to continue with their jobs. There Jesus issued His official call – this time, not just to be followers, but full-time disciples (or learners). Probably, when Jesus entered Simon’s boat, He was using the boat of one who He already knew well.

To fish for men and women on Christ’s behalf, we must first be well-acquainted with Hi. Although some perceive Peter and John as “uneducated and untrained men,” that is not the end of the statement in Acts 4:13. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”

They had “been with Jesus!” To be useful workers for Christ, we must have “been with Jesus.” No one can truly be a fisher of men for Christ until he first submits to Christ.

Inspiration and Revelation

by Jon W. Quinn

The New Testament is God’s instructions to us on how to live. The promises of Jesus to His faithful disciples are wonderful, but His word also includes commandments which are to be obeyed. Jesus had promised the apostles that they would be guided “unto all the truth” after His resurrection and ascension. This occurred as promised, so we know that God’s written revelation was delivered in the first century through these apostles and their companions. Following the initial delivery, the writings were collected and compiled into the Bible. This inspiration by which these things were written has been complete since the first century when the apostles lived and died. The careful collection of these writings into one volume soon followed. We can only know God’s will and intentions through reading what He has revealed to us.

The last apostle Jesus chose was Paul. He wrote concerning these things as follows: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words (1 Cor. 2:12-13).

Another apostle, Peter, also wrote about the adequacy and thoroughness of this process. “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Pet. 1:2-3).

We see that “all things pertaining to life and godliness” has already been received. The Scriptures lack nothing and are able to equip us for every good work (see 2 Timothy 3:16,17).

What is the point of all this? The point is that God’s word is completely reliable and worthy of our efforts to know it better and to apply its teachings. What is true and right has already been settled, not by the mind of man but of God. Every single one of us is headed for eternity, and the Scriptures of God are the only guide available that will lead us to eternal victory, and they do so by leading us to God’s Son. We should not and cannot easily cast God’s book aside and assume that everything will work out all right anyway. It won’t.

Many are the attempts of Satan to destroy your confidence in the New Testament Scriptures. There is a reason for that. Does not the New Testament itself declare that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17)? Our confidence in the Scriptures directly relate to our faith in Jesus. Our salvation and hope of eternal life are secure in the grace of God and our living and active faith in His Son. We come to know Him and His purpose for us in the pages of the New Testament. We do not need to guess what will lead us to victory in Jesus. He has revealed that to us. We best listen to Him!

Gospel Meetings for 2023:

March 12-16 – Paul Smithson

June 18-23 (Song service on Friday Night)- Jim Deason

October 22-27 – Jarred Jacobs

Let’s be making our plans now to be in attendance and planning to invite others to these meetings.