Matthew 13:47-50 - The Parable of the Fishing Net.
Matthew 13:47-50: The Parable of the Fishing Net.
Matthew 13:47-50 (NIV) "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is
like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of
fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then
they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the
bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels
will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them
into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.
DEVOTIONAL PEARL
The casting of the net is the preaching of the gospel. This
gathers both good and evil into the church. When the mission of the
gospel is completed, the judgment will accomplish the work of
separation. Christ saw how the existence of false brethren in the church
would cause the way of truth to be evil spoken of. The world would
revile the gospel because of the inconsistent lives of false
professors. Even Christians would be caused to stumble as they saw that many
who bore Christ's name were not controlled by His Spirit. Because
these sinners were in the church, men would be in danger of thinking
that God excused their sins. Therefore Christ lifts the veil from the
future and bids all to behold that it is character, not position, which
decides man's destiny.
Both the parable of the tares and that of the net plainly teach
that there is no time when all the wicked will turn to God. The wheat
and the tares grow together until the harvest. The good and the bad
fish are together drawn ashore for a final separation.
Again, these parables teach that there is to be no probation
after the judgment. When the work of the gospel is completed, there
immediately follows the separation between the good and the evil, and the
destiny of each class is forever fixed.
God does not desire the destruction of any. "As I live, saith
the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but
that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from
your evil ways; for why will ye die?" Eze. 33:11. Throughout the
period of probationary time His Spirit is entreating men to accept the
gift of life. It is only those who reject His pleading that will be
left to perish. God has declared that sin must be destroyed as an
evil ruinous to the universe. Those who cling to sin will perish in
its destruction. {COL 122, 123}
THE FOLLOWING IS FOR THOSE WHO DESIRE DEEPER STUDY:
CONTENT; What's in the verse; Translations; Paraphrase; Word
Study:
Matthew 13:47-50 (KJV) Again, the kingdom of heaven is like
unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered
the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the
end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked
from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire:
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:47-50 (NIV) "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is
like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of
fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then
they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the
bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels
will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them
into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.
Matthew 13:47-50 (AMP) Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a
dragnet which was cast into the sea and gathered in fish of every sort.
When it was full, men dragged it up on the beach, and sat down and
sorted out the good fish into baskets, but the worthless ones they
threw away. So it will be at the close and consummation of the age.
The angels will go forth and separate the wicked from the righteous
(those who are upright and in right standing with God) And cast them
[the wicked] into the furnace of fire; there will be weeping and
wailing and grinding of teeth.
Matthew 13:47-50 (CWR) "The kingdom of God is also like a
fishing net that is thrown out into the water. When it is pulled in, it
brings in good and bad fish alike. The fishermen save the good fish,
and the bad ones, they throw away. That's the way it'll be for
people at the end of the world. The angels will do the sorting,
separating the bad from the good. Then the bad will cry and feel the
terrible pain of God's withdrawal just before they're destroyed
forever."
A parable is a story that makes one central point, and relates
every element in the story to this point. The parables in this chapter
concern Jesus' kingdom, but are not obvious. [The 365-Day Devotional
Commentary]
CONTEXT; What's around the verse; Overview; Topic:
Overview
Jesus' claim to be LORD of the Sabbath (12:1-14) and the Servant
predicted by Isaiah (vv. 15-21) brought direct conflict with the Pharisees
(vv. 22-37). Christ rejected their demand for a miraculous sign (vv.
36-45), but announced kinship with those who do God's will (vv. 46-50).
In a series of parables told to puzzled crowds (13:1-35), and in
another series told to His disciples (vv. 36-52), Jesus explained the
unexpected aspects of His kingdom. [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
Chapter Topics
3 The parable of the sower and the seed 18 the exposition of it.
24 The parable of the tares, 31 of the mustard seed, 33 of the
leaven, 44 of the hidden treasure, 45 of the pearl, 47 of the drawnet
cast into the sea: 53 and how Christ is contemned of his own
countrymen. [SDA Commentary]
13:3-52 The parables of this chapter are significant
structurally and theologically. Structurally there is a balance between those
delivered "by the sea" (of which there are four) and those delivered in
the house (also being four in number). Theologically they explain
the development of the kingdom between Christ's first and second
coming, His rejection and future reception. [Believer's SB]
Chapter Summary
As resistance hardens, Jesus begins to speak in parables. The
parables summarize contrasts between the form of God's kingdom the Jews
expect and the form of the kingdom Jesus is about to institute. [Victor
Bible Reader's Companion]
13:1-52 The Third Major Discourse: The Parables concerning the
Spread of the Good News and the Results. The parables are presented to
the crowds, but their meaning is explained only to the inner circle
of the disciples (13:10-17, 34-36). [Cambridge Annotated SB]
Jesus said that He spoke in parables so that those who believed
might understand-- and those who did not believe would not understand
(vv. 11-15). What an illustration of God's grace. [The 365-Day
Devotional Commentary]
Section Headings
Three Parables
Stories About a Treasure, a Merchant, and a Net
Parable of the dragnet
A Story of a Fishing Net
Jesus tells the parable of the fishing net
CROSS REFERENCES; What's in verses elsewhere.
Matthew 4:19 (KJV) And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I
will make you fishers of men.
Matthew 13:30 (KJV) Let both grow together until the harvest:
and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye
together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but
gather the wheat into my barn.
Matthew 13:39 (KJV) The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the
harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
Matthew 13:40-43 (KJV) As therefore the tares are gathered and
burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. [41] The
Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of
his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; [42]
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing
and gnashing of teeth. [43] Then shall the righteous shine forth as
the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let
him hear.
Matthew 22:9-10 (KJV) Go ye therefore into the highways, and as
many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. [10] So those servants
went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they
found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
Matthew 22:12-14 (KJV) And he saith unto him, Friend, how
camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was
speechless. [13] Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot,
and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth. [14] For many are called, but few are
chosen.
Matthew 24:31 (KJV) And he shall send his angels with a great
sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the
four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Matthew 25:1-4 (KJV) Then shall the kingdom of heaven be
likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet
the bridegroom. [2] And five of them were wise, and five were
foolish. [3] They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil
with them: [4] But the wise took oil in their vessels with their
lamps.
Matthew 25:30 (KJV) And cast ye the unprofitable servant into
outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 25:31-32 (KJV) When the Son of man shall come in his
glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the
throne of his glory: [32] And before him shall be gathered all nations:
and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth
his sheep from the goats:
John 15:2 (KJV) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he
taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that
it may bring forth more fruit.
John 15:6 (KJV) If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a
branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the
fire, and they are burned.
2 Tim. 3:2-5 (KJV) For men shall be lovers of their own selves,
covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, [3] Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false
accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, [4]
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
[5] Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from
such turn away.
Rev. 3:1 (KJV) And unto the angel of the church in Sardis
write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and
the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou
livest, and art dead.
Rev. 3:15-17 (KJV) I know thy works, that thou art neither cold
nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. [16] So then because thou
art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my
mouth. [17] Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods,
and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched,
and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
There are many many other good cross references for this parable.
COMMENTARY / APPLICATION: Moving From The Head To The Heart.
What is God teaching here? What does it teach about Jesus?
How can it improve my relationship with Jesus.
Beside the Sea of Galilee Jesus had spoken His first parables,
by familiar illustrations again explaining to the people the nature
of His kingdom and the manner in which it was to be established. He
had likened His own work to that of the sower; the development of
His kingdom to the growth of the mustard seed and the effect of
leaven in the measure of meal. The great final separation of the
righteous and the wicked He had pictured in the parables of the wheat and
tares and the fishing net. The exceeding preciousness of the truths He
taught had been illustrated by the hidden treasure and the pearl of
great price, while in the parable of the householder He taught His
disciples how they were to labor as His representatives. {DA 333}
The parable of the fishing net has the same meaning as the
parable of the wheat and weeds. We are to obey God and tell others about
his grace and goodness, but we cannot dictate who is part of the
kingdom of heaven and who is not. This sorting will be done at the last
judgment by those infinitely more qualified than we. [Life Application
SB]
The parable of the net teaches the same general lesson as the
parable of the weeds: There will be a final separation of the righteous
and the wicked. The parable of the weeds also emphasizes that we are
not to try to make such a separation now and that this is entirely
the Lord's business. [NIV SB]
Similar to the parable of the wheat and tares. Both genuine and
professing people will coexist in the kingdom, to be separated at the end
of the age. [Ryrie SB]
The last two parables speak of kingdom responsibilities for
disciples. First, Jesus describes a large seine net, which would encircle a
large area and drag the bottom of a lake. Such a net gathers fish of
every kind, without discrimination. Similarly, the responsibility of
disciples would be to catch as many "fish"--of every kind--as possible. The
work of judging or ferreting out the false catch, however, is a job
that disciples are neither called nor equipped to do. That work is
assigned to angels at Christ's return. [Nelson SB]
The kingdom of heaven is like a net which, cast into the sea
("lake") of humanity, gathers of every kind, good and bad. These remain
together in the net and not merely in the sea until the end of the age.
It is not even a converted net, much less a converted sea.
[Scofield SB]
The dragnet represents the gospel, that is, the efforts put
forth by fishers of men (see on Luke 5:10) to win others to Christ....
All kinds of people are gathered in by the gospel net--men and women
of different motives, attitudes, personalities. Jesus was no
"respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34), but received all who came to Him.... The
sorting process took place after the net had enclosed all the fish that
could be caught in it.... The parable of the Dragnet emphasizes the
eventual separation between "good" and "bad" on the basis of character.
[SDA Commentary]
The casting of the net is the preaching of the gospel. This
gathers both good and evil into the church. When the mission of the
gospel is completed, the judgment will accomplish the work of
separation. Christ saw how the existence of false brethren in the church
would cause the way of truth to be evil spoken of. The world would
revile the gospel because of the inconsistent lives of false
professors. Even Christians would be caused to stumble as they saw that many
who bore Christ's name were not controlled by His Spirit. Because
these sinners were in the church, men would be in danger of thinking
that God excused their sins. Therefore Christ lifts the veil from the
future and bids all to behold that it is character, not position, which
decides man's destiny.
Both the parable of the tares and that of the net plainly teach
that there is no time when all the wicked will turn to God. The wheat
and the tares grow together until the harvest. The good and the bad
fish are together drawn ashore for a final separation.
Again, these parables teach that there is to be no probation
after the judgment. When the work of the gospel is completed, there
immediately follows the separation between the good and the evil, and the
destiny of each class is forever fixed.
God does not desire the destruction of any. "As I live, saith
the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but
that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from
your evil ways; for why will ye die?" Eze. 33:11. Throughout the
period of probationary time His Spirit is entreating men to accept the
gift of life. It is only those who reject His pleading that will be
left to perish. God has declared that sin must be destroyed as an
evil ruinous to the universe. Those who cling to sin will perish in
its destruction. {COL 122-123}
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