That men, as fish, must be caught. God often assists our understanding of His Word through the use of imagery borrowed from everyday experience. In this instance, He likens the evangelism of souls to the task of fishing. The fishermen here are the apostles; the fish are men—that is, men and women from every tribe, tongue, and nation. The catching of them represents the expansion of the kingdom of God. The image is a picture of the spread of the gospel, the gospel that alone can deliver men from the dominion of darkness into fellowship with the living God. It is a picture of rescue from the judgment to come. As we read elsewhere in Matthew, “The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt 13:47-50).

The imagery of fishing implies that men do not come voluntarily; as fish, they are unwilling to be caught. They must be captured against their own nature and desire. They much prefer the shelter of the deep to the full light of the sun. Is this not true of man? Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil (John 3:19). “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one” (Rom 3:10-12). And just as fish see an obscured version of the sun from under the water, so man also, because he is lost, has a distorted view of the true God. Though he knew God, he did not honor Him as God, neither was he thankful (Rom 1:21). And just as fish will never be caught apart from outside intervention, so men remain dead in their trespasses and sins apart from the divine intervention of God (Eph 2:1-10).

But the imagery has its limitations, and we do well to learn by contrast as well as by similarity. It is death for a fish to be caught in the net, but for a man to be caught into the Kingdom of God is eternal life. The sea is the place where a fish thrives and prospers and where all of its nourishment is found; but for a man, the world system in which he lives, though seeming to be his friend, is hostile toward his soul and ensnares him in a multitude of sins. What the world holds forth to him as life is really death, and what seems to nourish him is as poison to his soul. His salvation requires that he be caught, and therefore, God sends fishermen with the message of the gospel.

That God has given His people the high calling of reaching the lost. The words of Christ mark the official calling of Peter and Andrew to the office of apostle. Many Christians error by applying to God’s people in general what was intended for the apostles in particular. Here too we must take care to avoid such error. The apostles were uniquely qualified and used for the task of building the church. They were invested with miraculous powers that would commend them as coming with the authority and teaching of Christ. They were empowered by the Holy Spirit to write the scriptures, the infallible record of God’s truth that has won souls throughout the ages. They were those who led the transition of the church from the Old Testament era to the New, even bringing the Gentiles into the fold of God. The apostles were the foundation upon which the church was laid, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone (Eph 2:20); therefore, we do well to recognize the unique way in which the apostles have been fishers of men.

But while this verse uniquely applied to the apostles, it finds application in all who belong to Christ. God’s people are called to be the salt of the earth. They are to let their light shine before men that they may see their good works and glorify their Father in heaven. They are to walk with wisdom toward those outside, making the most of the time (Col 4:5). They are to speak what is good for edification, that it may impart grace to those who hear (Eph 4:29). They are to be prepared to give a defense to those who ask the reason for the hope in them, yet with meekness and fear (1 Pet 3:15). They are to take advantage of opportunities to share God’s truth. In these ways, God’s people too are fishers of men. This is not to say that they each have an equal calling in reaching the lost. Christ gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers (Eph 4:11). But He gives to all His people the stewardship of the gospel and the talents to promote it in various ways in their own sphere of influence.

But here again we can learn much by contrast. We must not confuse our privilege of fishing with our ability to catch. It is God alone who has the power to change the heart, and except He intervenes, our best efforts are in vain. Does not even life itself testify to this? How many times have we learned that we are powerless to change the heart of another? How many times have we seen the choicest words and the best examples make so little difference? Why? —Because man must be born from above. God alone is sovereign over the hearts. Though He gives us the honor and high calling of bringing the gospel, He must transform lives. As the apostle Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (1 Cor 3:6-7).

Some, mistaking the cause for the means, neglect the necessity and duty of men to bring the gospel to the lost. The error, though understandable, is serious. Man’s actions have no power to save souls, but they are a means used by God in that process. Consider the imagery again. A fisherman never presumes that fish will jump into his boat; wisdom and experience dictate otherwise. Rather, he knows that by skill and labor he must catch them. Though he gives God the credit for the catch, he never expects to succeed without effort. So it is with the catching of men. God saves, but we do violence to the gospel if we neglect our responsibility. “He who is wise wins souls” (Prov 11:30).

That qualification and success are found in first following Christ. Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Following must precede fishing. It is a disgrace to the gospel when those who bring it conduct themselves contrary to its promises and principles. God’s people are told to “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (Eph 4:1), and such a walk is necessary to commend the gospel. But following need not attain perfection to qualify for fishing; in fact, it cannot. The greatest of men are men at best and none are devoid of offense. Were we to wait for perfection, none could proclaim the gospel and none could be saved. But God gives a greater grace. He saves His people from their sins, and He qualifies them to proclaim the gospel. He does not hinder His people from speaking what is right even when they have not lived it perfectly. They proclaim not themselves, but a perfect Savior.

Shortly after Christ’s resurrection, the apostles went fishing for an entire night but caught nothing. In the morning, Jesus stood on the shore and said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some” (John 21:6). They did so in obedience and were not able to draw in the net because of the multitude of fish. Christ ordained the event for their instruction and ours. He was showing us that He is the divine agent who brings success in the gospel. He sends His people, and He assures their success. Therefore, follow Christ, and He will qualify you for the task of being His witness in the world. He will use you to make a difference in the lives of others. The victory of the church is sure, for He has said, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18).