The Calling of Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew

2022-10-05

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Matthew 4:19)

Here, and in the case of Mark 1:17, we do not have much context. You get the idea that Peter, Andrew, James, and John were all going about their workday as usual, when Jesus said for them to follow Him. From there, we think they just dropped everything at this saying and followed Jesus. There is a little more context than that, which is why examining all the accounts of a story is helpful.

Jesus was preaching where the fishermen were (Luke 5:1). The four fishermen were washing their nets. They probably heard Jesus’ preaching, but they were still intent on their work after a night of catching no fish.

Jesus: “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught” (Luke 5:4).

Simon Peter: “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5).

The result was a multitude fish, broken nets, and sinking boats. Peter then recognized that Jesus was the Son of God: “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8).

They had an encounter with Jesus Christ, where He confirmed who He was miraculously. We get more details about Peter’s and Andrew’s first days with the Lord in the Gospel of John 1:35-42.

James and John were their fishing partners, saw all that transpired, and followed the other set of brothers in their following of Jesus.

What about Levi? “And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him” (Luke 5:27-28). Again, we see a man who seemingly just got up and followed Jesus. Like many who have an encounter with the Lord in the Bible (Abram/Abraham, Simon/Peter), he received a new name afterward. In his own Gospel, he calls himself by this new name: Matthew. “And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom...” (Matthew 9:9).

I believe Matthew and Nathanael are the same man, for the names mean about the same thing (“gift of God” versus “given of God”). Here is his story that led to his following of the Lord:

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. (John 1:47-49)

This happened after Peter and Andrew left to follow Jesus; the order and proximity in the Gospels of Luke and John are about the same.