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This document provides an explanation and application of the parable of the dragnet from Matthew 13:47-50. It can be summarized as follows:
1. The parable depicts a dragnet being dragged ashore to separate edible fish from undesirable fish, representing Jesus and his followers gathering people into God's kingdom, including some who do not truly belong.
2. This parable teaches that during the "mystery" phase of God's kingdom, the work of the kingdom will include those who are not truly of Christ, like Judas.
3. The lessons are to be on alert against false teachers, to understand why there are so many divisions in Christianity due to false teachings, and that church
This document provides an explanation and application of the parable of the dragnet from Matthew 13:47-50. It can be summarized as follows:
1. The parable depicts a dragnet being dragged ashore to separate edible fish from undesirable fish, representing Jesus and his followers gathering people into God's kingdom, including some who do not truly belong.
2. This parable teaches that during the "mystery" phase of God's kingdom, the work of the kingdom will include those who are not truly of Christ, like Judas.
3. The lessons are to be on alert against false teachers, to understand why there are so many divisions in Christianity due to false teachings, and that church
This document provides an explanation and application of the parable of the dragnet from Matthew 13:47-50. It can be summarized as follows:
1. The parable depicts a dragnet being dragged ashore to separate edible fish from undesirable fish, representing Jesus and his followers gathering people into God's kingdom, including some who do not truly belong.
2. This parable teaches that during the "mystery" phase of God's kingdom, the work of the kingdom will include those who are not truly of Christ, like Judas.
3. The lessons are to be on alert against false teachers, to understand why there are so many divisions in Christianity due to false teachings, and that church
Introduction We are five weeks into a series on Jesus' parables of the kingdom of Godwhich are found in Matthew 13, !" # noted that the seven parables in Matthew 13 have a common theme$the m%steries of the kingdom& '13(11a)" *hat is, the% reveal a portion of God's kingdom that had not been revealed in the +ld *estament" ,efore we go on to the ne-t parables, let's briefl% review some general observations about this important issue" *he +ld *estament view of histor% was that we live in what one biblical author calls $this present evil age&an age dominated b% rebellion and evil" ,ut God is sovereign over histor%, and one da% he would replace this present evil age with his own righteous and loving reign" *he event that separates these two periods of histor% is the coming of God's Messiah" Jesus affirms the +ld *estament viewbut he adds some crucial additional information" What the +ld *estament prophets called the coming of Messiah is actuall% his .econd /oming" 0rior to that time, Messiah would come not as a reigning 1ing but as suffering .ervantto die for the guilt of a rebellious humanit% who God loves" 2is first coming would usher in an unanticipated form of God's kingdom that is different in important ways from the kindom in its fullness! *his is what Jesus calls $the m%steries of the kingdom& and describes through the seven parables in Matthew 13" *hrough these parables, then, we learn about how God's kingdom is at work in the world toda%, and about how we can benefit from and cooperate with his activit%" *he ke% to understanding these parables is to ask( What do the% teach about this $m%ster%& phase of God's kingdom that is different from its completed phase3 Explanation 4et's look at the final parable in Matthew 13 'read 13(567!8)" *his was a common scene along the .ea of Galilee" *he dragnet was as much as a mile long" #t was weighted on the bottom and had floats on the top" #t would be spread in the shape of a huge semi7circle, and then dragged to shore" *hen came the task of getting rid of the undesirable fish and getting the edible fish read% for market" "o one has ever #een invented a net that $at$hes only edi#le fish" What does this parable teach us about God's kingdom3 What new information does it give us about the $m%ster%& phase3 *here is nothing new about the fact that Jesus returns, he will separate 'and 9udge) those who belong to God from those who don't '#saiah 38(: echoed b% John in Matthew 3(1)" *he new information is that in the $m%ster%& phase, the activit% of God's kingdom will $gather up& even those who do not trul% belong to /hrist" 1 *he dragnet is clearl% a picture of the work of Jesus and his followers as the% invite people to enter God's kingdom through faith in the gospel" Jesus often used this $fishing& analog% to describe his mission of outreach '4uke !(18; Matthew 5(1<)" 2is own ministr% illustrated this point( man% who followed him for a time did not trul% believe in him 'John (375), and one of his own disciples was in fact an agent of .atan who betra%ed him 'John 13(, 6)" 2is point is that the worldwide movement he was inaugurating would inevitabl% include man% that do not in fact belong to him" Application What is the practical importance of this parable3 =nderstood in light of the rest of the >ew *estament, there are at least three important lessons we should take to heart " " " ?irst of all, it warns us to #e on the alert for false tea$hers and $ounterfeit versions of %hristianity! *he bad fish represent 'in part at least) those 'like Judas) who are planted in the net b% God's enem% to disrupt and discredit his kingdom" Jesus warned his own followers of this danger 'read Matthew 6(1!), and he predicted that this danger would increase throughout the $m%ster%& phase of his kingdom 'read Matthew 5(!, 18711, 57!)" #f %ou were the devil and %ou wanted to oppose the growth of Jesus' kingdom in this age, what better wa% to do this than b% proliferating people who talk about Jesus, claim to speak for Jesusbut are perverting the truth about Jesus3 *he first7centur% church saw an immediate outbreak of all kinds of false teachers" @irtuall% ever% >ew *estament letter warns against specific false teachings" & As Jesus predicted, one of the ma9or themes of church histor% is the continuous outbreak of false teachers from Gnosticism 'kind of a Buasi7/hristian >ew Age spiritualit%), to ritualistic legalism ' nd C 3 rd centur% over7 reaction to Gnosticism, 3 peaking in the Middle Ages, still around toda%), to anti7supernatural theolog% ',=4*MA>>; JD.=. .DM#>AE), to wack% cult7leaders 'EA.0=*#>, J#M J+>D., ,EA>/2 FA@#F#A>.), to flak% healersGevangelists who e-tract mone% and se-ual favors from their followers, etc" *he% all claim to be spokesmen for Jesus, the% all use the ,ibleand the%'re all counterfeits who lead people astra% and misrepresent Jesus" 2ow can %ou avoid this minefield3 *here is no protection in denominations, old groups, theological degrees, social approval, etc" *he onl% sure protection against counterfeits is thorough familiarit% with the real thing God's written Word 'see Acts 8(:73; *imoth% 3(1371H)" Jesus and the apostles presuppose that ever% /hristian can learn God's Word well enough to discern truth from error '2ebrews !(11715)" *his is wh% the position that onl% designated leaders can properl% interpret the ,ible is especiall% pernicious " " " #f %ou understand the first lesson, it also helps %ou to understand why $hur$h history $ontains so many divisions and atro$ities! Man% people are stumbled b% the fact that /hristendom has so man% denominations and sects" *he% reason that if /hristianit% is the truth, there should be onl% one church" ,ut the truth is actuall% a little more complicated than this" .ome divisions are not bad at all, according to the >ew *estament" Jesus and the apostles never envisioned one organiIational structure for the church" *rue /hristians can be united b% their common faith in /hrist and love for one another even though the% ma% work among different peoples in different groups 'e"g", 0A=4 C 0D*DE in Galatians (67<)" Man% divisions, however, are the result of false teachers and true /hristians' faithfulness to Jesus and his teaching" #f a false teacher is tr%ing to infiltrate a trul% /hristian group, those /hristians have an obligation to resist 'and even remove) such people" #f the /hristians succeed, and the false teacher starts a new group, he will call it $/hristian"& #f, however, the false teacher gains power over the original group so that the true /hristians leave, the% will of course call their new group $/hristian"& *his is how %ou can get so man% groups that call themselves $/hristian& even though the% do not believe in the Jesus of the >ew *estament" *hese kinds of divisions were happening even in the apostolic period, when false teachers whom the apostles kicked out started their own movements and called them /hristian '.imon in Acts :; 2%menaeus C Ale-ander in 1 *imoth% 1(1<78; *imoth% (1671:; Gnostics in 1 John (1<)" *he same thing has continued over the past 8 centuries" Man% groups were started b% false teachers who were rightfull% removed from /hristian groups" +thers graduall% took over /hristian groups until /hristians left that group to start new churches" Man% /hristians 'not to mention non7/hristians) are stumbled b% the horrors that have been perpetrated b% the /hurch and people who claim to be /hristians" *he /hurch has had an especiall% terrible record in 9ustif%ing anti7.emitism, for e-ample" $*he medieval Eoman church progressivel% stripped the Jewish people of legal rights " " " that had taken centuries to procure under the pagan Eoman Dmpire" *he decrees of the ?ourth 4ateran /ouncil of 11! under 0ope #nnocent ### ordered Jews to wear distinctive garments, ostensibl% to curtail intimate relationships between Jews and /hristians"& 4
.ome of the most virulent anti7.emitic attitudes in >aIi German% were approved and promoted b% 0rotestant denominations" /onsider this 1<3! letter from a 4utheran pastor to Julius .treicher, editor of the hate magaIine Der Sturmer( $ " " " As a 4utheran pastor, # must thank %ou for the courageous words with which %ou replied to the incredible statements of the 0rovincial ,rethren /ouncil Jof the /onfessing /hurchK in .a-on%" We stand enthusiasticall% behind %our struggle against the Jewish death watch beetles which are undermining our German nation" .o too against those friends of Jewr% which are to be found even in the ranks of the 0rotestant pastorate" We will fight alongside %ou and we will not give up until the struggle against all Jewr% and against the murderers of our .avior has been brought to a victorious end, in the spirit of /hrist and of Martin 4uther" #n true fellowship, # greet %ou with 2eil 2itlerL& 5 2ow can /hristianit% be true if Jesus' followers are guilt% of these atrocities3 #n general, the answer is( *he% weren't /hrist's followers at all" Although true /hristians are certainl% capable of seriousl% misrepresenting /hrist, the most shameful episodes 'like the above) have usuall% been perpetrated b% $bad fish&nominal or counterfeit /hristians" +ver against this, true /hristians 'like /orrie *en ,oom, for e-ample) have often been heroic in their efforts to save Jews" ?inall%, it emphasiIes the importance of reali'in that affiliation with a $hur$h (in$ludin this $hur$h) doesn*t ensure that you #elon to %hrist*s kindom! A famous /hristian preacher from the earl% 8 th
centur% e-pressed this truth this wa%( $Going into a church doesn't make %ou a /hristian an% more than going into a garage makes %ou a car"& *he same can be said about church membership, being baptiIed and taking communion, reciting the Apostle's /reed, etc" Mou could do all of these thingsand still be one of the bad fishL +r %ou could have done none of these things and be one of the good fishL *his is because belonging to /hrist and his kingdom reBuires making a personal decision to ask /hrist to live in %our heart" #n Eevelation 3, Jesus spoke to people who were affiliated with the church in 4aodecia, but who didn't belong to his kingdom" Dven though the% attended meetings and assented to the teachings, he loves them enough to tell them that the% are still spirituall% blind and naked" ,ut he doesn't stop therehe also issues this invitation 'read Eevelation 3(8)" 2ave %ou made this decision3 2ave %ou called out to Jesus personall% and asked him to come into %our heart and forge a personal relationship between %ou and him3 *his is the step that takes %ou from being involved with Jesus' kingdom to actuall% belonging to him and his kingdom" Footnotes 1 >ote the similarit% in language between 13(5<7!8 and 13(58b75" ,oth parables speak of the mi-ed character of the kingdom in this age, and of the certaint% that God will sort people out in the ne-t age" ,ut whereas the parable of the wheat and tares is about the coe-istence of God's people and .atan's people in the world generall%, this parable is about the mi-ed spiritual character of those people who are Ncaught up inN the influence of God's kingdom" & +f the >ew *estament letters 'including Eevelation ,3), at least 16 contain e-plicit warnings against false teachers" .ee Eomans 1H(16,1:; 1 /orinthians 1!(1; /orinthians (16; 11(1371!; Galatians 1(H7<; !(187 1; 0hilippians 3(; /olossians (1H73; *hess" (1,; 1 *imoth% 1(3ff"; 5(17!; H(37!; *imoth% 3(17:; *itus 1(1871H; 3(<711; 2ebrews 13(<; 0eter (17; 1 John (1:7H; 5717H; John 1(67<; 3 John 1(<,18; Jude 1(5ff"; Eevelation (,1!,8" 3 $.alvation was seen as the reward for faithfulness to God and /hristfaithfulness worked out in regular attendance at worship and in a life lived under the direction of God's law" ,aptism was operative in starting this life, and communion was necessar% to provide power to continue " " " *his would sum up the beliefs of the average /hristian 'of the earl% third centur%)"& M" A" .mith, From Christ to Constantine '#nter@arsit% 0ress, 1<61), pp" 1!5,1!!" 4 Favid A" Eausch, A Legacy of Hatred '/hicago( Mood% 0ress, 1<:5), p" H" 5 /ited in Favid A" Eausch, A Legacy of Hatred '/hicago( Mood% 0ress, 1<:5), pp" 1HH,1H6""
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