Mark 1

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;

And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.

I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.

And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.

Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.

And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.

And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.

And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.

And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.

And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.

And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.

And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.

And all the city was gathered together at the door.

And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.

And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.

And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.

And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;

And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

What does Mark 1:18 mean?

Explanation

Mark 1:18 is a verse from the New Testament of the Christian Bible that tells of the moment Jesus calls his first disciples, specifically Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew, to follow him.

The literal meaning of this verse is quite straightforward: upon hearing Jesus’ call, Simon and Andrew immediately left their nets and followed Jesus, signifying their immediate and unequivocal decision to become his disciples.

The deeper meaning goes into the aspect of faith and complete trust in Jesus.

For Simon and Andrew, leaving their nets meant abandoning their livelihood and embracing a new life dedicated to the spiritual teachings and missions of Jesus.

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Mark 1:18 is situated in the Gospel of Mark, which is generally believed to be the earliest of the four canonical gospels and likely written around 70 A.D.

The setting is around the Sea of Galilee, where fishing was a common occupation.

The act of leaving their nets can be seen as an act of faith and repentance, symbolizing a turning away from their old lives and toward a new way of life.

The historical context emphasizes the immediacy of the disciples’ response to Jesus’ call, an indication of his authority and the compelling nature of his presence.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, this verse illustrates the concept of "vocation," or divine calling.

In Christian theology, this indicates that Jesus’ followers were chosen deliberately and their swift response is an example of obedience to God’s will.

Different denominations might view this passage differently; for example, Protestant theology might emphasize the idea of 'grace alone' (sola gratia), where the disciples’ decision was wholly inspired by divine grace.

Catholic theology might put emphasis on the willingness and cooperation of the disciples to heed the call as part of the divine-human partnership in salvation.

Practical Applications

This verse can inspire contemporary believers to consider what it means to follow Christ in their own lives.

It can serve as a prompt for self-reflection on whether there are any 'nets', material or otherwise, that prevent one from fully committing to faith and following Jesus’ example.

The verse also suggests the virtue of readiness and the importance of being prepared to respond to calls to action in one's personal faith journey.

Cross-References

Matthew 4:20: "And they straightway left their nets, and followed him."
Luke 5:11: "And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him."
Matthew 19:27: "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?"

Language Study

In the original Greek text, key words to consider include:

"εὐθὺς" (euthys) which is often translated as 'straightway' or immediately, connoting urgent and prompt action.
"ἀφέντες" (aphentes) meaning 'having left' or 'forsaken,' implying a decisive break from the past.
"τὰ δίκτυα" (ta diktya) which means 'the nets', symbolizing their trades and former lives.

The importance here is on the decisiveness and totality of the action; it is not just leaving, but forsaking, indicating a complete and irreversible change.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In many ancient myths and religions, the theme of leaving one's former life for a greater cause is common. For instance, in Buddhist traditions, Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) left his princely life to seek enlightenment.

In this verse, the disciples’ action resembles the theme of abandoning worldly attachments to seek higher truths or calling.

Scientific Perspectives

Few scientific perspectives can be directly applied to the interpretation of this verse.

However, the human psychological response to a compelling leader or cause, as seen in the immediate forsaking of the nets by the disciples, can be explored through the lens of social psychology.

This decision-making process may also be of interest in behavioral economics, where the 'cost' of leaving their occupation is outweighed by the perceived value of following Jesus.

Commentaries

Commentaries generally emphasize the dramatic nature of the disciples' response to Jesus' call.

William Barclay notes the sheer immediacy of their reaction as being both staggering and indicative of Jesus' magnetic personality and spiritual authority.

John Calvin mentions the unreserved obedience of Simon and Andrew, highlighting their willingness to surrender their livelihood for an unknown future.

The Expositor's Bible Commentary draws attention to the fact that such a reaction points not only to the call of Jesus but also to the preparedness and faith of the disciples in recognizing Jesus' worthiness of their total life devotion.

Mark 1

Mark 1

What does Mark 1:18 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Mark 1:18 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?