Matt. 4:18-22, You Need To Have Your Nets Mended

Let’s do a study of katartizō (verb, to perfect, mend, make perfect), a special term related to the maturing of believers.  The key to unlock the study is in Matt. 4:21: James and John were “mending” their nets.  They didn’t need new nets.  They only needed to mend the nets they had.  And why did they need mending?  Because they had been used in fishing.  The pressure of an amazing catch of fish might create larger spaces in the net whereby fish would fall out and never make it to the boat.  It means the nets were restored so that they could accomplish the purpose they were intended to fulfill.  Keep that in mind as you meditate on the other uses of this term.

·       Matt. 21:16: God has perfected (prepared) praise out of the mouths of babes.  An infant might not know exactly how best to praise the Savior, but God could fix their words, so to speak, to praise Him perfectly.

·       Lk. 6:40: Everyone who is perfect (prepared, fully trained) shall be as his teacher.

·       Rom. 9:22: God endured the vessels of wrath that were fitted for destruction.

·       1 Cor. 1:10: We need to be made complete in the same mind, judgment.

·       2 Cor. 13:11: In his farewell Paul says to be perfected.

·       Gal. 6:1: We are called to restore the fallen brother, in meekness.

·       1 Th. 3:10: Paul wanted to perfect what was lacking in their faith.

·       Heb. 10:5: Christ’s body was prepared as a sacrifice for sin. 

·       Heb. 11:3: By faith we understand worlds were framed by the word of God.

·       Heb. 13:21: Prayer: “May the God of peace make you perfect in all good works.”

·       1 Pt. 5:10: Prayer: “May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle (you).”  It appears that the last 3 terms tell us what is involved in the “mending:” make you stand, give you strength, give you a solid foundation.

·       katartisis (fem noun) 2 Cor. 13:9: Prayer: for their perfection.

·       katartismos (masc. noun) Eph. 4:12: Christ’s gifts to the church (apostles, prophets, etc.) given for the equipping of the saints.

Vincent: to adjust, “put it right.”  Vine: to make fit, equip, prepare.  Bruce: to equip, adjust.  Jesus called fishermen to become fishers of men.  As with their fishing for fish, so in fishing for men, we must give Him access to mend our nets.