Early Church Fathers Scripture Index : Texts
Matthew 4:21
There are 10 footnotes for this reference.
Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 3, page 68, footnote 16 (Image)
Tertullian (I, II, III)
Apologetic. (HTML)
On Idolatry. (HTML)
Further Answers to the Plea, How Am I to Live? (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 250 (In-Text, Margin)
... and tortures, or your body only, which is after the manner of a cross. Parents, wives, children, will have to be left behind, for God’s sake. Do you hesitate about arts, and trades, and about professions likewise, for the sake of children and parents? Even there was it demonstrated to us, that both “dear pledges,” and handicrafts, and trades, are to be quite left behind for the Lord’s sake; while James and John, called by the Lord, do leave quite behind both father and ship;[Matthew 4:21-22] while Matthew is roused up from the toll-booth; while even burying a father was too tardy a business for faith. None of them whom the Lord chose to Him said, “I have no means to live.” Faith fears not famine. It knows, likewise, that hunger is no ...
Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 3, page 675, footnote 18 (Image)
Tertullian (I, II, III)
Ethical. (HTML)
On Baptism. (HTML)
Of the Necessity of Baptism to Salvation. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 8675 (In-Text, Margin)
... baptism, seeing they (I think) followed Him who was wont to promise salvation to every believer. “Thy faith,” He would say, “hath saved thee;” and, “Thy sins shall be remitted thee,” on thy believing, of course, albeit thou be not yet baptized. If that was wanting to the apostles, I know not in the faith of what things it was, that, roused by one word of the Lord, one left the toll-booth behind for ever; another deserted father and ship, and the craft by which he gained his living;[Matthew 4:21-22] a third, who disdained his father’s obsequies, fulfilled, before he heard it, that highest precept of the Lord, “He who prefers father or mother to me, is not worthy of me.”
Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 9, page 51, footnote 40 (Image)
Gospel of Peter, Diatessaron, Apocalypses, Visio Pauli, Testament of Abraham, Acts of X/P, Zosimus, Aristides, Clement, Origen
The Diatessaron of Tatian. (HTML)
The Diatessaron. (HTML)
Section V. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 434 (In-Text, Margin)
[44] And while he was walking on the shore of the sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon who was called Cephas, and Andrew his brother, casting their nets into [45] the sea; for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Follow me, and I will [46] make you fishers of men. And they immediately left their nets there and followed [47] him.[Matthew 4:21] And when he went on from thence, he saw other two brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the ship with Zebedee their father, mending [48] their nets; and Jesus called them. And they immediately forsook the ship and their father Zebedee, and followed him.
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Volume 6, page 122, footnote 3 (Image)
Augustine: Sermon on the Mount, Harmony of the Gospels, Homilies on the Gospels
The Harmony of the Gospels. (HTML)
Book II (HTML)
Of the Calling of the Apostles as They Were Fishing. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 830 (In-Text, Margin)
... the case that in the vicinity of the Jordan, and before Jesus went into Galilee, two men, on hearing the testimony of John the Baptist, followed Jesus; that of these two disciples the one was Andrew, who at once went and brought his own brother Simon to Jesus; and that on this occasion that brother received the name Peter, by which he was thereafter to be called,—how can it be said by the other evangelists that He found them engaged in fishing in Galilee, and called them there to be His disciples?[Matthew 4:13-23] How can these diverse accounts be reconciled, unless it be that we are to understand that those men did not gain such a view of Jesus on the occasion connected with the vicinity of the Jordan as would lead them to attach themselves to Him for ever, ...
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Volume 6, page 122, footnote 9 (Image)
Augustine: Sermon on the Mount, Harmony of the Gospels, Homilies on the Gospels
The Harmony of the Gospels. (HTML)
Book II (HTML)
Of the Calling of the Apostles as They Were Fishing. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 836 (In-Text, Margin)
... follower in Philip, whom He called in this particular manner, by saying to him, “Follow me”? For in what order all the twelve apostles were called is not apparent from the narratives of the evangelists. Indeed, not only is the succession of the various callings left unrecorded; but even the fact of the calling is not mentioned in the case of all of them, the only vocations specified being those of Philip, and Peter and Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee, and Matthew the publican, who was also called Levi.[Matthew 4:18-22] The first and only person, however, who received a separate name from Him was Peter. For He did not give the sons of Zebedee their names individually, but He called them both together the sons of thunder.
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Volume 8, page 515, footnote 1 (Image)
Augustine: Expositions on the Psalms
Expositions on the Book of Psalms. (HTML)
Psalm CIV (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 4738 (In-Text, Margin)
... called sparrows. There are therefore some spiritual ones that build in the cedars of Libanus: that is, there are certain servants of God who hear in the Gospel, “Sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor; and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come and follow Me.” …Let him who hath resigned many things, not be proud. We know that Peter was a fisherman: what then could he give up, to follow our Lord? Or his brother Andrew, or John and James the sons of Zebedee, themselves also fishermen;[Matthew 4:21] and yet what did they say? “Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed Thee.” Our Lord said not to him, Thou hast forgotten thy poverty; what hast thou resigned, that thou shouldest receive the whole world? He, my brethren, who resigned not only ...
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Volume 14, page 261, footnote 11 (Image)
Chrysostom: Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews
The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John. (HTML)
John 13.20 (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 2034 (In-Text, Margin)
... that also which follows. What is that? What he saith of himself, “Whom Jesus loved.” Why did no one else say this of himself? yet the others were loved too. But he more than any. And if no other hath said this about him, but he about himself, it is nothing wonderful. Paul too does the same, when occasion calls, saying thus, “I knew a man fourteen years ago”; yet in fact he has gone through other no trifling praises of himself. Seems it to thee a small thing that, when he had heard, “Follow Me,”[Matthew 4:21] he straightway left his nets, and his father, and followed; and that Christ took him alone with Peter into the mountain, (Matt. xvii. 1,) and another time again when He went into a house? (Luke viii. 51.) What high praise also has he himself passed ...
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Volume 6, page 48, footnote 17 (Image)
Jerome: Letters and Select Works
The Letters of St. Jerome. (HTML)
To Marcella. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 781 (In-Text, Margin)
5. But what, I ask you, have we ever done that men should be offended at us? Have we ever imitated the apostles? We are told of the first disciples that they forsook their boat and their nets, and even their aged father.[Matthew 4:18-22] The publican stood up from the receipt of custom and followed the Saviour once for all. And when a disciple wished to return home, that he might take leave of his kinsfolk, the Master’s voice refused consent. A son was even forbidden to bury his father, as if to show that it is sometimes a religious duty to be undutiful for the Lord’s sake. With us it is different. We are held to be ...
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Volume 6, page 102, footnote 9 (Image)
Jerome: Letters and Select Works
The Letters of St. Jerome. (HTML)
To Paulinus. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 1536 (In-Text, Margin)
... possessing all things.” Food and raiment, these are the Christian’s wealth. If your property is in your own power, sell it: if not, cast it from you. “If any man…will take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.” You are all for delay, you wish to defer action: unless—so you argue—unless I sell my goods piecemeal and with caution, Christ will be at a loss to feed his poor. Nay, he who has offered himself to God, has given Him everything once for all. The apostles did but forsake ships and nets.[Matthew 4:18-22] The widow cast but two brass coins into the treasury and yet she shall be preferred before Crœsus with all his wealth. He readily despises all things who reflects always that he must die.
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Volume 6, page 165, footnote 1 (Image)
Jerome: Letters and Select Works
The Letters of St. Jerome. (HTML)
To Salvina. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 2418 (In-Text, Margin)
... benefit of the poor. For he knew the commandment of the Lord: “If thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and come and follow me.” And because he could not literally fulfil these directions, having a wife and little children and a large household, he made to himself friends of the mammon of unrighteousness that they might receive him into everlasting habitations. He did not once for all cast away his brethren, as did the apostles who forsook father and nets and ship,[Matthew 4:18-22] but by an equality he ministered to the want of others out of his own abundance that afterwards their wealth might be a supply for his own want. The lady to whom this letter is addressed knows that what I narrate is only known to me by hearsay, but ...