40. Besides, we ought certainly to note the fact that the evangelical and apostolical Scriptures do not confine this designation of His "disciples" to those twelve alone, but give the same appellation to all those who believed on Him, and were educated under His instruction for the kingdom of heaven. Out of the whole number of such He chose twelve, whom He also named apostles, as Luke mentions. For a little further on he says: And He came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the concourse [839] of His disciples and a great multitude of people. [840] And surely he would not speak of a "concourse" [or "crowd"] of disciples if he referred only to twelve men. In other passages of the Scriptures also the fact is plainly apparent, that all those were called His disciples who were instructed by Him in what pertained to eternal life.
41. But the question may be asked, how He called the fishermen from their boats two by two, namely, calling Peter and Andrew first, and then going forward a little and calling other two, namely the sons of Zebedee, according to the narratives of Matthew and Mark; whereas Luke's version of the matter is, that both their boats were filled with the immense haul of fishes. And his statement bears further, that Peter's partners, to wit, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were summoned to the men's help when they were unable to drag out their crowded nets, and that all who were there were astonished at the enormous draught of fishes which had been taken; and that when Jesus said to Peter, "Fear not, from henceforth thou shall catch men," although the words had been addressed to Peter alone, they all nevertheless followed Him when they had brought their ships to land. [841] Well, we are to understand by this, that what Luke introduces here was what took place first, and that these men were not called by the Lord on this occasion, but only that the prediction was uttered to Peter by himself, that he would be a fisher of men. That saying, moreover, was not intended to convey that they would never thereafter be catchers of fish. For we read that even after the Lord's resurrection they were engaged again in fishing. [842] The words, therefore, imported simply that thereafter he would catch men, and they did not bear that henceforth he would not catch fish. And in this way we are at perfect liberty to suppose that they returned to the catching of fish, according to their habit; so that those incidents which are related by Matthew and Mark might easily take place at a period subsequent to this. I refer to what occurred at the time when He called the disciples two by two, and Himself gave them the command to follow Him, at first addressing Peter and Andrew, and then the others, namely, the two sons of Zebedee. For on that occasion they did not follow Him only after they had drawn up their ships on shore, as with the intention of returning to them, but they went after Him immediately, as after one who summoned and commanded them to follow Him.
[818] Matt. iv. 12.
[819] Mark i. 14; Luke iv. 14.
[820] John i. 39, etc.
[821] John ii. 1-11.
[822] [The interval between the temptation and the return to Galilee, referred to by the Synoptists, was at least nine months; possibly more than a year. Augustin implies, in § 42, that this journey was a different one.--R.]
[823] Matt. xvi. 18.
[824] John i. 42.
[825] Matt. iv. 13, vii. 29; Mark i. 16-31; Luke iv. 31-39.
[826] Matt. viii. 14, 15.
[827] [There is here a partial recognition of the fact, now widely received, that the order of Mark is the most exact. No harmony can be successfully constructed on the order of Matthew.--R.]
[828] Luke v. 10.
[829] Matt. iv. 10; Mark i. 17.
[830] Matt. iv. 13-23; Mark i. 16-20; Luke v. 1-11; John i. 35-44.
[831] John ii. 1, 2.
[832] Acts xxii. 3.
[833] John ii. 12.
[834] Matt. iv. 13.
[835] Matt. iv. 18.
[836] Matt. iv. 18-22, ix. 9; Mark i. 16-20, ii. 14; Luke v. 1-11; John i. 35-44.
[837] John i. 42.
[838] Mark iii. 17.
[839] Turba.
[840] Luke vi. 17.
[841] Luke v. 1-11.
[842] John xxi. 3.