Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Mark: Chapter 1].
like Paul's fulness of time (\pl•r•ma tou chronou\) in Ga 4:4
and fulness of the times (\pl•r•ma ton kair•n\) in Eph 1:10
when he employs the word \kairos\, opportunity or crisis as here
in Mark rather than the more general term \chronos\. Mark adds
here also: "and believe in the gospel" (\kai pisteuete en t•i
euaggeli•i\). Both repent and believe in the gospel. Usually
faith in Jesus (or God) is expected as in John 14:1. But this
crisis called for faith in the message of Jesus that the Messiah
had come. He did not use here the term Messiah, for it had come
to have political connotations that made its use at present
unwise. But the kingdom of God had arrived with the presence of
the King. It does make a difference what one believes. Belief or
disbelief in the message of Jesus made a sharp cleavage in those
who heard him. "Faith in the message was the first step; a creed
of some kind lies at the basis of confidence in the Person of
Christ, and the occurrence of the phrase \pistuete en t•i
euaggeli•i\ in the oldest record of the teaching of our Lord is a
valuable witness to this fact" (Swete).
1:16 {And passing along by the Sea of Galilee} (\kai parag•n para
t•n thalassan t•s Galilaias\). Mark uses \para\ (along, beside)
twice and makes the picture realistic. He catches this glimpse of
Christ in action. Casting a {net} (\amphiballontas\). Literally
casting on both sides, now on one side, now on the other. Matthew
(Mt 4:18) has a different phrase which see. There are two
papyri examples of the verb \amphiball•\, one verb absolutely for
fishing as here, the other with the accusative. It is fishing
with a net, making a cast, a haul. These four disciples were
fishermen (\halieis\) and were {partners} (\metochoi\) as Luke
states (Lu 5:7).
1:17 {Become} (\genesthai\). Mark has this word not in Matthew.
It would be a slow and long process, but Jesus could and would do
it. He would undertake to make fishers of men out of fishermen.
Preachers are made out of laymen who are willing to leave their
business for service for Christ.
1:19 {A little further} (\oligon\). A Marcan detail. {Mending
their nets} (\katartizontas ta diktua\). See on ¯Mt 4:21.
Getting ready that they might succeed better at the next haul.
1:20 {With the hired servants} (\meta t•n misth•t•n\). One hired
for wages (\misthos\), a very old Greek word. Zebedee and his two
sons evidently had an extensive business in co-operation with
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