What does it mean to mend the net?
If you have not read "Why .Net?", please read it first here.
There I described the reason that Jesus in calling his first four "learners" (disciples) chose four fishermen, two sets of brothers. The first, Peter and Andrew were fishing with nets, and the next two, James and John were in the boat mending their nets.
And remember, if you really want to be successful at catching fish, you use a good net. If you use a line and a hook, you will do a lot of waiting and you can only catch one at a time. But with a net you can catch a boatload at once, if you follow Jesus' instructions.
But if your net is all torn to pieces, you might not catch any at all, except maybe by accident!
As I think about what to write, and how to convey the idea, many things go through my mind. I will pick a screen on your window. If you wan to keep flies and mosquitoes out, you need a good fine net screen to cover the whole window. Right?
Now think about the picture of the church as described in "Why .Net?":
Picture a vast fishing net, weathered by time and torn in countless places, hanging haphazardly over turbulent waters.
A fishing net "torn in countless places" is no better at keeping fish in than a window screen "torn in countless places" is at keeping flies out!
So how, exactly, is the church supposed to be like a net? What does that mean?
Well we get a good insight into that picture from Paul's words in Ephesians four:
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
(Ephesians 4:14-16 NKJV)
There is so much packed into these words. Let me start by focusing on a few words in verse 16; "joined and knit together by what every joint supplies". It seems that Paul may actually have a fishing net in mind as he writes these words.
I like to think of each of us, each Christian, as a knot in this fishing net. Each knot in a fishing net would typically be attached by cords to four other knots. And, of course, each of those knots are attached by cords to more knots, and so on. Each cord in this way is a "joint, supplying" life to each of the other four members. This supplying is the "speaking the truth in love" in verse 15.
This is not just friendship. This is much more than friends talking about whatever. Not to discourage friendship and conversation. But be careful not to let the weather, your job, sports and politics dominate your conversation to the exclusion of the "truth" that builds up the body.
There are many analogies in scripture to describe the Kingdom of God. The idea of fishing with a net is just one of them. The "body" is another one, of great importance!
While it seems, as I said, that Paul may have had a fishing net in mind in verse 16, he clearly is using the "one body" analogy in this verse as he says; "from whom the whole body, joined ..."
"... and knit together ..."
Now the word "knit" in our modern English has two meanings which apply; You can knit a cloth, or a "net." Or using the medical meaning, when a bone is broken, the doctor will "set" the bone in place and put that part in a cast so that the bone can "knit" and become whole again.
So both analogies can be seen in this verse, the net being mended, and the body being healed.
This part of the verse also applies to both the body and the net. The body of course needs every member to be fully healthy and functional.
In the same way, the net needs those connections "supplying" strength to the other knots in all directions across the width and length of the whole net in order to catch all the fish.
There is a line, commonly heard today in "churches"; It is "our local body."
There is no such thing in the Bible!
Paul states many times in many places that there is "one body." On planet earth there is only one "body of Christ." And likewise there is only one net, that is one church. Jesus is building only one church, as He says in Matthew 16:18:
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
He calls it "My church" not "My churches." He is building only one church. All the other analogies are the same, in that there is only one "Kingdom of God." There is only one "Bride of Christ." There is only one "Body."
For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
(Romans 12:4-5)For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
(1 Corinthians 10:17)For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
For in fact the body is not one member but many.
(1 Corinthians 12:12-14)But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.
(1 Corinthians 12:18-20)that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.
(1 Corinthians 12:25)and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
(Ephesians 2:16)There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
(Ephesians 4:4)
(Ephesians 4:15-16)
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
(Colossians 3:15)
Now it is true that the word "church" is used in the Bible in both the singular and plural form, "church" and "churches". But it needs to be understood that this word means an "assembly," a meeting together. And in the practical, physical sense that has the "local" aspect. It is important to understand how these forms are used in the New Testament. The only times the word "churches" occurs is with reference to "all the churches" or the "churches" in a region with multiple cities. There are no exceptions to this idea. There is never a reference to "churches" in a city. Whenever the word church is singular, it is always referring to either the universal one church Jesus is building or to the church in a city. For examples in Galatians Paul writes "To the churches of Galatia" (in Galatians 1:2) because Galatia was a region which had multiple cities. But "the church in Jerusalem" which met from house to house (multiple houses), and had thousands of believers, is never referred to as "churches in Jerusalem."
But today in most any little town there are multiple "churches." I put that in quotes because that is what we call those buildings, but that in no way resembles the New Testament description.
So as far as mending the net is concerned, I don't expect the thirty some "churches" in my town to somehow become "one church." It won't happen that way. Rather my prayer, and my labor is to make as many close connections, "joints of supply" as I can with as many Christians around me, crossing as many boundaries as possible, and to encourage many others to do the same.