What criteria determine the "good" and "bad" in Matthew 13:48? Text of the Verse “ ‘When it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and collected the good fish into baskets, but threw the bad away.’ ” (Matthew 13:48) Immediate Meaning: Sorting Fish • Fishermen separate usable, healthy fish from those that are rotten, damaged, or unfit for sale or eating. • The Greek terms underline the contrast: – good (καλά, kalá) – “beautiful, useful, noble.” – bad (σαπρά, saprá) – “rotten, decayed, worthless.” Spiritual Meaning: Sorting People • Jesus explains in the next verse that the scene pictures the final judgment: “So it will be at the end of the age: the angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous” (Matthew 13:49). • The criteria move from physical quality to spiritual condition—one’s standing before God. Biblical Criteria for a “Good” Catch • Saving faith in Jesus Christ – John 3:16–18: belief means not being condemned. – Acts 16:31: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” • Righteousness credited by God and lived out in daily conduct – 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:22. – Matthew 7:21: doing the Father’s will. • Evident fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23; Matthew 7:17-20. • Perseverance in obedience and holiness Indicators of a “Bad” Catch • Persistent unbelief and rejection of the gospel – John 3:18, 36; Hebrews 3:12. • Works of the flesh and lawlessness – Galatians 5:19-21; Matthew 13:41. • Lack of repentance and spiritual fruit • False profession that masks an unregenerate heart – Matthew 7:22-23; Titus 1:16. How These Criteria Fit the Parable’s Judgment Theme • Just as fishermen judge fish by inherent quality, God judges people by their true spiritual nature. • The “good” are gathered into the kingdom—secure and treasured. • The “bad” are cast away, facing “the fiery furnace” (Matthew 13:50), a literal depiction of eternal separation from God. Takeaway for Today The parable challenges every hearer to examine whether faith in Christ has produced genuine righteousness and lasting fruit, the unmistakable marks of a “good fish” ready for the kingdom’s baskets. |
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