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17 [a]From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,(A) “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The Call of the First Disciples.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 4:17 At the beginning of his preaching Jesus takes up the words of John the Baptist (Mt 3:2) although with a different meaning; in his ministry the kingdom of heaven has already begun to be present (Mt 12:28).
  2. 4:18–22 The call of the first disciples promises them a share in Jesus’ work and entails abandonment of family and former way of life. Three of the four, Simon, James, and John, are distinguished among the disciples by a closer relation with Jesus (Mt 17:1; 26:37).