B-A-C
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We all know the parable, but everyone interprets it differently. This is one of the few parables Jesus actually explained and we don't even have to guess what He meant.
Matt 13:18; "Hear then the parable of the sower.
Matt 13:19; "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.
Matt 13:20; "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
Matt 13:21; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.
Matt 13:22; "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
Matt 13:23; "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."
This explanation is also in Luke.
Luke 8:11; "Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.
Luke 8:12; "Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.
Luke 8:13; "Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.
Luke 8:14; "The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
Luke 8:15; "But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.
It's funny (not really so funny) how differently people interprets these passages.
We have four kinds of soil here, the seed falls on four kinds of soil. We are told the seed is "The Word of God". So all four kinds of people, hear.. the word of God.
The Calvinist would say only the the last type of soil ( Luke 8:15; ) was ever saved.
The Armenian would say only the first type of soil ( Luke 8:12; ) was never saved.
The soil in verse 12. Almost everyone agrees they were never saved. It says here... "the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved".
It says here, they never believe, and are never saved.
The soil in verse 13 is slightly different. "they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. "
It doesn't say they never believed, it says they believe "for a while" and then fall away. It seems they did believe, at least.. "for a while".
The soil in verse 14 has yet a different reaction. They also believe for a while, in fact this soil even bears fruit. However this fruit never quite matures.
"and bring no fruit to maturity. " It doesn't say they bear no fruit at all. The Bible says we can only bear fruit if Christ is in us. So they must have had Jesus
long enough to start to bear fruit. ( John 15:4-5; )
The soil in verse 15... well almost everyone agrees these people are saved. But even these people are told ... "and hold it (the Word of God) fast, and bear fruit with perseverance"
What does holding the Word of God... "fast" mean? It just means hold on tight, and don't let anyone snatch it away from you.
Matt 13:18; "Hear then the parable of the sower.
Matt 13:19; "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.
Matt 13:20; "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
Matt 13:21; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.
Matt 13:22; "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
Matt 13:23; "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."
This explanation is also in Luke.
Luke 8:11; "Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.
Luke 8:12; "Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.
Luke 8:13; "Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.
Luke 8:14; "The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
Luke 8:15; "But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.
It's funny (not really so funny) how differently people interprets these passages.
We have four kinds of soil here, the seed falls on four kinds of soil. We are told the seed is "The Word of God". So all four kinds of people, hear.. the word of God.
The Calvinist would say only the the last type of soil ( Luke 8:15; ) was ever saved.
The Armenian would say only the first type of soil ( Luke 8:12; ) was never saved.
The soil in verse 12. Almost everyone agrees they were never saved. It says here... "the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved".
It says here, they never believe, and are never saved.
The soil in verse 13 is slightly different. "they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. "
It doesn't say they never believed, it says they believe "for a while" and then fall away. It seems they did believe, at least.. "for a while".
The soil in verse 14 has yet a different reaction. They also believe for a while, in fact this soil even bears fruit. However this fruit never quite matures.
"and bring no fruit to maturity. " It doesn't say they bear no fruit at all. The Bible says we can only bear fruit if Christ is in us. So they must have had Jesus
long enough to start to bear fruit. ( John 15:4-5; )
The soil in verse 15... well almost everyone agrees these people are saved. But even these people are told ... "and hold it (the Word of God) fast, and bear fruit with perseverance"
What does holding the Word of God... "fast" mean? It just means hold on tight, and don't let anyone snatch it away from you.
