The Sower - misunderstood

[AdHoc]

1  The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 And he spake many things unto them in parables,
…
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

 Matthew 13 presents us with seven difficult parables. The difficulty comes from centuries of wrong premise. The Roman Church set us off on the wrong direction and we have never called them into question. Let us do it now.

There are a number of basic facts that need to be set forth to make these parables understandable.

1.  The first and most important is to define the “Kingdom of Heaven”. It is NOT the “Kingdom IN Heaven”. From Genesis 1:26-28 onward through Daniel Chapter 2, through Revelation 22:5. God has never wavered in His original plan to have mankind subdue and rule this earth. The birth needed for entering this Kingdom is from heaven (Jn.3:3-5), the ultimate King is from heaven, the nature of this King and His co-kings is heavenly, the God Who is over all and authenticates this Kingdom is heavenly and His heavenly rules are to be applied on earth - making this Kingdom heavenly in NATURE but not geographical position. The parable is about this kingdom - NOT SALVATION.

2.  The second fact that plays a crucial role is that the Lord spoke in parables which were not understandable to anyone but His disciples. In Matthew 12 Israel’s rejection of Messiah was complete as they attributed to Him the works of Beelzebub - the sin unforgivable in this age and the next. The audience was mixed - but our Lord Jesus only spoke to His disciples. The rest could not understand.

3.  The grammar of the first sentence of the explanation in verse 19 unequivocally sets the same conditions for the first group as for the rest. They “heard” the word of the Kingdom and it “was sown in their hearts”. The problem with the first group was NOT UNBELIEF. It was that they did not understand it! If a man thinks that it is the “Kingdom IN Heaven” he has NOT UNDERSTOOD the parable, for it pertains to the EARTH. If the man who has had the word of the Kingdom “sown in his heart” thinks that his destiny is heaven, he has NOT UNDERSTOOD the Kingdom - for our Lord prays; “Thy Kingdom COME, thy will be done ON EARTH … .” In verse 23 the fruitful ones “UNDERSTOOD”.

And if a man who has had the word of the Kingdom sown in his heart and thinks that it is for free, he has NOT UNDERSTOOD the Kingdom because in ALL the parables of the Kingdom it is to be ATTAINED to BY EFFORT:

1. In Matthew 5:20 it is only to be had if YOUR righteousness is greater that that of the Pharisees
2. In Mathew 7:21 it is only to be had if you are OBEDIENT
3. In Matthew 16:24-28 it is only to be had after a judgment of your WORKS (v.27) In Matthew 19 the rich man must keep God’s Laws and still sell all he has - WORKS
4. In Matthew 22 the man had accepted the invitation but his “garment” (his works - Rev.19:7-8) were lacking
5. In Matthew 25 the foolish Virgins had not BOUGHT extra oil
6. In Matthew 25 the servant of the Lord had not TRADED with his talent In 1st Corinthians 6:10-11, Galatians 5:5 and Ephesians 5:21 men are ejected from the kingdom for their WORKS
7. In John 3:3 rebirth only allows you to SEE the Kingdom. To ENTER you must be immersed in water (3:5). For his WORKS Moses may only SEE the Good Land but not ENTER.

Have you UNDERSTOOD that the Sower in Matthew 13 speaks of the Kingdom and not salvation, and that the Kingdom is obtained BY WORKS?

[Dan Knight]

Very informative.  The Lord be blessed! 

Might I say this, "Your Kingdom come,  Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.."

And how is His will done in Heaven? . (Matt 7. [21] Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.)

It is obeyed.  amen..

2. In Matt 7:21 it is only to be had if you  are Obedient.  amen...

 I have UNDERSTOOD that the Sower in Matthew 13 speaks of the Kingdom and not salvation, and that the Kingdom is obtained BY WORKS?  and amen.

[Waggles]

Mark 4:1  Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 
4:2  And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 
4:3  “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 
4:4  And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 
4:5  Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 
4:6  And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 
4:7  Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 
4:8  And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 
4:9  And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 

Jesus is teaching the multitude about the word of God - about the gospel of salvation that would come.

[Waggles]

Mark 4:10  And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 
4:11  And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 
Mar 4:12  so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’” 
4:13  And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 
4:14  The sower sows the word. 
4:15  And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 
4:16  And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 
4:17  And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 
4:18  And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 
4:19  but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 
4:20  But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 

Jesus is tallking about the preaching of the gospel of salvation that they and also future disciples would preach to the unsaved (yes even today). Not all who believe persist and endure to the end.

1Cor 3:6  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 
3:7  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 

[Waggles]

John 12:24  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 
12:25  Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 

[com7fy8]

1 hour ago, AdHoc said:

Have you UNDERSTOOD that the Sower in Matthew 13 speaks of the Kingdom and not salvation, and that the Kingdom is obtained BY WORKS?

Which works? James 2:24 >

"You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." (James 2:24)

And what faith is Paul talking about? >

"faith working through love" > in Galatians 5:6.

So, you say we can not enter into God's kingdom except by works. Do you mean works of God's love? . . . by means of "faith working through love"? 

But in case you are doing a work in God's love, isn't God's love already in the kingdom of heaven? So, if you get baptized by means of "faith working through love", are you not already in God's love which is in His kingdom?

I refer us to Romans 5:5 >

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5)

God's love is in the Holy Spirit, and I understand the Holy Spirit is in the kingdom of heaven. So, if you are getting baptized in God's love . . . are you or not already in God's kingdom?

Paul says we need "faith working through love". We need to have faith in Jesus, in order to be saved, right? 

But yes this faith does work, according to what I see in Galatians 5:6.

1 hour ago, AdHoc said:

In John 3:3 rebirth only allows you to SEE the Kingdom. To ENTER you must be immersed in water (3:5).

Well, physical water is not the kingdom of God or of heaven, I would say. So, we need to be born of God, not of physical water!

We need to be immersed in God's love, by means of "faith working through love". And doesn't Jesus say the "rivers of living water" are the Holy Spirit . . . in John 7:37-39? So, I see how Jesus can mean water and spirit which are the Holy Spirit. With His water is His refreshing and rest, and with His Spirit is His life and power.

[AdHoc]

1 hour ago, Dan Knight said:

Very informative.  The Lord be blessed! 

Might I say this, "Your Kingdom come,  Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.."

And how is His will done in Heaven? . (Matt 7. [21] Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.)

It is obeyed.  amen..

2. In Matt 7:21 it is only to be had if you  are Obedient.  amen...

 I have UNDERSTOOD that the Sower in Matthew 13 speaks of the Kingdom and not salvation, and that the Kingdom is obtained BY WORKS?  and amen.

Amen brother. God bless.

[AdHoc]

42 minutes ago, Waggles said:

Jesus is teaching the multitude about the word of God - about the gospel of salvation that would come.

In the gospel of Mark the subject is given in verse 11;

11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God

The "doctrine" that our Lord Jesus spoke of is the Kingdom in mystery. You can see the difference. FAITH is for salvation. For the Kingdom you need to bring forth FRUIT. One is the inner condition and one is performance.

[AdHoc]

44 minutes ago, Waggles said:

Mar 4:12  so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”

You can see that the gospel of salvation is not meant from this verse. The gospel of salvation is to be understandable - not hidden.

[AdHoc]

22 minutes ago, com7fy8 said:

Which works? James 2:24 >

"You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." (James 2:24)

And what faith is Paul talking about? >

"faith working through love" > in Galatians 5:6.

So, you say we can not enter into God's kingdom except by works. Do you mean works of God's love? . . . by means of "faith working through love"? 

But in case you are doing a work in God's love, isn't God's love already in the kingdom of heaven? So, if you get baptized by means of "faith working through love", are you not already in God's love which is in His kingdom?

I refer us to Romans 5:5 >

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5)

God's love is in the Holy Spirit, and I understand the Holy Spirit is in the kingdom of heaven. So, if you are getting baptized in God's love . . . are you or not already in God's kingdom?

Paul says we need "faith working through love". We need to have faith in Jesus, in order to be saved, right? 

But yes this faith does work, according to what I see in Galatians 5:6.

Well, physical water is not the kingdom of God or of heaven, I would say. So, we need to be born of God, not of physical water!

We need to be immersed in God's love, by means of "faith working through love". And doesn't Jesus say the "rivers of living water" are the Holy Spirit . . . in John 7:37-39? So, I see how Jesus can mean water and spirit which are the Holy Spirit. With His water is His refreshing and rest, and with His Spirit is His life and power.

I realize that you might be hearing this for the first time. You will notice that I built a case, with scriptures, that shows the meaning of the parable of the sower. I fully agree that our works proceed from faith. The question here is not whether works proceed from faith and/or love. The theme proposed here is that salvation is not being addressed. What is addressed by the parable of the sower is how do you act upon that "which is already sown on your heart". Take the five foolish Virgins of Matthew 25. Did they understand? Did they ACT correctly? Did they know that extra oil was to be BOUGHT - that a price was to be paid for it? Salvation is a free gift. That makes you a Virgin (2nd Cor.11:2). But after salvation, how do you gain the kingdom?