Applications of the parable of the soils for believers?

just curious. Where do you see different fruit yields? Three of the 4 yielded no fruit.

 

uh....

verse 8 maybe?


Some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty?

Perhaps?

 

Reproducing disciple to live for Jesus? Don't you think that requires salvation?

 

Of course. Spiritual reproduction is much more than like women making babies who never mature. We would call that evangelism only, and not making disciples.

 

That would work if that was what was meant, but the other three are lost people.

 

I will give you my interpretation. The first is lost, the other three are saved. We know this because the first does not spring up, but the other three do. This is life.

Luke 8:5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

Luke 8:12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

This is persons who hear the word. It is the same word of God sown in the others. But these persons have hearts hardened by sin. When they hear the word, they consider it. But then the devil comes in and reminds them of their favorite sins, sins they know they would have to give up if they receive the Lord. They choose their sin over Jesus.

Luke 8:6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

Luke 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

These are people who hear the gospel and believe it. They are saved. But when they go out and tell their friends, family, and others they are scorned and mocked. They are offended and quit going out and witnessing and therefore bare no fruit, the fruit being new believers who receive Christ through their testimony.

Luke 8:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

These persons hear and believe. They are saved. But instead of living for the Lord and going out to witness to others, they get caught up with their big house, or fancy car, vacations, the distractions of the world... They bare no fruit.

Luke 8:8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Luke 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
16 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.

This is the disciple. This is the person who realizes that telling the gospel to a lost world is the most important thing they can do. They continue to witness despite being scorned and mocked, they do not allow themselves to get caught up in worldliness. They spend their time and efforts in trying to reach others for Christ. They do not hide the gospel (vs. 16). They bare much fruit.

 

Very nice I am sure, but I am not sure of the point.

 

Mt. 28:19, 20

 

I just wanted to point this out: True evangelism is much more than trying to have someone say a prayer. True evangelism always looks towards making a disciple. Anything else than looking toward disciple making is not true evangelism.

The Archangel

 

Mk. 4:20, "And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

 

I still am not understanding your point. I agree with the passages however as well as the good soil are those who get saved.

 

Your interpretation is simply wrong. Anytime your interpretation goes against Christ's own interpretation you are wrong.

Christ Himself interprets this parable in Matthew 13 and from that interpretation, it is crystal clear that only the 4th person is a believer. Only one of the persons in the parable is a Christian.

The Archangel

 

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

Archangel, you are a peach. Jesus explained the parable to his disciples immediately after telling the public.

Luke 8:9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

He then explained each soil that I showed in my first post.

You seriously need to get out of those books and simply read the word of God.

 

I think we can apply this passage to believers.

Obviously, God is the tiller of the soil (since in the parable and the explanation the ground and the heart are related). Since God is the tiller, I'm not sure there is much we can do with the first two types of soil.

My thoughts are mostly related to the 3rd type of soil--the soil that has thorns. We know that this seed does, in fact, take root to some extent (the first two soil-seed combination having "no root"). But the plant ultimately fails to produce fruit because of the thorns.

When we get to the 3rd soil, I think we (as believers) need to understand that we can and should and must cultivate the garden of our fellow believers. If it is the thorns that choke the plant (and if the plant has found root and is growing), then to protect the plant, remove the thorns.

Most Christians do not understand that we are our brother's (and sister's) keepers. We are to help remove the thorns from their lives and invite them to remove the thorns from ours.

We are to till one another's gardens.

The Archangel

 

No, only the first was lost. They other three sprung up. They had life. Unless you believe a person can lose everlasting life.

Matthew 13:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

If these were dead they could not spring up.

For the thorns you have to look at both Matt 13 and Luke 8

Matt 13:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

Luke 8:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

Things that spring up are not dead. And how do you choke something that is dead?

 

Only those who abide are saved. The first three do not fit and are lost. Also they have no fruit. So again the are lost.

 

Since you appear to have been absent from Bible school the day they taught Bible...I'll explain.

You say only the first was a non-believer. So, by implication, you say the remaining three were Christians. Jesus disagrees. See His words from Luke 8

The Seed: The seed is the word of God.

Ok. No problem here

Soil #1: The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

These are obviously not believers, given the phrase "so that they may not believe and be saved."

Soil #2: And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.

These are not believers, given the phrase "these have no root."

While they are said to "believe" for a while, they do not persevere. One that does not persevere is not a believer.

Unless you believe one can loose his or her salvation, you must say that this one was never a true believer to begin with.

Soil #3: And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

These are not believers, given the phrases "they go on their way" and "their fruit does not mature."

A Christian must commit his way to Christ, not himself and a Christian must bear fruit--mature fruit. Fruit which is not "mature" is no fruit at all.

Soil #4: As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

This, obviously, is a believer.

Notice the characteristics of the true believer:

1. Hold fast to the word

2. Bear fruit

None of these characteristics are present in any of the aforementioned persons.

Only the last person is a believer. No books; just plain scripture.

The Archangel