# Question on a thought I had on the Parable of the Sower



## NB3K (Aug 4, 2011)

Mat 13:18 "Hear then the parable of the sower: 
Mat 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 what was sown along the path. 
Mat 13:20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 
Mat 13:21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 
Mat 13:22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 
Mat 13:23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty." 


Between all three types of soil or ground that the seed falls upon that does not bare fruit, what types of "gospels" will they proclaim compared to the fourth which the seed fell on good soil.

My question is. Will those whom are not planted in good soil also bear witness to a gospel that is contrary to the one that Paul preached? And can they be classified in the order of the ground on which they fell.

For instance:

Ground= along the path,, = false religions/ Islam, and all other monotheist reilgions and then the polytheist religions of the world

Ground= rocky ground,=?????

Ground= among the thorns,= health & wealth, ?????

Ground= good soil,= Christ & Christ Crucified


This is just something that popped in my mind and I wanted to see what you guys think.


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## InSlaveryToChrist (Aug 4, 2011)

I think you're interpreting the passages OUT OF CONTEXT. Rather than emphasizing various types of gospels, the parallel of the sower has to do with various types of persons (the unbeliever, two kinds of hypocrites, and the regenerate Christian) and their response to the _true_ Gospel. I assume your ideas did not derive from a commentary (since I've never heard such things), but from pure speculation. It's always helpful to have a solid Reformed commentary to aid in the search for meaning in the Bible.


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## NB3K (Aug 4, 2011)

It is a "Parable" not a parallel.


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## InSlaveryToChrist (Aug 4, 2011)

NB3K said:


> It is a "Parable" not a parallel.



 My bad.


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## Jack K (Aug 4, 2011)

To tell this parable, Jesus picked a time when huge crowds were following him. The parable is about those crowds, and what people do with the true gospel when they hear it. The point is this: Although it may at first look like huge numbers believe, only a portion of them truly take God's word into their hearts where it remains and grows and bears fruit. And to underscore the way many hear the truth without a fruitful response, Jesus teaches this lesson itself in parable form to obscure its meaning from most of the crowd.

So the parable is about listening and responding to the true gospel. I suppose for fun we might go from there and speculate on what false "gospel" each type of person would tend to believe in place of the truth. But it feels to me like we're getting a bit far from Jesus' main point if we do that.


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## cih1355 (Aug 4, 2011)

This parable is talking about the different responses that people have to the word of God. It is not talking about different kinds of gospels. There is one true gospel and people have different responses to the true gospel.


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## MarieP (Aug 4, 2011)

cih1355 said:


> This parable is talking about the different responses that people have to the word of God. It is not talking about different kinds of gospels. There is one true gospel and people have different responses to the true gospel.



And it's not just about how the unsaved vs. saved react to it- may we always and ever be good soil hearers, not quenching the Spirit by hardness of heart or worldliness!


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## NB3K (Aug 4, 2011)

I was just pondering what kind of gospel one who is among the thorns would preach compared to one planted in good soil, and the same alike with the rest of those who were not planted in the good soil. 

I have these rabbit trails go through my mind from time-to-time.

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InSlaveryToChrist said:


> My bad.



No problem.


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## Mushroom (Aug 4, 2011)

My heart has been all of those types of soil at various points, even just today. If yours has not, then I tip my hat to you.


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## Zach (Aug 4, 2011)

Brad said:


> My heart has been all of those types of soil at various points, even just today. If yours has not, then I tip my hat to you.



Amen to that brother. As much as we should strive to be good soil, I think we have to be careful to label people as different types of soil. I don't think it is quite as clear cut as that.


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## NB3K (Aug 4, 2011)

Brad said:


> My heart has been all of those types of soil at various points, even just today. If yours has not, then I tip my hat to you.



My heart is never in the right place, but the Parable is the Parable, and it describes four seperate ground that the seed falls upon. 3 out of 4 do not bare fruit. My statement was only what kind of gospel will the 3 out of the four proclaim. I guess this could be classified as "speculation", but at the same time one would have to admit there would also be four different gospels from the four different ground which the seed falls. I just wanted to get people thinking of all the divergent gospels in the world today and that there is only 1. And it is not arrogant to proclaim that 1 Gospel. But it is actually pleasing to our Heavenly Father when we proclaim His Good News and not be ashamed of it. Noah preached faithfully with only 7 converts out of the rest of the world.


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## Jack K (Aug 5, 2011)

Josh is right that the fruit in this parable is NOT new converts won to Christ through the good-soil person. Nor is it further gospel proclamation. We know such things do happen sometimes. But there's nothing in Jesus' talk or the surrounding narrative to suggest this is the point of this parable. So we have to step away from that sort of thinking because it obscures the true meaning of the parable. The seed doesn't produce more seed but rather "fruit." The fruit is simply a holy life that's pleasing to God.


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## Dennis1963 (Aug 7, 2011)

NB3K said:


> My question is. Will those whom are not planted in good soil also bear witness to a gospel that is contrary to the one that Paul preached? And can they be classified in the order of the ground on which they fell.


I'd say of course. 
Just by leaving, or, by being choked out and leaving, bears witness contrary to the true gospel.

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cih1355 said:


> This parable is talking about the different responses that people have to the word of God. It is not talking about different kinds of gospels. There is one true gospel and people have different responses to the true gospel.


Right, but, those who move away from the true gospel "naturally" will in a sense develop their own, in accordance with their nature.

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NB3K said:


> I was just pondering what kind of gospel one who is among the thorns would preach compared to one planted in good soil, and the same alike with the rest of those who were not planted in the good soil.
> 
> I have these rabbit trails go through my mind from time-to-time.


I think the same way.

There is a gospel very appealing to the flesh, Arminianism. If one rejects the true gospel, there are all sorts of options for them.

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Brad said:


> My heart has been all of those types of soil at various points, even just today. If yours has not, then I tip my hat to you.


Well if you are a believer then you were the good soil. And thank God we are held by His power, not ours.


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