Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



And in stories, by way of comparison, He told them many things, as He continued to speak: "A sower went out to sow, and as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up, and some fell upon rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and at once they sprang up, because there was no depth of soil, read more.
and when the sun was up they were scorched and dried up, because they had no root. And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them out. And some fell in rich soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty-fold.

When anyone hears the message of the kingdom and does not understand it, the wicked one comes and carries off the seed that was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. And what was sown upon the thin rocky soil illustrates the man who hears the message and bubbling over with joy at once accepts it, but it takes no real root in him, and he lasts only a little while, and just as soon as suffering and persecution come for the truth's sake, he at once yields and falls. read more.
And what was sown among the thorns illustrates the man who hears the message, and the worries of the times and the pleasures of being rich choke the truth out, and he yields no fruit. And what was sown in rich soil illustrates the man who hears the message and understands it, and yields fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, another thirty-fold."

"A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and were trodden down, and the wild birds ate them up. Another portion of them fell upon the rock, and as soon as they sprang up, they withered, because they had no moisture. Still another portion fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up with them and choked them out. read more.
And another portion fell in rich soil and grew and yielded a crop of a hundredfold." As He said this, He exclaimed, "Let him who has ears to hear with, listen!" His disciples were asking Him what this story meant. So He said, "You are granted the privilege of knowing the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to others they are told in stories, so that they may look and not see, may hear and not understand. This is what the story means: The seed is God's message. Those along the path illustrate those who hear it, but then the devil comes and carries off the message from their hearts, so that they may not believe it and be saved. The portion of them on the rock illustrates those who accept the message, bubbling over with joy when they first hear it, but it takes no real root. They believe for awhile, but in the time of testing they fall away. And the portion of them falling among the thorns illustrates those who hear it, but as soon as they pass on they are choked out by the worries and wealth and pleasures of life, and thus yield no mature fruit. But the portion in rich soil illustrates those who listen to the message, keep it in good and honest hearts, and in patience yield fruit.





And what was sown in rich soil illustrates the man who hears the message and understands it, and yields fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, another thirty-fold." Verse ConceptsFruitfulness, SpiritualFruit, SpiritualFaith, Nature OfAcceptance, Of The GospelThirtySixtiesOne HundredThe Source Of FruitFertile LandLand ProducingHearing God's WordHundredfold Return

And the people sown in rich soil are the people who listen to the message and welcome it and yield thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold." Verse ConceptsFruit, SpiritualFaith, Nature OfAcceptance, Of The GospelThirtySixtiesOne HundredThe Source Of FruitFertile LandLand ProducingHearing God's WordHundredfold Return


"I am the real vine, and my Father is the cultivator. He cuts away any branch on me that stops bearing fruit, and He repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more. You are already pruned because of the teaching that I have given you. read more.
You must remain in union with me and I will remain in union with you. Just as no branch by itself can bear fruit unless it remains united to the vine, so you cannot unless you remain in union with me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in union with me and I in union with him will bear abundant fruit, because you cannot do anything cut off from union with me. If anyone does not remain in union with me, he is thrown away as a mere branch and is dried up; then it is picked up and thrown into the fire and burned up. If you remain in union with me and my words remain in you, you may ask whatever you please and you shall have it. By your continuously bearing abundant fruit and in this way proving yourselves to be real disciples of mine, my Father is glorified. I have loved you just as the Father has loved me. You must remain in my love. If you continue to keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in His love. "I have told you these things, that the joy which I have had may remain in you and that your joy may be complete. This is my command to you, to keep on loving one another as I have loved you. No one can show greater love than this, the giving of his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you keep on doing what I command you to do. I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not know what his master is doing; I now call you friends, because I have told you everything that I have learned from my Father. You have not chosen me; I have chosen you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit, that your fruit may remain too, so that the Father may grant you, as bearers of my name, whatever you ask Him for.

And what was sown in rich soil illustrates the man who hears the message and understands it, and yields fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, another thirty-fold." Verse ConceptsFruitfulness, SpiritualFruit, SpiritualFaith, Nature OfAcceptance, Of The GospelThirtySixtiesOne HundredThe Source Of FruitFertile LandLand ProducingHearing God's WordHundredfold Return

Now as a great crowd was coming together and people were coming to Him from one town after another, He said by way of a story: "A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and were trodden down, and the wild birds ate them up. Another portion of them fell upon the rock, and as soon as they sprang up, they withered, because they had no moisture. read more.
Still another portion fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up with them and choked them out. And another portion fell in rich soil and grew and yielded a crop of a hundredfold." As He said this, He exclaimed, "Let him who has ears to hear with, listen!" His disciples were asking Him what this story meant. So He said, "You are granted the privilege of knowing the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to others they are told in stories, so that they may look and not see, may hear and not understand. This is what the story means: The seed is God's message. Those along the path illustrate those who hear it, but then the devil comes and carries off the message from their hearts, so that they may not believe it and be saved. The portion of them on the rock illustrates those who accept the message, bubbling over with joy when they first hear it, but it takes no real root. They believe for awhile, but in the time of testing they fall away. And the portion of them falling among the thorns illustrates those who hear it, but as soon as they pass on they are choked out by the worries and wealth and pleasures of life, and thus yield no mature fruit. But the portion in rich soil illustrates those who listen to the message, keep it in good and honest hearts, and in patience yield fruit.

And some fell in rich soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty-fold. Verse ConceptsCropsThirtySixtiesOne HundredFertile LandLand ProducingHundredfold ReturnPlanting SeedsSeedsSowing Seedssowing

And what was sown in rich soil illustrates the man who hears the message and understands it, and yields fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, another thirty-fold." Verse ConceptsFruitfulness, SpiritualFruit, SpiritualFaith, Nature OfAcceptance, Of The GospelThirtySixtiesOne HundredThe Source Of FruitFertile LandLand ProducingHearing God's WordHundredfold Return

And what was sown in rich soil illustrates the man who hears the message and understands it, and yields fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, another thirty-fold." Verse ConceptsFruitfulness, SpiritualFruit, SpiritualFaith, Nature OfAcceptance, Of The GospelThirtySixtiesOne HundredThe Source Of FruitFertile LandLand ProducingHearing God's WordHundredfold Return

And the people sown in rich soil are the people who listen to the message and welcome it and yield thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold." Verse ConceptsFruit, SpiritualFaith, Nature OfAcceptance, Of The GospelThirtySixtiesOne HundredThe Source Of FruitFertile LandLand ProducingHearing God's WordHundredfold Return


"To the messenger of the church in Laodicea write: 'The Amen, the true and faithful witness, the origin of God's creation, speaks as follows: "I know what you are doing, and that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. As it is, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth. read more.
Because you say, 'I am rich, I have already become rich, I need nothing,' and you do not know that you are the very one that is wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked; I advise you to buy of me gold that has been refined in the fire, so that you may become rich, and white clothes to put on, to hide your shameful nakedness, and salve to put on your eyes, to make you see. The people whom I dearly love, I always reprove and discipline. So keep on being earnest and once for all repent. I am now standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I will be his guest and feast with him, and he with me.

"So everyone who listens to my words and practices their teaching, will be like a prudent man who built his house on a rocky foundation. And the rain fell, and the rivers rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not fall, for its pillars had been laid on a rocky foundation. And anyone who listens to my words and does not practice their teaching, will be like an imprudent man who built his house on sand. read more.
And the rain fell, and the rivers rose, and the wind blew and beat against that house, and it collapsed, and the wreck of it was complete." When Jesus had closed this address, the result was that the crowds were dumbfounded at His teaching,

"So why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' but do not practice what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and continues to listen to my words and practices their teachings, I will show you whom he is like. He is like a man who was building a house, who dug deep, and laid its foundation upon the rock; and when a flood came, the torrent burst upon that house but it could not shake it, because it was well built.

Just as He was saying this, a woman in the crowd lifted her voice and said, "Blessed is the mother who bore you and nursed you!" But He said, "Yes, but better still, blessed are those who listen to God's message and practice it!"

that all men may honor the Son as they do the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. "I most solemnly say to you, whoever listens to me and believes Him who has sent me possesses eternal life, and will never come under condemnation, but has already passed out of death into life. I most solemnly say to you, a time is coming -- indeed, it is already here -- when the dead will listen to the voice of the Son of God, and those who listen to it will live.

A revelation given by Jesus Christ which God gave to Him, to make known to His slaves what must very soon take place. He sent and communicated it through His angel to His slave John, who testifies to what he saw, the message of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed be the man who reads them and the people who hear the messages of this prophecy read, and heed what is written in it, for the time is near.

And what was sown in rich soil illustrates the man who hears the message and understands it, and yields fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, another thirty-fold." Verse ConceptsFruitfulness, SpiritualFruit, SpiritualFaith, Nature OfAcceptance, Of The GospelThirtySixtiesOne HundredThe Source Of FruitFertile LandLand ProducingHearing God's WordHundredfold Return

And the people sown in rich soil are the people who listen to the message and welcome it and yield thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold." Verse ConceptsFruit, SpiritualFaith, Nature OfAcceptance, Of The GospelThirtySixtiesOne HundredThe Source Of FruitFertile LandLand ProducingHearing God's WordHundredfold Return


Then Pilate said to Him, "So you are a king then?" Jesus answered, "Certainly I am a king. For this very purpose I was born, for this very purpose I have come into the world, to testify for truth. Everybody who is a friend of truth listens to my voice." Verse ConceptsMission, Of Jesus ChristWitnessing, Importance OfJesus Christ, KingThe Witness Of ChristAssentingPerforming The TruthWho Is Jesus?Why It HappenedGod's Word Is TrueTelling The Truth

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on before Him, two by two, to every town or place which He was going to visit. So He was saying to them: "The harvest is plentiful, but the reapers are scarce. So pray the Lord of the harvest to send out reapers to His harvest-field. Go on. Listen! I am sending you out as lambs surrounded by wolves. read more.
Do not carry a purse, a bag, or shoes, and do not stop to say 'Good morning' to anybody on the road. Whenever you go to a house for headquarters, first say, 'Peace to this household.' And if anyone there loves peace, your peace will come upon him; but if not, it will come back to you. Stay on at the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the workman deserves his support. Do not keep moving about from house to house. And if you go into any town and they welcome you, continue to eat what is offered you, to cure the sick there, and to say, 'The kingdom of God is close upon you.' But if you go into any town and they do not welcome you, go out into the streets and say, 'We are wiping off against you the very dust from your town that has stuck to our feet. But understand this, the kingdom of God is close by.' I tell you, on that day the punishment will be lighter for Sodom than for that town. A curse on you, Chorazin! A curse on you, Bethsaida! For if the wonder-works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, long ago they would have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But at the judgment the punishment will be lighter for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, are you to be exalted to heaven? No, you are to go down to the regions of the dead. Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever pays no attention to you pays no attention to me, and whoever pays no attention to me pays no attention to Him who sent me."

"I most solemnly say to you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs over at some other place is a thief and a robber. But the one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The doorkeeper opens the door to him, and the sheep obey his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. read more.
So when he gets his sheep all out, he goes on before them, and the sheep come on behind him, because they know his voice. But they will never come on behind a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers."


And in stories, by way of comparison, He told them many things, as He continued to speak: "A sower went out to sow, and as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up, and some fell upon rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and at once they sprang up, because there was no depth of soil, read more.
and when the sun was up they were scorched and dried up, because they had no root. And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them out. And some fell in rich soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty-fold. Let him who has ears listen."

"A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and were trodden down, and the wild birds ate them up. Another portion of them fell upon the rock, and as soon as they sprang up, they withered, because they had no moisture. Still another portion fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up with them and choked them out. read more.
And another portion fell in rich soil and grew and yielded a crop of a hundredfold." As He said this, He exclaimed, "Let him who has ears to hear with, listen!"

"Now listen closely to the story of the sower. When anyone hears the message of the kingdom and does not understand it, the wicked one comes and carries off the seed that was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. And what was sown upon the thin rocky soil illustrates the man who hears the message and bubbling over with joy at once accepts it, read more.
but it takes no real root in him, and he lasts only a little while, and just as soon as suffering and persecution come for the truth's sake, he at once yields and falls. And what was sown among the thorns illustrates the man who hears the message, and the worries of the times and the pleasures of being rich choke the truth out, and he yields no fruit. And what was sown in rich soil illustrates the man who hears the message and understands it, and yields fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, another thirty-fold."

Then He began again to teach by the seashore. And a crowd gathered around Him so great that He got into a boat and was sitting in it, just off the shore, while all the people were on the land close to the sea. He continued teaching them by many stories. In His teaching He spoke to them as follows: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. read more.
As he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Some fell upon rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up at once, because the soil was not deep; but when the sun came up, they were scorched and withered away, because they had not taken root. Some fell among the thorn seed, and the thorns grew up and choked them out and they yielded no grain. Some fell in rich soil, and came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold." And He said, "Let him who has ears listen!"

The message is what the sower sows. The ones along the path are those who have the message sown in their hearts, but as soon as it is sown there, Satan comes and carries off the message that has been sown in their hearts. In like manner these are the ones sown on rocky ground; as soon as they hear the truth, they accept it with ecstasy, read more.
but it does not take real root in them, and so they last only a little while; then when trouble or persecution comes on account of the truth, they at once fall by the way. A different class are those people sown among the thorns. They are people who listen to the message, but the worries of the times, the deceiving pleasures of being rich, and evil desires for other things, creep in and choke the truth out, and it yields nothing. And the people sown in rich soil are the people who listen to the message and welcome it and yield thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold."

This is what the story means: The seed is God's message. Those along the path illustrate those who hear it, but then the devil comes and carries off the message from their hearts, so that they may not believe it and be saved. The portion of them on the rock illustrates those who accept the message, bubbling over with joy when they first hear it, but it takes no real root. They believe for awhile, but in the time of testing they fall away. read more.
And the portion of them falling among the thorns illustrates those who hear it, but as soon as they pass on they are choked out by the worries and wealth and pleasures of life, and thus yield no mature fruit. But the portion in rich soil illustrates those who listen to the message, keep it in good and honest hearts, and in patience yield fruit.

That same day Jesus went out of His house and was sitting on the seashore. And the crowds that gathered about Him were so great that He got into a boat and remained sitting in it, while all the crowd stood on the seashore. And in stories, by way of comparison, He told them many things, as He continued to speak: "A sower went out to sow, read more.
and as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up, and some fell upon rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and at once they sprang up, because there was no depth of soil, and when the sun was up they were scorched and dried up, because they had no root. And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them out. And some fell in rich soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty-fold. Let him who has ears listen." Then His disciples came up to Him and asked, "Why do you speak to them in stories?" He answered: "It is you and not they who are granted the privilege of knowing the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. For to anyone who has, more will be given, and his supply will overflow, but from anyone who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I am speaking to them in stories, because they look but do not see, they listen but do not really hear or understand. So in them the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: "'You will listen and listen and not understand, and you will look and look and never see at all, For this people's soul has grown dull, and with their ears they can scarcely hear, and they have shut tight their eyes, so that they will never see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn to me, so that I may cure them!' "But blessed are your eyes, for they are beginning to see, and your ears, for they are beginning to hear. For I solemnly say to you, many prophets and upright men yearned to see what you are seeing, and did not see it, and to hear what you are hearing, and did not hear it. "Now listen closely to the story of the sower. When anyone hears the message of the kingdom and does not understand it, the wicked one comes and carries off the seed that was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. And what was sown upon the thin rocky soil illustrates the man who hears the message and bubbling over with joy at once accepts it, but it takes no real root in him, and he lasts only a little while, and just as soon as suffering and persecution come for the truth's sake, he at once yields and falls. And what was sown among the thorns illustrates the man who hears the message, and the worries of the times and the pleasures of being rich choke the truth out, and he yields no fruit. And what was sown in rich soil illustrates the man who hears the message and understands it, and yields fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, another thirty-fold."

Then He began again to teach by the seashore. And a crowd gathered around Him so great that He got into a boat and was sitting in it, just off the shore, while all the people were on the land close to the sea. He continued teaching them by many stories. In His teaching He spoke to them as follows: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. read more.
As he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Some fell upon rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up at once, because the soil was not deep; but when the sun came up, they were scorched and withered away, because they had not taken root. Some fell among the thorn seed, and the thorns grew up and choked them out and they yielded no grain. Some fell in rich soil, and came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold." And He said, "Let him who has ears listen!" When He was by Himself, those who stayed about Him with the Twelve began to ask Him about the stories. Then He said to them, "To you the secret of the kingdom of God has been entrusted, but to those who are on the outside everything is presented in stories, so that 'They may look and look and yet not see, And listen and listen and yet not understand, Lest, perchance, they should turn and be forgiven.'" Then He said to them: "If you do not understand this story, how, indeed, can you understand any of my stories? The message is what the sower sows. The ones along the path are those who have the message sown in their hearts, but as soon as it is sown there, Satan comes and carries off the message that has been sown in their hearts. In like manner these are the ones sown on rocky ground; as soon as they hear the truth, they accept it with ecstasy, but it does not take real root in them, and so they last only a little while; then when trouble or persecution comes on account of the truth, they at once fall by the way. A different class are those people sown among the thorns. They are people who listen to the message, but the worries of the times, the deceiving pleasures of being rich, and evil desires for other things, creep in and choke the truth out, and it yields nothing. And the people sown in rich soil are the people who listen to the message and welcome it and yield thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold." Then He put a question to them: "A lamp is not brought to be put under a peck-measure or under a bed, is it? Is it not rather to be put on the lamp-stand? For nothing is ever hidden by people except for the purpose of having it known, and people do not keep secrets except to tell them. If anyone has ears let him listen!" And He was saying to them: "Take care what you hear. The measure you give will come back to you, and more besides. For whoever has will have more given to him, but whoever has nothing, even what he has will be taken away."

Now as a great crowd was coming together and people were coming to Him from one town after another, He said by way of a story: "A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and were trodden down, and the wild birds ate them up. Another portion of them fell upon the rock, and as soon as they sprang up, they withered, because they had no moisture. read more.
Still another portion fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up with them and choked them out. And another portion fell in rich soil and grew and yielded a crop of a hundredfold." As He said this, He exclaimed, "Let him who has ears to hear with, listen!" His disciples were asking Him what this story meant. So He said, "You are granted the privilege of knowing the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to others they are told in stories, so that they may look and not see, may hear and not understand. This is what the story means: The seed is God's message. Those along the path illustrate those who hear it, but then the devil comes and carries off the message from their hearts, so that they may not believe it and be saved. The portion of them on the rock illustrates those who accept the message, bubbling over with joy when they first hear it, but it takes no real root. They believe for awhile, but in the time of testing they fall away. And the portion of them falling among the thorns illustrates those who hear it, but as soon as they pass on they are choked out by the worries and wealth and pleasures of life, and thus yield no mature fruit. But the portion in rich soil illustrates those who listen to the message, keep it in good and honest hearts, and in patience yield fruit. "Nobody lights a lamp and then covers it with a pot or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. For there is nothing hidden which shall not come out into the open, and nothing kept secret which shall not be known and come to light. So take care how you listen, for whoever gets more will have more given to him, and whoever does not get more will have even what he thinks he has taken away from him."

"A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and were trodden down, and the wild birds ate them up. Another portion of them fell upon the rock, and as soon as they sprang up, they withered, because they had no moisture. Still another portion fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up with them and choked them out. read more.
And another portion fell in rich soil and grew and yielded a crop of a hundredfold." As He said this, He exclaimed, "Let him who has ears to hear with, listen!" His disciples were asking Him what this story meant. So He said, "You are granted the privilege of knowing the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to others they are told in stories, so that they may look and not see, may hear and not understand. This is what the story means: The seed is God's message. Those along the path illustrate those who hear it, but then the devil comes and carries off the message from their hearts, so that they may not believe it and be saved. The portion of them on the rock illustrates those who accept the message, bubbling over with joy when they first hear it, but it takes no real root. They believe for awhile, but in the time of testing they fall away. And the portion of them falling among the thorns illustrates those who hear it, but as soon as they pass on they are choked out by the worries and wealth and pleasures of life, and thus yield no mature fruit. But the portion in rich soil illustrates those who listen to the message, keep it in good and honest hearts, and in patience yield fruit.

And in stories, by way of comparison, He told them many things, as He continued to speak: "A sower went out to sow, and as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up, and some fell upon rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and at once they sprang up, because there was no depth of soil, read more.
and when the sun was up they were scorched and dried up, because they had no root. And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them out. And some fell in rich soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty-fold. Let him who has ears listen." Then His disciples came up to Him and asked, "Why do you speak to them in stories?" He answered: "It is you and not they who are granted the privilege of knowing the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. For to anyone who has, more will be given, and his supply will overflow, but from anyone who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I am speaking to them in stories, because they look but do not see, they listen but do not really hear or understand. So in them the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: "'You will listen and listen and not understand, and you will look and look and never see at all, For this people's soul has grown dull, and with their ears they can scarcely hear, and they have shut tight their eyes, so that they will never see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn to me, so that I may cure them!' "But blessed are your eyes, for they are beginning to see, and your ears, for they are beginning to hear. For I solemnly say to you, many prophets and upright men yearned to see what you are seeing, and did not see it, and to hear what you are hearing, and did not hear it. "Now listen closely to the story of the sower. When anyone hears the message of the kingdom and does not understand it, the wicked one comes and carries off the seed that was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. And what was sown upon the thin rocky soil illustrates the man who hears the message and bubbling over with joy at once accepts it, but it takes no real root in him, and he lasts only a little while, and just as soon as suffering and persecution come for the truth's sake, he at once yields and falls. And what was sown among the thorns illustrates the man who hears the message, and the worries of the times and the pleasures of being rich choke the truth out, and he yields no fruit. And what was sown in rich soil illustrates the man who hears the message and understands it, and yields fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, another thirty-fold."


And what was sown in rich soil illustrates the man who hears the message and understands it, and yields fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, another thirty-fold." Verse ConceptsFruitfulness, SpiritualFruit, SpiritualFaith, Nature OfAcceptance, Of The GospelThirtySixtiesOne HundredThe Source Of FruitFertile LandLand ProducingHearing God's WordHundredfold Return


For another reason too, we, as far as we are concerned, are constantly giving thanks to God; that is, when you received the message you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the message of men but as the message of God, as it really is, which keeps on working in you who believe. Verse ConceptsHearingPreaching, Effects OfResponseThe Authority Of ScriptureSpeech, DivineThanksgiving, OfferedReceiving God's WordThose Who Had FaithMan's TeachingWe Thank GodGod's Work In UsAcceptanceThe Word Of GodBelieving In Yourself

And what was sown in rich soil illustrates the man who hears the message and understands it, and yields fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, another thirty-fold." Verse ConceptsFruitfulness, SpiritualFruit, SpiritualFaith, Nature OfAcceptance, Of The GospelThirtySixtiesOne HundredThe Source Of FruitFertile LandLand ProducingHearing God's WordHundredfold Return


And what was sown in rich soil illustrates the man who hears the message and understands it, and yields fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, another thirty-fold." Verse ConceptsFruitfulness, SpiritualFruit, SpiritualFaith, Nature OfAcceptance, Of The GospelThirtySixtiesOne HundredThe Source Of FruitFertile LandLand ProducingHearing God's WordHundredfold Return

That same day Jesus went out of His house and was sitting on the seashore. And the crowds that gathered about Him were so great that He got into a boat and remained sitting in it, while all the crowd stood on the seashore. And in stories, by way of comparison, He told them many things, as He continued to speak: "A sower went out to sow, read more.
and as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up, and some fell upon rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and at once they sprang up, because there was no depth of soil, and when the sun was up they were scorched and dried up, because they had no root. And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them out. And some fell in rich soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty-fold. Let him who has ears listen." Then His disciples came up to Him and asked, "Why do you speak to them in stories?" He answered: "It is you and not they who are granted the privilege of knowing the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. For to anyone who has, more will be given, and his supply will overflow, but from anyone who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I am speaking to them in stories, because they look but do not see, they listen but do not really hear or understand. So in them the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: "'You will listen and listen and not understand, and you will look and look and never see at all, For this people's soul has grown dull, and with their ears they can scarcely hear, and they have shut tight their eyes, so that they will never see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn to me, so that I may cure them!' "But blessed are your eyes, for they are beginning to see, and your ears, for they are beginning to hear. For I solemnly say to you, many prophets and upright men yearned to see what you are seeing, and did not see it, and to hear what you are hearing, and did not hear it. "Now listen closely to the story of the sower. When anyone hears the message of the kingdom and does not understand it, the wicked one comes and carries off the seed that was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. And what was sown upon the thin rocky soil illustrates the man who hears the message and bubbling over with joy at once accepts it, but it takes no real root in him, and he lasts only a little while, and just as soon as suffering and persecution come for the truth's sake, he at once yields and falls. And what was sown among the thorns illustrates the man who hears the message, and the worries of the times and the pleasures of being rich choke the truth out, and he yields no fruit. And what was sown in rich soil illustrates the man who hears the message and understands it, and yields fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, another thirty-fold." He told them another story, as follows: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed seed in his field. But while the world was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed wild wheat seed in the midst of the good seed, and went away. And when the wheat plants grew up and yielded their ripened grain, the wild wheat plants appeared too. And the farmer's slaves came up to him and said, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then where did the wild wheat plants come from?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' Then they said to him, 'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them?' And he said, 'No, never, for while you are gathering the wild wheat plants you might root up the good ones with them. Let them both grow together until harvest time, and at the harvest time I will order the reapers, "Gather first the wild wheat plants and tie them into bundles to be burned up, but get the wheat into my barn."'" He told them this story, as follows: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it is grown it is the largest of plants; yea, it grows into a tree, so that the wild birds come and roost in its branches." He told another story: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to yeast which a woman took and worked into a bushel of flour until it all had risen." Jesus told the crowds all this in stories, and without a story He told them nothing, to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in stories, I will utter truths concealed since creation." Then He left the crowds and went into His house. And His disciples came up to Him and said, "Explain to us the story of the wild wheat in the field." And He answered: "The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the members of the kingdom; the wild wheat seed are the followers of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the close of the age, the reapers are angels. Just as the wild wheat plants are gathered and burned up, so it will be at the close of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all those who cause wrongdoing, and the wrongdoers, and will throw them into the furnace of torturing punishment; there they will wail and grind their teeth. Then the upright will shine out like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let him who has ears listen! "The kingdom of heaven is like a pot of gold which was buried in a field, which a man found and buried again; and for joy over it he went and sold all he had and bought that field. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a gem-dealer who was looking for beautiful pearls. One day he found a very costly pearl, and he went and sold all he had and bought it. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was let down into the sea, and gathered fish of every kind, which, when it was full, the fishermen drew up on the shore, and sat down and picked out the good fish for their baskets and threw the bad away. So it will be at the close of the age; the angels will go out and separate the wicked from the upright, and will throw them into the furnace of torturing punishment. There they will wail and grind their teeth. "Do you understand all these stories?" They answered Him, "Yes." He said to them, "Every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who can bring out of his storeroom new furnishings as well as old."

He continued teaching them by many stories. In His teaching He spoke to them as follows: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. As he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. read more.
Some fell upon rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up at once, because the soil was not deep; but when the sun came up, they were scorched and withered away, because they had not taken root. Some fell among the thorn seed, and the thorns grew up and choked them out and they yielded no grain. Some fell in rich soil, and came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold." And He said, "Let him who has ears listen!" When He was by Himself, those who stayed about Him with the Twelve began to ask Him about the stories. Then He said to them, "To you the secret of the kingdom of God has been entrusted, but to those who are on the outside everything is presented in stories, so that 'They may look and look and yet not see, And listen and listen and yet not understand, Lest, perchance, they should turn and be forgiven.'" Then He said to them: "If you do not understand this story, how, indeed, can you understand any of my stories? The message is what the sower sows. The ones along the path are those who have the message sown in their hearts, but as soon as it is sown there, Satan comes and carries off the message that has been sown in their hearts. In like manner these are the ones sown on rocky ground; as soon as they hear the truth, they accept it with ecstasy, but it does not take real root in them, and so they last only a little while; then when trouble or persecution comes on account of the truth, they at once fall by the way. A different class are those people sown among the thorns. They are people who listen to the message, but the worries of the times, the deceiving pleasures of being rich, and evil desires for other things, creep in and choke the truth out, and it yields nothing. And the people sown in rich soil are the people who listen to the message and welcome it and yield thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold." Then He put a question to them: "A lamp is not brought to be put under a peck-measure or under a bed, is it? Is it not rather to be put on the lamp-stand? For nothing is ever hidden by people except for the purpose of having it known, and people do not keep secrets except to tell them. If anyone has ears let him listen!" And He was saying to them: "Take care what you hear. The measure you give will come back to you, and more besides. For whoever has will have more given to him, but whoever has nothing, even what he has will be taken away." He also was saying: "The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground, then continues sleeping by night and getting up by day, while the seed sprouts and comes up without his knowing how. The ground of itself produces, first the stalk, then the head; at last there is the matured grain of wheat in the head. But as soon as the crop Will permit it, he puts in the sickle, for the reaping time has come." Then He kept on saying: "How can I further picture the kingdom of God, or by what story can I illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all seeds, but when it is properly sown, it comes up and grows to be the largest of all the plants, and produces branches so large that the wild birds can roost under its shade." With many stories like these He kept on telling them the message, as far as they could understand it.


And what was sown in rich soil illustrates the man who hears the message and understands it, and yields fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, another thirty-fold." Verse ConceptsFruitfulness, SpiritualFruit, SpiritualFaith, Nature OfAcceptance, Of The GospelThirtySixtiesOne HundredThe Source Of FruitFertile LandLand ProducingHearing God's WordHundredfold Return


For another reason too, we, as far as we are concerned, are constantly giving thanks to God; that is, when you received the message you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the message of men but as the message of God, as it really is, which keeps on working in you who believe. Verse ConceptsHearingPreaching, Effects OfResponseThe Authority Of ScriptureSpeech, DivineThanksgiving, OfferedReceiving God's WordThose Who Had FaithMan's TeachingWe Thank GodGod's Work In UsAcceptanceThe Word Of GodBelieving In Yourself

And what was sown in rich soil illustrates the man who hears the message and understands it, and yields fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, another thirty-fold." Verse ConceptsFruitfulness, SpiritualFruit, SpiritualFaith, Nature OfAcceptance, Of The GospelThirtySixtiesOne HundredThe Source Of FruitFertile LandLand ProducingHearing God's WordHundredfold Return

And in stories, by way of comparison, He told them many things, as He continued to speak: "A sower went out to sow, and as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up, and some fell upon rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and at once they sprang up, because there was no depth of soil, read more.
and when the sun was up they were scorched and dried up, because they had no root. And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them out. And some fell in rich soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty-fold.

"A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and were trodden down, and the wild birds ate them up. Another portion of them fell upon the rock, and as soon as they sprang up, they withered, because they had no moisture. Still another portion fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up with them and choked them out. read more.
And another portion fell in rich soil and grew and yielded a crop of a hundredfold." As He said this, He exclaimed, "Let him who has ears to hear with, listen!" His disciples were asking Him what this story meant. So He said, "You are granted the privilege of knowing the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to others they are told in stories, so that they may look and not see, may hear and not understand. This is what the story means: The seed is God's message. Those along the path illustrate those who hear it, but then the devil comes and carries off the message from their hearts, so that they may not believe it and be saved. The portion of them on the rock illustrates those who accept the message, bubbling over with joy when they first hear it, but it takes no real root. They believe for awhile, but in the time of testing they fall away. And the portion of them falling among the thorns illustrates those who hear it, but as soon as they pass on they are choked out by the worries and wealth and pleasures of life, and thus yield no mature fruit. But the portion in rich soil illustrates those who listen to the message, keep it in good and honest hearts, and in patience yield fruit.

"Listen! A sower went out to sow. As he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Some fell upon rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up at once, because the soil was not deep; read more.
but when the sun came up, they were scorched and withered away, because they had not taken root. Some fell among the thorn seed, and the thorns grew up and choked them out and they yielded no grain. Some fell in rich soil, and came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold." And He said, "Let him who has ears listen!" When He was by Himself, those who stayed about Him with the Twelve began to ask Him about the stories. Then He said to them, "To you the secret of the kingdom of God has been entrusted, but to those who are on the outside everything is presented in stories, so that 'They may look and look and yet not see, And listen and listen and yet not understand, Lest, perchance, they should turn and be forgiven.'" Then He said to them: "If you do not understand this story, how, indeed, can you understand any of my stories? The message is what the sower sows. The ones along the path are those who have the message sown in their hearts, but as soon as it is sown there, Satan comes and carries off the message that has been sown in their hearts. In like manner these are the ones sown on rocky ground; as soon as they hear the truth, they accept it with ecstasy, but it does not take real root in them, and so they last only a little while; then when trouble or persecution comes on account of the truth, they at once fall by the way. A different class are those people sown among the thorns. They are people who listen to the message, but the worries of the times, the deceiving pleasures of being rich, and evil desires for other things, creep in and choke the truth out, and it yields nothing. And the people sown in rich soil are the people who listen to the message and welcome it and yield thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold."

"Now listen closely to the story of the sower. When anyone hears the message of the kingdom and does not understand it, the wicked one comes and carries off the seed that was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. And what was sown upon the thin rocky soil illustrates the man who hears the message and bubbling over with joy at once accepts it, read more.
but it takes no real root in him, and he lasts only a little while, and just as soon as suffering and persecution come for the truth's sake, he at once yields and falls. And what was sown among the thorns illustrates the man who hears the message, and the worries of the times and the pleasures of being rich choke the truth out, and he yields no fruit. And what was sown in rich soil illustrates the man who hears the message and understands it, and yields fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, another thirty-fold."

And He answered: "The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the members of the kingdom; the wild wheat seed are the followers of the wicked one.

He also was saying: "The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground, then continues sleeping by night and getting up by day, while the seed sprouts and comes up without his knowing how. The ground of itself produces, first the stalk, then the head; at last there is the matured grain of wheat in the head. read more.
But as soon as the crop Will permit it, he puts in the sickle, for the reaping time has come." Then He kept on saying: "How can I further picture the kingdom of God, or by what story can I illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all seeds, but when it is properly sown, it comes up and grows to be the largest of all the plants, and produces branches so large that the wild birds can roost under its shade."