Wednesday Evening Bible Study

December 13, 2000

Introduction

Jesus is going to tell a story.

When you share the gospel with friends, why don’t some people respond like you did?

:4  And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:

much people – “great crowd”

gathered together – suneimi – to come together

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.

sower … sow – speiro – to sow, scatter, seed

seed – sporos – a sowing; seed (used in sowing)

fell – pipto – to descend from a higher place to a lower; to fall (either from or upon); to be thrust down

the way side – hodos – properly; a way; a travelled way, road; a travellers way, journey, travelling

trodden down – katapateo (“down” + “tread”) – to tread down, trample under foot, to trample on

fowls – peteinon – flying, winged; flying or winged animals, birds; the birds of the heaven, i.e. flying in the heaven (air)

We have this flock of crows that live in the church’s neighborhood.  They are constantly uprooting our flowers, dropping nut shell on the parking lot to break them open, leaving messes everywhere.

air – ouranos – the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it; the aerial heavens or sky, the region where the clouds and the tempests gather, and where thunder and lightning are produced; the sidereal or starry heavens; the region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect where God dwells and other heavenly beings

devoured – katesthio (“down” + “eat”) – to consume by eating, to eat up, devour

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

some – heteros – the other, another, other

fell – pipto – to descend from a higher place to a lower; to fall (either from or upon); to be thrust down

rock – petra – a rock, cliff or ledge

sprung up – phuo – to beget, bring forth, produce; to be born, to spring up, to grow; to shoot forth, spring up

withered away – xeraino – to make dry, dry up, wither; to become dry, to be dry, be withered; to waste away, pine away, i.e. a withered hand

lacked – literally, “did not have”

moisture – hikmas – moisture.  This is the only place this word is used in the NT.

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

some – heteros – the other, another, other

fell – pipto – to descend from a higher place to a lower; to fall (either from or upon); to be thrust down

among – mesos – middle; the midst; in the midst of, amongst

thorns – akantha – thorn, bramble; bush, brier, a thorny plant

sprang up with – sumphuo (“with” + “spring up”) – to cause to grow together; to grow together, grow with

choked – apopnigo – to choke; to suffocate with water, drown

:8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold.

other – heteros – the other, another, other

fell – pipto – to descend from a higher place to a lower; to fall (either from or upon); to be thrust down

ground – ge – arable land; the ground, the earth as a standing place

good – agathos – of good constitution or nature; useful, salutary; good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy; excellent, distinguished; upright, honourable

sprang up – phuo – to beget, bring forth, produce; to be born, to spring up, to grow; to shoot forth, spring up

bare – poieo – to make; to do

fruit – karpos – fruit; that which originates or comes from something, an effect, result

hundredfold – hekatontaplasion – hundredfold, a hundred times as much

Lesson

The goal is fruit.

This is the goal of the parable, to have a farm that brings forth a great crop.

God wants you to bear fruit in your life.

:8  And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

cried – phoneo – to sound, emit a sound, to speak; of men: to cry, cry out, cry aloud, speak with a loud voice; to call, to call one’s self, either by one’s own voice or though another; to send for, summon; to address, accost, call by a name

Do you have ears to hear?

In a way, this is the heart of the whole parable.

Lesson

Are you open to God’s Word?

Can you allow the seed of God’s Word into your heart to let it grow?

Do you have a hard heart, too hard to penetrate?

Break up the fallow ground.

:9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?

asked – eperotao – to accost one with an enquiry, put a question to, enquiry of, ask, interrogate; to address one with a request or demand; to ask of or demand of one

: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.

mysteries – musterion – hidden thing, secret, mystery

seeing … see – blepo – to see, discern, of the bodily eye; metaph. to see with the mind’s eye; to have (the power of) understanding; to discern mentally, observe, perceive, discover, understand; to turn the thoughts or direct the mind to a thing, to consider, contemplate, to look at, to weigh carefully, examine

hearing – akouo – to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf; to hear; to understand, perceive the sense of what is said; to hear something; to comprehend, to understand

understand – suniemi – to set or bring together; to put (as it were) the perception with the thing perceived; to set or join together in the mind; i.e. to understand: the man of understanding

People with hard hearts are going to have harder hearts.  Those that want to understand are going to get it.

:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

word – logos – word

: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.

devil – diabolos – prone to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely; devil; Satan the prince of the demons

taketh away – airo – to raise up, elevate, lift up; to raise from the ground, take up: stones; to bear away what has been raised, carry off; to move from its place; to take away from another what is his or what is committed to him, to take by force

word – logos – word

hearts – kardia – the heart; the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavours; of the understanding, the faculty and seat of the intelligence; of the will and character

believe – pisteuo – to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in

be saved – sozo – to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction

There are people who don’t ever seem to quite “get it” when you share the gospel.  The enemy has stolen the seed.

: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.

hear – akouo – to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf; to hear; to attend to, consider what is or has been said; to understand, perceive the sense of what is said.  Aorist active subjunctive.

joy – chara – joy, gladness

receive – dechomai – to take with the hand; to take up, receive

root – rhiza – a root

while – kairos – due measure; a measure of time, a larger or smaller portion of time; a fixed and definite time

believe – pisteuo – to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in

time – kairos – due measure; a measure of time, a larger or smaller portion of time; a fixed and definite time

temptation – peirasmos – an experiment, attempt, trial, proving; the trial of man’s fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy; an enticement to sin, temptation, whether arising from the desires or from the outward circumstances; an internal temptation to sin; of the temptation by which the devil sought to divert Jesus the Messiah from his divine errand; adversity, affliction, trouble: sent by God and serving to test or prove one’s character, faith, holiness

It is used both for a time of “temptation”, when we are enticed by sin, as well as a time of “trial”, when we go through difficult times to test our faithfulness.

fall away – aphistemi – to make stand off, cause to withdraw, to remove; to stand off, to stand aloof; to go away, to depart from anyone; to desert, withdraw from one; to fall away, become faithless

Lesson

Deep roots in tough times

A plant or tree with deep roots is able to survive the “dry” times.

(Psa 1 KJV)  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. {2} But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. {3} And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. {4} The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. {5} Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. {6} For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

What do you do during the “dry” times, the times when it seem like God is far from you and He doesn’t seem to be speaking very often?

If your “roots” are in God’s Word, you can survive.  If you’re roots are in things like emotional experiences, then you’re going to be blown away with the dry Santa Ana winds.

: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.

heard – akouo – to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf; to hear; to attend to, consider what is or has been said; to understand, perceive the sense of what is said.  Aorist participle.

cares – merimna – care, anxiety

riches – ploutos – riches, wealth; abundance of external possessions; fulness, abundance, plenitude

pleasures – hedone (“hedonism”) – pleasure; desires for pleasure

life – bios – life; human existence

go forth – poreuomai – to lead over, carry over, transfer; to pursue the journey on which one has entered, to continue on one’s journey; to lead or order one’s life

are choked – sumpnigo – to choke utterly; metaph. the seed of the divine word sown in the mind; to press round or throng one so as almost to suffocate him

bring (no) fruit to perfection – telesphoreo – to bring to (perfection or) maturity; of fruits; of pregnant women; of animals bringing their young to maturity

It almost sounds as if the issue is that they never grow up.

Too much of the world to be any heavenly good.

Lesson

Choking retards growth

The more my life is filled with worries, concern for money, love for pleasure, the more my growth in the Lord is going to be held back.

: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.

good – kalos – beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable

ground – ge – arable land; the ground, the earth as a standing place

honest – kalos – beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable

good – agathos – of good constitution or nature; useful, salutary; good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy; excellent, distinguished; upright, honourable

heard – akouo – to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf; to hear; to attend to, consider what is or has been said; to understand, perceive the sense of what is said.  Aorist participle.

keep – katecho – to hold back, detain, retain; to hold fast, keep secure, keep firm possession of; to get possession of, take

Lesson

Take possession of God’s Word.

Make it your own. 

bring forth fruit – karpophoreo – to bear fruit; to bear, bring forth, deeds; to bear fruit of one’s self

patience – hupomone – steadfastness, constancy, endurance; in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings; patiently, and steadfastly; a patient, steadfast waiting for; a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance

Lesson

Patience in trials

Hang tough.