Defense of Parables

67 – Defense of Parables; Matthew 13:10-23; Mark 4:10-20; Luke 8:9-15

Matthew 13:10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 [d]Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 [e]In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

‘[f]You will keep on hearing, [g]but will not understand;

[h]You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;

15 For the heart of this people has become dull,

With their ears they scarcely hear,

And they have closed their eyes,

Otherwise they would see with their eyes,

Hear with their ears,

And understand with their heart and return,

And I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

18 “Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the [i]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 the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. 20 The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the [j]word, immediately he [k]falls away. 22 And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the [l]world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

Mark 4:10 As soon as He was alone, [b]His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12 so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven.”

13 And He *said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16 In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17 and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they [c]fall away. 18 And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries of the [d]world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 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.”

Luke 8:9 His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant. 10 And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.

11 “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. 12 Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; [c]they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with [d]perseverance.

Footnotes (Matthew)

d. Matthew 13:11 Lit He

e. Matthew 13:14 Lit For them

f. Matthew 13:14 Lit With a hearing you will hear

g. Matthew 13:14 Lit and

h. Matthew 13:14 Lit Seeing you will see

i. Matthew 13:19 I.e. message

j. Matthew 13:21 I.e. message

k. Matthew 13:21 Lit is caused to stumble

l. Matthew 13:22 Or age

Footnotes (Mark)

b. Mark 4:10 Lit those about Him

c. Mark 4:17 Lit are caused to stumble

d. Mark 4:19 Or age

e. Mark 4:21 Or peck-measure

f. Mark 4:24 Lit By what measure you measure

Footnotes (Luke)

c. Luke 8:13 Lit who believe

d. Luke 8:15 Or steadfastness

Commentary

You may have noticed the footnotes don’t start at the letter ‘a’, and that’s because I was originally going to do this section along with the parable itself, which I studied last time. However, that ended up being way too much to look at in one post, so I divided it in order to give each section the proper focus.

The meat of this post focuses on predestination. Why does it sound as if Jesus purposely speaks in a confusing manner so some people won’t understand Him? Does it contradict 2 Peter 3:9, which says, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”?

Mark 4:12 so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.'” In this verse, let us consider that Jesus does not want to prevent people from conversion, but rather He means to point out that faith is a critical element of belief and salvation. “Faith precedes proof, not vice versa. People are won “through the foolishness of preaching” not scientific facts. If that were the case, faith would be nothing more than the recognition of revealed evidence” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1243).

However, those in His audience who had not already demonstrated faith were showing the evidence of the hardness of their heart because if they had internalized the message, they surely would already have turned from their sin, and God would have forgiven them. Those who cannot understand the parable are those who had already rejected Christ in their hearts (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1199).

If you read Jesus’s statements to the disciples in a certain tone, you can infer an added shade of meaning. It’s possible Jesus is implying to the disciples that they were given the gift of knowledge, through their faith, without having to hear parables, whereas Jesus has to put the word into different contexts for the rest of His audience. If He were to speak to His larger audience in plain terms about the kingdom, their ignorance would prevent them from internalizing the message, but if he reaches them with stories to which they can relate, some of them may have the veils lifted from their eyes. Even though the disciples didn’t understand the parable, Jesus is telling them they already received God’s gift of knowledge, and more than that, Jesus still goes on to explain the parable to them because once they have shown themselves to be good soil, they will receive more added to them (Matt 13:12).

Another reason Jesus chooses to reveal this truth to the disciples is that they are the ones who will be founding the church, and their evangelism will result in the various types of growth Jesus illustrates. He is painting a picture of the kingdom that will exist between the time He leaves the earth and the time He returns (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1199). “This is the turning point in Matthew’s gospel. Already sensing His impending rejection, Jesus now expresses the “mystery” form of the kingdom which will be the church. His early ministry involved a proclamation of the spiritual principles of the kingdom. The Jews, seeking a political and nationalistic kingdom, were now rejecting Jesus’ concept of a kingdom of spiritual character. To bring in a political kingdom before men were born again would be a travesty. Therefore, an interval is now announced between the Messiah’s original appearance and His final return. That interval is the Church Age, during which believers are citizens of the kingdom which is within them (Lk 17:21). The distinction between the church and the kingdom is not that one is more spiritual than the other. The church is the present (realized) form of the kingdom of God. The millennial kingdom, which is to come in the future (Rev 20:4) is another transitional form of the kingdom which will ultimately be presented to the Father to be the eternal kingdom of God (Rev 21)” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1198-1199).

This story is additionally an encouragement to the disciples when they go into the world and preach the Gospel. The Word in Life Study Bible admonishes that Christians are called to bear witness but not to convert – conversion is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit. Our conversion rate is not a measure of our success, but if we love others and are fulfilling our calling, that is success in itself. “One thing we as “farmers” can’t do is change the soil. But we can offer good seed and do the best we can to nurture whatever faith sprouts up … How others react is between them and God” (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1719). “Jesus taught His disciples that they would sow much seed, but should not be distressed by seemingly poor results and some cases of apparent salvation which were in reality nothing but an outward emotional experience” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1275).

Despite any attempts at alternative interpretation, parts of these passages still seem to point to predestination, and if you look at the cross-referenced verses at the bottom, the case grows significantly stronger in favor of predestination.

Romans 11:8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”

Isaiah 6:10 Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.

This is one of those times when, if we come to understand something about God that interrupts our worldview, we may be tempted to distance ourselves from “a God who would do something like that.” What I find important to bear in mind when I come across passages like this is: 1) My capacity for understanding is infinitesimal when compared with God’s capacity for design and creativity, and 2) whether I like something or not has no effect on its absolute truth. Regarding point number 1, I often find writing by others, to whom God has revealed greater wisdom, and I see things in a completely different light than I had first interpreted them. This is just a tiny glimpse into the vast knowledge I do not possess, and it helps humble me in my ignorance. Regarding point number 2, my job is to investigate the truth and then adapt my life to it, not the other way around; truth is not relative based on my feelings. I don’t enjoy healthy eating or exercise, so I could reject the idea that I need either in my life. I could, like so many times in my life, embrace “me,” in a lifestyle of obesity and lethargy. However, it would not change the evidence that points to obesity as a contributing factor in various deadly diseases that will likely kill me before my time.

So, knowing that I may or may not interpret this passage correctly, my first goal is to seek out truth about predestination. Because it is such a hotly debated topic, I may not be able to find a definitive answer, in which case I need to determine whether the acceptance of predestination affects the way I live out my faith or affects my personal salvation. I believe my salvation is unaffected by either view, and I would argue that I need to live out my faith as if we are not predestined (in the sense that I am still compelled to point others to Christ and pray for their salvation) because, when I take it in the context of the rest of scripture, it is clear my job is to point others to Christ, regardless of the way God chooses to move on their hearts. Also, the concept of predestination does not create a conflict with the messiahship of Jesus. In fact, Jesus points back to some of the prophetic text in Isaiah to support His points with His disciples. As I have mentioned in the past, if I can remain focused on the purpose of my study, which is to give credence to Jesus as the Christ, it can help put peripheral topics into perspective.

I took a long break between posting my last study and this one, partly because I spent some time reading the book Chosen But Free by Norm Geisler, to give some clarity on this topic. One of the first things Geisler says in the book is that ideas have consequences, so it’s important to ensure you’re sharing solid ideas. Below are some notes from the book.

The Bible makes it clear that God has foreknowledge of who will come to Him in the end, and there are several places where the language indicates that God even chooses those people who will ultimately be saved. What if, instead of being selective, God “chooses” everyone, but some people “choose” to reject Him? That’s how the Bible can say only those God chose can receive salvation and yet preserve the idea that free will allows us to deny salvation. And once we have denied it, the Holy Spirit can choose to stop trying to persuade us, and He allows our hearts to harden.

Response to John 6:65 This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.  – “the real question is, “Does God give to all people the ability to come to Jesus?” The answer is that there is nothing here or anywhere else to say God limits His willingness to provide this ability to only some. Indeed, the Bible is clear that He is patient, “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), and that He “wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:3; see also Ezek. 18:32)” (Chosen But Free, pg. 58-59).

“God is found by those who seek Him, yet when they find Him, they discover that He first sought them” (Chosen But Free, pg. 60).

Geisler writes an interesting parable on page 67. A man, Jim, has a decision to make – will he marry or won’t he? The decision is his own free choice to make, and he decides he would like to marry. He loves two women, Joan and Betty, and he happens to know that Joan would say ‘yes’ to a proposal (with possibly a little pursuit and persuasion), and Betty would say ‘no.’ So, he proposes to Joan. He didn’t predetermine what Betty’s response would be, but because he anticipated her response, he didn’t choose her. If Joan and Betty didn’t have free will, or if Jim could force either one of them to marry him, he could coerce Betty into marrying him. But then she wouldn’t really love him, and what kind of relationship would that be? Did he love Betty, and is he sad? Yes. But short of shackles, could he ever be married to her? No.

Here’s another example. My son has been told many, many (many, many, many) times never to leave his dirty clothes on the floor, yet I can tell you with about 99% certainty that, when he changes into his pajamas tonight, he will drop his clothes on the floor. You could say I “foreknow” that he will sin (by sin, I mean disobedience to what he has been told to do by his mother and father), but I do not cause him to sin. It is possible that I could stand over him while he changes (since he’s only 6), and I could force him to put the clothes immediately into the hamper. However, I know he really needs to be held accountable for personal responsibility. Therefore, even though I know he will drop the clothes on the floor, and I choose not to intervene, I would still be justified in punishing him or removing rewards when he chooses to do something he knows is wrong.

Geisler makes another analogy that is helpful. If you record a football game, and you watch it later, you can watch it as many times as you want, and the action won’t be any different, although it was freely chosen in the first place. Because God foreknows everything that will happen, it’s all sort of playing out like a recorded program to Him. He knows what will happen, and although He doesn’t force people to do something against their free will, He, in a sense, predestines it because He allows it to play out in the way they have chosen. As Geisler says, no analogy is perfect, so each will shed light on a different aspect of the mystery at hand. This analogy, for instance, does not resolve the way God intervenes in some situations and not others. However, I hope these analogies were helpful in shedding some light on the concepts of foreknowledge and predestination.

Find the next post here https://onthepath.online/2022/03/16/a-growing-seed/

Scripture References

Matthew 13:11

Isaiah 29:11 And the entire vision will be to you like the words sealed in a scroll. If it is handed to a reader, he will say, “I cannot read it, because it is sealed.”

Matthew 19:11 “Not everyone can accept this word,” He replied, “but only those to whom it has been given.

Matthew 20:23 “You will indeed drink My cup,” Jesus said. “But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom My Father has prepared them.”

Mark 10:40 But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

John 6:65 Then Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.”

Romans 11:25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

1 Corinthians 2:10 But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Colossians 1:27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 2:2 that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ,

1 John 2:20 You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

1 John 2:27 And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.

Revelation 3:13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Matthew 13:12

Matthew 25:29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

Mark 4:25 For whoever has will be given more. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Luke 8:18 Pay attention, therefore, to how you listen. Whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

Luke 12:48 But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded.

Luke 19:26 He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more; but the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

James 4:6 But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Matthew 13:13

Deuteronomy 29:4 Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.

Isaiah 42:19 Who is blind but My servant, or deaf like the messenger I am sending? Who is blind like My covenant partner, or blind like the servant of the LORD?

Isaiah 42:20 Though seeing many things, you do not observe. Though your ears are open, you hear nothing.”

Jeremiah 5:21 Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.

Ezekiel 12:2 “Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.

Ezekiel 20:49 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, ‘Is he not just telling parables?'”

John 9:39 Then Jesus declared, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind.”

Romans 11:8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”

Matthew 13:14

Deuteronomy 29:4 Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.

Isaiah 6:9 And He replied, “Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’

Jeremiah 5:21 Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.

Ezekiel 12:2 “Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.

Mark 4:12 so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.'”

John 12:40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”

Acts 28:26 Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”

Acts 28:27 For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

Romans 10:16 But not all of them welcomed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”

Romans 11:8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”

Matthew 13:15

Psalm 119:70 Their hearts are hard and callous, but I delight in Your law.

Isaiah 6:10 Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure–who can understand it?

Zechariah 7:11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.

Luke 19:42 and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.

John 8:43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.

John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

Acts 28:27 For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

2 Timothy 4:4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Hebrews 5:11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing.

Matthew 13:16

Matthew 16:17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.

Luke 10:23 Then Jesus turned to the disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.

Luke 10:24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

John 20:29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Matthew 13:17

Luke 10:23 Then Jesus turned to the disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.

John 8:56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see My day. He saw it and was glad.”

Hebrews 11:13 All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

1 Peter 1:10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who foretold the grace to come to you, searched and investigated carefully,

Matthew 13:18

Matthew 13:36 Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

Matthew 13:19

Ezekiel 31:18 Who then is like you in glory and greatness among the trees of Eden? You also will be brought down to the depths of the earth to be with the trees of Eden. You will lie among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord GOD.'”

Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Matthew 5:37 Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.

Matthew 12:26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?

Matthew 13:20

Matthew 7:8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Matthew 13:5 Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.

Matthew 13:21

Matthew 11:6 Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.”

James 3:2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body.

Matthew 13:22

Matthew 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.

Matthew 13:39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

Matthew 13:40 As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

Matthew 19:23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

1 Corinthians 2:6 Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom–but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

1 Corinthians 2:8 None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

1 Corinthians 3:18 Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.

2 Corinthians 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Galatians 1:4 who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

Ephesians 2:2 in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

1 Timothy 6:9 Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Matthew 13:23

Matthew 13:8 Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop–a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.

Luke 8:8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprang up and produced a crop–a hundredfold.” As Jesus said this, He called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Mark 4:10

Mark 4:9 Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Mark 4:11

Mark 3:23 So Jesus called them together and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan?

1 Corinthians 5:12 What business of mine is it to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?

Colossians 4:5 Act wisely toward outsiders, redeeming the time.

1 Thessalonians 4:12 Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.

1 Timothy 3:7 Furthermore, he must have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the snare of the devil.

Mark 4:12

Isaiah 6:9 And He replied, “Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’

Isaiah 43:8 Bring out a people who have eyes but are blind, and who have ears but are deaf.

Jeremiah 5:21 Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.

Jeremiah 36:3 Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about all the calamity I plan to bring upon them, each of them will turn from his wicked way. Then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.”

Ezekiel 12:2 “Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.

John 12:40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”

Romans 11:8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”

Mark 4:14

Matthew 13:3 And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed.

Luke 1:2 just as they were handed down to us by the initial eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

Mark 4:15

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Revelation 20:2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:3 And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief period of time.

Mark 4:16

Matthew 13:5 Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.

Mark 4:17

Matthew 11:6 Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.”

Mark 4:19

Proverbs 23:4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.

Luke 21:34 But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life–and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Ephesians 2:2 in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

1 Timothy 6:9 Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Mark 4:20

Matthew 13:8 Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop–a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.

John 15:2 He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.

Romans 7:4 Therefore, my brothers, you also died to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

Luke 8:10

Isaiah 6:9 And He replied, “Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’

Ezekiel 12:2 “Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.

Acts 28:26 Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”

Luke 8:11

1 Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Luke 8:12

Matthew 13:4 And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

Luke 8:14

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God,

Luke 8:15

Luke 8:16 No one lights a lamp and covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he sets it on a lampstand, so those who enter can see the light.

Romans 2:7 To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life.

Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.