"They find a button and weave an entire vest behind it"--An anonymous but wise pastor
You've woven a vest behind a button--there isn't that much theology intended behind the wheat and tares parable. The single lesson of that parable is that you and I cannot determine who in the final judgment is saved or unsaved.
The lesson of the Wheat and the Tares is: It's not your job to make that distinction.
LOL....
What EXACTLY are you disputing?
(a) are you disputing that the church consists of saved "
wheat" (sown by Christ)
and unsaved "
tares" (sown by Satan)
(b) or that the MISSION of the "
wheat and tares" is the same?
Those were the issues being discussed.
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BTW.... you are mistaken about the fact that we cannot identify the difference
between "
wheat and tares" (on an individual basis) because the Bible is full of verses
COMMANDING US to identify these "
tares" by their "
fruit".... and we are
COMMANDED
to rebuke their false doctrines.... and we are
COMMANDED to separate from them if/when
they refuse to repent. Obviously there is a huge HOLE in your theory... because you
have not harmonized all related Scriptures.
There are two (2) problems here:
(1) One problem is that people who think vests are woven behind a button
often do not understand the complexity of the process so they cannot see
the forest for the trees. When someone has a simple view... everything looks simple.
Harmonizing EVERYTHING the Bible has to say about the "wheat and tares" is far
from simple.
(2) The measure of truth has NEVER been harmonizing two-or-three passages.
Most heresy is BUILT on some partial-truth and, therefore, most heresy can harmonize
with some select passages. The only measure of truth is to harmonize ALL RELATED passages.
In fact we cannot even understand the meaning of verses unless/until we
determine whether the focus of the passage is on the (a) "
wheat" only...
or whether the focus is on the (b) "
tares" only... or whether the focus is on
(c) both the "wheat and tares".... or whether the focus is on
(d) those OUTSIDE the "Kingdom".
I can provide verses (if you want) that focus only on (a)...
and verses that focus only on (b).... and verses that focus on (c)...
and verses that focus only on the lost souls OUTSIDE the church (d)....
So your theology must be able to identify WHO is the focus of Scripture.
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BTW.... Roger Williams was only about 1650 years late when he realized that
the Christian Gospel has
ALWAYS taught the "
Kingdom of Heaven" (the church)
would be infiltrated by unsaved "
tares" and the "
leaven" of their false doctrines
would corrupt the church... and eventually the entire Kingdom. The PROCESS
started while the Apostles were still preaching. Read Revelation chapters 2 and 3
to see the extent of this corruption before the end of the
first century.
Many will respond.... but God PROMISED to protect the true church....
and that is 100% true..... But it also illustrates my points above.
Harmony of ALL RELATED SCRIPTURE does show that God promises to protect
the true church... but it also teaches there are
NO TARES in the true church. In fact,
the Bible promises God will protect the "
wheat" in the "
church"... while, at the same time,
the Bible also promises God will torment the "
tares" in the "
church".
Obviously... the lesson here is that no man can offer an "informed opinion on the "
church"
unless he first discerns whether the Scripture is talking about the "
wheat" or the "
tares"
or both the "
wheat and tares". If this distinction is not made... there can be no chance
of an "informed opinion" on the passage.
I will provide two examples for you:
In both examples below.... see if you can identify who are the "
wheat"
in the "
church" and who are the "
tares" in the "
church". BTW.... we can know
the passages is not talking about people
OUTSIDE the "
church" because they never
call Jesus Lord... they never preach in His Name....
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Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;
but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that
day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and
in thy name done many wonderful works? Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never
knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Luk 13:23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
Luk 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in,
and shall not be able. Luk 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath
shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord,
open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
Luk 13:26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast
taught in our streets. Luk 13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are;
depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. Luk 13:28 There shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the
kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. Luk 13:29 And they shall come from the
east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the
kingdom of God. Luk 13:30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are
first which shall be last.
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So.... the passages above are talking about the "wheat and tares" in the "church"....
but you think this is all a button with a vest being woven around it?
.
