How about those who believe for a while, then fall away?
JLB
My guess if you are trying to use one verse against another verse? Matthews version and Luke's version? They are the same. I explained it in another post early.
Mat 13:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
Mat 13:6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
This is a different kind of heart and person. If two people owned fields, those fields would be separated by rocks so that the fields could be separated from one another. There will be some earth on these stones but not much, so when the seed is thrown out there liberally, some of the seed will land on these stony dividers. So when it’s sown, and the sun comes out, it kills what had sprouted because there is no depth in their growth.
A plant will grow roots, and when the roots hit something hard like a rock, the roots are actually pushing the plant upwards. So the plant above ground looks really healthy. The issue is that the roots can’t go any further, so they are unable to get to the nutrients and soil that they need to grow properly. So, on the outside they look great, but on the inside they are not. Doesn’t this sound just like the description Christ told the Pharisees? To see this a bit further, let’s look at the Greek for deepness (they had no deepness).
bath'-os
From the same as G901;
profundity, that is, (by implication)
extent; (figuratively)
mystery: - deep (-ness, things), depth.
These people had no insight or great depth of knowledge or thought. That is exactly what profundity means. This means that they heard the Word of God, got excited about it, and for a little while was on fire, but without a deep insight or a depth of knowledge, they never got the Word deeply ingrained in their heart. They have the nutrients they do need, but they don’t get them because their heart is not into getting them, and when the trials and tribulations come, they give up.
How many times have we seen someone claim to come to the Lord and they have all the outward signs that they are just on fire for the Lord. They witness, share their testimony and appear to just be loving life now. Then when something happens in their life, they whither up and don’t stay with the Lord.
They hear it, have knowledge of it, but not a deep rooted knowledge, or they would have stayed with the Lord. These people never allowed what knowledge they had to take them into saving faith. They have made an OUTWARD decision, but never made an INWARD commitment. They are excited, but when things don’t go their way, trials come, tribulation arises, they expect God to be the Genie in the book they can rub, and He’s going to just make it all better. They think that, well, I’ve been doing this and doing that, so why is THIS happening? Why is THAT happening? Don’t you love me Jesus? Then they leave, without ever coming to the saving faith in Christ Jesus.
Jesus explains this in verse 21:
Mat 13:21 Yet hath he
not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
In Luke:
Luk 8:13 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.
Same thing as I explained in Matthew. I am not sure why people think 'believe' means that they have actually accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. The demons believe and tremble, but they do not know HIM! The one in Matthew and the one in Luke are the same thing; thus do not mean something different.
"They hear it, have knowledge of it, but not a deep rooted knowledge, or they would have stayed with the Lord. These people never allowed what knowledge they had to take them into saving faith. They have made an OUTWARD decision, but never made an INWARD commitment. They are excited, but when things don’t go their way, trials come, tribulation arises, they expect God to be the Genie in the book they can rub, and He’s going to just make it all better. They think that, well, I’ve been doing this and doing that, so why is THIS happening? Why is THAT happening? Don’t you love me Jesus? Then they leave, without ever coming to the saving faith in Christ Jesus."