The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹¹ “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.^(A)

²³ You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.^{[a](A) 24} For

That word is the good news that was announced to you.^(C)

²¹ Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.^(A)

¹⁴ The sower sows the word. ¹⁵ These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.^{(A) 16} And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But they have no root and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.^{[a] 18} And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹ but the cares of the age and the lure of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. ²⁰ And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path.^(A)

⁹ For we are God’s coworkers, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.^(A)

¹⁰ According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Let each builder choose with care how to build on it.^{(B) 11} For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.^{(C) 12} Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—

⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

²⁰ for teaching and for instruction?” surely those who speak like this will have no dawn!^(A)