¹³ And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?

¹⁹ I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent.^(A)

Warning against Falling Away

¹¹ About this^[a] we have much to say that is hard to explain, since you have become sluggish in hearing. ¹² For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic elements of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,^{(A) 13} for everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.^(B)

On Divisions in the Corinthian Church

3 And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people but rather as fleshly, as infants in Christ.^{(A) 2} I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready,^(B)

²⁵ Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared!

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹¹ “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.^{(A) 12} The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³ The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. ¹⁴ As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. ¹⁵ But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with endurance.

¹⁷ When he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. ¹⁸ He said to them, “So, are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile,

⁸ And becoming aware of it, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you talking about having no bread?^{(A) 9} Do you still not perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand and how many baskets you gathered?^(B)

¹⁵ But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.”^{(A) 16} Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding?^{(B) 17} Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach and goes out into the sewer?

Treasures New and Old

⁵¹ “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” ⁵² And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”