It Is Finished

This is one of the most surprising studies I have ever made. One day, I had this incredible feeling, while doing a study about the cross, that the same word that was used upon the cross was also used at the end of creation.

King James

Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

LIT Genesis 2:1

1. |3615| And were finished |8064| the heavens |0776| and the earth |3605| and all |6635| their army.

Strong’s Ref. # 3615

Romanized kalah

Pronounced kaw-law’

a primitive root; to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitived (to complete, prepare, consume):

The word that was used at creation simply meant completed.

Now read the words of Jesus, as He was facing His last days on this earth.

KJV John 17:1-26

1. These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

2. As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

3. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

4. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

5. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

In His prayer to the Father just before His capture and trial Jesus talks about finishing the work He was sent to do. From this text we can see that the work Jesus came to do included giving eternal life to us. If you read the rest of John17 you will see His work also included teaching the word of God. “For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.” John 17:8 Does this mean that this was the end of Jesus’ teaching? No, as we see in KJV Acts 1:3 “To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:” Jesus taught for forty days after the resurection. Now we will take a look at one more place the word finished was used, on the cross.

KJV John 19:30

30. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

What was Jesus referring to when He used the word finished while He was on the cross?

LIT John 19:3030. |3753| when |3767| Then |2983| took |3588| the |3690| cheap wine |2424| Jesus, |2036| he said, |5055| It has been completed, |2532| and |2827| bowing |3588| the |2776| head |3860| relinquished |3588| the |4151| spirit.

Strong’s Ref. # 5055

Romanized teleo

Pronounced tel-eh’-o

from GSN5056; to end, ie. complete, execute, conclude, discharge (a debt):

Although the final words of the creation of this earth, and the final words of Jesus are the same, I did not see the link between the two. As I dug a little further, I did find something that actually surprised me. The Greek word that signifies Jesus’ final word upon the cross was not only that it was finished, but that the debt had been paid.

On His last days on this earth Jesus prayed for those that believed upon Him. This is what Jesus gave up His life for. To pay the debt we could never pay.

John 17:4 uses the word finished which is a different word than the word used in John 19:30. There was a reason for this. Jesus paid a debt for us.

4. |1473| I |4571| You |1392| glorified |1909| on |3588| the |1093| earth, |3588| the |2041| work |5048| finishing |3739| which |1325| You gave |3427| to me |2443| that |4160| I should do.

Strong’s Ref. # 5048

Romanized teleioo
Pronounced tel-i-o’-o

from GSN5046; to complete, i.e. (literally) accomplish, or (figuratively) consummate (in character):

KJV–consecrate, finish, fulfil, make) perfect.

Word Studies

Word Studies

Word studies may be one of the oldest forms of Bible study. In the early 1500’s Martin Luther used a form of word study long before the term was coined. Through the leading of the Holy Spirit he linked Bible verses together for a number of subjects including salvation, the Bible as the Word of God that needs no other source, the need for humility and many others. Even before Luther others compiled simple word studies to show the divinity of Christ, guidelines on tithing and forgiveness.

Strong’s Concordance copy written in 1890 has been used over the years by many to compile word studies. One can only guess how many evangelist have used Strong’s Concordance to look up the perfect text to complete a sermon. But how many know how to use these skills today? Is this becoming a lost art?

Today we have thousands of web sites containing hundreds of sermons that preachers can simply copy, paste, do a few changes and the weeks work is complete. This is good to a point and not all preachers copy their messages, but as more use the Internet, fewer are using the Bible. The Bible is God’s letter to this world.

Have you noticed that today’s sermons use fewer Bible text? At the same time we are seeing fewer people reading their Bibles.

KJV John 4:13-14

13. Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

KJV John 6:32-35

32. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34. Then said they unto him, Lord, ever more give us this bread. 35. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

It was not by accident that Jesus has been compared to bread and water. Jesus came to this world to die for the sins of this world and offer His salvation to all. Jesus also came to this world to reveal the Father, God. While completing His work here on earth Jesus taught the disciples how to reach others. This is found dozens of times in the book of Acts.

KJV Acts 1:3

3. To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

What are these “things” that Jesus taught the disciples? We know that these “things” pertain to the kingdom of God. But we need details and instructions.

KJV Acts 1:15-16

15. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) 16. Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.

Peter taught what was in the scriptures. To be precise, Peter showed others what the prophesies said about Christ. This is what Peter used to baptize thousands. Why are we ignoring this method of evangelism today?

The best way to win a soul to Christ is to teach them to study. Learning to do word studies is one way to accomplish that goal.

A word study can be as simple as reading a verse, seeing a word you do not understand, looking that word up in a Concordance and viewing other text on that word. Let’s take a look at an example.

KJV Deuteronomy 32:33

33. Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.

This verse poses a number of questions. One of these questions is, are there really dragons? We could debate this question with our own limited knowledge or we could look the word “dragon” up in a Concordance and look at a few verses to see if the Bible can answer this question.

KJV Revelation 12:7-9

7. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8. And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

The above text clearly shows that the dragon represents Satan. Next we apply the translation to the original verse and see if it makes sense. To paraphrase Deut 32:33:

Their wine is the poison of Satan, and the cruel venom of asps.

Now is a good time to include a couple of rules of interpretation. You should never come up with any interpretation using only one verse. You should use at least three verses to prove an interpretation. We used one here to save time and space. The second rule is that when a symbolic word is substituted, it needs to agree with the overall theme of the Bible. You can see the hand of God working in all of this based on the fact that the initial pillars of the Christian faith were well established before the Concordance was complied. In doing that God provided the foundation of basic beliefs that all new understandings are to be measured against.

We all know a few symbolic words and their meanings. Bread and water can represent Christ. A sea can represent people. The dragon is Satan. How many can you list? I have compiled over 300 symbolic words and their meaning over the years. Other have listed more than 800.

It takes time and practice to develop a method of study. Think of it as understanding a foreign language. You can not go to a foreign country, wake up the next day and expect to speak the language. It is not the word study that is the foreign language but the Holy Spirit that needs practice to fully understand. With just a little practice you will have experiences looking up text on a single word while the Holy Spirit will be revealing truths you have never imagined. At times these new truths will be easy to share with others. There will also be times when you will be touched with something that you can see so clearly but find it so difficult to explain to others.

How do you recognize a verse that you can reform a word study on? One of the easiest ways to recognize a perspective verse is to use the physical rule. If the verse uses terms that go against the laws of nature, the symbols must be spiritual.

KJV Revelation 16:13

13. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

We know it is not physically possible for a frog to live inside of a dragon or a beast or a prophet. The frog must than be a spiritual symbol explained else where in the Bible.

There are other rules involved in interpreting the Bible using word studies. The rules outlined by William Miller can be found else where on this site.

Glass Darkly 1 Corinthians 13

KJV 1 Corinthians 13:11-13

11. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

This is actually an example of an elementary Biblical study. It appears to be a difficult text to understand. And it is. Like most text, when we rely upon human wisdom we will never see the depth of the subject.

The spiritual meaning of this text is easily found simply by following the word glass through the Bible. The interpretation is even given in order.

The first text (1 Corinthians 13:11-13) makes it clear we begin our understanding as a child. The next text (2 Corinthians 3:17-18) tells us we need to change.

KJV 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

17. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The next text tells us what we need to change and what to expect when we do change. We go from being a child to being a man.

KJV James 1:22-24

22. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

Of course God loves to remind us of His promises. The next four text in the book of Revelation remind us of our reward when we do become changed. We begin as a child and when we are grown we no longer see our image but we see the image of Jesus reflected.

KJV Revelation 4:6-7

6. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. 7. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

KJV Revelation 15:2-3

2. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 3. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

KJV Revelation 21:17-18

17. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. 18. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

KJV Revelation 21:21-22

21. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. 22. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

Woman at the Well, John 4

The woman at the well is an acted parable that teaches us many lessons.

KJV John 4:7, 8
7. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8.  (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

The very first thing we notice is the fact this woman comes from Samaria.  To understand this text we need to investigate this detail.  Samaria was actually the capitol of the ten northern tribes of Israel.  This explains why the woman had knowledge of the Jewish scriptures shown in John 4:20-23.
KJV 1 Kings 16:28-30
28.  So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead. 29.  And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.
30.  And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him.

KJV John 4:9
9. Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

How often do we see this today. We call ourselves Christians and have been given the responsibility to carry the message to the world.  “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.  And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.”  KJV Matthew 24:14, Revelation 14:6-7, Romans 10:17-18

But where does the Bible tell us that one religion will carry the word out to the world louder or clearer than others?  The book of revelation tells about seven churches.  “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.”  KJV Revelation 1:20  Where in the Bible does it say that these churches will be perfect and without flaw?  Look at the book of Revelation.  “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”  Revelation 2:4  God has made it clear that every church will have short comings.  They will all fall short of perfection.  After all they are only human.

There are some Bible studies found on the Internet that do very little to spread the word of God as we have been commanded to do.  These web sites claim to teach the word of God but waste valuable time and space teaching Christians to hate other Christians.  Where do they get this doctrine from?  Certainly not the Bible.  If there are text that teach us to war among fellow Christians I wish someone could step forward and show us that text.   Prove it from the Bible.

The Samaritan woman, a descendant of the ten northern tribes of Israel expected to be treated poorly by a Jew, a descendant of the tribe of Judah.  This is exactly what the Jews taught.  Christians persecute other Christians because history shows us this is normal.  Persecution is tradition.  This is one of the things Jesus came to this world to correct.  Too many Christians have forgotten the words of KJV Matthew 9:12-13.  “But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.  But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”   We are supposed to be reaching out to sinners.  How does it look to the rest of the world when we fight like little children over minor details?

KJV John 4:10
10. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

What is this living water that Jesus is offering?  What is the spiritual meaning of water?  Psalms  tells us that God can send water flowing in dry places.  This was seen in the Exodus.  “He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.”  Psalms 105:41

Proverbs teaches us this water represents wisdom, council and understanding.  “The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.  Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.”  KJV Proverbs 18:4, Proverbs 20:5

The living water Jesus offers is the understanding of God’s word.

KJV John 4:11
11. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

Did Jesus really need any type of utensil to draw out living water?  Does this question suggest that the woman does not understand what this living water is?  Are there people today that do not realize that this living water comes to us freely?

KJV John 4:12,
12.  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

The Samaritan woman claims she is a daughter of Jacob, father of the twelve tribes of Israel.
KJV Genesis 32:28
And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel:

KJV John 4:13-14
13. Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

John shows us that this living water represents the promise of Heaven.

KJV Revelation 7:17
17.  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

KJV Revelation 22:1
1. And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

This living water will lead us to the throne of God and of the Lamb. A closer relationship to God and Jesus.  Is this living water Christ is telling the woman about in fact the same living water coming from the throne of God? Is He trying to tell us that our relationship with God should come from the throne of God and not through what men attempt to teach?
KJV Matthew 7:7-8
7. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

KJV John 4:15
15. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

All we need to do is ask.  The fact that this is a Samaritan woman is proof enough that this living water is free to anyone that asks.

KJV John 4:16
16. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

Now this is where the story takes a turn. In the times of Jesus, a man spoke for the woman. Women did not have the rights they enjoy in some countries today.  This is another point that Jesus is attempting to bring out in this acted parable.

KJV John 4:17-18
17. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18. For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

KJV Galatians 4:22-23
22. For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

It had been customary for men to have more than one wife.  How do you think this woman with five husbands was viewed in her community?  This woman was going against tradition.  She may not have very popular.  This may have been the reason she appeared at the well at a time she knew she would be alone.  She had a very good reason to avoid others.

Do we have a reason to judge this woman?  Based on the information given in the Bible we do not know why this woman had five husbands.  The other husbands may have died and this woman may have been victim to some very stressful circumstances.  They may have given their lives fighting for freedom from the Romans.  The fact is, we do not know why she had five husbands.  We are told that the one she does have is not her husband.  This could mean that she is now living with a man that she is not married to.

KJV John 4:20-23
20. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

The woman is giving a clear indication that she is familiar with the scriptures. She may be referring to Jeroboam the first king of Israel the ten northern tribes.
KJV 1 Kings 12:26-28
26.  And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 27.  If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. 28.  Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

Jesus does not condemn her but explains the scriptures.  Also notice that Jesus points out one of the downfalls in the Jewish belief. Jesus is explaining to her that, “You do not know what you worship. (You say) we know that salvation comes for the Jews.” Here Jesus is referring to the Jewish rituals that were held to a higher standard than the word of God.  Jesus then points out that the time is coming and is now here “when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.”

KJV John 4:24
24. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

This is in stark contrast to the belief of the Jews which believed they knew what the people needed to do and what they should not do to earn their way to Heaven.   A religion so steeped in tradition that they forgot the sacrifices pointed to a savior that was coming to die for their sins.

KJV John 14:16-18
16.  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17.  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18.  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

KJV John 4:25-26
25. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

Do you think this woman had a clearer understanding of the scriptures than the Jews?  She says that  the Messiah will come to tell us all things.  It seems that the Jews and even the disciples were looking for a Messiah that would be a leader sent to defeat the Roman army and place them in control.  This woman was looking for Christ to lead her into wisdom, understanding and knowledge.

Now ask yourself. What was it that made this woman believe that this Jew standing before her, asking for water, was in fact the Messiah that they were waiting for all these years? Was it the fact He knew about her husbands? Or was it the Spirit working inside of her? Or a combination of things? Would God ever neglect to use any means to reach any one of us?

KJV John 4:27
27.  And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

This is the verse where some people display confusion.  The emphasis is put on the word marveled.  When human reasoning is applied to this verse people can come up with some very misleading concepts.  They may assume the word marveled means wondered.   When applied to the disciples this is made to appear that they did not approve of Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman.  At times this text is used as a proof text to show that the disciples were prejudice.  From that assumption people teach that it is Biblical for the church to be prejudice.

When we look at the original meaning of the word used in the Greek we find quite a different meaning.
Strong’s Ref. # 2296  thaumazo    Pronounced thou-mad’-zo
from GSN2295; by implication, to admire:

It turns out that the disciples admired the fact Jesus was talking to this Samaritan woman.  And why not?  The disciples witnessed the works this woman was able to accomplish.

KJV John 4:28-30
28.  The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
29.  Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
30.  Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

It turns out that a woman with a limited understanding of the scriptures recognized the Saviour while the Scribes and Pharisees could not accept Him.  Even the disciples had trouble seeing Jesus for who He was and understanding His mission.  What was it that made this woman different?  Where did she receive such faith?

KJV John 4:37-42
37.  And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
38.  I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
39.  And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
40.  So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
41.  And many more believed because of his own word;
42.  And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

The first lesson taught is the fact that God does not require us to do all the work in saving others.  He does require us to do our part.  At times we may be the first Christian contact in a person’s life.  Does that mean that this person must join the same church you attend?  One sows, another reaps.  If you make an impression on a person’s life and they join another church, will you condemn that person because their faith is not exactly like your own?  Remember not one of the disciples possessed a complete understanding of Christ’s mission.  They were smart enough to admire the work of this woman.

Jesus said we will be sent to reap where we have not labored.  Could this mean churches will see people they have not labored for come through their doors?  Or is this meant to apply only to the gates of Heaven?  To clear up the matter Jesus also says that you are entered into their labors.  This can hold only one meaning.  We are to work together.  No one’s job is more important than others. One person is never better at working for Christ than another.  When feelings of pride and envy enter into the field the work will suffer.

To emphasize the point of this acted parable many Samaritans come to Jesus to hear His words and believed that He was the Savior of the world.  This illustrates the point that a woman with little understanding of the scriptures can lead people to Christ.  Notice the text tells us the people believed not because of the woman’s words but because they heard Christ themselves.  This points out the fact that we can lead others to Christ but belief comes from a personal relationship with Christ.  A relationship we can not provide.  Only the Holy Spirit can fulfill that need.  Some people do not know how far the Spirit is leading them and try to do all the work of leading others themselves.  They have not learned to recognize the fact that the Spirit will lead them so far and then it is time to stand aside and let the Holy Spirit finish the work.

God’s design will always have a purpose.  God does not want to loose a single soul.  We have to admit that if we were allowed to sow and reap there would be a danger of taking the credit to ourselves.  Is it a sin if we take the credit for saving souls?

This acted parable shows that Jesus personally reached out to a person that was an outcast in every meaning of the term.  It seems this outcast actually had a better understanding of the scriptures than those that claimed to be teaching the word of God.  She was able to accomplish more than many of them.

Jesus offered this woman living water.  This living water symbolizes knowledge and understanding of the scriptures.  Jesus used water as a symbol to illustrate the need for this knowledge.  We can not live very long without water.  Water represents life.  Water will also cleanse us just as the word of God will.  It is strange that much of this world is covered with water that we can not use because it is mixed with particles that can cause harm.  Is that a lesson for us to learn?

Parable of the Sower Explains how to Study the Bible

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER.

The following study shows that Jesus did not put His private interpretation on the real objects He used in His parables, but rather, He searched the scriptures to determine the spiritual meaning. KJV Luke 8:5

5. A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

Looking at the physical aspects of verse 5 we see that a person is sowing or planting seed. Some of this seed, “fell by the way side” or the side of a road. From this we may determine that this person is freely casting out his seed. We may even say he is being careless with it. Some of the seed must have fallen upon the road because we see that, “it was trodden down or walked on, and the fowls of the air devoured it.” We are not told what type of seed is being planted however we can see that the person planting the seed is not stooping down planting individual seeds in neat evenly spaced rows in a farm field like we see from the side of the road. From the context of this parable I would imagine a person casting handfuls of seed in different directions. Since most people do not plant physical seeds in such a manner, we are given a clue that this must be spiritual seed he is planting.

We need to determine the key words in the text. Once we identify the key words we can look at other verses in the Bible which will help us understand the spiritual meaning to these key words. Since the seed may have a spiritual meaning, the sower may also have a spiritual meaning. Other key words are way, trodden, fowls and devoured.

Applying the Bible principle of “comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (Isa 28:9,10 and 1Cor 2:13) and referring only to the Old Testament, since these books were the only scriptures available to Jesus we will collect a series of text to help us understand the spiritual meaning of these key words.

SEED

KJV Ecclesiastes 11:6. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

KJV Psalms 97:11. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.

KJV Psalms 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

If seed is sown, and light is sown, and light is the word, then the seed is the word that is sown. Just as Jesus said. Or putting it another way: seed = light = word

KJV Psalms 112:1. Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. 2. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed

KJV Isaiah 55:10. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Isaiah 55 gives a direct connection between the seed of the sower and the word. These are only a few examples of verses that may have taught Jesus this parable allowing Him to share it with others.

SOWER

KJV Isaiah 61:11. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

KJV Zechariah 10:9. And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again.

KJV Jeremiah 31:27. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast.

The works of God are compared to things sown. These verses show that God is a sower.

WAY

KJV Psalms 140:5. The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the way side; they have set gins for me. Selah.

Strong’s Ref. # 1870

Pronounced deh’-rek

from HSN1869; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb:

KJV Psalms 142:3. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.

KJV Psalms 143:8. Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

KJV Proverbs 1:15. My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

KJV Proverbs 2:13. Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

The way represents a path of life, or the direction one’s life is going. Physically a way is a road.

TRODDEN

KJV Jeremiah 12:10. Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

KJV Ezekiel 34:18. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? 19. And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.

KJV Psalms 8:6. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

Trodden means to destroy or foul. Trodden means to have something under your feet. Psalms 8:6 explains that to have something underfoot, is to have dominion over it. When people teach error or false doctrine, they are treading God’s word under foot, because they are presuming to have power over it, thinking they are free to change it.

The seed fell by the wayside and was physically trodden down. This is a spiritual representation showing that the Word of truth presented to the listeners was afterward changed into false teachings (trodden under foot).

FOWLS

KJV Genesis 7:14. They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.

Genesis shows us that beast and cattle, along with fowl and bird are used as comparative subjects. Why would the Bible phrase something this way? We all know that cattle are beasts and birds are fowl. Often times we see objects compared and linked together and this is done for a reason. When we find scriptural proof of these comparisons we have the opportunity to use the linked words to uncover a deeper meaning. The Bible will establish its own rules of interpretation and follow those rules. As explained in Genesis, the word fowl and bird can be interchanged. When we find Biblical evidence showing the same physical action effecting the physical nouns, the same spiritual interpretation may be used for each of the key words.

KJV Proverbs 6:5. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

KJV Psalms 91:3. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

KJV Psalms 124:7. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

KJV Proverbs 27:8. As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.

A bird or a fowl represents a person often in turmoil, facing a trial.

DEVOURED

Strong’s Ref. # 2719

Pronounced kat-es-thee’-o

from GSN2596 and GSN2068 (including its alternate); to eat down, i.e. devour (literally or figuratively):

KJV Isaiah 24:6

6. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

KJV Jeremiah 2:30

30. In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

KJV Genesis 37:33

33. And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

KJV Leviticus 10:2

2. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.

By definition the word devoured in Luke 5:8 means to eat down. This definition explains the parable perfectly. The spiritual meaning of the word devoured means to burn up, destroy, tear into pieces or to cause to die.

The word devoured is an example of a word that can have multiple meanings. It is not uncommon to use the word devoured to describe how a hungry person eats a meal. The Greek word translated devoured only describes eating. The English words contains multiple meanings as does the Hebrew word that has been translated devoured in the Old Testament.

Now that we have determined the spiritual meaning for each of the key words we can create a chart.

Seed = The word of God

Sower = God

Way = A path of life

Trodden = To destroy or foul, have under foot, have power over

Fowls = people

Devoured = eat up, destroy

Using the spiritual meaning for each of the key words we can paraphrase the text.

KJV Luke 8:5

5. A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

PARAPHRASE

God (a sower) went out to sow His word (seed): and as He sowed, some fell into people’s lives (way); and it was fouled (trodden down), and the people (fowls of the air) destroyed it.

We can compare this paraphrase with the interpretation Jesus gave us.

KJV Luke 8:11. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

Of course Jesus’ understanding of the scriptures is much greater than ours. His interpretation may be slightly different than ours but the principle of the parable remains the same. In the words of Jesus, “And He said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. And He said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? The sower soweth the word.” KJV Mark 4:11-14 Do we need any further evidence? God uses His word to explain and prove His word. Within this parable lies the secret used to unlock all parables. We have seen that by using the Bible we can look up the spiritual meaning of the key words used in a parable. The spiritual meaning of these key words will not change the meaning of the text but will bring a deeper understanding and a closer relationship with God. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” KJV 1 Corinthians 2:12-16

KJV Luke 8:6

6. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture

The physical aspects of verse 6 shows us that some of the seed fell upon a rock. We know most plants will not grow well on rocks. The heat from the sun and lack of moisture would quickly dry the plant, killing it. These seeds did not take long to sprout but as soon as they sprouted they dried up and withered away.

Verse 6 gives us two new key words, rock and withered.

ROCK

KJV Deuteronomy 32:4. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

KJV 2 Samuel 22:2. And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; 3. The God of my rock; in him will I trust: He is my shield, and the Horn Of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

KJV Psalms 18:31. For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God?

A number of verses make it clear that the Bible uses the word rock to represent God. This may be true in most cases but we need to keep in mind, Satan is the great deceiver. Satan does this by imitating aspects of God and altering them to one degree or another, thus giving people a false belief to follow. We see this is also true for the word rock.

KJV Deuteronomy 32:31. For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. 32. For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter: 33. Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps. 34. Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?

KJV Deuteronomy 32:37. And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,

A rock most likely will represent God. For that reason Satan has twisted the truth enough so that a rock can also represent a false god. Since the rock can have two opposite meanings how can we determine which one to use? We could substitute both interpretations and see which one fits the context. Or in this case we can see how Jesus interpreted the text and follow His instruction.

WITHERED

KJV Isaiah 40:7. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.

KJV Psalms 102:10. Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down. 11. My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.

KJV Jonah 4:7. But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. 8. And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.

Isaiah and David make it clear, grass can represent people. In theses verses the grass or people wither because of a trial they are facing. Jonah shows us, when his plant withered he was so upset at the hot sun, he wished he was dead.

When people in the Bible face a trial it might be said, they are withering. People still say and act in the same manner. They shrink away from problems hoping they will go away on their own.

We can now make a chart for our key words.

Rock = God or a false god

Wither = what happens to people who have trouble facing a trial

KJV Luke 8:6

6. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture

PARAPHRASE

Since we have two meanings for the word rock we can look at each of these and determine which will best represent the theme of the parable.

And some fell upon those that follow after false gods (rock) and they believed when they heard but soon forgot what they heard because of their trials (withered).

And some of those that heard the word believed in God (rock) but soon forgot when the trials of life distracted them (withered).

We can now compare the above paraphrases with how Jesus explained the parable.

KJV Luke 8:13

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.

In this case the rock would represent those that follow other gods.

KJV Luke 8:7

7. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

Looking at the physical content of verse 7 we can understand how weeds grow up much quicker than other plants. Weeds will steal all of the moisture and nutrients from the soil leaving nothing for the beneficial plants. There is one key word in verse 7. That word is thorns.

THORNS

KJV Proverbs 22:5. Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

KJV Numbers 33:55. But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

KJV Judges 2:3. Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.

Thorns are used to represent the sins people devise to mislead and irritate others.

Thorns = sins people devise

Now that we have studied the key word we can paraphrase the text.

KJV Luke 8:7

7. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

PARAPHRASE

Some of the word fell on people that like living in sin and those sins choked out the word.

Compare the above paraphrase to what Jesus said.

KJV Luke 8:14

14. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

Jesus added a definition to the type of sin that affect most people.

KJV Luke 8:8

8. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundred fold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

The physical aspects of verse 8 show us, when seed if planted on good ground it will grow up and bear fruit. To see the spiritual meaning of this text we need to find out what the spiritual meaning of good ground and fruit.

GROUND

KJV Isaiah 30:23

23. Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.

KJV Isaiah 44:3

3. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

KJV Hosea 10:12

12. Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

KJV Zechariah 8:12

12. For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.

Good ground bears the Spirit of God and aids in the growth of the substances that nourish people both physically and spiritually.

FRUIT

KJV Galatians 5:22

22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

KJV Proverbs 11:30

30. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

KJV Psalms 127:3

3. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

KJV Jeremiah 17:10

10. I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

KJV 2 Kings 19:30

30. And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward

Fruit is used to describe converted people and the work they do to reach out to help others. We can now make a chart of the key words and paraphrase the text.

Ground = that bears fruit has the Spirit of God

Fruit = Converted people, Christian virtues

KJV Luke 8:8

8. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundred fold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

PARAPHRASE

Some seed fell on those that accepted the Spirit of God, they displayed Christian virtues and converted people.

Jesus explained verse 8 the following way.

KJV Luke 8:15

15. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Dove covered with silver

KJV Psalms 68:13  yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.

Think of the physical.  What is the text saying?  Rewrite the text in your own words.

Yet you will be like wings of a dove covered with silver with feathers of yellow gold.

Since a dove could not fly with wings covered in silver and does not have gold feathers this must be a spiritual text.  How do you find the spiritual meanings?  Find text containing the key words and the Bible will give you the meanings to the key words.

Spiritual words: dove, silver, gold

Dove

KJV Matthew 3:16-17
16.  And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17.  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

KJV Luke 3:22
22.  And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

KJV Mark 1:10
10.  And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

Dove = Spirit of God

Silver

KJV Psalms 12:6-7
6.  The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7.  Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

KJV Psalms 119:72
72.  The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.

Silver = The words of God and the law of God

Gold

KJV Psalms 119:72
72.  The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.

KJV Psalms 119:127
127.  Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.

Gold = Law of God, His commandments

KJV Psalms 68:13  yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.

Make a chart of the key words.

Dove = Spirit of God

Silver = The words of God and the law of God

Gold = Law of God, His commandments

Rewrite the text substituting the spiritual meaning for the key words.

Paraphrase Psalms 68:13  You shall be as Spirit of God covered with the words and the law of God.

This text is actually a prophesy about the baptism of Jesus when He rose from the water and the spirit of God came down upon Him in the form of a dove.  The gold and silver represents the word and law of God which Jesus came to teach.