Parent: JesusWordsOnly
Luther Could Not Come Up With A Gloss To Solve the Parable of the Sower
In fact, no one has ever properly explained how Jesus' Parable of the Sower can even remotely line up consistent with Paul. Luther's effort is so untenable that it proves how absolutely impossible it is to reconcile the two. Luther must have realized Jesus contradicts Paul. Thus, he injects Paul's doctrine of faith, not works, into what saves the second seed. Luther then ignores how this mismatches the rest of what the parable means.
Luther begins his commentary properly. The first type who has their seed snatched are those who "hear the word" but do not understand it. (Sermons of Martin Luther, Vol. II, at 114.) 15 These "never believe" and never become saved. {Id., at 115.)
Luther then says the second seed knows the correct doctrine of salvation, i.e., "they know the real truth" that they are saved by without works" (Paul's Gospel). However, "they do not persevere." He adds: "when it comes to the test that they must suffer hann, disgrace and loss of life or property, then they fall and deny it....in times of persecution they deny or keep silence about the Word."
15.Martin Luther, "The Parable of the Sower," The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin Luther (Minneapolis, MN: Lutherans in All Lands, 1906) Vol. 11 reprinted as The Sermons of Martin Luther (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House) (1983) Vol. II at 113 et seq.
Luther in essence is saying that they lose their salvation because under pressure they deny this truth that salvation is by faith alone. This is a bizarre self-contradiction. If you can lose your salvation by losing faith in the principle of faith alone, then faith alone does not save you. You must endure or persevere in the doctrine of faith alone or be lost. This is a self-contradiction, because then faith alone did not save you. Faith and perseverance in faith alone saves you. These two ideas are self-contradictory: if you must persist in faith to be saved, then persistence, not the faith alone, is necessary for salvation. Hence, Luther's solution is nonsensical. (Anyone who has read eternal security arguments know that they reject Luther's argument precisely because salvation then depends on more than a one-time faith. Luther is actually contradicting Paul to save Paul from the Parable of the Sower.)
Luther's comments on the third group are enlightening as well. This group of seeds "always possess the absolutely pure Word...." (Id., at 116.) Their fault is "they do not earnestly give themselves to the Word, but become indifferent and sink in the cares, riches and pleasures of this life...." (Id., at 117.) They are thus apparently initially saved. Luther says "these have all in the Word that is needed for their salvation, but they do not make any use of it, and they rot in this life in carnal pleasures." Luther seems to understand Jesus is saying their problem is sin, not lack of proper faith. Luther says that despite the proper knowledge of the Gospel, "they do not bring under subjection their flesh." (Id.)
This leads Luther to the correct conclusion why the fourth seed is saved. Luther says they "bring forth fruit with patience, those who hear the Word and steadfastly retain it, meditate upon it and act in harmony with it ." This leads to as true a statement as you will ever hear by Luther:
Here we see why it is no wonder there are so few true Christians,
for all the seed does not fall into good ground, but only the
fourth and small part; and that they are not to be trusted who
boast they are Christians and praise the teaching of the
Gospel. Id. at 118.
Luther realizes that salvation depends in the Parable, as Jesus depicts it, on YOU! It depends on the earnestness of your response and productivity!
This is the end of Luther's substantive commentary. What did he do? He explained Jesus' parable correctly. Yet, he pretended it was consistent with Paul by injecting Paul's gospel as what saved the second and third seeds initially. Luther did so without acknowledging it was self-contradictory nonsense. How can a seed that is saved by faith alone have to persevere and not succumb to sin? How can it lose salvation by being overcome by the thorns (pleasures) of this life? Nor did Luther try to ever explain away why the saved fourth seed alone had completed works.
Luther's response is a perfect example of how people retain Paul even when he contradicts Jesus. Luther is conceding certain unavoidable aspects of this parable are at direct odds with Paul. Yet by injecting Paul's wording in the middle, Luther makes it appear that Jesus' words are compatible with Paul's words. In this manner, Luther has somehow rationalized away that a conflict exists.
It is as Isaiah prophesied: "the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid." ((Isa. 29:14).)
Comparing the Parable of the Sower to John's Gospel
Finally, now we can make a comparison between the Parable of the Sower and John's Gospel.
John and Luke use pisteuo in the present active verb form to make the same point about faith. In Luke, saving faith cannot be a seed that fails to "keep holding onto the Root." Thus, the Parable of the Sower and John have the identical concept of faith that pertains to salvation: it must continue. It must endure. If the believer fails to keep enduring to the end, he or she will become lost. Faith in the gospels is thus frequently portrayed as tenuous: as something that is insufficient alone, can fail, is ruined by sin, and that exhortations are necessary to remind us to endure in bringing forth fruit to the end.