The Catholic Church teaches what the apostles taught and what the Bible teaches: We are saved by grace alone, but not by faith alone (which is what “Bible Christians” teach; see James. 2:24).
When we come to God and are justified (that is, enter a right relationship with God), nothing preceding justification, whether faith or good works, earns grace. But then God plants his love in our hearts, and we should live out our faith by doing acts of love (Gal. 6:2).

Even though only God’s grace enables us to love others, these acts of love please him, and he promises to reward them with eternal life (Rom. 2:6–7, Gal. 6:6–10).

Thus good works are meritorious. When we first come to God in faith, we have nothing in our hands to offer him.

Then he gives us grace to obey his commandments in love, and he rewards us with salvation when we offer these acts of love back to him (Rom. 2:6–11, Gal. 6:6–10, Matt. 25:34–40).

15 Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.

16 Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. (Matthew 5: 15-16)

Jesus said it is not enough to have faith in him; we also must obey his commandments. “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do the things I command?” (Luke 6:46, Matt. 7:21–23, 19:16–21).

We do not “earn” our salvation through good works (Eph. 2:8–9, Rom. 9:16), but our faith in Christ puts us in a special grace-filled relationship with God so that our obedience and love, combined with our faith, will be rewarded with eternal life (Rom. 2:7, Gal. 6:8–9).

Paul said, “God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work” (Phil. 2:13).

John explained that “the way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments. Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3–4, 3:19–24, 5:3–4).

Since no gift can be forced on the recipient—gifts always can be rejected—even after we become justified, we can throw away the gift of salvation.

We throw it away through grave (mortal) sin (John 15:5–6, Rom. 11:22–23, 1 Cor. 15:1–2; CCC 1854–1863). Paul tells us, “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).

Read his letters and see how often Paul warned Christians against sin! He would not have felt compelled to do so if their sins could not exclude them from heaven (see, for example, 1 Cor. 6:9–10, Gal. 5:19–21).

Paul reminded the Christians in Rome that God “will repay everyone according to his works: eternal life for those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in good works, but wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness” (Rom. 2:6–8).

Sins are nothing but evil works (CCC 1849–1850). We can avoid sins by habitually performing good works.

Every saint has known that the best way to keep free from sins is to embrace regular prayer, the sacraments (the Eucharist first of all), and charitable acts.

YAHU’SHUA was VERY concerned with revealing who the serpents (children of the devil) were.

Matthew 23:33
“You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?”

Matthew 12:34
“You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.”

John 8:44″You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

* Quote:
I don’t need to concern myself with the evils of others. The only evil I need to concern myself with is any that tries to force itself into my mind and heart to distract me … such can remain wailing and ranting outside while I priority focus on internalising the teachings of the one appointed and anointed by God to lead us.

Maybe your concern is for yourself only and not the evils of others.

But mine isn’t.

Some people are trying to understand why they must be born again.
Some people are trying to understand why they sometimes act like the devil.

*** EDIT: Maybe your concern is for yourself only (with regard to evil) and not the evils of others. ***
Mine is for others.

The word used in the parable of the wheat and the tares is ’sperma’.
NOT sperm.
You seem to have taken issue with it.

The word children in the parable means ’son’.

Not ‘words’. SON.

‘One born by a father and of a mother’!

‘A descendant’!

Nothing To Do With Words!

Strong’s G5207 – huios

It refers to a MAN!

* Quote:
‘They’ were country folk who knew about plants and plant seeds. ‘They’ weren’t subtle or well educated town people likening plant seeds to male sperm.

I must say that I found your inuendo that I am subtle a little disheartening Glenda.

I expected more from you than that.

But to set things straight; I too, am what most would consider an unlearned man. I left school when I was 14 and I worked in the farming/agricultural industry for more than 11 years. Through ‘hands-on’ experience, I think I know what a seed is.

When I first read the parable of the wheat and the tares more than twenty years ago I knew that YAHU’SHUA was speaking about men.

30′Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”‘”

Words don’t grow. Men do.
Words will not be harvested by the reapers. Men will.
Words will not be thrown into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Men will be.
Words will not be gathered into His barn. Men will.

And in the explanation of the parable, It becomes even more obvious that He is talking about men.

38and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;

Words are not ’sperma’. Men are.
words are not sons. Men are.

41″The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,

Words do not commit lawlessness. Men do.

43″Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father He who has ears, let him hear.

Words will not shine forth as the sun in the kingdom. Men will.
Words do not have a Father. Men do.

Even an unlearned man of the time understood that.

Psalm 105:6
O seed of Abraham, His servant,O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!

Acts 3:
24″And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days.
25″It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.’
26″For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”

Acts 7:5
And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

Acts 7:6
And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.

Acts 13:23
Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

You can see plainly what the disciples understanding of the term ‘seed‘ was.

They did Not think that ’sperma’ meant ‘words’.

It is also good to have priority focus and I’m glad that we share priority focus of heeding and following Jesus as our only teacher and master, so that we are not distracted away from God’s life-saving words and actions through Jesus, who is the beneficial fulfillment of life-saving scripture.

I don’t need to concern myself with the evils of others. The only evil I need to concern myself with is any that tries to force itself into my mind and heart to distract me … such can remain wailing and ranting outside while I priority focus on internalising the teachings of the one appointed and anointed by God to lead us.

May we keep his words within us so we grow and produce good fruit. May we give comforting aid to victims of evil, as the good Samaritan did. May we benefit the poor and hungry and thirsty as God intends. Jesus focused on and promoted these things as prioity.

Jesus didn’t promote old traditional religious beliefs … you have heard it was said but I say … I’m heeding Jesus over mishna and topics Jesus didn’t promote.

You said “So here we see Cain committing Murder and then lying about it. In The Gospel of John, YAHU’SHUA says; John 8:44″You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
I agree totally! Did you take in that final term … the father of lies
ie the devil is the father of lies
ie the devil’s children are lies
Jesus also calls them tares
I’m so grateful the bible gives us insight to ancient concepts and terminology used in parables.

Jesus did not embrace or promote ancient religious traditional beliefs such as those you present. Scripture actually says that Cain could be accepted if he did well. Scripture does not promote that Cain was half-humna-half-snake and was automatically condemned. Best we stick with the teachings of Jesus and not concern ourselves with things that Jesus did not concern himself with. It is enough to beome more like our master and not distract anyone with alternatives

peace, Glenda

Noah was not the son of Lamech.

The lineages of Seth and Cain have a lot of similar names in them.

Reading Genesis 4 from verse 16 you see that Lamech was of the seed line of cain.

Nor was Cains line wiped out in the flood.

Jewish Midrash teachings state that Noahs wife was called Na’amah and that she was of the seed of Cain.
The seed of Cain was also continued through the wife of Ham.

Mentions of Nephalim (Giants) after the flood include:
The descendants of Ham – Numbers 13:1-2, 32-33
The Rephaim – Deuteronomy 2:19-21
Og king of Bashan – Deuteronomy 3:11
Goliath – 1 Sam.17:4

Other references:
Genesis 14:5
Dt.2:10-11
Dt.2:20-21

This parable is about the tiniest known plant seed growing ****in the earth**** (not in a womb) into a large ***plant**** which birds could shelter in

Mar 4:31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
Mar 4:32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
Mar 4:33 And with many such (G5108 ‘of this sort’) parables spake he the word unto them, as ****they***** were able to hear it.

‘They’ were country folk who knew about plants and plant seeds. ‘They’ weren’t subtle or well educated town people likening plant seeds to male sperm.

Also, Jesus didn’t speak Greek. We have that Greek word for ’seed’ (G4690) which is ‘a sowing’. The Hebrew equivalent is H2233 from H2232 ie a ’seed’ from ‘a sowing’:
Gen 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed (H2233), which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat (H402 ‘food’).

Jesus discussed things ‘as people could hear them’ eg he discussed rural topics with rural people. Jesus discussed fishing topics with fishing people.
MT 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
MT 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

The audience were simple people (considered ‘idiots’) rather than educated or Greek subtle-thinkers.
Act 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned (G62 ‘illiterate’) and ignorant (G2399 ‘idiot’) men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

If Jesus wished to discuss male sperm then his stories would have been about male sperm issues to an audience ***who could hear*** and understand this concept, rather than tell a male sperm story to an audience of agricultural-seed-planting people.

Jesus began his stories with ‘The Kingdom of Heaven ****is like****’ … and chose simple ‘likenesses’ his simple audience were familiar with so could ‘hear’.
MT 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
MT 13:31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
MT 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
MT 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
MT 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
MT 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
MT 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man [that is] an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
MT 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

The topics were not aimed at ‘the wise and prudent’.
MT 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent (G4908 ‘mentally together’), and hast revealed them unto babes.
LK 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

To promote plant-seed parables spoken to simple rural people, as male sperm issues, is not a simple concept aimed at babes. Simple Aramaic rural people did not use complicated educated or philosophical Greek thinking. A plant seed broadcast/sown ‘in a field’ or ‘in the earth’ would not equate to male sperm which God condemns being spilled on the ground, let alone broadcast/thrown in a field or over the greater earth at random.

Jesus told one sower/seed parable and immediately after it he assured his disciples that ALL parables were related:
MK 4:13 And he said unto them, Know ye not ****this**** parable? and how then will ye know ****all**** parables?
Mar 4:14 The sower soweth the word.

Either ALL parables were about God’s True Words or ALL parables were about male sperm. I believe the multiple bible witness accounts that Jesus spread God’s Words and I believe that sometimes Jesus used the word ‘children’ in regard to things that had nothing to do with sex or male sperm eg ‘wisdom’ has children. LK 7:35 But wisdom is justified of all her children.

“We can not change what YAHU’SHUA said to suit our own doctrines.”
He said:
JN 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: *****the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit,****** and [they] are ****life*****.

The seed of the Holy Spirit which Jesus sowed were words.
JN 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: *****the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit,****** and [they] are life.
Mar 4:14 The sower soweth the word.
JAS 1:18 Of his own will ***begat he us with the word**** of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Seed is a beginning which grows within and produces fruit.
MT 13:8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

I cannot agree that the living Spirit words which Jesus sowed are exempt from *ALL* parables which even include the seed/sperma ones (mustard seed or tares ‘parables’ which were among ‘all’ parables)

A father-son relationship with God has nothing to do with sperm or worldly relationships and instead has everything to do with the Spirit of God sown/broadcast by Jesus as words according to Jesus. His teachings are the primary focus and should be the standard the remainder of scripture is filtered through after ensuring he verifies scripture and is thus a true witness: Joh 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Joh 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
LK 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
It doesn’t matter if much scriptural discussion of seed refers to plants or people. What matters is what Jesus explained and prioritized and Jesus did NOT prioritize earthly relationships or tell us seed he discussed in parables was male sperm

Jesus did not even prioritise non-parable ‘children of the kingdom’ MT 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I can agree to disagree with brethren in goodwill
peace to you

The use of the word ’speirō’ in the first parable does not set a precedent for the second parable use of the word ’sperma’ as meaning ’speirō’ as well. They are two different words. They have two different meanings.

That is like me trying to convince you that the two sentences;
1. Listen to my ’speirō’
2. Listen to my ’sperma’
mean exactly the same thing.

They don’t. The two sentences mean two completely different things.
1. Listen to my proverbial sayings
2. Listen to my seed, children, offspring, progeny.

Parable of the seed and the sower:
Seed = Strong’s G4687 – speirō
1) to sow, scatter, seed
2) metaph. of proverbial sayings

The seed here explicitly has to do with the sowing of proverbial sayings; i.e. the word of the kingdom (as YAHU’SHUA explained).

Parable of Tares among Wheat:
Seed = Strong’s G4690 – sperma
1) from which a plant germinates
a) the seed i.e. the grain or kernel which contains within itself the germ of the future plants
1) of the grains or kernels sown
b) metaph. a seed i.e. a residue, or a few survivors reserved as the germ of the next generation (just as seed is kept from the harvest for the sowing)
2) the semen virile
a) the product of this semen, seed, children, offspring, progeny
b) family, tribe, posterity
c) whatever possesses vital force or life giving power
1) of divine energy of the Holy Spirit operating within the soul by which we are regenerated

The seed here explicitly has to do with a germination of a seed that has within itself the power to reproduce of itself. the word (sperma) is a word that related explicitly to physical things and has to do with reproduction – e.g. a plant germinates – the grain or kernel which contains within itself the germ of the future plants – the actual physical grains or kernels sown – as a metaphore; the germ of the next generation – the semen virile – the product of this semen, seed, children, offspring, progeny – family, tribe, posterity.

We can not change what YAHU’SHUA said to suit our own doctrines.

He said it. He used those two distinctly different words. Not me.

When we are born again. It is a living seed that germinates within us. We hear about the kingdom of heaven through the use of words. But The kingdom of heaven that is like a mustard seed is not words. The seed of the Holy Spirit is not words.

The most common use of the word ’seed’ in the bible is to refer to offspring. Children. It has to do with the father-son relationship.

I’m sorry… but I can not agree with you that the word ’sperma’ means ‘words’.

Regarding Eve and ‘conception’ (H2032), the conception discussed in James is also the word associated with physical womb birth, yet is used by the righteous one to assure us that it also refers to abstract concepts not involving sex or sperm. I believe James.

Throughout scripture God discusses whoredom and it’s not physical promiscuity which offends God as much as spiritual promiscuity does.
HOS 5:4 They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms [is] in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD.
NAHUM 3:4 Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.
HOS 4:14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people [that] doth not understand shall fall.

May God lead us into truth
peace
Glenda