The Field Is The..........?

 A.C.Pike

Introduction

This text of Scripture is often misunderstood for various reasons. I have seen (and read) Christians who say that the wheat represents true Christians, the tare represents false Christians, and the field represents the world. They then use this Scripture to teach that we should tolerate false Christians and their teachings with-in the Church? But is this true? In this article, I will take a brief look at this Scripture, and its correct meaning. 

Scriptural Texts

"The kingdom of God is likened unto a man who sowed good seed into his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir didst thou not sow good seed in the field? |From whence then has it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Whilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay lest while we gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers , Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to throw them: but gather the wheat into my barn" (Matthew 13:24-30). 

It's Meaning

In verses 37- 41  Jesus explains the meaning of this parable. The Sower who sows the field is Jesus (v 37). The field is the world (v 38). Christians are the good seed and non-Christians are the tares (v 38). Our enemy is the Devil who sows the tares (v 39). The harvest is at the end of the world, and the Angels are the reapers (v 39). In the end times, these tares will be gathered and burnt in the fire (v 40). It is Jesus who sends his Angels out at the end of the world (age) to "gather out of his Kingdom all that offend (tares)" (v 41)*. These tares will be thrown into a furnace (v 42), and the righteous will shine in the Kingdom (v 43).

The people slept, so the enemy came along and sowed tares among the wheat. This happens when complacent Christians fall asleep spiritually and do not have the full armour of God on. So the Devil comes along and brings false Christians and their teachings into the world to lead people astray. 

Jesus doesn't gather these tares out of the Kingdom straight away for fear that the wheat may also be pulled up! So he lets them both grow together until the end of the world. He does this because we need true Christians in the world to preach the Gospel message to mankind so that they can be saved.

Conclusion

As we can see, the field is not the Church, it is the world. This Scripture has nothing to do with true Christians tolerating false Christians and their practices in their Church. It is about false Christians living in the world among true Christians, - and that as true Christians, we must avoid false Christians and their doctrines and practices. 

Notes

*The gathering of all who offend and removing them from God's Kingdom refutes the beliefs that the righteous will be removed from the earth and the unrighteous will remain. 

Jesus uses two different words for 'world.' In verse thirty eight he uses the word 'kosmos' which means "order" to denote the entire world. In verse Thirty Nine he uses the word 'age' to denote the present wicked system that will pass away.

Reference

AV/KJV Bible