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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Who were the sowers? | John 4:38 | Brent Douglass | 13982 | ||
Who are the others who have labored before in John 4:38, so that the fields are now (at the time Jesus spoke) "white for harvest" (John 4:35)? 35 ""Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. 36 ""Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 ""For in this case the saying is true, " One sows and another reaps.' 38 ""I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.'' |
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2 | Who were the sowers? | John 4:38 | Makarios | 14004 | ||
Greetings Brent! Here are a few explanations for the verse that you have cited... "Jesus applied what He had just said to His disciples. The others may have been John the Baptist and his disciples. They had labored in Judea (3:22–36). Thus, Jesus’ disciples were reaping what others had sowed (vv. 1, 2)." (The Nelson NKJV Study Bible) "4:38 Others. May refer to John the Baptist and his supporters, on whose work the apostles would build. Or perhaps Jesus was looking further back, to the prophets and other godly men of old. Either way, he expected the apostles to be reapers as well as sowers." (Zondervan's NASB Study Bible) Blessings to you, Nolan |
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3 | Who are the sowers? - II | John 4:38 | Brent Douglass | 14061 | ||
Thank you, Nicodemus and Steve, for your thoughtful and thought-provoking answers to my question. I think I'm in basic agreement with a lot of what both of you say, but there are some observations I'd like to point out, as well as uncertainty as to which of several options Jesus is referring to. Please understand that my intention is to get at the truth with your help. (For me, this includes testing the specific ideas that you offer or quote on this question; I am certainly not testing or questioning your intelligence, knowledge or spirituality in any way.) 1) Nicodemus' quotation from the Nelson NKJV Study Bible seems a little out of context. The study Bible says that John the Baptist and his followers had been in Judea, but this scene did not take place in Judea; it took place in Samaria -- beside a well where Jesus was talking with the Samaritan woman whom He had met there. If there was further explanation (in the longer Nelson account) indicating Jesus may have been referring to Jesus' future sending out of His disciples into Judea, it may be plausible, but the immediate context makes it odd for the study Bible to refer specifically to Judea. 2) Nicodemus quote from the Zondervan NASB Study Bible seems more logical in context. Perhaps John's disciples had by this time gone to the Samaritans as well; is there any indication that John's disciples may have reached them yet? Paul later (quite a bit later) ran into "disciples" as far away as Ephesus who had been thus prepared by a follower of John's teaching and baptism (apparently Apollos prior to his correction by Priscilla) - see Acts 19:1ff. Another logical possibility that appears to fit the context well is the availability and distribution of the teachings of all prophets in general concluding with John and his witnesses. 3) Steve Butler also suggests Jesus (alone) as the "others" referred to. This appears unreasonable given the use of the plural form "others" by Jesus. Jesus and the woman together MIGHT possibly be the "others" -- but this is a sequential message, not a message being proclaimed to them by multiple speakers, so it still seems questionable. Of course, Jesus and-or the Samaritan woman may be a PART of the "others" referred to by Jesus, but it would seem to me that there should be "others" as well. Can Nicodems, Steve, or others offer further input or direction to this. I really don't have a final answer for myself, but it is part of something I've been considering. |
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4 | Who are the sowers? - II | John 4:38 | Makarios | 14064 | ||
Greetings Brent! Just who were the "others" in John 4:38? The Greek word for "others" in this verse is allos (al'-los) which is (according to Strong's Concordance) "a primary word; "else," i.e. different (in many applications):--more, one (another), (an-, some an-)other(-s, -wise)." The Ryrie Expanded Edition Study Bible seems to agree with Zondervan's NASB Study Bible, giving us the idea that these "others" are the OT prophets and John the Baptist. "4:36-38 The disciples would have the joy of reaping souls, the seed having been sown by OT prophets and John the Baptist." Adam Clarke's Commentary describes it in this way, saying that Jesus is the Ultimate Sower, but that the 'sowers' where those who proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, "Herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth—Or, One is the sower, and another is the reaper. In what respects you, of this business, this proverb is true—One is the sower, etc., for I have sent you to reap, to preach my Gospel, and gain converts, where ye have not labored—have not sown the first seeds of eternal life. Others have labored—the patriarchs and prophets, and ye are entered into the fruits of their labors. They announced the Messiah who was to come, and the expectation of the people was excited, and they longed for his appearance; but they were gathered to their fathers before they could see the fruit of their labor. You are come to tell the people that the kingdom of God is among them, and that God has visited his people." Barnes' Notes on the NT explains, "Other men laboured— 1) The prophets, who long labored to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. 2) The teachers among the Jews, who have read and explained the law and taught the people. 3) John the Baptist, who came to prepare the way. And, 4)The Saviour himself, who by his personal ministry taught the people, and prepared them for the success which was to attend the preaching of the apostles. Especially did Jesus lay the foundation for the rapid and extensive spread of the gospel. “He” saw comparatively little fruit of his ministry. He confined his labors to Judea, and even there he was occupied in sowing seed which chiefly sprang up after his death." "4:36-38. As reapers, the disciples had the great and rewarding privilege of leading people to faith in Christ. Others had already done the work of sowing. This perhaps refers to the ministry of the Old Testament prophets or to John the Baptist’s ministry of preparation. Both kinds of workers—the sower and the reaper—get their pay. Reapers harvest the crop for eternal life, that is, Jesus’ disciples were involved in ministry to others, in the issue of death and life (2 Cor. 2:15-16)." (The NIV Bible Knowledge Commentary: NT) So basically, all the sources cited here are in agreement that the "others" or 'sowers' were the OT prophets and John the Baptist who announced the coming of the Messiah, and the disciples were to build upon that foundation that was previously laid. I hope this helps my friend! --Nicodemus |
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