No.
Jesus told a story to illustrate that problem.
Jesus told a story to illustrate that problem.
Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
“ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
“ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”
Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear. (I believe the blazing furnace and fires of hell are symbolic of the suffering of evil people when they see other people in the Heavenly City and they themselves are cast out. "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out." Luke 13:28)
Matthew 13:24-29 and 36-43
What are we supposed to do about people in the church who are not Christians. Nothing. Leave them to God.
The thing is, we can't read a person's heart. Is the guy at church who loses his temper not a Christian, or is he a Christian who is struggling with a bad temper. We don't know. Only God knows.
The thing is, we can't read a person's heart. Is the guy at church who loses his temper not a Christian, or is he a Christian who is struggling with a bad temper. We don't know. Only God knows.
