We are all familiar with Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the tares. Most articles and discussions on this topic focus on how the wheat are to treat the tares. That is, they warn of the dangers of being too severe with alleged wrongdoers. But the main focus of this parable is not what we think and have often been taught.
For the purposes of this article, I would like take a look at the tares. Who are they? How did they get into the church, and how many of them are there? What effect do they have on the church? Is there any way for the wheat to work around the tares while the latter are permitted to grow?
To answer these questions, we need to review the parable:
Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in 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 not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye 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 burn them: but gather the wheat (Matt. 13:24-30)
The Kingdom of Heaven
This parable is one of many reported by Matthew that deal with the establishment of the kingdom of heaven. Christ made it clear His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). However, while this kingdom is not established after the manner of the world, the assembly of its eternal inhabitants takes place within this world. The period of earth's history that this parable covers is obviously the period between Christ's first (Matt. 3:2) and second advent (Matt. 13:30, Rev. 14:15). Therefore, the aspect of the kingdom covered in this parable is the work of the church.
It is obvious that for various reasons, it is in Satan's best interests to destroy this kingdom while in its earthly phase. He is no doubt aware that by the time it reaches its heavenly phase, it will be too late, because Satan will have perished in the lake of fire. Hence the key phrase in the above text is: "his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat."
The Tares
Of course, the overall strategy of Satan is to destroy the church. History shows that his first attempt was launched by using God's recently rejected people (the Jews) and subsequently the Roman Empire. To make a long story short, it didn’t work. A famous quote on why is found in the writings of the early Christian leader Tertullian, addressed tp the Roman emperor Decius:
The oftener we are mown down by you, the more in number we grow; the blood of Christians is seed [1]
So, as we know from The Great Controversy, Satan chose a more subtle method to destroy the church. As was shown during the war in Vietnam and the subsequent Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, where the enemy is too powerful to defeat in conventional battle, sabotage and other guerrilla tactics become the preferred weapons. Also known as asymmetrical warfare, such methods are much harder to deal with. The enemy lives among you, looks like you and behaves like you, but is working in secret for your destruction. Hence the introduction of the tares to the church in Jesus’ parable.
The theme of this parable is that the tares are, up till the very end of time, virtually indistinguishable from the wheat.
But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them (Matt. 13:29).
The tares are, in effect, guerrillas—or insurgents—engaged in asymmetrical warfare. As we know from such historic examples as Britain's dealing with the Mau Mau and their guerrilla warfare in Kenya, wrong moves have bad consequences. The brutality of British police forces in Kenya at the time, in torturing innocent victims while trying to stamp out the Mau Mau rebellion, led to a discrediting of Britain's moral authority and increased sympathy for the rebels [2]. Even more dramatically did this occur with the United States’ military effort in Vietnam.
But because the presence of the tares among the wheat can’t certainly be known to mortals, we are told to leave the rooting out of the tares to God.
A Big Mistake About the Tares
Unfortunately, many in the church misinterpret the following text to take a dangerous attitude toward sin in the church. The part below is critical in this regard:
He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them (Matt. 13:28-29).
Many believe this passage means we are to do nothing toward proactively removing sin from the church. This of late has been a prevalent attitude in certain circles, and it has led to massive problems of doctrinal and moral corruption and the disunity that often results.
Matthew 13:24-30 is part of a cluster of parables that Jesus shared about the coming of the kingdom of God. It should really be read in conjunction with Matthew 20, 22:1-14, 25:1-13. These parables are also, in effect, prophecies of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Matthew 13:24-30 should be understood as a prophecy that the Seventh-day Adventist Church would, for most of its existence, be "swamped" with the unconverted in its midst.
This is not unusual. This happened to all previous faith communities that God established across the centuries—the Jewish nation, early Christianity, the Protestant churches of Europe. Each time, following a period in which these churches refused to reform, God took a faithful remnant out of them to form the next church. But the Seventh-day Adventist Church is different. Jesus’ parable of the wheat and tares indicates that with this final church the tares are taken away, leaving the faithful within the church to finish the work.
But what in fact did Jesus mean when He said not to pull up the tares? Ellen White’s reference to open sin provide the key.
Open Sin
Misunderstandings of the wheat-and-tares parable can be found across the Adventist theological spectrum. Some theological conservatives ignore the final outcome, wrongly perceiving the church as irretrievably infected with apostasy, thus proceeding to invent their own interpretations of the future of the church, usually along the lines of a new remnant coming out of this one. On the other hand, liberals and moderates often ignore the parable’s big picture, taking a literal interpretation of verse 29 and using it as an excuse to tolerate sin in the church.
While only the angels are authorized to accomplish the mass removal of the tares at the end of time, the Bible is clear that open sin and apostasy are in fact to be removed by the body of Christ (the church) itself, as the following passages bear witness.
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. (I Cor. 5:1, ESV)
Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— Not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” (verses 6-13, ESV)
We are, in other words, to purge the church of open sin. For a definition of open sin, we go to Ellen White:
A long preparatory process, unknown to the world, goes on in the heart before the Christian commits open sin. The mind does not come down at once from purity and holiness to depravity, corruption, and crime. It takes time to degrade those formed in the image of God to the brutal or the satanic. By beholding we become changed. By the indulgence of impure thoughts man can so educate his mind that sin which he once loathed will become pleasant to him [3].
Of the literal weed that the tares in the parable may refer to, many Bible commentators agree it is most likely darnel:
The weed in question is almost certainly darnel, also known as tares or "false wheat." This looks almost exactly like wheat early on, so the infestation is only discovered after the good wheat plants begin to develop their grain [4].
What is special about darnel is that in its immature state, it is indistinguishable from wheat, but in its mature state, it is obvious what it is.
This passage clearly depicts the process of how, on an individual basis, a tare matures in the church. Whereas on an en masse basis at the end of time, only the angels are to purge the church of the tares, on an individual basis the church is expected to remove the mature tares.
Christ has plainly taught that those who persist in open sin must be separated from the church, but He has not committed to us the work of judging character and motive [5].
How Did the Tares Get In?
As seen above, the tares are the unconverted in the church who appear, outwardly, to be converted. They blend into the church and its structures, but their hearts are controlled by the enemy.
There are of course only two ways they can get into the church: (1) to be born into it; and (2) to come into it from outside as a "convert.”
Being born into the church while not experiencing conversion makes for the perfect tare. One is raised in the ways of the church from birth, progressing through Cradle Roll, Kindergarten, Juniors, Youth, etc. Then, often, Seventh-day Adventist primary and secondary school, to be followed by Seventh-day Adventist college or university. Thus, one can acquire a perfect camouflage as a genuine Seventh-day Adventist, while still being used by Satan as a tool of sabotage.
Coming into the church from outside is a little more difficult (though not impossible) for a tare, because in most cases it requires a substantial change in lifestyle. One needs to abandon the use of recreational drugs, tobacco and alcohol, change one's diet, and put Saturday aside as the Sabbath by abstaining from work and other common activities on that day. However, in this age of religious permissiveness, where employers are more willing to give time off for Sabbath observance, it becomes easier for a tare to enter than before—that is, for a person from outside to appear to convert to the faith while not experiencing heart-transformation. Some learn very quickly how to acquire perfect camouflage as legitimate Seventh-day Adventists.
As can be seen, there is no human answer to the above act of spiritual infiltration and sabotage. However, the church is not to neglect the work of discipline so far as the presence of open sin and apostasy in its ranks is concerned. We have before us the example of Eli, who promoted his sons into positions in the church that they were not to hold while committing open sin.
Eli was priest and judge in Israel. He held the highest and most responsible positions among the people of God. As a man divinely chosen for the sacred duties of the priesthood, and set over the land as the highest judicial authority, he was looked up to as an example, and he wielded a great influence over the tribes of Israel. But although he had been appointed to govern the people, he did not rule his own household. Eli was an indulgent father. Loving peace and ease, he did not exercise his authority to correct the evil habits and passions of his children. Rather than contend with them or punish them, he would submit to their will and give them their own way. Instead of regarding the education of his sons as one of the most important of his responsibilities, he treated the matter as of little consequence. The priest and judge of Israel had not been left in darkness as to the duty of restraining and governing the children that God had given to his care. But Eli shrank from this duty, because it involved crossing the will of his sons, and would make it necessary to punish and deny them. Without weighing the terrible consequences that would follow his course, he indulged his children in whatever they desired and neglected the work of fitting them for the service of God and the duties of life [6].
Thus, even our own children are not to be placed in positions of church responsibility while they are found to be living in open violation of God’s commandments. Alas, there is empirical evidence of far too much of this happening in God’s church today.
With regard to those baptized and received into church fellowship, in some denominational territories there has developed an approach of baptizing and receiving people immediately on their request, with the intention of doing "follow up" studies later. But too often these "follow up" studies never happen, and thus in some places we have a situation where as much as 55 percent of the church doesn’t even understand the Biblical position on the state of the dead [7].
Ellen White counseled that we must take time before baptizing and admitting new members. We are to ascertain, as much as is humanly possible, that the conversion of such persons is genuine and to see that they are established on a sound doctrinal basis.
Too much hasty work is done in adding names to the church roll. Serious defects are seen in the character of some who join the church. Those who admit them say, We will first get them into the church, and then reform them. But this is a mistake. The very first work to be done is the work of reform. Pray for them, talk with them, but do not allow them to unite with God's people in church relationship until they give decided evidence that the Spirit of God is working on their hearts [8].
There is need of a more thorough preparation on the part of candidates for baptism. They are in need of more faithful instruction than has usually been given them. The principles of the Christian life should be made plain to those who have newly come to the truth. None can depend upon their profession of faith as proof that they have a saving connection with Christ. We are not only to say, "I believe," but to practice the truth. It is by conformity to the will of God in our words, our deportment, our character, that we prove our connection with Him. Whenever one renounces sin, which is the transgression of the law, his life will be brought into conformity to the law, into perfect obedience. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. The light of the word carefully studied, the voice of conscience, the strivings of the Spirit, produce in the heart genuine love for Christ, who gave Himself a whole sacrifice to redeem the whole person, body, soul, and spirit. And love is manifested in obedience. The line of demarcation will be plain and distinct between those who love God and keep His commandments, and those who love Him not and disregard His precepts [9].
So, while we have the inspired promise that the church will be purified in the end by the removing of the tares by the divine hand, we in the meantime should be doing what is commanded by the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy writings—to mitigate the undermining and sabotage that open apostasy and sin inflict on God’s church during the ongoing controversy with evil.
REFERENCES
1. Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 42.
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mau_Mau_rebellion
3. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 459.
4. https://www.bibleref.com/Matthew/13/Matthew-13-30.html#:~:text=The%20weed%20in%20question%20is,cannot%20pull%20up%20the%20weeds.
5. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 71.
6. ----Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 575.
7. https://record.adventistchurch.com/2023/11/14/church-member-survey-uncovers-uncertainties-around-key-theological-beliefs/
8. White, Review and Herald, May 21, 1901.
9. ----Testimonies, vol. 6, pp. 91-92.
Tony Rigden, a former atheist/deist, came into the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1980 as the result of a miraculous conversion and the reading of the book The Great Controversy by Ellen G White. He has since been a regular Sabbath School teacher, very part-time lay preacher, elder and briefly head elder. Formerly an electronics technician and computer programmer, Tony is currently still part-time programming but mostly retired. Former hobbies included diving and private flying. Currently he is a volunteer guard (train conductor) for one of New Zealand's leading vintage railways.