CD 4.22

4.22. Fifth Head of Doctrine, Rejection of Errors 7

Who teach: That the faith of those, who believe for a time, does not differ from justifying and saving faith except only in duration. For Christ himself, in Matthew 13:20, Luke 8:13, and in other places, evidently notes, besides this duration, a threefold difference between those who believe only for a time and true believers, when he declares that the former receive the seed in stony ground, but the latter in the good ground or heart; that the former are without root, but that the latter have a firm root; that the former are without fruit, but that the latter bring forth their fruit in various measure, with constancy and steadfastness.

Proof texts

• Luke 8:13 — [13] And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.
• Matt. 13:20 — [20] As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,

For discussion

1. The Assembly cited Luke 8:13 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
2. 2 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
3. WLC Q79 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
4. WLC Q80 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

WLC Q79 · WLC Q80 · WLC Q81 · WCF 17.1 · 1689 17.1 · 1689 17.2 · 1689 17.3 · 1689 18.1 · 1689 18.2 · 1689 18.3 · 1689 18.4