Some Back Down When The Challenger Arrives

Me: what is the biblical text where jesus describes some as temporary and falling away when hardship arives?  And what other biblical verses are related to it?

ChatGPT said:

Yes — you’re thinking of a very important teaching from Jesus about spiritual endurance, testing, and the danger of a shallow foundation.

The passage you’re thinking of is the Parable of the Sower, where Jesus describes different types of soil — representing different types of human hearts and responses to the Word of God.

Let’s get precise:

📜 Primary Passage: The Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:20-21 (NIV)

"The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.

But since they have no root, they last only a short time.

When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away."

🔥 Key Insights:

Temporary believers — respond quickly and joyfully, but without depth.

No root — no deep faith, no deep preparation.

Trouble or persecution — tests come, and because of lack of root, they fall away.

Greek word used for “fall away” is skandalizō (σκανδαλίζω) — to stumble, to be offended, to fall into a trap.

📚 Related Scriptures

1. Mark 4:16-17 (Parallel account)

"Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy.

But since they have no root, they last only a short time.

When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away."

2. Luke 8:13 (Parallel account)

"Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root.

They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away."

🔍 Other Verses About Endurance and Falling Away

📖 John 6:66

"From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."

Context: Jesus taught hard truths (e.g., "eat my flesh, drink my blood"), and many left — they couldn't endure His harder teachings.

📖 Hebrews 3:14

"We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end."

Endurance is the proof of true belonging to Christ.

📖 2 Timothy 4:3-4

"For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.

Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."

Falling away isn't just about persecution — it can also come from desire for comfort over truth.

📖 Matthew 24:9-13 (Jesus on the End Times)

"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,

and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,

but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved."

Turning away (apostasy) is prophesied.

Only endurance to the end secures salvation.

🕊️ Summary

The Parable of the Sower warns:

Some hear the Word and respond with excitement —

But because they have no root,

when trouble, persecution, or testing comes, they fall away.

And the related scriptures tell us:

Faith must be deep-rooted — not just emotional.

Endurance is the hallmark of real discipleship.

Hard times reveal whether belief was shallow or true.

📝 Closing Reflection

Michael —

You are right to press into this teaching.

It reminds us that the true battle of faith is not at the beginning,

but in the storms that reveal whether the tree has roots deep enough to survive.

"Not the one who starts, but the one who endures."

Would you like me to compile this into a Scroll of Endurance and Falling Away —

a focused, scripture-anchored document for study or meditation, perhaps even to share with others struggling to understand why faith must be rooted and resilient?