%% Good question, Maverick. An apple, red or green apple tree ,can turn out better that way. I have a commercial orchard- but again, not a prediction LOL.
Your reply is an answer to this question, "Why does one fertilize a tree?" My question however, was: "Does anyone fertilize a tree that is faulty from the first?"
This is certainly not about horticultural practices. It is one of the numerous Biblical messages which imply that anyone not prepared to take up Christian superstition should die. Luke13 in total is little more than hate speech and threat by implication cynically wrapped in metaphor designed to exploit human gullibility.
%% Yes, i never got a perfect tree; even though my neighbor gave me a tree he bought @ flea market-named ''big red'' But since it was a crab apple, wrongly named-never did fertilize that one.Hope this helps.
Murray, at any rate, it seems that your answer is "no, we don't fertilize a tree that is faulty from the first". So it is with faith: the faith that does not endure/bear fruit is not necessarily "faulty from the first". Re Rahab: sure, she made the hall of faith because she believed. But the text says nothing about her life after she believed, so it would be a sore mistake to assume that she continued her prior lifestyle and was still redeemed (see Revelation 22:14-15 among many other NT warning passages). In that regard, note also that the context of the parable of the barren fig tree is one that has to do with repentance (Luke 13:1-5)
%% I never said she did; only that is the way the Bible names her, Hebrews 11 + James 2. No need to fertilize a crab apple tree tree.