Apologetics and Parables

[shodan]

Jesus often used parables to make his point. But today, many miss the full impact, not knowing the context or history. Here are a few examples: http://textsincontext.wordpress.com/

[kwikphilly]

Blessings shodan,

    I am not sure if you are looking for others opinions or just wanted to share your thoughts?Well, God bless you and if I may contribute my two cents worth-lol...I think this may very well stand to reason for deeper study but no one needs to be a Historian or even be very academically inclined when they are in Christ Jesus & are given Wisdom & Understanding by the power of the Holy Spirit

   Jesus Himself explained this to His disciples & said"He who has an ear to hear-let them hear" Mark 4:9,4:23,Matt 11:15    Even when Jesus asked who the people say He is & Peter exclaimed that He is the Christ,the Son of the Living God,!!Jesus said that he knew this not from men but  because His Father in Heaven told him(Maqtt 16:13-28)

    God reveals His Timeless Truths(& Himself)for anyone that is truly seeking

                                                                                       With love,in Christ-Kwik

[Guest]

Parables are interesting. The ones that Jesus explains are helpful, the ones that He does not, are sometimes problematic. When asked why He spoke in parables, he responded:

10And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12“For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13“Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

14“In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;

15FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’

16“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17“For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

It appears to me from the text in bold, that Jesus used parables as much to hide truth as to reveal truth. So, when someone interprets a parable, I am very leery. We see all sorts of understanding of various verse and passages from beleivers, they cannot all be correct. How much more is that the case with verses engineered to hide mysteries?

Never-the-less, I reccomend the book "The Parables and Metaphors of our Lord", by g. campbell morgan, which you can read online for free.

 

By the way shodan, can you explain where apologetics fits in here, that was not clear to me.

[sourberry]

It appears to me from the text in bold, that Jesus used parables as much to hide truth as to reveal truth.

 

Jesus did not hide truth.

 

Parables is the way to express heavenly things in earthy terms. Parables require no treatment. They can only be replaced with other parables, as I think. This is what Jesus did, when disciples asked for clarification, as I think.

[Guest]

Jesus did not hide truth.

“Why do You speak to them in parables?” Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.

If the answer to why He speaks in parables, lies in the idea that understanding of the mysteries was not granted to some, then that sure sounds like it is designed to hide those mysteries, otherwise he would have spoken plainly, does that not follow?

[sourberry]

 

Jesus did not hide truth.

“Why do You speak to them in parables?” Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.

If the answer to why He speaks in parables, lies in the idea that understanding of the mysteries was not granted to some, then that sure sounds like it is designed to hide those mysteries, otherwise he would have spoken plainly, does that not follow?

 

 

Would you consider that understanding why Jesus spoke in parables may also not be granted to some?

[K_P]

It appears to me from the text in bold, that Jesus used parables as much to hide truth as to reveal truth. So, when someone interprets a parable, I am very leery. We see all sorts of understanding of various verse and passages from beleivers, they cannot all be correct. How much more is that the case with verses engineered to hide mysteries?

 

You make an interesting point. It does seem that way to me as well. To me, this raises the question of why a person who is supposedly trying to save man's soul hide truth from so many in this manner? I would think that if he were trying to save people from eternal damnation, he would speak more clearly as to not be misunderstood. Literary evidence from the Bible stories paint Jesus as someone who loved to perplex people.

[sourberry]

 

You make an interesting point. It does seem that way to me as well. To me, this raises the question of why a person who is supposedly trying to save man's soul hide truth from so many in this manner? I would think that if he were trying to save people from eternal damnation, he would speak more clearly as to not be misunderstood. Literary evidence from the Bible stories paint Jesus as someone who loved to perplex people.

 

 

Nobody hides the truth from you, or me, or omegaman - even now, as I think. :-)

[Willa]

Matt. 11:25 I thank you, Father, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes.

Mark 4:11-12 And He said to them, To you has been given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that

Seeing they may not see and perceive,

And hearing they may not hear and understand;

Lest they should turn

And their sins be forgiven them.

So it seems that the only way to truly understand the parables is to repent, turn away from your sins and throw yourself on God's mercy, so that your sins might be forgiven. Then Jesus by His Spirit shall teach you all things in such a way that you can put them into practice. The parables are for the followers of Jesus and are hidden from those who have a hard, unrepentant heart. There judgement will be even greater if they do understand. We are held accountable to practice what we know and understand.

[Guest]

Amen~!