The Lord Jesus Christ frequently used parables to present spiritual truths. The Greek word for parable – parabole – simply means “a placing beside” or a comparison, or a similitude. One of the best definitions is “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning”. Ordinary everyday events were used to illustrate spiritual truths, particularly Gospel truths, and gave people an insight into the heart and mind of God. But we should also be aware that there is a designed correspondence between things in nature and spiritual things, e.g. ordinary seeds and the seed of the Gospel.
But to understand the significance of parables, we need to see how the religious leaders of Israel (and others) were responding to the teachings of Christ, and why it became necessary at a certain point in His ministry to resort to parables.
This is clarified for us in Matthew 13:10,11,13 (KJB): And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given... because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
So it was WILFUL BLINDNESS AND DEAFNESS which made it necessary for Christ to speak in parables. And this is an important lesson for every person today. When God presents us with light and truth, we have two options – embrace it without question and without hesitation, or become wilfully blind and deaf by resisting the truth. When the latter happens, then God does not give more light, but takes away even that light which was formerly given: For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. (Mt 13:12).
So Christ presented mysterious parables (the mysteries of the Kingdom of God) to the general public, but then explained the hidden and spiritual meaning to His disciples (and to us as we read those parables and apply them).
There are about forty six parables in the Gospels, and the greatest number pertain to the Kingdom of Heaven (also called the Kingdom of God). Quite a few pertain to the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ. But there are also salvation parables, which are very important for understanding the love and grace of God. Some parables are not specifically identified as parables, and we must infer that they are such because they illustrate Gospel truth, e.g. the two debtors and the one creditor.
Some people will insist that the narrative of the Rich Man (called Dives in tradition) and Lazarus is a parable (because it is within the context of other parables), or more likely because it refutes the false doctrines of Soul Sleep and Annihilationism. What should be noted here is that (a) none of the parables deal with the afterlife in Hades, (and there is little about the afterlife given to us in Scripture), and (b) none of the other parables specifically names people by name, particularly a major Bible patriarch such as Abraham. Also this narrative does not begin with the introduction to parables such as “Another parable spake He unto them”. So this is NOT a parable, but a revelation of Hades, and what happened in Hades before the resurrection of Christ.
We should also be aware that if people have been influenced by a certain theology or teaching, they may misinterpret a parable because of that. A good example is the parable of the Leaven. Leaven in Scripture is invariably associated with corruption, sin, evil, hypocrisy, and false doctrine. Yet there are some who choose to ignore all that, and claim that this parable is about the expansion of the Kingdom of God, rather than the corruption of Christendom until the final Great Apostasy.
But to understand the significance of parables, we need to see how the religious leaders of Israel (and others) were responding to the teachings of Christ, and why it became necessary at a certain point in His ministry to resort to parables.
This is clarified for us in Matthew 13:10,11,13 (KJB): And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given... because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
So it was WILFUL BLINDNESS AND DEAFNESS which made it necessary for Christ to speak in parables. And this is an important lesson for every person today. When God presents us with light and truth, we have two options – embrace it without question and without hesitation, or become wilfully blind and deaf by resisting the truth. When the latter happens, then God does not give more light, but takes away even that light which was formerly given: For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. (Mt 13:12).
So Christ presented mysterious parables (the mysteries of the Kingdom of God) to the general public, but then explained the hidden and spiritual meaning to His disciples (and to us as we read those parables and apply them).
There are about forty six parables in the Gospels, and the greatest number pertain to the Kingdom of Heaven (also called the Kingdom of God). Quite a few pertain to the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ. But there are also salvation parables, which are very important for understanding the love and grace of God. Some parables are not specifically identified as parables, and we must infer that they are such because they illustrate Gospel truth, e.g. the two debtors and the one creditor.
Some people will insist that the narrative of the Rich Man (called Dives in tradition) and Lazarus is a parable (because it is within the context of other parables), or more likely because it refutes the false doctrines of Soul Sleep and Annihilationism. What should be noted here is that (a) none of the parables deal with the afterlife in Hades, (and there is little about the afterlife given to us in Scripture), and (b) none of the other parables specifically names people by name, particularly a major Bible patriarch such as Abraham. Also this narrative does not begin with the introduction to parables such as “Another parable spake He unto them”. So this is NOT a parable, but a revelation of Hades, and what happened in Hades before the resurrection of Christ.
We should also be aware that if people have been influenced by a certain theology or teaching, they may misinterpret a parable because of that. A good example is the parable of the Leaven. Leaven in Scripture is invariably associated with corruption, sin, evil, hypocrisy, and false doctrine. Yet there are some who choose to ignore all that, and claim that this parable is about the expansion of the Kingdom of God, rather than the corruption of Christendom until the final Great Apostasy.
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