And you as it seems are turning things upside down taking away the spiritual understanding . Just as the Jews performed with their oral traditions .
I'm not taking anything away, I'm just not adding things that simply aren't there. I recognize parables for what they are: pithy stories using concepts familiar to the audience that teach spiritual truths. Examples include the lost coin (Luke 15) the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18) and the vineyard workers (Mark 12).
Parable:
a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson. a statement or comment that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison, analogy, or the like. (
www.dictionary.com)
Parables are the recorded narrative. They provide the true historical account as well as the hidden manna account.
Parables are used in two ways. One historically true and the other to hide the spiritual understanding from natural unconverted man.
Historical accounts
are not parables! They are simply different kinds of literature! Your idea that historical accounts have some alleged "hidden manna account" is esoteric garbage! David actually felled Goliath with a stone from a sling... that isn't a parable! Solomon actually built a grand temple... that isn't a parable!
Historical events may have spiritual purposes, implications, and effects, but they aren't parables. Historical events may even be used to illustrate spiritual truths, but the events themselves still aren't parables.
Parables are foolishness unto natural man neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
While this is strictly true, you are applying it very wrongly. You seem to think that you are able to discern things that I am unable to discern. Do you see the gross arrogance in that? I'm a Christian. I have the Spirit of God. You keep implying that I don't.
Mark 4:11And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
Jesus was speaking to His disciples. He was explaining to them that the general audience was given parables, while they were given the full understanding. You cannot apply this to everything recorded in Scripture. If you could, I would have to ask what is the meaning of this parable of Jesus telling about parables? There isn't one, because
it isn't a parable!
The poetic language of God is signified in that way .Without parables God's word speaks not.
This is simply wrong. Jesus Himself said (and it is recorded several times) that
when He was talking to the general audience, He spoke in parables. He spoke plainly to His disciples. You've badly misinterpreted this! You're taking part of a verse, ignoring the rest, and applying that part far beyond what is appropriate. Essentially, you are adding to God's word.
Here's Mark 4:10-11 from the NIV, with emphasis added:
10 When he (Jesus) was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “T
he secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But
to those on the outside everything is said in parables."
Jesus spoke in plain language, not parables, to the disciples. We, the Christians, are the ones to whom the secret of the kingdom of God has been given.
Revelation speaks of the poetic language of God in so much that not only is it inspired form heaven but its also gives us the signified meaning that reveals the gospel hid from natural man who must literalize to make any kind of sense. .neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Revelation 1 King James Version (KJV) The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
The language is not sent and now search for the literal sense if it makes sense avoid searching for another understanding. . They both make different senses. One historically accurate the other the intended spiritual meaning. In that way I would suggest the whole bible as the signified language of God is a parable.
And you'd be wrong... frighteningly wrong. The Bible is God's word. If the whole thing is a parable, then we have no need to follow it because Jesus didn't actually die for our sins... and we wouldn't be sinners anyway.
Revelation 1:1, which you just quoted, is
not a parable. It is plain language with no hidden meaning. You take that literally, as you should. Yet earlier you claimed (in error) that "Without parables God's word speaks not." Well, either Revelation 1:1 is a parable as you claim (and then interpret it incorrectly) or it is not a parable, and your statement is wrong. You cannot have it both ways.
Some it would seem have the wrong kind of fear for searching out the meanings and cling to the literal .Catholicism a classic example. Walk after the things seen as if the kingdom of God came by observation and not looking to the spiritual meanings.. Like in who needs faith just open ones eyes ?
What is this fear you speak of? There is nothing wrong with studying God's word, but if your purpose is to seek a hidden meaning in every passage, you have the wrong motive and you are an easy target for deception.
Catholicism is irrelevant here. I'm not Catholic, and I don't consider that body any sort of spiritual authority. You've mentioned Catholicism several times in our conversations, and I have continually told you that it is irrelevant, but for some reason you haven't caught on.
Our faith is in Jesus and the resurrection, which we cannot presently see. God gives us much that we
can see to confirm the hope we have in those things we cannot see. You're misinterpreting this concept as well.
Garee, this has gone far beyond a simple difference in how we understand the word "parable". Your view is
dangerous. It has led you to believe things about the Bible and about other Christians that are not true. It makes interpreting Scripture entirely subjective, because whatever meaning you "discover", you consider correct and unassailable. You can come up with all sorts of truly wacky ideas, claiming that they are the "spiritual meaning" behind certain passages. You have already started to believe that others don't have your supposedly exalted level of understanding. You set yourself up as the authority, and you are in danger of wandering away from the truth.
