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why did jesus speak in parables delievering the word of god ?

5K views 51 replies 16 participants last post by  williamlayton 
#1 ·
knowing the bible is the word of god, why did jesus speak in parables ?
why would he not just speak plainly so everyone could recieve the word of god ?

“All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitude in PARABLES; and without a parable spoke He not unto them.” Matt 13:34

was it a test, that only the few who understood the riddles , recieved the word of god ?
 
#34 ·
No one seems to have gotten this.
What Christ said to the Sanhedrin was aparable--thoght He said it plainly---and He told them they would not understand.

I think parablels can be understood or not by the will of God.

Prophecy cannot be understood unless God gives the meaning to you---you can see this by the many that teach prophecy and come up with different conclusions.

It will be made clear to all he choses--when He choses to do so. Don't get so anxious--you are happy now---you will be either happy or sad when all is revealed------or not !i
Blessings
 
#4 ·
Scibaer said:
knowing the bible is the word of god, why did jesus speak in parables ?
why would he not just speak plainly so everyone could recieve the word of god ?

“All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitude in PARABLES; and without a parable spoke He not unto them.” Matt 13:34

was it a test, that only the few who understood the riddles , recieved the word of god ?

How about a PROPHECY fulfilment? Your very close to the reason. Do you know, or are you fishing?
 
#5 ·
Scibaer said:
knowing the bible is the word of god, why did jesus speak in parables ?
why would he not just speak plainly so everyone could recieve the word of god ?

“All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitude in PARABLES; and without a parable spoke He not unto them.” Matt 13:34

was it a test, that only the few who understood the riddles , recieved the word of god ?
Probably the answer is multi faceted, but remember who he was talking to. Mostly these were uneducated rural "working" people.
 
#7 ·
dee
no im not fishing or trolling
im asking. id like get opinions , thoughts and ideas, as long as they are honest.

i struggle with many aspects of the christian religion. so, i ask here.

i wont agree or understand every ones answers, and i may ask more questions based on those questions
and i may even challenge those answers ( i really like formal style debates ) but at the core is comes from honesty.
 
#8 ·
gene225,
i agree he was talking to the working poeple.. all the more reason to talk plainly in my view, no ?

william,
your right he didnt always talk in parables, showing jesus knew who is was talking to , but then why did he at other times ? he even confused his disciples ( so i understand from scripture ) why would he do that ?

wchester,
i dont know if parables are a good way of understand deep truths.. it seems to me that plain speech would be better suited to that ?

i liken it to explaining something complicated to a child.. you talk on a level they understand.
yet jesus, when delivering the word of god, from which hanging in the balance is the salavation of the soul , jesus spoke in a form that led itself to a margin of error if not interpertation ..
 
#9 ·
"wchester,
i dont know if parables are a good way of understand deep truths.. it seems to me that plain speech would be better suited to that ?

i liken it to explaining something complicated to a child.. you talk on a level they understand.
''

Yeah, IF you're talking to a child who can only grasp a truth on a child's level that would be good. But IF you want to convey a deeper truth it helps to use speech that requires some amount of adult thinking and a parable can work wonders!

We are western world gentiles. A good bit of what's puzzling to us is because we don't have the knowledge and understanding of Hebrew speech and thinking in ancient times. A LOT of what we get screwed up or puzzled over was plain speech to the Jews when it was written. That's why it's not always good enough for us to just know what the Bible says (that's easy), but we sometimes need to study to better understand what some things means, or at least what they meant at the time and to the people it was written. For instance, the Commandment "You shall not kill" has caused a lot of anxiety for western world Christians but what the Hebrew word actually meant was "murder".

Thankfully, none of that puzzling stuff is crucial to fully understanding the plan of salvation.

Dee, maybe it would be good to shift this one to the other forum.??
 
#10 ·
Scibaer said:
knowing the bible is the word of god, why did jesus speak in parables ?
why would he not just speak plainly so everyone could recieve the word of god ?

“All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitude in PARABLES; and without a parable spoke He not unto them.” Matt 13:34

was it a test, that only the few who understood the riddles , recieved the word of god ?
Here are Jesus words why he did so.
Matthew 13:10-13​
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)​
[sup]10 [/sup]And the disciples having come near, said to him, `Wherefore in similes dost thou speak to them?'
[sup]11 [/sup]And he answering said to them that -- `To you it hath been given to know the secrets of the reign of the heavens, and to these it hath not been given,
[sup]12 [/sup]for whoever hath, it shall be given to him, and he shall have overabundance, and whoever hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken from him.
[sup]13 [/sup]`Because of this, in similes do I speak to them, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor understand,
 
#11 ·
Scibaer said:
dee
no im not fishing or trolling
im asking. id like get opinions , thoughts and ideas, as long as they are honest.

i struggle with many aspects of the christian religion. so, i ask here.

i wont agree or understand every ones answers, and i may ask more questions based on those questions
and i may even challenge those answers ( i really like formal style debates ) but at the core is comes from honesty.

I didn't think you were trollin at all.
 
#12 ·
CHRIST spoke in parables because it was prophecied, that the people would not listen to the SAVIOUR. They would shut their minds of to the NEW DISPENSATION of Salvation by Grace thru Faith. They were locked into the "Old Law". Their eyes would not see, and their ears would not hear, the "prophecied" Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Only those interested in receiving this good news caught what he was saying.
 
#15 ·
And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. - Matthew 13:11


This speaks of God's purpose in hiding the truth and indicated thr Fathers action in salvation.
Several statements of Christ in John 6 somewhere around the 45th verse gives a broader view of this when Christ declares that those who come to Christ only do so at the Fathers drawing and only those who are taught of the Father come.


There is One teaching and drawing and those drawn. There is the means through which they are drawn. Christ.
Many think that the parables speak of morality. I believe that they all point the reader or hearer to Christ. After all, the revelation of Christ is the purpose of all scripture rather than to teach us how to be good moral people.


lc
 
#16 ·
The 12 operated under Jesus' authority when they received the Holy Spirit from Him.
Thus it was "given to them" to understand, but for the others the word pictures created
by the parables enabled them to recall the lesson later when they received the Spirit
after the day of Pentecost, as many as believed.
Word pictures are still a great way to teach, yes, a very G-dly way to teach.
Blessings
 
#17 ·
Jesus knew he had a mission to accomplish and he knew that once completed, he would be crucified. He sometimes talked in parables to get a truth across when Pharisees and others were closely listening, trying to get fatal, treasonous proofs against him. His words became more direct as his execution day drew closer..in fact when Pontious Pilate finally asked him if he were the messiah, he said in effect.."it is as you say".
In short, he used parables in order to continue his ministry until the appointed time.
 
#19 ·
"I only do what I see my Father do".
He was completely obedient, had to have been in keeping with the way His Father wanted
the teaching done.
We will have an incomplete way of understanding His ministry when we believe
He "thought it up" as a ministry tool.


He was inspired by the Spirit just as we believe all scripture is by
inspiration, just as our acts are by inspiration when we walk with Him and stay in Him.
It isn't an outward form.
 
#20 ·
"In short, he used parables in order to continue his ministry until the appointed time"

Excellent insight.

I can easily read the red letters in my KJV in an evening. In his three years of ministry, it's a certainty Jesus said a lot more than what was written but I'm confident we have all we need to know.
 
#22 ·
goodshot said:
"I only do what I see my Father do".
He was completely obedient, had to have been in keeping with the way His Father wanted
the teaching done.
We will have an incomplete way of understanding His ministry when we believe
He "thought it up" as a ministry tool.


He was inspired by the Spirit just as we believe all scripture is by
inspiration, just as our acts are by inspiration when we walk with Him and stay in Him.
It isn't an outward form.

Not picking ON GS---but this is a particular peeve of mine. Christ was not subservient too God. These words used--unless you wish to try and put God into a human box---was not to indicate subservience.
I apologize for taking us astray.
Blessings
 
#23 ·

  • [li]This is Bible study and this is what the Bible says[/li]

  • [li]Mark 14:36 "And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt."[/li]
    [li]Luke 22:27 "For who is greater[/color], he who sits at the table, or he who serves[/color]? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves[/color]." [/li]
    [li]John 5:19 "Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing[/color]; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner." [/li]
    [li]John 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me[/color]." [/li]
    [li]John 7:16 "Jesus therefore answered them, and said, "My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me[/color]." [/li]
    [li]Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me[/color] to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are downtrodden" [/li]
    [li]Matthew 20:23 "He *said to them, "My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give[/color], but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.""[/li]
    [li]"Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him[/color] who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all." 1 Cor 15:28[/li]
John 16:28 "I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father."
.
John 14:31 but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me Get up, let us go from here.
 
#24 ·
Thanks Bob, quite constructive and instructive.
William our friend, the "prove anything to G-d" post doesn't sit right.
Acting out of love for Him in being His hands and feet as He instructs us
is misconstrued when we twist the motive into proving anything to Him.
If we have "always had a pet peeve", and have not taken it to Him for healing and restoration
we are missing the point of His sacrifice for us.
As we decrease and He increases in our lives "pet peeves" indicate an area that we have not
given to Him as we grow in faith, we can't drag our favorite "peeves" with us
like luggage and be pleasing to Him.
It is EVERY thought word and deed.
blessings
 
#25 ·
I look at Jesus using parables as a form of sarcasm. Stop and think about what that person believes, turn it around to make them see and think. Look at all sides, and come up with the truth, not just an opinion. gypsyman
 
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