Theology from Parables?

Dr Bob,

That makes some sense. The epistles form the basis of alot of our doctrines because they were actually designed in may cases to deliver doctrine. But...I get the feeling that alot of evangelicals label parables as "little stories" or (ugh) "hidden in meaning" simply because they don't line up pefectly with certain verses elsewhere in scripture. Alcott brought up some good examples of why parables are often seen as such. In parables however Jesus is making very simple points. Now Paul has alot to say about this or that sin - and no one doubts that he wrote under inspiration. But take some of Paul and mix it with the forgiving father in the prodigal son and we get a better picture of how God sees us and our weakness. There are 4 Gospels full of examples of Jesus' living! We should take more advantage of them. I for one believe that if reading a verse in the light of the Gospels changes the meaning and rocks the boat of one of our "doctrines" then we perhaps had a not-so-good piece of doctrine!

 

Dr. Bob Griffin,

You say,

I disagree.

Myself was osas before for a long time. Parables have much of matters relate with salvation doctrine.

The whole context of Luke chapter 15 does discuss on salvation doctrine.

First of all, these parables do not take literally, but use for illustration apply our spiritual.

Jesus spoken on the parable of the sheep - Luke 15:4-7.

I hear often many baptists and pastors saying verse 4-7 talking about soul winning, when a person become saved, then we rejoice together as the angels rejoice in the heaven - Luke 15:10.

But later, I realize it is much opposite side or turn downside around like as twist, not what Jesus was actually talking about.

Honest, I do not learn anything from non-osas books, commentary, teachers, pastors on Luke 15:4-7.

I have been read through whole context of Luke chapter 15, and I do understand what Christ talking about.

Often, many of them saying, 'man'(shephered) of vs. 4 represents Jesus.

When the man counts sheep in the gate, and realize one sheep is short of 100 sheep, so, he goes and looking for to find a lost sheep.

When he find a lost sheep, he rejoices and then bring lost sheep to home, and call his friends together, and rejoice over one sheep which was lost.

In the soul winning method of intepreting verse 7- when a person became saved then we rejoice together also angels in the heaven rejoice same - vs. 10.

But, I realized 'man' represents, YOU as pastor is the responsible to care the flock or sheep(congregation). But, not just for the pastor only, also, to apply us as our reponsible.

In the FIRST PLACE, a shepherd owns ALL 100 sheep in the gate, he knows them all -100%, because he ALREADY own them all - 100 sheep.

When the shepherd gathering all sheep into the gate, he counts them up to 100, to make sure every sheep is all gathering together, not lose. But, he realizes, miss one sheep short of 100 sheep. He HAVE TO go out and look for a lost sheep.

That means, suppose, the church owns 100 members, the pastor should know them well, and find them faithfully attend church. One day, when pastor notice miss person who do not show up the church. So, Pastor HAVE TO visit his member at home to urge member come to the church, speaks of backslider. Pastor HAVE TO edify his members to growing in the Lord, that is his duty and responsible.

'my sheep which was LOST' - verse 6 speaks of lost as backlslidding, does that mean a person is lost is not saved?

Yes.

Sorry to saying it.

Many pastors failed to edify his members. Many members already gone into the world and forsake from the Lord already.

Even, many mature Christians failed to edify baby Christians too.


Read verse 7 VERY CAREFULLY.

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that REPENTETH, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need NO REPENTANCE."

Stop and think..... at the first place, a shepherd already own 100 sheeps are 'just', and they already repented.

It shows that mean, they are already repented and right with the Lord and remain faithfully with the Lord.

When one person turn away from the Lord, become lost again, we are responsible to urge a person to get right with the Lord and repent of sins again. When a person repented, is live again.

I will discuss on the prodigal son soon.

When a person repented, we rejoice together that person is saved again.

Let me continue discuss on the whole context of Luke chapter 15.

Jesus explained about another second parable - a woman looking for lost coin - Luke 15:8-10.

Christ tells us, a woman ALREADY own 10 pieces of silver in the FIRST PLACE.


I works at Krogers' Foodstore. I looked at the illustration posts on the wall. I like them. Word, 'Shrink', it means, draw away. Word, 'shrink' appears in my mind, it apply to Luke chapter 15!

I would like to explain to you the illustrate post from Krogers' - 'shrink'.

When a delivery truck brings products, dairy, food, etc.

I notice the illustration picture of 'shrink',

at first, there are 10 orange juices in the frozen, when the customers take 9 orange juices and buy them. Later, when the employee checking out the leftover of orange juices in the frozen, to MAKE SURE that EVERY cabbages brought. But later, the employee use laser gun to check them, and find out that one orange juice is MISSING.

The question is, how does a ornage juice being missing? Possible: theft, forget put it in the frozen, or put it in the wrong place. - LOST MONEY!!!

That what the bussiness for!!

Same with the parable of Luke chapter 15.

Now back to Luke 15:8-10.

At the first place, a woman already own ten pieces of silver, that means they are BELONG to her.

Suppose when a woman decide want go to store to buy something, so, she need ten peices of silver bring with her to the store. But, she realizes, after she counts them all, but missing one piece, so, she HAVE TO looking everywhere in her place to find a lost piece. When, she finally find a lost piece, she rejoices, she called her friends, telling them about it, and they rejoice together same as in the heaven, the angels rejoice over a person that repenteth.

I have add one illustration of Luke 15:4-7 & 8-10.

The parent have a wonderful cute daughter. One day, parent calls her daughter's name. but she does not show up, they puzzled, then they look around in the house for daughter. They realize that she is lost. They become worry, so, they call Police come and they research for the missing daughter. Same as thing parents call their relatives and friends, ask them, if they see their daughter, let parents know that she is safe.

Later, when the Police find missing daughter, they bring her to her parent's house. Parent become very rejoice that she is found, so, parent called their relatives and friends, that she is found, they are rejoice and happy together same time.

That what the parable of Luke 15:4-7 & 8-10 is about.

Finally,

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPS!!!!!!!! I accidented clicked for post. I am not finish with this post.

 

Finally,

Now, I am discuss on Luke 15:11-32.

Often, I hear pastors saying that parable is talking about backslider. In another way, they prove that no one can lose the salvation.

Ok, let's read whole context of Luke 15:11-21 carefully.

At the FIRST PLACE, Father already have two sons.

That means, they are ALREADY belong to Father's.

One day, one son tell to his father, that he WANTED to leave(prove that we ALLL have freewill, Calvinism does not believe it)home. He asked his father for the Will or money, so his father give the Will or money('the portion of goods') to his son. Son walked away from his home and family for good. Son want into his own self way as independence, that is his freewill decison.

Son spend all money on fun with the worldly things. He does not think of his father, and life. He just playing and enjoy what he wants to. That is his freewill.

Later, son became very misery and depress after he waste his life and money. He do nothing to do. He realized that his own way is worthless and his rebellion against his father is wrong. He decided turn around toward to his father, that is REPENTANCE.

Son turn around toward to his father a long way to go.

When the son walking approaching toward his home, his father notices his son walking, immediately he runs toward him, and HUGS him!

Stop and discuss about it.

Does God easily fed up with any person who turn away and backlsidding away from Him? No, he is patience and longsuffering - 2 Peter 3:9. Does God FORCE a person to stay with him all the time? No. God does not create us as ROBOT. God gaves us the choice and decision, that is our freewill.

Calvinism does not believe it.

God still ALWAYS love every person no matter what if a person turn away, he still love them so much - Romans 5:8, and he always longsuffering with us - 2 Peter 3:9.

When the father sees his son walking toward home, he just immediate run to him and Hugs him. Does God doing to us the same thing?

ABSOLUTELY! YES!

When a person decides to repent of sins, God always READY to forgive person's sin - 1 John 1:9.

If suppose the father sees his son walking toward home, father refuses walk toward him, or, he would saying to his son, "Don't come to my home again ever!"

Does God's attitude toward to us? No, he's mercy to us.

Now back to Luke 15:12-32 again.

When father runs toward his son, and hugged him. Then son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am NO MORE worthy to be called thy SON." - verse 21

That what Jesus says.

Then, his father just forgive his son's sins, then he put robe, put ring, and shoes on his son. - Verse 22, shows God is mercy and grace, and give blessing.

Then, father called for the party, inviting friends and relatives to celebration his son.

When father's another son comes, and notice his brother just return home, he became jealous. - verse 25-30

Today too many Christians are jealous over each other, maybe they think they are better than other, show they are pride.

THen, father tells to his another son, he says, "for this thy brother WAS DEAD, and is ALIVE AGAIN; and WAS LOST, and is FOUND."

Christ means that person, who turn away from his father is lost and dead - period!!

That mean, a person who turn away FROM the Lord is dead and lost!!!

Does that mean a person WAS saved at the first place, then became lost again?

Yes.

James 5:19-20 - "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one CONVERT him; LET HIM KNOW, that he which converteth the sinner FROM the error of his way shall SAVE A SOUL FROM DEATH, and shall hide a multitude of sins."

It tells us, that our responsible to watch for our brothers, and sisters of Christ, not let any person falling away into dangerous - destruction, we must convert person from the wrong way, that mean, we have to edify one another in love and urge one other like as discipline one other.

Many Christians and pastors fail to doing it. We allow many people on the way to hell.

Please read Ezekiel 33:8-9.

Ezekiel 33:8-9 is a very powerful warning to us!!!

If we do not warn them to repent from sins, we allow them to die in sins - hell.

Many members already leave churches in America today, turn back to world, many of them never repent back to the Lord. Because many of us fail to edify one another and urge them to get right with the Lord.


That what Luke chapter 15 is all about!

One more thing to tell you about another 'parable'.

Many saying, Luke 16:19-31 is a PARABLE.

Parable???

Jesus never saying a word, 'parable' anywhere in the context of Luke 16:19-31. He spoken of a TRUE story. Because He used two persons' name - Abraham and Lazarus. So, therefore, both are REAL persons!

A rich man died and go to hell, He is NOW suffering in the fire with painful!

It is NOT a parable!

Jehovah Witness and any religions do not believe in hell.

Luke 16:19-31 describe about the hell - literal!!!

Because Christ concerning our souls so much, as he loves us so much, that he does not every person go to hell, but want all people to repentance - 2 Peter 3:9.

In Christ
Rev. 22:20 - Amen!

 

Yes, you can get theology from parables. They must be interpreted in context and in reference to other scriptures. For those that say no, did Jesus speak differently to Paul than He did in the Gospels. Paul said he wrote what he recieved from Jesus. Did Jesus change in the short time from when He spoke to the disciples and when He spoke to Paul.

If we ignore the parables as a source of theology, then we leave out most of Jesus's words. God forbid that should happen. Jesus said what He heard His Father saying. We would be wise to listen.

 

We certainly can get some theology from parables.

Matt 21:33-46

v. 37 - “last of all he sent his son, saying, They will reverence my son...”

v. 38 - “But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come let us kill him...”

v. 39 - “And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him...”

v. 42,43 - “Jesus saith unto them...I say unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you...”

v. 45 - “And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.”

If its not clear to many Baptists today, the meaning was certainly clear to Jesus' hearers.