Why Did Jesus Speak In Parables?

[Sola_Fide]

Ah, it appears I may not have been as clear in my wording, because you still think I was referring only to "The Law of the Torah".

The commandments of Jesus are separate from "The Law of the Torah".

He gave them as a path to salvation -- a separate path from the path of "The Law of the Torah".

No. The same God who gave the commandments in the Old is the same God who gives the commandments in the new. Jesus is Yahweh. Also, the Law has NEVER been a path to salvation. The Law has only been a path to condemnation.

The book of Galatians describes that salvation has always been by faith:

Galatians 3:9-12 NLT

So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.

But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.”

So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”

What is the purpose of the Law then?:

Galatians 3:24 NASB

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

The Law is there to teach us that we can not follow it and be made righteous by it! This is what Jesus told the Pharisees time and time again. The Law exists to lead us to lean on Christ's perfect righteousness alone and be justified by faith.

 

[moostraks]

Still not getting it and still confusing law and gospel.


So I will ask again: WHO CAN POSSIBLY BE A DOER OF THE LAW?

Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring

I Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it

9 There was the true Light [g]which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.

34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.

Romans 2:13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)

1 John 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. 7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil [c]has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who is [d]born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is [e]born of God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: [f]anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; 12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.

13 Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his [g]heart [h]against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him 20 [j]in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence [k]before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.

23 This is His commandment, that we [l]believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He [m]commanded us. 24 The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us


Galatians 5:14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

You follow a doctrine that does not allow room for God. You are more concerned about the your issue of an elect status of people. You have put words in people's mouths and then mock them.

Who is scripture telling you is the doer of the law and who can reach out and find Him? What is the law? Does He really make some tempted without escape? Is He only near those who you call the elect?

 

[thoughtomator]

/thread

 

[moostraks]

God is not accepting of you because you have not followed that commandment nor have you followed any other of the commandments.

The standard for the Law is absolute sinless perfection. You have broken the Law and therefore condemned yourself.

To stand in the presence of a holy and righteous God, you must have lived a sinless life. There is only one man who has lived a sinless life, Jesus Christ. Salvation can only be obtained by having faith in Christ's perfect righteousness.

God will only accept one righteousness, Christ's righteousness. He will not accept your works. Your works will condemn you, I say this as your friend:


Please read and understand:

James 2:14-26

Faith Without Works Is Dead

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your[a] works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?[c] 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”[d] And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

2 Corinthians 3:3 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? 2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

The Spirit, Not the Letter

4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit;[a] for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

We should always analyze whether are actions can be viewed as these are:

Mark 7:6-8 This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' You leave the Commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.

Matthew 23:13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

Are we walking in fellowship with Him?

John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him

1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us

 

[jmdrake]

I must make my calling and election sure:



If I fall away, it was because I was not chosen.

LOL. Talk about trying to have it both ways. You don't believe in salvation by works...except for when you do.

 

[UK4Paul]

Hi AquaBuddha

In reference to your copy and paste about Romans 11.

It makes for interesting reading... but it also uses several straw man arguments:

National Israel will continue to be spiritually blind, except for a remnant chosen by grace, as long as there is one Gentile, or non-Jew, anywhere in the world, who is still to be saved.

What? Paul does not make that argument. He says "until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in". The author's assertion here is a dogmatic statement, but not necessarily what Paul meant.

In our generation, Israel has been a nation for over 50 years, and they are as adamant about their opposition to Christ as the Messiah as they were at any time in their history

So what? 50 years is nothing in terms of their history. Besides, Paul himself makes the same point, and yet "the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable":

"As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." (11:28,29)

There has been no change, and there will be no change. God says that their condition will remain the same until the last person who is of the elect of God becomes saved. When the last Gentile has become saved, it will be the end of the world.

There's a whole bunch of FAIL in this statement. If the apostle Paul taught the same thing, he wouldn't have even bothered talking about the fullness of the nations coming in... why not just say that they became blinded!

No, Paul's statement comes with it the implication that Israel's blindness is TEMPORARY. Neither does Paul talks about the "end of the world" here, so obviously there's lots of overlap with the author's beliefs.

God does not have a future plan for national Israel; that idea is not found anywhere in the Bible.

It's funny how one can be blinded to scriptures, when one is pre-disposed to see them in certain ways. There are plenty of scriptures that can ONLY be fulfilled upon a future PHYSICAL Israel or Jerusalem... but they have been theologically explained away.

The Bible indicates that we are in the last days; we are headed right toward the end of time. When the last Gentile has become saved, that will be the end of the Gospel era. It will be the end of the world.

Why are we in the last days? Based on what?

Now, I am not necessarily disputing this. Perhaps we are. I am familiar with the concept... but then, those same scriptures that seem to suggest this, also talk about captivity to the nations and Jerusalem being trampled.

So I'm curious to know how this author reconciles those scriptures with the statement that "God does not have a future plan for national Israel".

Incidentally, I'm pretty up with this idea, because I used to believe it. But then I had my eyes opened to the scriptures which suggest the exact opposite, i.e. that God still has plans for Israel and the physical city of Jerusalem.

OK, onto your comments...

Beside the side discussion we are having about eschatology here (your interpretation makes no sense to the 4000 years of Jews who already existed and died),

What do they have to do with it? They will get a resurrection, and will probably be in a great position to accept Jesus as the Messiah. Of course, that will also be true of most Gentiles, too. Paul taught the resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous.

But I don't think that's the main thrust of the purpose of restoring Israel. He does it for His holy name, as He repeatedly states in Ezekiel 36 onwards. Israel goes into exile... Israel returns from exile.

The nations then attack Israel (Ezekiel 38,39), the people who are gathered back to their land, and only THEN do they know God. Attempts to suggest this is the "Israel of God" do not work, because the prophecy explicitly tells us it's the same Israel that went INTO exile.

This is the whole point of saying UNTIL. It implies a limited duration.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it... // ...See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" (Matt 23:36,37)

"Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." (Luke 21:24)

"A partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in..." (Romans 11:25)

Jesus did not teach that Jerusalem would be eternally destroyed, and neither did Paul teach that God had totally abandoned physical Israel.

The word UNTIL makes all the difference.

you are clearly conceding that God does interfere with man's will through hardening and softening. Which is my entire point, and something you now concede.

God hardens and softens, and He does it based on His good pleasure and will, not ours.

Sure, I have always conceded that point. I argue for certain individual special cases (i.e. Paul, Pharaoh) and collective "category" cases, i.e. pre-ordained outcomes for categories / groups.

In Paul's example in Romans 11, he is talking about a collective hardening of unbelieving Israel. My point has always been that, within Israel, individuals had the free choice, for the most part, to believe or not.

In reality, it seems that people's hearts lead them to their choice, i.e. it was the scribes and Pharisees who primarily called for and plotted Jesus' death, a reflection of their heart... and the people themselves were described as "a wicked and adulterous generation".

So I think their "hardening" and "blindness" really stemmed from their own sinful desires. God placed them in the position of having to make a choice... for Jesus, or against him.

 

[UK4Paul]

/thread

Which person's noodly appendage?

 

[UK4Paul]

AquaBuddha

One more point in relation to Romans 11. Why would Paul talk about them (unbelieving Israel) being grafted back into their own olive tree, and then immediately shift to talking about so-called "spiritual" Israel... and then shift back again to talking about unbelieving Israel?

"And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree." (11:23,24)

So here Paul is talking about the power of God to graft PHYSICAL, UNBELIEVING ISRAEL back into its own olive tree... agreed?

(Incidentally, what right has the author of that article you quoted got to say, in effect, "It's not going to happen"... when Paul himself says God has the power to do so!)

Sure, you might argue that He can graft them back individually... but then, why can He also not do so collectively?

Does the God who has the power to do so individually, NOT have the power to do so collectively?

And THIS is the immediate context of Paul's statement about all Israel being saved!

"Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers..."

Could it be that we Gentiles are missing Paul's real point, because we have become wise in our own sight?

Remember, he is speaking to Gentiles. Could we be making exactly the same mistake Paul warned us about, being "arrogant toward the branches"?

Indeed, this statement of Paul's...

"And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again."

...shows the exact OPPOSITE spirit to that of your article, which says that, because they haven't accepted Christ for over 50 years now, it's never going to happen!

I would suggest to you that he is falling into the exact trap Paul warned about... exulting over the branches, and denying the power of God to bring those "natural" branches back into their own olive tree!

 

[PierzStyx]

Have you ever wondered why Jesus spoke in parables? This is why:





Jesus spoke in parables so that the meaning would NOT be clear. He says the knowledge of the secrets of God has been given to the disciples and NOT to the others. It has "been given to you and NOT to them". This was to fulfill the prophecy in Isaiah which said that people will keep on seeing yet never truly see, and keep on hearing but never truly hear.

Why do some people not believe?


The reason people don't believe is that they are not of His sheep. His sheep hear His voice, and the Shepherd lays down His life only for His sheep. The ones who hear are the ones who have "been given to the Son" by the Father.



God purposes that some people do not believe. It is so sure that some people will not believe that it is a fulfillment of prophecy. God opens the eyes of His elect only, and purposely hides Himself from those whom He has not predestined to save. Jesus PRAISES the Father for actively hiding the knowledge of Himself from some people:



No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone the Son wishes to reveal to Him.

Oh my. There you go again. Playing Twister with the scriptures to fit your dogma. The "sheep" are any of those who believe on Him. The Father gave them to Christ because of His Atonement. He essentially paid for us with His blood. All those who believe on Him and become HIs sheep are saved. Thos ewho do not, like teh hardened, prideful, Pharisees Christ was speaking to, are not saved.

In quoting Jon12:37-40 you make a grievous error by not including verse 41. It says "Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue." John says in 37-40 a prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that their hearts are hardened and then says in verse 41 DESPITE that hardening, many still believed Christ but were to afraid to come unto Him. Your thesis that they didn't believe because God forced them not to believe is destroyed. If you're doctrine were true that would mean these men who believe overcame God's power and believed even though He did not want them to do so. Of course that cannot be true as God is all-powerful. The error is not in Him, it is in your doctrine. God may have hardened their hearts, but it is obvious this did not mean they could not believe. And that they could believe but of their own will not go to Christ contradicts your idea that those who believe are automatically forced to become His followers, or "sheep."

And your assumption that the gospel was always meant to be hidden from all people just doesn't hold up. Yes some were kept back, most likely because they were not ready for the deeper truths of the teachings of Christ. God works with each of us individually preparing us to receive more and more truth line upon line, precept upon precept until we are prepared for the greatest truths of all. Some are more ready to believe than others, and so receive it first. But that everyone was to ultimately have it is undeniable: "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:18-20) All nations. Everyone, everywhere. All people can become His sheep if they are willing to follow the Good Shepherd.

 

[PierzStyx]

LOL. Talk about trying to have it both ways. You don't believe in salvation by works...except for when you do.

Its called "doublethink".

"The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them....To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just as long as it is needed, to deny the existence of objective reality and all the while to take account of the reality which one denies - all this is indispensably necessary. Even in using the word doublethink it is necessary to exercise doublethink. For by using the word one admits that one is tampering with reality; by a fresh act of doublethink one erases this knowledge; and so on indefinitely, with the lie always one leap ahead of the truth." George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four" Part 1, Chapter 3, pg 32


If you pay close attention his reasoning is filled with it. I've always wondered if he feels in cognitive dissonance because of it.

 

[PierzStyx]

No. The same God who gave the commandments in the Old is the same God who gives the commandments in the new. Jesus is Yahweh. Also, the Law has NEVER been a path to salvation. The Law has only been a path to condemnation.

The book of Galatians describes that salvation has always been by faith:




What is the purpose of the Law then?:





The Law is there to teach us that we can not follow it and be made righteous by it! This is what Jesus told the Pharisees time and time again. The Law exists to lead us to lean on Christ's perfect righteousness alone and be justified by faith.

Wow. First of all, individual action is necessary to faith. "Faith if it hath not works is dead, being alone." said James(2:17) He then goes on to say that mere belief is not enough comparing those who "just" believe to the devils who are cast into Hell "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." (James 2:19) So how is one who does no good thing of their own will any better than the devils in Hell? James seems to say they aren't. He then goes on to say this about Abraham "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?" (James2:21) Abraham was justified not by faith alone, but by his works in keeping God's commandments in every way he could. Works justify?!? James offers us this synthesis: "Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" Faith and works go together. Works do not save. But neither does dead faith. If you are not following God's commands of your own will to the best of your ability and knowledge, and repenting when you screw up trusting in the grace of Christ for salvation then you aren't doing what God asks. This is what it means to "live in faith" as Galatians speaks about. If you deny the essential place of works, our works with Christ's, in perfection then you aren't Living by faith" because your faith is dead.

You mistake the meaning of verse 24 as well. The Law of Moses carried types and shadows of Christ, teachings of the Messiah, and its sacrifices were done in symbolism of Christ's sacrifice. It taught of Christ in every way. If the Jews had been follow the spirit of the law they would have recognized Christ immediately because the entire Law taught of Him. It is not to teach us "we cannot follow it."

Also, speaking of the importance of works I love Galatians 3:26-27. "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." We become Christ's because our faith leads to an act all people are commanded to obey-baptism (John3:5). Once more we see the synthesis of faith and works. Either without teh other, as your doctrine teaches, is dead and will miss essentials to salvation, such as baptism.