For instance, 'Metaphor' is used. A simile makes a comparison by using a word such as 'like': "Life is like a circus." A metaphor is a similar comparison, except that it omits the word 'like': "The world is a stage." Metaphors such as "I am the door" or "I am the gate" - John 10:9 - are easily recognized.
But the words of Jesus' at the Last Supper: When.... Then he took some bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which will be given for you; do this as a memorial of me." He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, "This is the new covenant in my blood which will be poured out for you." - Luke 22:14- 20 - Matt.26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; was intended to be understood literally and physically rather than metaphorically. Jesus is the true bread because Jesus is God's Word.
"See, the days are coming - it is Yahweh who speaks - when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel (and the House of Judah) but not a covenant like the one I made with their ancestors.... No, this is the covenant I will make with the House of Israel when those days arrive - it is Yahweh who speaks....... - Jer. 31:31-34 - [The Old Testament and the New Testament requires thorough reading]
I am the living bread that comes down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give
is my flesh, for the life of the world. - John 6:51 -
I have been telling you all this in metaphor,
the hour is coming
when I shall no longer speak to you in metaphors;
but tell you about the Father in plain words. - John 16:25 -
For this is what (apostle Paul) I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me." In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me." Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death, and so anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be behaving unworthily towards the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone is to recollect himself before eating this bread and drinking this cup; because a person who eats and drinks without recognizing the Body is eating and drinking his own condemnation. - 1 Cor. 11:23-29 -
Anthropomorphism in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible describe the non-human objects as though they have human characteristics. Thus, it is the practice of describing God in human terms, as if He has feet, hands, a face, a heart, and so forth. Although the Old Testament and New Testament deny any literal similarity of form between God and His creatures, The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible frequently uses such human language to affirm that God is personal and active in His creation.
The appearance of Jesus, God's Son, in flesh and human body is a literal revelation of God in the form of man. Jesus was "in the form of God" but He took the form of a servant/of a slave, the "likeness" and "appearance" of man, to save us and reveal the depth of God's love. Therefore, with utmost respect for Jesus, we can literally speak of God in human form too. - Phil. 2:1-11 -
The practice of describing God as if He displays human emotions, such as love and mercy. Although the Old Testament and the New Testament plainly show that God is beyond our human experiences. - 1 Tim. 6:1-16 - 1 Cor. 2:7-3:4 - The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible frequently uses such language to declare that God is personal and that He responds to the actions of His creatures.
Parables are one type of literature in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. Once a upon a time in a far away land there lived a fairy princess. We do not understand this sentence in a scientific or literal sense. We recognize that it comes from a certain type of literature, and thus, we do not interpret it historically. Different types of literature fall into different categories, each of which has its own rules of interpretation.
We interpret them properly by using a figure of speech in which truth is illustrated by a comparison or example drawn from everyday experiences.
Parable refers to a short, simple story designed to communicate a spiritual truth, religious principle, or moral lesson; a figure of speech in which truth is illustrated by a comparison or example drawn from everyday experiences. A parable is often no more than an extended metaphor or simile, using figurative language in the form of a story to illustrate a particular truth. The Greek word for parable literally means "a laying by the side of" or "casting alongside" thus, "a comparison or likeness." In a parable something is placed alongside something else, in order that one may throw light on the other. A familiar custom or incident is used to illustrate some truth less familiar.
Although Jesus was the master of the parabolic form, He was not the first to use parables. Examples of the effective use of parables are found in the Old Testament. Perhaps, the best known of these is prophet Nathan's parable of the rich man who took the one little ewe lamb that belonged to a poor man. - 2 Sam. 12:1-4 - By means of this parable, prophet Nathan reproved king David and convicted him of his sin of committing adultery with Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite. "...Why have you shown contempt for Yahweh, doing what displeases him? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, taken his wife for your own, and killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. So......." - 2 Sam. 5-15 - A wise woman of Tekoa also used a parable to convince king David to let his son return to Jerusalem. - 2 Sam. 14:5-7 -
Jesus' characteristic method of teaching was through parables. His famous parables are the parable of the lost son - Luke 15:11-32 - and the parable of the Good Samaritan. - Luke 10:25-37 - Both parables illustrate God's love for sinners and God's command that we show compassion to all peoples. Actually, the parable of the lost son (sometimes called the parable of the prodigal son or the parable of the loving father) is the story of two lost sons: the younger son - typical of tax collectors and prostitutes - who wasted possessions with indulgent living and the older son - typical of self-righteous scribes and Pharisees - who remained at home but was a stranger to his father's heart.
Some entire chapters in the Gospels are devoted to Jesus' parables; for instance, Matthew 13:1-52 - Why Jesus speaks in parables? 'Because' he replied 'the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them. For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case this prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled:
You will listen and listen again, but not understanding,
see and see again, but not perceive.
For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,
their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes,
for fear they should see with their eyes,
hear with their heart,
and be converted
and be healed by me.
But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it. - Matt. 13:11-17 -
The peoples are taught in parables. In all this Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; indeed, he would never speak to them except in parables. This was to fulfill the prophecy:
I will speak to you in parables
and expound things hidden since the foundation of the world. - Matt. 13:34-35 -
Although parables are often memorable stories, impressing the listener with a clear picture of the truth, even the disciples were sometimes confused as to the meaning of parables. For example, after Jesus told the parable of the darnel or wheat and the tare - Matt. 13:24-30 - the disciples needed interpretation in order to understand its meaning. Jesus sometimes used the parabolic form of teaching to reveal the truth to those who followed Him and to conceal the truth from those who did not. Jesus parables therefore, fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. Like a double-edged sword, they cut two ways - enlightening those who sought the truth and binding those who were disobedient.
Most of Jesus' parables have one central point. We should not resort to fanciful interpretations that find "spiritual truth" in every detail of the parable. [The Old Testament and the New Testament requires thorough reading] The central point of the parable of the Good Samaritan is that a 'hated' Samaritan proved to be a neighbor to the wounded man. He showed the traveler the mercy and compassion denied to him by the Priest and the Levite, representative of the established religion. The one central point of this parable is that we should also extend compassion to others - even those who are not of our own nationality, race, and religion. - Luke 10:25-37 -
In finding the central meaning of a parable, we needs to discover the meaning the parable had in the time of Jesus. We need to relate the parable to Jesus' proclamation of the kingdom of God and to His miracles. This means that parables are more than simple folks stories; they are expressions of Jesus' view of God, human beings, salvation, and the new age dawned in His ministry. A good example of this approach are the parables dealing with the "lost" the lost sheep, on loss of enthusiasm in a disciple, the lost drachma/coin, and the lost son and the dutiful son. - Luke 14:34-35, 15:4-32 - The historical context is found in Luke 15:1-2 : Jesus had table fellowship with tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees and scribes, the 'religious experts' of Jesus' day, saw such action as disgusting because in their view, it transgressed God's holiness. If Jesus truly were a righteous person, they reasoned, then He would not associate with such people. He would keep Himself pure and separate from sinners.
In response to their murmuring, Jesus told them these parables. "I have found my sheep that was lost." God rejoices more, He said, over the repentance of one mortal sinner (those sitting with Him at table) than over ninety-nine virtuous persons who have no need of repentance. It is noted that the religious professionals who always congratulate themselves over their own self-achieved 'goodness.' Likewise, the prodigal son represents the tax collectors and sinners; the older son represents the scribes and Pharisees.
A major theme in Jesus' parables is the demand of following Him in authentic discipleship. We interpret them properly by picturing the story in our minds as if we lived in Jesus' day, finding the one main point, and not giving meaning to all the details. Although a few parables have allegorical elements, most parables teach only one main point. The standard procedure for interpreting parables is to find the one main point and to view the details of the story simply as illustrations, but not as the direct teaching of the parables.
Prophecy - There are two points when interpreting prophecy. The first is that what the prophet foresaw as one event may actually be two or more. For instance, the Old Testament thought of the "Day of the Lord" as one event. - Is. 2:12 - But the last days actually began at Pentecost - Acts 2 - and will conclude at Christ's return. - 2 Thess. 2:1-3 -
The second point is that although much Old Testament is fulfilled in the New Testament, much was fulfilled in the Old Testament and then again in the New Testament. Isaiah's prophecy in - 7:14 - was fulfilled in Isaiah's day, and again by Jesus' birth - Matt. 1:23 - Isaiah's prophecy had a more complete meaning in that it was to be fulfilled again at a more distant time in the future.
Prophecy declared God's word for all time, so the time of fulfillment of a prophecy is rarely indicated in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. Prophecy was technically the task of the prophet. But all truth or revelation is prophetic, pointing to some future person, event, and thing. The full panorama of God's will takes many forms; it may be expressed through people, events, and objects. Prophecy may also be expressed in many different forms through the prophet himself, whether by his mouth or some bodily action. "The focus of all prophetic truth is the Lord Jesus Christ."
Prophet is a person who spoke for God and who communicated God's message courageously. A true prophet received his call or appointment directly from God. A prophet sometimes became quite dramatic and acted out his message. Except for God's call, true prophets had no special qualifications.
Hebrew poetry does not concentrate on rhythm or rhyme. It expresses itself by parallelism. Two phrases are joined so that the second repeats the first with different words, or the second states the opposites of the first, or the second adds a new thought to the first. Sometimes the couplet will be arranged with the second phrase reversing the order of the first. Thus, when interpreting poetry, we must recognize the type of parallelism being used, since the phrases interpret each other.
Apocalyptic type of literature in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is the most misunderstood by interpreters today. It has specific rules of interpretation. Its most noticeable characteristic is its use of strange, symbolic figures, such as those in the Book of Revelation. The Greek title of this book is "Apocalypse of John" and the word "apocalypse" is a transliteration of the Greek word for revelation: any writing under this title claims to include a revelation of hidden things, imparted by God, and particularly a revelation of events hidden in the future. The language of apocalyptic writing is richly symbolic, and the importance of the visions which are described is never in their immediate literal meaning. The key to interpreting these figures lies in the Book of Revelation itself.
In - Rev.1:20 - the seven stars are interpreted as representing the seven angels, and the seven lamp-stands stand for the seven Church. In - Rev. 17:9-10 - the seven headed beast stands for the seven hills, and in - Rev. 17:18 - the woman is identified as the city which rules the earth. Thus, to understand "Apocalyptic Literature" and "Revelation" in particular, we must interpret the imagery as very figurative. The images are describing things and spiritual realities in figurative language.
Some might object that this is not understanding the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible literally. But since the Book of Revelation interprets its own images in figurative terms, the images must serve as figurative descriptions of real things. Therefore, to understand the book literally, we must understand it figuratively.
In interpreting the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, we must remember from Whom it comes. We are handling the Lord's message. This demands an attitude of respect, honesty, integrity, and our willingness to subject ourselves to God's authority. [The Old Testament and the New Testament requires thorough reading]
This is the revelation given by God to Jesus Christ so that he could tell his servants about the things which are to take place very soon; he sent his angel to make it known to his servant John, and John has written down everything he saw and swears it is the word of God guaranteed by Jesus Christ. Rev. 1:1-2 -
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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