The Meaning, Nature, Forms and Purpose of Jesus' Parables

SAPIENTIA GLOBAL JOURNAL OF ARTS, HUMANITIES AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES, 2020

The Parables of Jesus are the essential part of his teachings as well as the aspect which has suffered a lot of misunderstanding. The argument of this paper is that Jesus used his parables to convey his message in such a way that it would leave lasting impression on those who heard him. His primary purpose was to communicate and not conceal his message. Understanding his parables requires a holistic approach which entails coming to grips with, not only the meaning, nature, characteristics and literary purpose of parable in Jewish culture but also with how they function in the teachings of Jesus and how they are adapted by the evangelists.

Acta Theologica, 2009

Research history on parable studies, new Definition and methodology how to Interpret New Testament parables

A point of agreement between historical-Jesus scholarship and Johannine scholarship is that there are no parables in the Fourth Gospel. Th e following article, however, questions this consensus on both historical and literary grounds. Drawing on the insights of memory research, the following discussion will not seek to peer 'behind' the text, but rather embraces the text itself as a historical document of the memory of Jesus. Additionally, new genre theories necessitate a shift in the application of form criticism to the parable genre. Taking these new methodological insights into account, one fi nds texts in John that have the same right to be called 'parables' as texts found in the Synoptic Gospels. Furthermore, these Johannine parables, in their specifi c form of remembering, preserve and reveal important theological aspects of Jesus' parables.

2014

One of the aspects that biblical hermeneutics deals with is the question of literary genres present in the Holy Scriptures. A parable is certainly a distinctive genre of biblical literature. We find it most frequently in the Gospels because Jesus used this genre in his teaching very often. Why? Not without a reason was Jesus called the Teacher. He was the Teacher in the full meaning of the word and he was aware of that his listeners – often very simple people – on more than one occasion might have difficulty understanding remarkable secrets he preached to them. That is why he applied different methods in accordance with the principles of rhetoric in order to impact the widest audience. Due to parables – short stories that convey a comparison of some known life situations or pictures – he could certainly easier influence a significant number of listeners and impart them in a simple way sublime contents of the kingdom of God, God’s love, mercy and salvation. Countless publications of ...

2009

This article proposes a methodology for interpreting the parables of Jesus. The methodology put forward has as starting point two convictions. Firstly, the difference between the context of Jesus’ parables as told by Jesus the Galilean in 30 CE and the literary context of the parables in the gospels has to be taken seriously. Secondly, an effort has to be made to at least try to avoid the fallacies of ethnocentrism and anachronism when interpreting the parables. In an effort to achieve this goal it is argued that social-scientific criticism presents itself as the obvious line of approach. Operating from these two convictions, the method being proposed is explained by using 12 statements (or theses) which are discussed as concisely and comprehensively as possible. It is inter alia argued that the central theme of Jesus’ parables was the non-apocalyptic kingdom of God, that the parables are atypical stories (comparisons), and that the parables depict Jesus as a social prophet.

A Study on the Parables of Jesus

Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 2001

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 2006

The parables of Jesus recorded in the Gospels are profoundly challenging, not only as far as their original audience is concerned, but equally so as far as present day readers, hoping to fully grasp their meaning, are concerned. Renewed efforts to interpret these parables were made by a number of first-rate scholars, who published their research results in a book entitled “The challenge of Jesus parables”, which forms part of the McMaster New Testament Studies Series. This review essay focuses on some of the book’s main characteristics, in particular the resurgence of allegory, the Gospel contextualization of the parables and their application to contemporary issues of life.