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There is so much confusion as to what the parables really mean and how to interpret them. I know we can spend years trying to learn the parables, but for today's study the intention will be practical application and why this message is one geared for those in church ministry, or anyone who teaches and preaches the word to unbelievers.

I will be discussing two Philosophy of ministry models the contemporary church seems to have regarding the parables of Jesus

View #1- The Parables are a foundational ministry model on how to teach and preach the word to unbelievers.

Churches in the Armenian/Weslyian camp especially like this view. Often these churches are not fundamentalist in nature, nor conservative to say the least. But contemporary user friendly pragmatism type of churches. During my years attending a Christian and Missionary Alliance college and taking ministry courses I was taught that the best way to preach and teach to unbelievers was to use parables as Jesus did instead of plainly preaching the word of God as commanded in 2 Tim 4:2-4. This is why when I attend seminary I plan to attend a fundamentalist Bible driven seminary where I will be taught differently.

Notice that in Jesus's parables he often referred to things in the culture of his day and place. In Mark 4 for example with the parable of the Sower Jesus mentions the following in his parable.

Farmer

Seeds

Path

Rocks

Birds

Soil

Plants

Grouping the items together as one category and we come to the conclusion that the following belongs in a Agriculture farming culture. And by studying the culture context where this parable was preached at which would be Galilee as where a some 19 of Jesus parables. By studying the culture of Galilee we learn the Agriculture was the major industry of that time and place. To be more precise Agriculture was the major industry in all of Israel during ancient biblical times.

There were 6 major agriculture seasons and they were.

I. SOWING TIME. Tisri, latter half (beginning about the autumnal equinox.) Marchesvan. Kisleu, former half. Early rain due = first showers of autumn.

II. UNRIPE TIME. Kisleu, latter half. Tebet. Sebat, former half.

III. COLD SEASON. Sebat, latter half. Adar. (Veadar.) Nisan, former half. Latter rain due (Dt 11:14; Je 5:24; Ho 6:3; Zec 10:1; Jas 5:7; Job 29:23).

IV. HARVEST TIME. Nisan, latter half. (Beginning about vernal equinox. Barley green. Passover.) Ijar. Sivan, former half., Wheat ripe. Pentecost.

V. SUMMER (total absence of rain) Sivan, latter half. Tammuz. Ab, former half.

VI. SULTRY SEASON Ab, latter half. Elul. Tisri, former half., Ingathering of fruits.

(Eastons Bible Dictionary)

For even more depth on the culture of the Bible, check out the book (Manors and Customs of Biblical Times, by Ralph Gower).

 So what those in many contemporary Evangelical Churches are doing today, with the example of the parables of Jesus to their best interpretation are translating the parables to communicate the following premise.

PREMISE-Bringing in the culture into the church and in our teaching and preaching is a good thing and will be used to save souls. So therefore its perfectly okay to include the following in our churches.

Worldly Music

Movies

Video Games

Personnel subjective stories that place an individual personnel experience to the same weight as scripture

So in many of these type of churches the leaders do all they can to connect and relate with the people of the world. They bring in the worlds music, movies, video games, and mannerisms into the church. And their sermons are filled with personnel stories. Often in these type of churches little expository preaching is ever done, and when it does happen if it ever does, most of the people are so not used to it, that they often refer to it as boring.

Sadly Pastor Joel Osteen is perhaps the best example of this type of philosophy of ministry. Osteen may have a good heart, but his sermons are way too often sadly dominated with stories instead of scripture. Anyone living in this type of environment will in time become very ignorant of the scriptures! John MacArthur wrote a book called "ReckLess Faith" and says the following about this paradigm; "Modern church leaders seem obsessed with methodology, psychology, pragmatics, attendance figures, felt needs, popularity polls, and the like--all to the detriment of biblical doctrine. And when doctrinal understanding declines, real discernment becomes impossible" (Reckless Faith, 38). So it is that thousands if not millions of Christians are ignorant of the scriptures, and the church leaders are to blame for it. They fail to teach and preach the Word boldly, and persistently in their churches, and people become ignorant as a result. Just look at the Christian market and see. Why do we need so many audio tape & CD audio Bibles, concordances, and different variations of the word to appeal to the felt needs of man? The reason is because people are not interested in the word in these kinds of churches, and why the second view of Jesus Parables is crucial.

View #2- The Parables were a Judgment to the unbelieving world and should never be used inside the church of God or with the Elect.

We know from the scriptures that the church is for the children of God and not the unbeliever. Perhaps the cults that read this message will disagree, but this message is not intended for them, but for the elect. My apologetics messages are for them, which often they have eyes that fail to see and ears that fail to hear the truth of their deadly doctrine they are steeped in.

This is why I believe that the parables were said in judgment to the world.

Mark 4:11 & Mark 4:34

English Standard Version
[Mk 4:11] And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables,

New International Version
[Mk 4:11] He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables

English Standard Version
[Mk 4:34] He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

King James Version
[Mk 4:34] But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

Notice that Jesus clearly said that he was intentionally speaking in parables to the world and not plainly.

Jesus was quoting passages from Isaiah which are listed below.

Isaiah, Chapter 6, Verses 9-10, English Standard Version

And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes;lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

Isaiah, Chapter 8, Verse 16, English Standard Version

Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples.

It seems very clear that the parables were indeed said as a judgment upon the unbelieving world. The secrets were given only to the elect.

Looking at the entire ministry of Jesus his parable approach did not gain many converts. So to conclude I believe that anyone teaching and preaching the word to unbelievers is better off not trying to preach and teach in ways they can relate, but rather in whatever way that does not compromise the word of God. Sadly many in the contemporary evangelical church are doing the opposite as previously mentioned and compromising the word of God in their own efforts to save the lost. The bottom line is that the minister must boldly preach the Good News and he must boldly call people to repentance. Jesus's first public message at the start of his ministry was to call sinner to repentance. The scripture says this.

2 Timothy, Chapter 4, Verses 1-4, New King James Version

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead ? at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

Anyone not fully preaching the gospel to sinners, and ONLY preaching "milk shake" type sermons that "relate" and meet the "felt needs" of sinners is ashamed of the gospel.

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