Question for Evangelicals.?

Question

If the bible is supposed to be interpreted literally, why did Jesus speak in parabels?

Answer 1

He spoke in parables because He recognized that most of His listeners were unbelievers who would stubbornly refuse to listen. On the other hand, the believers were given spiritual assistance to understand. Jesus explains this at Matthew 13:

11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

‘ Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’

(Isaiah 6:9-10)

Also, Evangelical Christians do not believe that the entirety of the Bible is to be interpreted literally. Our rule of thumb is this: interpret literally unless the context decisively rules out a literal interpretation. For example, much of Revelation cannot be interpreted literally; it must be understood as apocalyptic ("veiled") literature that can only be understood by studying the Old Testament.

Answer 2

Ahhh yessss, the old "Fields" conundrum!

As a patrimonius theologian of eschtakalogical mendacity,
I have researched this question for many years.

I have consternated that the appropo solution to this germaine and incumbent problem should be best expressed in the following manner:

There was a man who had four kitty cats.
the first kitty chased mice, the second could not drink milk, the third chased his tail and the fourth climbed the curtains.

Jesus is like the first kitty cat, all the people of the world are like mice. God the Father is like the second kitty cat, milk is sin.

The Bible is the third kitty, the tail is biblical knowledge.

The fourth kitty cat is the non-believer who is trying to get the Hell away from all the other kitty cats.

Answer 3

A parable makes more sense to a group of people who are used to illustrative figures in culture. Myths and Morality tales are always easier to follow (especially when young) then Meta-philosophy.

If we take the Bible literally then we know that Jesus told these stories at these times, nowhere does it say the parables actually happened.

Answer 4

So people could find more ways to twist the fiction stories into a means of control.

Answer 5

For the sake of those who did not know the meaning of the word, 'literally'!

Answer 6

have you ever heard of
THINKING

PUZZLES are like maps, like life with ins and outs,

take time to apply some of the parables to your life experiences and you will have a major clue to your question.

peace

Answer 7

So people could understand.