Why are the parables about "the kingdom of heaven" being ignored???

...and how to be a christian by simply following Jesus and ignore christian doctrine.


Jesus is unique as the only biblical character who taught in parables.
He used a unique way to explain higher things in simple terms the audience could relate to.
Jesus narrated over 40 parables, with many of them pertaining to the kingdom of heaven. The beauty of the parables is that they likened the "kingdom of heaven" to simple everyday things that made it easy for people to understand.

I've noticed that these parables, i.e- Jesus' teachings of the "kingdom of heaven" are rarely mentioned or referred to by christians.... who otherwise, insist that Jesus is the main focus of the entire bible. Most christians (at least the ones I keep meeting) seem to be fixated on various doctrines and concepts... and completely ignore the parables, the very teachings of Jesus.

Besides being the messiah, Jesus also played the role of a teacher. But modern christianity has reduced Jesus to a mere sacrificial animal. Instead of going by what he said, they adhere to doctrines built around him. I feel its important for christians to go by his words, and pay special attention to the parables. The parables teach higher spiritual matters, and have nothing to do with christian doctrines... yet the parables are the part of the bible that seems to be ignored the most.


If Jesus is the central focus of christianity, and if the parables he spoke are kinda important.... then I believe I can study the parables and follow the words of Jesus and call myself a christian.
I don't need to believe the doctrines that christians believe.

Ah: Edit!

I see now --- Interesting thread indeed.

But please list some parables for us, perhaps some you really think have been ignored --- be it accidental denial or deliberate ignorance.

Originally posted by ThinkingCap
Ah: Edit!

No, that is not who wrote it. King James didn't even write or translate the "King James Version" himself.

A Brief History of the King James Bible

reply to post by ThinkingCap

But please list some parables for us, perhaps some you really think have been ignored ---

I'd say all 40 of them.

Try this....search through the religion section of ATS. How many threads on parables can you find?

Originally posted by sk0rpi0n
reply to post by ThinkingCap

 

But please list some parables for us, perhaps some you really think have been ignored ---

I'd say all 40 of them.

Try this....search through the religion section of ATS. How many threads on parables can you find?

I know of at least one...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Mine... of course

Didn't turn out great

reply to post by Akragon


hehe.... nice.

Heres mine... from a few months ago.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Yeah. The parables are intended to get one thinking, that is why they are simple and likened to things. Jesus is not complex - but there are times when people try to make him so.

The parables are things hidden from the foundation of the world - secret things. I already believe, but if I wasn't a believer, I'm curious enough of a person to delve into something, especially if I know there is a real secret to learn.

The mustard seed parable and the one about hidden leaven speak directly to the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the rising of the fire of God within. Mystical tradition calls it the divine spark of God. I like the way John the Baptist described it straight - forward - 'One comes AFTER me who will baptize you with fire and spirit.'

So little time, yet so much to learn.

Reply to OP:
The parables were written to explain why the Jews around Judea at the time of Christ missed their opportunity, where the "kingdom" is accepting Jesus.
So this is why the parables are not of practical use as a guide to life today, for people who have already accepted Jesus.

reply to post by sk0rpi0n


He taught in parables because he was damning the pharisees. He didn't want them to gain understanding and be converted and recieve salvation. He judged them and found them wanting. The disciples would then ask him to the side what he meant and to them he would tell but not the pharisees.

What doctrine are you seeking to avoid? That Yeshua is God? Good luck with that, because he is and you can find him in the entire OT.

The parables would be a interesting study..I barley looked into it and found I had to change what I thought they meant ...My error was not understanding the Jewish idioms ..Take where you see birds in the parable and think of false teachers and agents of Satan and they look different ...or levin as a idiom for sin ..and He did teach them as a judgement against the leaders after they committed the unpardonable sin ....IMOO ....peace

reply to post by lonewolf19792000

That Yeshua is God?

You are talking about a fictional character invented as a tool to subvert and eventually get rid of Christianity.
The goal of these people are to be left with two groups, 1 the Jews, and that means according to blood lines, being able to trace your ancestry through the mother's side. 2 a class of gentiles who follow noahide laws as prescribed by the rabbis, where the name, Jesus, will never be uttered. Temporarily, to break people of the habit, people will be allowed to say the name, Yeshua.
Oh, and the other thing, that is to get people used to the idea of there being no such thing as a Trinity, since Jews find that concept offensive, then to make a step in the transition, the covert tactic is to introduce the idea that Jesus was just that person YHWH, and so the superficial similarity in the names.
The fact, according to Christianity, is that Jesus took the title, the I Am, for himself, and God has always been God, regardless of whoever was using the title at the time, including the famous angel of the Lord in the OT.

reply to post by jmdewey60

The parables were written to explain why the Jews around Judea at the time of Christ missed their opportunity, where the "kingdom" is accepting Jesus.
So this is why the parables are not of practical use as a guide to life today, for people who have already accepted Jesus.

The parables cover a variety of themes.
Reading the parables today is pretty much equivalent to hearing words from Jesus' himself. Those are his words, and they help establish exactly what he was teaching.

I stand by my stance that christianity(the religion) is split from the role, message and words of Jesus. So instead of upholding doctrines through verse connecting and reading meanings into unrelated verses... it is better to read Jesus' directly words directly to understand what the message was.

reply to post by lonewolf19792000

He taught in parables because he was damning the pharisees. He didn't want them to gain understanding and be converted and recieve salvation. He judged them and found them wanting. The disciples would then ask him to the side what he meant and to them he would tell but not the pharisees.

What doctrine are you seeking to avoid? That Yeshua is God? Good luck with that, because he is and you can find him in the entire OT.

Jesus spoke quite a lot of things in the gospels and he never once said he was God.
So, how about we go by Jesus words and NOT make imaginary connections to unrelated OT verses and read meanings into them.

reply to post by sk0rpi0n

The parables cover a variety of themes.

Let me know if you find one you can't explain by them being about how the Jews missed the kingdom.
There are lots of important stuff Jesus said that are not parables, in the Gospel of John.
My opinion right now is that what we know as Christianity can be traced back to Paul, and the Gospels are basically elaborations of themes he was teaching.
I don't think that is necessarily wrong to be that way, but too many people, I think, try to see it moving in the other direction. Paul explains that he did not receive his Gospel from the Apostles, but from the risen Jesus.
Of course one must realize that only half of the books traditionally attributed to Paul are actually by Paul, the others being later forgeries.

reply to post by jmdewey60

Let me know if you find one you can't explain by them being about how the Jews missed the kingdom.

Not all parables are about Jews missing the kingdom.

For example.... take the parable of the weeds. Jesus' himself explains it.



“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
-Matthew 13:40-43


Nothing about jews in here. But rather, it applies to all humanity and is very eschatological in nature... involving the "end of the age" and judgement.

reply to post by jmdewey60

My opinion right now is that what we know as Christianity can be traced back to Paul, and the Gospels are basically elaborations of themes he was teaching.

I dont trust Paul... but I know that even Paul never taught some of the bizarre things that modern christians are saying these days...like Jesus being God himself and such.

Where did that come from? Definitely cant be from Paul or anybody else in the bible.

reply to post by jmdewey60

Paul explains that he did not receive his Gospel from the Apostles, but from the risen Jesus.

Paul is being his own witness and this should concern christians. I don't trust Paul...

If David Koresh or Fred Phelps lived during Pauls time and claimed they got the gospel from Jesus....and then managed to get their works canonized.... you can be sure that christians today will be quoting Koresh and Phelps words as "divine scripture".

Because their approach is "if its in the bible its got to be true".

Hmmm, I will seek out Jesus' word on my own time then. I'm sure as an author, he was very well spoken.
Would enjoy a proper break down of what you so desire others to understand.

Your title really got to me, but your thread was something I can relate to.
But if you don't really want to go into Jesus' parables at all, then sure my comrade - I'll go to some other thread on ATS as you ask.

People ignore the parables because they do not understand them. Christ made scripture come true from Isiah which says something along the lines of "hearing, they will not understand." Many just ignore the parables because they must draw the conclusions out of their heart. A good example is the parable of the Good Samaritan. This was a reply to someone who asked what to do to get to the kingdom of Heaven. Understand that at the time the Samaritans were considered vicious and were not liked.

"There was a man walking along a road, when he was attacked by highwaymen. These men beat him, robbed him, tore his clothes and wounded him leaving him half dead on the roadside. As the man was lying there a priest came by and saw the man, he walked to the other side of the road so he would not have to deal with him. A scribe of the temple came by, saw the man and kept up walking. Then a Samaritan came walking and saw the man. The Samaritan ran over to the man and poured wine and oil on his wounds and bandaged them up. He took the dying man to a lodge and told the owner 'Take care of this man while I'm away and when I come back here I will pay the cost.'"

In this parable it shows that reputation and stereotypes are false, because there are Good and Bad people of all sects and workings. The example is that this good Samaritan has love for his neighbor whereas the priest and scribe forsake love for pride. They also may have left him because it would make themselves unclean. But God, who is Love loves when His children show love to their brethren.
Whenever you spare love to someone who may be the least among men, you do it for Jesus. It said something along that line in revelation, but the Law of Love is written on my heart, I like love in the understanding of the bible rather than biblical technicality.

You must hear the spirit of the parable to understand it, and by hearing learning the Spirit of the Kingdom

reply to post by sk0rpi0n


I believe that Jesus taught him the gospel because he had the Holy Spirit. Don't you understand that the law is written on our hearts, and that being baptized in the Spirit bring the Life of Jesus into the body. Paul dies to the cross and leads his life by the Spirit of God. The Spirit is alive and is within all of us. If it wasn't for Paul there would be no one to lead the Preaching to the Gentiles, which is anyone outside of the Jewish religion. Paul converted a lot of people in the name of Christ. Blessed is Saint Paul who speaks in the Name of the Lord