Parable of the Pearl
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Oh for sure this is a paradox as you have pointed out.
There's a principle laid out here... called propitiation.
Now where it's used incorrectly in some Bible translations this is where it actually fits if it was used here.
If we give up our worthless lives (no matter what value we put on them) in exchange we become slaves of God's. But God is infinitely a better caretaker of us than we ever could be of ourselves. The life that is to come is exponentially better than we could ever have in any other fashion.
In other words we no longer promote ourselves but instead promote Christ.
But the life we have living for Christ is more rich and fulfilling than that of the richest and blessed person on the planet.
A true paradox.
One more time with an example...
In exchange for a stainless steel spoon (when it's the only utensil we own for eating) we are given a sterling silver set for 12 that is made for an 8 course dinner...
A $0.50 spoon for a $60,000 silver set.
By the comparison it's free.
In exchange for a stainless steel spoon (when it's the only utensil we own for eating) we are given a sterling silver set for 12 that is made for an 8 course dinner...
A $0.50 spoon for a $60,000 silver set.
By the comparison it's free.
Hello,
The only entity that is telling us that it costs us to give up bad women, bad drink, bad food, bad greed, selfishness, etc. is Satan, in exchange for something of immense value, is because Satan wants us to value the bad things that we have as a result of our relationship with his as being more valuable than the things that God is offering us.
Satan is focusing our attention on the wrong end of the story, on what we had and not on what we will gain if we find the treasure that God has always offered to those who will listen to Him and receive what they have heard from Him.
This will always happen if we only read these parables from a literal sense and ignore the spiritual connections that underpin our relationship with God/Christ.
In Ezekiel, God tells Israel that He will plant them in the Field of Christ and teach them about the religion of Christ, which will come down out of Heaven as a great treasure which is more valuable than the treasure that Satan is offering us today, where they are presently living. The lie that Satan has sold to the present day Church is that before Israel can be saved, they must return to the Land of Canaan first, whereas, in Christianity, we acknowledge that our Salvation is available where ever we are living in the world. So the Church has been actively encouraging the Descendants of Abraham to return to the Land of Canaan, out of selfishness so that their rewards is available to them sooner rather than later as the scriptures teaches.
Jesus did teach to the nation of Israel on His way to Jerusalem to be crucified when the nation of Israel will reject Satan and turn once more back to God. Daniel also spoke of the foundational treasure that will come down out of heaven in our near future during the time of the kings of the fifth segment of the Statue prophecy found in Daniel 2, when Satan's grip on the people of the earth will be loosened and disrupted for a period of 1,000 years, before the hearts of the people will be separated into those that are the Lords and those that are not. This sieving process will occur after the Bottomless pit is unlocked and people are tested as to where their treasure is actually found. For those who are the Saints of God, their treasure is found stored up in Heaven for them to receive at the appointed time. For those who are not among the Saints of God their treasure is found within the Land that they desire to possess.
Oh well, each to his own understanding of God's prophetic words.
Shalom
The only entity that is telling us that it costs us to give up bad women, bad drink, bad food, bad greed, selfishness, etc. is Satan, in exchange for something of immense value, is because Satan wants us to value the bad things that we have as a result of our relationship with his as being more valuable than the things that God is offering us.
Satan is focusing our attention on the wrong end of the story, on what we had and not on what we will gain if we find the treasure that God has always offered to those who will listen to Him and receive what they have heard from Him.
This will always happen if we only read these parables from a literal sense and ignore the spiritual connections that underpin our relationship with God/Christ.
In Ezekiel, God tells Israel that He will plant them in the Field of Christ and teach them about the religion of Christ, which will come down out of Heaven as a great treasure which is more valuable than the treasure that Satan is offering us today, where they are presently living. The lie that Satan has sold to the present day Church is that before Israel can be saved, they must return to the Land of Canaan first, whereas, in Christianity, we acknowledge that our Salvation is available where ever we are living in the world. So the Church has been actively encouraging the Descendants of Abraham to return to the Land of Canaan, out of selfishness so that their rewards is available to them sooner rather than later as the scriptures teaches.
Jesus did teach to the nation of Israel on His way to Jerusalem to be crucified when the nation of Israel will reject Satan and turn once more back to God. Daniel also spoke of the foundational treasure that will come down out of heaven in our near future during the time of the kings of the fifth segment of the Statue prophecy found in Daniel 2, when Satan's grip on the people of the earth will be loosened and disrupted for a period of 1,000 years, before the hearts of the people will be separated into those that are the Lords and those that are not. This sieving process will occur after the Bottomless pit is unlocked and people are tested as to where their treasure is actually found. For those who are the Saints of God, their treasure is found stored up in Heaven for them to receive at the appointed time. For those who are not among the Saints of God their treasure is found within the Land that they desire to possess.
Oh well, each to his own understanding of God's prophetic words.
Shalom
Exactly what I said, no sacrifice is too sufficient, even unto death.
The problem is, that if hypothetically, Jesus did not want the particulars of the parables to be taken into consideration (which I believe), at what point does one realize that, and what point is this recognized? It is by the brevity of the passage, and the lack of emphasis that Jesus weighed on these details. That is, you are building a lengthy hypothesis based on one or two sentences. Consider the other succinct parables of Jesus, how many analogies can be derived when one applies such subjectivity to the text? They are abrupt, because the point is abrupt.
Matthew 13:31-35
13:31. He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; 32. and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES." 33. He spoke another parable to them, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened." 34. All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable. 35. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: "I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES; I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD."
Jesus used very short and abrupt parables, in order to make a very succinct point. You're reading way too much into it.
Matthew 13:31-35
13:31. He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; 32. and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES." 33. He spoke another parable to them, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened." 34. All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable. 35. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: "I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES; I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD."
Of course, and that's a good point. What appears as small and insignificant, God has exalted. As in the Gospel, a poor man's attraction, will bring glory to all who are fit to enter, ...but, simply that, no more exegesis required.
Do you think so? I think God gave us the seed of immortality as a gift. What do we make of it?
Matthew 25:26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
I merely speaking about the expressions in the parables. They are short, and straight to the point, no elaborate interpretation required.
Now, salvation is something different, there's not enough books in the world to do that principle justice. But, that's completely off topic.
They may be concise, but I don't think they're all that easy to understand. There seem to be two levels to them, both useful. The first was given to everyone while the second level to the disciples -- that being said, I'm not sure we understand them that well, even with the explanations given to the disciples.
Oh c'mon Giuliano, they are very straight forward and simple. Nothing overly profound about them. Novel, yes, but not obscure or esoteric. But, again, every principle of Christian theology is deep, comprehensive and exhaustive, and would require volumes to expound upon all the different levels of understanding that they convey. That goes for everything under the sun, it all can be expounded upon on so many different levels.
You're talking a two sentence phrase, and trying to turn it into an entire Gospel, I think that you're not appreciating the purpose of its simplicity.
You can find all your dissertations on Christianity elsewhere in the Bible, just appreciate a concise and brief analogy as such, when it presents itself. There are all types of literary forms throughout the Bible, one doesn't need to force one where it doesn't apply, they are everywhere else.
Hmmmm.
Matthew 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Giuliano, I was speaking about the 2 sentence parables. But even still, the mysteries that Jesus is talking about is not an entire thesis on salvation. Just keep simple, simple, and exhaustive, exhaustive. You're confusing two different principles. By the verse that you gave, you're trying to make mystery mean something very complex, but in this context it simply means hidden.
In its entirety, the Gospel is mysterious and profound, but the 2 sentence parable that Jesus cited, were just to emphasize a single particular aspect of the full Gospel. Like I said, appreciate the purpose of being succinct and brief, don't try to expand it beyond its intent. You can find what you're looking for elsewhere in the Bible.
MJR, try to take what I said in context. I was replying to someone who was being too rigid and simplistic about their views, so i just gave a viable twist to the principle of salvation in order to expose their rigidity.
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The whole Law can be expressed simply: Love God and love your neighbor. All the laws of Moses are efforts to bring people around to understanding something quite simple.
If I talk about my car, how many words would I need to describe it? What my car is would remain something of a mystery to you until you saw it for yourself. No amount of words can explain a mystery. The words only provide clues. If I tell you my car is blue and you see a red car, that tells you you haven't spotted my car yet. If I point to it and say, "That is my car," you could think I meant my finger was. If you got my intention and followed the direction I was pointing, you would see the car and say, "Aha! So that's it." It's actually quite simple, even if I used a lot of words.
If you were blind, I could talk and point all day long, and it wouldn't enlighten you. The parables were not mean to be understood by everyone.
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Jesus was referring to shallow people, people of the flesh. Speak your wisdom to fools, and they will mock you. One can very quickly separate the sheep from the goats by speaking with profundity, or philosophically. Jesus spoke in parables in order to expose their blindness, not to offer a dissertation of the meaning of Salvation, Grace and Faith.
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