Public Secrets
And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? Mark 4:13 NASB
How will you understand – What motivates people to become enthralled with mystical approaches to the Bible? What causes them to start reading the text as if it is code for some hidden secret? What emotional need is being met by involvement in neo-gnosticism, claiming that the actual events and words of Scripture don’t really matter since the deeper truth must be revealed by the Spirit?
It seems as though even the disciples didn’t understand what Yeshua was teaching. But if that’s the conclusion you draw from this text, then you’re mistaken. Yeshua was not communicating some secret knowledge that only the disciples could understand. They were confused because the lesson was an allegory and only the author of an allegory can tell the audience what the symbols in the allegory mean. This is not a secret. It is a way of teaching, a method, if you will, for drawing people into the lesson. An allegory works because the author has something in mind and until he tells you what it is, your guess is as good as anyone else’s. For thousands of years the Christian Church treated Scripture as if it were allegory. Under that assumption, the Church told the believer what the text really meant. The ring was really the gospel. The space between the breasts was really the cross of Jesus. The thorns and thistles were really Satan and his demons. On and on it goes. And, by the way, it hasn’t stopped today! There are still plenty of interpreters of Scripture who insist that it is secret code and they have the ability to decipher it. It’s not just on the Christian side of the equation. Rabbinic material is also full of this approach. After all, everyone knows that Boaz was studying Torah on the threshing floor late at night, right?
When you encounter interpreters of the text who know nothing about the original audience, the history, the culture, the language, the political environment of the author, be suspicious! No one would expect you to believe that the Gettysburg Address had nothing to do with the civil war, the battle at Gettysburg or the politics of the day. It was given to people who experienced that event. Why should we believe that the Bible is any different? Please don’t tell me, “Yes, but God is the author.” Even if that is true, God communicates in human form. Ignoring the actual life circumstances of the people He used to communicate His message is the equivalent of saying that the Bible was really written just for me and I am the only one who actually knows what it says. That is arrogance bordering on idolatry.
Do you want to know the message of the Bible? Do your homework! There isn’t any shortcut, even if the Spirit is whispering in your ear. Exegesis is not personal interpretation. The voice of the Spirit might make you feel better but that does not mean you know the first thing about the text.
Topical Index: allegory, interpretation, parable, Mark 4:13
We could say a lot about the text but the text is equal to the man. I could say be not hearers only of word but be doers also. Could I find many texts in Scripture comply with this message in. Mark. Skip as always you have a very interesting title if something is a secret how can it be public Yeshua do their hearts and Minds nothing was a secret for him. When I was growing up I was told that one day I would speak in Heavenly language some call it tongues of Fire which always caused me to was it something that only God would understand but evidence of the. Spirit of God in my life? Then I was to understand that the language would be Heaven Sent you revelation the son of God. If you repeat the conversation with your shoe and some of his disciples oh. Who do men say that I am? Then to Peter Yeshua asked him who do you say that I am? Peers response was profound you are the only son of the Living God Yeshua response man has not revealed this to you and The Story Goes On. We can speak in such a way that Yeshua is revealed in everything we say because of the actions that we live by a standard which is the high mark of the calling placed by God. Not to say that everything all the time is this way. This post for instance the people listening and the people responding only go by how they respond very few of us know each other their family life their work relationships and attitude who they are on the inside only God knows the heart of a man. So The Parables are to speak to the heart of everyone a secret code as mentioned but who each person really is sometimes in a general audience and sometimes very personal. After all Yeshua is our personal Lord and personal savior. Yeshua came primarily to seek out how to save the children of Israel. People who new inside who they were but or lied to and deceived. Yeshua came with the message of the Kingdom somewhere primarily chosen yet somewhere also called to it it was calling that really mattered. I would like you to note there are very few Direct scripture locations it is all connected same message throughout the entire book I love story from God to his family. I make no apologies for the lengthy response but I hope I made myself very clear feel of you really know me trying to be very honest and very sincere this is not something to play around with it is a message of Truth amongst the lies of this world. Make everyone have a blessed day and walk in the Peace of Our Lord for he is our Prince of Peace Hallelujah.
Hello again I looked over what I wrote one thing was missing of course context and culture is important one quote When in Rome do as the Romans. In this world but not of it. Thank you
Excellent Skip….if only people would get it!
Recently a sad reflection of how people think……we were at a Shabbat meal with a mixed crowd – Torah walkers and non-Torah walkers….. oy veh! The interpretations of verses in the Brit Hadasha that were put forward were to say the least mind boggling….. a friend and myself tried to ‘sow’ a different perspective but it fell on deaf ears!
Really when will we wake up to ‘exegesis’ – we will investigate every other aspect of our lives …. food, career, cars, education, environment etc etc but Yah’s word!?! We cut it, slice it how we want, for us/me. Really this is so dangerous…….and we propigate it to others…..don’t we know we will be held accountable for ‘our words’?
Thanks for your banging drum on context, culture, Israel, the Hebrew people etc and ‘exegesis’.
Blessings
Christine
I second everything you said, Skip and Christine! Don’t forget the admonishment that we are to be doers, and not just hearers. The minute you take even the best-sounding thing out of its box and require it to walk around on its own legs you will be able to see if it works. If I cannot take Scripture and immediately apply it to my life, I did not understand it, and perhaps neither did the person who was trying to explain it to me. Worst of all, perhaps neither of us wanted it to be applied.
And, while we are at it, the Bible is its own best interpreter. Period.
I don’t know that you sowed to deaf ears as much as you planted in the spirit. It’s the spirit that will wake up first, as so many on here have attested “i was searching and didn’t know what for…”
I came to faith about 40 years ago through a Christian mystic. Accordingly, I was
originally taught to see and understand God’s Word through a very specific (and inaccurate)
filter. Lots of supposed secrets. Add to that my many prior years of Catholicism, and you can
imagine the discarding process I’ve been through.
Thanks, Skip, for helping me confirm what the good Lord has impressed on me, that His Word
is straight up, but also requiring the rigorous digging of a sincere and thirsty heart. It seems the
knowing never ends. So fortunate to have you, and the many others here, on my journey!
Hello. Rich You Remind Me that I forgot to put in on the opening post that the experience I had could possibly be the tongues of Fire that Yeshua was speaking with. People work commenting so I thought I was off line somewhere you caused me to rethink. What the mystics also include Kabbalah?
Public Knowlege
One More Trip Around the Mountain
We’ve been here before. These footprints look familiar. The best “commentary” on the Scriptures is the Scripture itself. It says what it says. God has spoken.
Let’s stop for a moment and ask the question that begs the question: Is God (fully) able to communicate His message to [the common] man? “What do the Scriptures say?” Friend, the scriptures stand… (as read). Every [written] word of God is pure. He is a shield unto [all] those who trust in Him. We may take Him at His word, for His word and His words are flawless. Every word of God is pure. [Like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.]
~ Jesus said to them, “These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And He told them, “This is what is written… ~
~ Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe in the Name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.…
So, my friends, may we conclude (or ask) – Is it God’s will (His good pleasure) to reveal His instructions to each of us? Does He use (other) people to do so? Yes, to both. ~ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–His eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that [all] people [everywhere] are without excuse. ~
And for those of us who now live on this side of Calvary, how blessed we are! For the Word has been made flesh and has lived among us! Ahh, but wait! – There’s more! [so.much.more.] ~ For He ever lives to make intercession for us…~
I just realized that my response to Christine pretty much flies in the face of the whole blog.
I want to be clear that i do agree w/your thesis, but i also believe there IS a place for and the spirit DOES lead those who are searching to Truth.