| Parables, a Pair of Bulls and Papal Bulls |
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What are parables? They are not a pair of bulls. Nor are they a papal bull. We often hear that Jesus spoke in parables, but what does that mean? A good teaching technique is the use of stories. Parables are a particular kind of story that makes a parallel or analogy with a profound truth. A parable may be a proverb or even a riddle.
Jesus had a particular genius in transforming the everyday things of life into life transforming lessons. Many of Christ's parables were based in a society that no longer exists, so in order to understand some of the deeper meanings of them, we also need to understand history. This is called historical context, and is an important tool in studying the Bible. If we want to understand Jesus' parables, we must begin by learning about the society in which he taught them. 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 13:2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach. 13:3 And he told them many things in parables...
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