Interpreting the Parables

by Blomberg, Craig L.

• ISBN13: 9780830839674
• ISBN10: 0830839674
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-09-01
• Publisher: Ivp Academic

Summary

In the last century, more studies of the parables were produced than for any other section of comparable length in the Bible. The problem is that few students of the Bible have access to these studies. In this substantially new and expanded edition, Craig Blomberg surveys and evaluates the contemporary critical approaches to the parables--including those that have emerged in the twenty years since the first edition was published.The classic works of C. H. Dodd and Joachim Jeremias set the direction for nearly all further parable studies in this century. Embodied in both scholars' approaches are at least two assumptions that, for the most part, have gone unchallenged: (1) Parables make one and only one main point. (2) Parables are not allegories. But can these assumptions be supported by the evidence?Challenging this view and making his own important new contribution to parable studies, Blomberg argues that within proper definitions and limits, the parables are in fact best seen as allegories. In support of this "minority report" concerning parable interpretation, Blomberg not only sets forth theoretical considerations but devotes attention to all the major parables, providing brief interpretations that highlight the insights to be gained from his distinctive method.

Author Biography

Craig L. Blomberg (Ph.D., Aberdeen) is distinguished professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary and the author of The Historical Reliability of the Gospels (revised) and The Historical Reliability of John's Gospel.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations of Periodicals	p. 9
Preface	p. 13
Introduction	p. 17
The Previous Scholarly Consensus	p. 19
The Sizable Minority Report	p. 23
Newest Developments	p. 25
The Scope and Outline of This Book	p. 27
Methods & Controversies in Interpreting the Parables
Parable & Allegory	p. 33
The Current Debate: Two Main Approaches	p. 33
Parable vs. Allegory	p. 33
Parable as Allegory	p. 40
Evaluating the Debate	p. 55
Contemporary Literary Criticism	p. 58
The Rabbinic Parables	p. 68
Conclusions	p. 79
Form Criticism & the Parables	p. 82
Classical Form Criticism	p. 83
The Method	p. 83
Critique	p. 86
Hypotheses of the "Guarded Tradition"	p. 108
Memorizing Jesus' Teachings	p. 109
New Insights into Oral Folklore and Social Memory	p. 111
Conclusions	p. 117
Redaction Criticism of the Parables	p. 119
Positive Contributions	p. 122
The Illustration of Distinctive Themes	p. 122
The Significance of the Larger Contexts	p. 128
Invalid Allegations	p. 136
Misleading Parallels	p. 136
Dictional Analysis	p. 137
The Theology-History Dichotomy	p. 137
Prophecy After the Event	p. 138
Characterizing the Parables in Different Synoptic Sources	p. 139
Mistaking Stylistic for Theological Redaction	p. 141
Misrepresenting the Theology of an Evangelist	p. 143
Conclusions	p. 147
New Literary & Hermeneutical Methods	p. 151
The New Hermeneutic	p. 152
The New View of Metaphor	p. 154
A Critique of the New View of Metaphor	p. 156
Structuralism	p. 164
The Ideology	p. 165
The Method	p. 166
Surface Structures	p. 169
Poststructuralism/Postmodernism	p. 171
Deconstruction	p. 172
Reader-Response Criticism	p. 174
Other Literary Approaches	p. 180
Sociological Approaches.	p. 184
Conclusions	p. 188
Conclusions to Part One	p. 192
The Meaning & Significance of Individual Parables
Simple Three-Point Parables	p. 197
The Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32)	p. 198
The Lost Sheep and Lost Coin (Lk 15:4-10; cf. Mt 18:12-14)	p. 211
The Two Debtors (Lk 7:41-43)	p. 220
The Two Sons (Mt 21:28-32)	p. 226
Faithful and Unfaithful Servants (Lk 12:42-48; Mt 24:45-51)	p. 233
The Ten Virgins (Mt 25:1-13)	p. 238
The Wheat and the Tares (Mt 13:24-30, 36-43)	p. 244
The Dragnet (Mt 13:47-50)	p. 251
The Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31)	p. 254
The Children in the Marketplace (Mt 11:16-19; Lk 7:31-35)	p. 262
Conclusions	p. 267
Complex Three-Point Parables	p. 269
The Talents (Mt 25:14-30; cf.Lk 19:12-27)	p. 269
The Laborers in the Vineyard (Mt 20:1-16)	p. 281
The Sower (Mk 4:3-9,13-20 pars.)	p. 288
The Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37)	p. 295
The Great Supper (Lk 14:15-24; cf. Mt 22:1-14)	p. 303
The Unforgiving Servant (Mt 18:23-35)	p. 314
The Unjust Steward (Lk 16:1-13)	p. 322
The Wicked Tenants (Mk 12:1-12 pars.)	p. 329
Conclusions	p. 338
Two-Point & One-Point Parables	p. 340
Two-Point Parables	p. 340
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Lk 18:9-14)	p. 340
The Two Builders (Mt 7:24-27; Lk 6:47-49)	p. 347
The Unprofitable Servant (Lk 17:7-10)	p. 351
The Seed Growing Secretly (Mk 4:26-29)	p. 355
The Rich Fool (Lk 12:16-21)	p. 359
The Barren Fig Tree (Lk 13:6-9)	p. 363
The Unjust Judge (Lk 18:1-8)	p. 368
The Friend at Midnight (Lk 11:5-8)	p. 375
The Householder and the Thief (Mt 24:43-44; Lk 12:39-40)	p. 379
One-Point Parables	p. 381
The Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price (Mt 13:44-46)	p. 381
The Tower Builder and the Warring King (Lk 14:28-33)	p. 385
The Mustard Seed and the Leaven (Lk 13:18-21 pars.)	p. 391
Other Passages	p. 396
The Sheep and the Goats (Mt 25:31-46)	p. 396
Shorter Metaphors	p. 403
Conclusions	p. 406
The Theology of the Parables: The Kingdom & the Christ	p. 408
Classification	p. 408
Kingdom Theology	p. 416
Present vs. Future	p. 418
Reign vs. Realm	p. 423
Personal Transformation vs. Social Reform	p. 426
The Kingdom and Israel	p. 430
Christology	p. 434
Explicit Christology?	p. 435
Implicit Christology Indirectly Expressed?	p. 438
Implicit Christology Directly Expressed	p. 441
Conclusions	p. 445
Conclusions to Part Two	p. 447
Name Index	p. 450
Scripture Index	p. 457
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