 Okay, before we continue, are there any questions or anything that your field needs to be clarified from what we've covered so far? Okay, so we will have some time of group discussion in this hour. And I'll ask you to look at some of the examples that we had of the type and anti-type of the illustration and of a parable as well. Parables, I don't think are confusing, but the type and illustration may be confusing. So once you all do that, then we'll come back and we'll see if anyone has questions or things like that. Okay, so we look at parables. What is a parable? So it is something where two things are being compared. So an analogy is where it's saying this is like this, and you're using a story to explain something. So it's not a simple like as cunning as a fox, right? It's an analogy. But this is where you're doing a longer analogy using a story. You're comparing two things using a story. Parable will usually use stories that are things we experience in our everyday lives. So it's true to life in that it's taking our everyday experiences and it's using those stories to explain a spiritual truth. Okay, so it doesn't necessarily have to be an event that took place like we looked at with type and anti-type or with illustration that it's an historical event. With the parable, it's not historical, but it's a story that can be related to our lives, okay, to what we experience in everyday life. A parable, if we break it up, is using two Greek words, para, which is beside or alongside, and ballet, which is to throw. So to take that literally, it's like taking a story and throwing it alongside a spiritual truth and helping that story highlight some aspects of a spiritual truth to help us understand it better, okay? So why did Jesus speak in parables? We'll just read Matthew 13, 10 to 11. If someone can read that for us, please. Matthew 13, 10 to 11. And the disciples came and said to him, why do you speak to them in parables? He answered and said to them, because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. Okay, so Mark 4 also has the same verse quoted slightly differently, but the reason Jesus spoke in parables was to help those who were following him better understand his kingdom, better understand his mission and to hide that truth from other people. So there were two aspects of the parables. One was to reveal truth to certain people and to hide truth from other people, okay? And how did the people who got that revelation were able to come back to Jesus and Jesus was able to explain the truth to them? So Jesus goes on in this passage to say, those who have some understanding will be given more understanding, but those who are not listening, even what understanding they have will be taken away. So the parables gave that opportunity for people to either choose to pursue, to understand Jesus, to understand his message more or they could choose not to and based on their choice, their understanding would increase or whatever knowledge they had would be taken away, okay? So why did Jesus use parables? The parables encouraged people to think, right? It's not just giving them the truth, just like scripture talks about throwing truth to the pigs, right? Sometimes you just give truth away like that and it's taken very lightly, but this is encouraging people to think about it and if they really want to know more, they can pursue greater understanding. It is related to people's everyday lives. So the stories would help people be able to understand something that was deeper spiritually based on what they were experiencing in their everyday lives. So we see parables, the parable of the two houses, right? The wise man and the foolish man. So people are familiar with how houses are to be built. Parables talking about agriculture, parables talking about merchants, parables talking about fishing, about servants, about fathers and sons. So things that everybody, even though we are from a different culture, a different time, all of these things are things we are familiar with, we can still understand. And to Jesus's hearers, it would have been even more real because they were actually people who were practicing those things or seeing those things happen around them every day. So Jesus used those everyday experiences to help them understand his kingdom and help him understand greater spiritual things. So when they're interpreting a parable, these are some guidelines that we will use. One is take the natural meaning of the story first. What does the story mean? The parable of the sower, a farmer throws seeds on the ground, it falls in different places and based on where it falls, there are different results, right? So that is the natural meaning of the story. Even if we look at today, if somebody goes out and throws seeds on the road or throw seeds on some ground, some will fall in the soil, some will fall on hard ground, some will fall where the soil has not yet been prepared, where it has not been plowed. And so based on all of those places where it falls, the crops that grow will be different. So that is the natural meaning of the story. Then after that, you look at what was the situation that prompted that story. What happened before the story? Did somebody ask a question? Did somebody come to Jesus and say something and then Jesus responded in a parable? Or was it Jesus himself who started saying, talking about this parable and right at the beginning, did he say the kingdom of God is like this? He is saying what his purpose is for using that parable. So there is something that is stated or implied as a purpose for the parable. Is it a parable of the kingdom? Is the parable used within the context of a larger something that he is teaching? And so the parable is just used to explain that teaching more. Or is the parable used to illustrate something, illustrate a situation, illustrate what Jesus wants to teach them in that situation. So understand why has that parable been included in here? What is the context within which it's been spoken? What was the motivation behind speaking that parable? Was it to explain something further, to answer somebody's question, to respond to somebody who complained, someone who said something and Jesus responded in a parable? Was it part of his teaching? Was it a teaching on the kingdom? Is there any purpose already implied or stated as Jesus was speaking the parable? We look at some examples and hopefully that y'all can practice this. So we determine what was the main truth being illustrated by the parable. So first we were looking at the natural meaning, what the story itself means. And then we look at what was being said. So if it says the kingdom of God is like tree. So what about the tree is like the kingdom of God? Jesus is clearly pointing out what he wants to compare. So we don't start to compare all the details of the parable. We only compare what has been clearly said this is like this in the parable. Those are the things we'll try to see what is the meaning, what is the spiritual meaning that Jesus was trying to explain to his heroes or disciples. And then we always then look at the rest of scripture is whatever I've understood here from this parable in line with what scripture teaches outside. So like we said even with type and anti-type, we don't base doctrine on what we've seen in a type and anti-type. We also have to check the rest of scripture and see what is clearly talked about in scripture is our understanding of this truth in line with the truth of the rest of scripture. And then note the actual or intended response. So how did people respond to that story? Did they understand what Jesus was saying? And how did Jesus also respond to them after they responded? So example in the parable of when Jesus speaks to the rich man and he and Jesus says it's harder for a camel to enter into the eye of a needle. So the rich man went away disappointed and Jesus says it is just a revelation of how hard it is for rich people to enter because their riches are so valuable to them that they cannot give that up for the sake of God. So they value their riches more than God's kingdom. So we look at how did he respond to the people? How did the people respond to the parable as well? And that will help us understand in greater detail what was the intent of the parable itself. So we'll break off into groups like we did last week. We'll do two groups in class, two groups online. For those on Google classroom, you'll get a pop up inviting you to the group and you'll have an option to either cancel or join. So you just need to join the group. Okay, make sure you don't click on cancel that you join the group and then you can. This is what we're going to be looking at. So we look at a type and anti type. There are a few examples in your textbook. You can use one of those examples and read those passages. See whether it fulfills those six characteristics of a type. Okay, and this is just to help us understand what we have gone through in theory to practice it and see if it makes sense when we are reading scripture itself. Okay, the second is to look at an example of an illustration which is also in your textbook. So you can look at that and see whether you're able to see the characteristics of an illustration fulfilled in that example. Choose whichever one you want to look at within your group. And then the third is to select a parable. Again, in our textbook have a list of parables. The parables in the textbook don't have any references. So you'll have to find the reference and then discuss it in your group. Okay, and these are the questions you can ask while you're studying the parable. How was it introduced? Who were the hearers? And what was the expected action or response at the end of the parable? Okay, you can also use what we talked about. How do you interpret a parable? All of these things to help you interpret it together. Okay, make sense. Okay, so we'll do two groups in class. We can either take, I think there are, yeah, so one group will out five and five, right? So whichever way, however you'll want to divide, either this side and this side or the front and back or however you want to divide. We'll come back in about 25 minutes and just discuss our learning or questions based on what happens in our groups. Okay, so I'll just start the groups on Google Classroom as well. Everyone online, the instructions clear? Any questions? Okay, thank you. Okay, Andrew, no problem, Andrew. You can join back maybe in about 20 to 25 minutes and we'll just be concluding the class then so you can join back then. Okay, so I'll just start the breakout rooms. So all of us on Google Classroom make sure you join one of the rooms, okay? And don't click on cancel. Okay, welcome back. I hope you were able to get through all three questions. So any any insights or any questions based on your discussion together as you looked at those examples? Did anything come up that you'll want to share with the class? Did it help to? Okay, Andrew, you can go ahead. Thank you. Yes, Pastor. Hello. Can you hear me, Pastor? Yes. We shared on the romance chapter 5, S14, which says, Nevertheless, dead range from Adam to Moses, even over them that are not seen after the similitude of Adam's transgression. Who is the figure of him that was to come? So I was like kind of confused because yet they didn't mention a figure. So I was trying to like find out if it's actually an illustration or a type that's seen draining from Adam to Moses, then grace coming through Jesus Christ and near the Bible makes mention of a figure that is like a figure of him that was to come. So I would like some clarification if this is actually a type or an illustration. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. So you are referring to, sorry, I'm just, okay, let me just find that Romans 5 to Adam and Christ, right? Is that the one you're referring to? Yes, Pastor. Okay. So we do see here that the word used is, in the Greek is tu pos, which one of our characteristics that we said is if it uses the word type, then we'll consider it to be a type. But this specific example of Adam and Christ, we don't consider as a type rather we consider as an illustration because as someone who prefigured in a predictive way. So one of the characteristics of a type is that it is predictive. You look at it and you expect something to follow it that is going to fulfill what is being predicted in the type, right? So, but when you look at Adam's life, there is no expectation of somebody else who's going to come who will fulfill something that Adam was predicting or foreshadowing. So because it doesn't fulfill that characteristic of a type, we look at it as an illustration rather than a type. Does that make sense? Yes, Pastor. Thank you. No problem. Okay. Any, anyone else? Any insights, questions? Pastor, on the same word, does it convey that through one man's sin, we all entered into the sinful nature and through one man's obedience, we were all saved? Yes, yes. You're referring to 1 Corinthians 15, right? 1522. Yeah, 14 and 15, does it imply the same thing? 14 and 15. Oh, Romans 5, 14 you mean? Yes, yes. All belong to, okay. So just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life at Romans 5, 14. Let me just read that again. Still, everyone died from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even those who did not disobey an explicit command as Adam did. Yes, so both are pointing to the fact that under Adam, we were all destined for death, but in Christ, we have the hope of life. Okay, okay, okay, sister. Yeah, but if you look at the next verse in Romans 5, 15, it talks about how what Jesus did is so much greater. So even though there is that likeness between Adam and Christ, the grace that we receive in Christ is much, much greater than the sin or the death that came through Adam. Okay, okay, it's just an example for us illustration. Yes, yes. Okay, thank you, sister. Thank you. Okay, any other thoughts, students in class or online? Sister, we did the parable of two sons, Matthew 21, 28, and I think we did pretty well discussion regarding the two types of people and who the elders and the chief priests who were listening to Jesus and trying to corner him. And we explained that the kingdom of God will be given even to the harlots and prostitutes with repentant heart and not to the Jews who knowing the word are obstinate and that it will be given to the Gentiles as one of our sisters she discussed. And I think we did it pretty well in the parable and all these three illustrations we did. That's great. Yeah, I think going back to what prompted the parable, right? So who is Jesus addressing and what was the context within which he spoke the parable that's really important and you mentioned that you're looked at that. So that's great. Thank you. Okay, no other questions? Do you all feel like you'll understand the difference between a type and an illustration a little better after looking at the examples? Yes? Okay. Okay, great. Do you all have a question or something? Small question. We took the mustard seed and we felt it is not a type or anti type because there's no direct relevance in the Old Testament towards mustard seed and it does fulfill all the illustrations. But where we were kind of stuck is at point four of illustration. The illustration is not fulfilled by the truth it illustrates. Okay, okay. So this is where we differentiate between a parable and an illustration. So a type is different and illustration is different and a parable is different. So the parable won't need to fulfill all the characteristics of an illustration. Okay, so it may be a type, it may be an illustration or it may be a parable. But parables are very clear because they are stories, right? Although they are stories based on our everyday life, they're not historical stories and illustration will typically be a historical event or person or thing. So, okay. Yeah, so it won't be a parable will be a separate. So with a parable it doesn't need to fulfill those characteristics. It may because an illustration also does some of the things that a parable does. We don't need to look for those characteristics of an illustration in a parable. Yeah, so the way we interpret parables will be based on the other steps that we discussed. Okay, so I think we've come to the end of class. Thank you all. I hope that discussion was fruitful. We'll come back for the last hour after the break. Thank you.