Bible Discussion Thread

Jesus says that parables are His special teaching device for revealing truth to those who are willing to receive it, while concealing truth from others who have rejected it. In Matthew 13 He speaks in parables so that His disciples will be able to learn about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. They are mysteries in the sense that these truths had never been told in the Old Testament. This is new revelation about the visible, earthly kingdom from the lips of Christ, and it is only for those who are ready and willing to receive it. Interestingly, Jesus does not identify the seed as the gospel. He says the seed is the word of the kingdom. In other words, it is teaching about the future millennial kingdom. Likewise, in Matthew 13, when Jesus refers to the word of the kingdom in the parable of the sower, the disciples understand that Jesus is talking about a visible, earthly kingdom. Jesus never challenges their thinking to consider otherwise. He apparently wants them to think He is teaching about the kingdom, not the gospel.