-------------- Original message from "º^° WeS °^º " <wesfinch@gmail.com>: --------------
Dear L. Ray,
I just finished reading your newest paper on, "The Origin of Endless Punishment". In my opinion it is your best yet and is very enlightening. Your site is constantly one of my favorite places to stop in the eworld. Although not the topic of the paper you did make an interesting comment about parables:
"How many theologians believe and understand that all the parables are the same parable? Tis true:
"And He [Jesus] said unto them, Know you not this parable? And how then shall you know all parables? (Mark 4:13).
All parables are the same parable. I know: it boggles the mind. It takes the Spirit of God to understand these spiritual teachings."
I don't doubt that what you are saying may be true as I don't pretend to understand all the parables and your knowledge in the Spirit is greater than mine. However, I do find the evidence you give as to all parables are the same parable to be thin. I am just working on the assumption that what you are getting at is they all have the same meaning. He [Jesus] said this right after the "Parable of the Sower" I believe. Is not possible that He is saying something like, "Hey you can't even figure this one out how are you going to understand the others?". In my job I have trained many people and some have struggled in some areas and I thought man you are not going to grasp the remaining concepts. So to my trainee, if you don't understand this how are you going to understand the other things I need to teach you. Withing the context of this paper, I just don't see this single verse as supporting that all parables are the sa me parable. I am looking forward to your explanation as to how this is so as I learn so much.
God be with you.
Wes
Dear Wes:
My statement that all parables are the same parable is not based on one verse. That one verse is merely a signpost to that conclusion. If you look at every single parable individually, it is speaking of the same thing. One day I will go through many of them so that you will see this fact. There are many more parables than those listed by theologians as parables. The whole of Christ's teachings is one giant parable. I have even gone so far as to say that the entire Bible is one giant PARALBE, first stated in parabolic form in Gen. 1.
God be with you,
Ray
