The Biblical Parables

Existing entirely within the Gospels, the parables were a teaching method often leveraged by Jesus. Parables (the word meaning literally "to throw alongside") were used alongside a truth that Jesus was attempting to communicate.

The parables were stories containing references to ordinary, everyday objects whose lessons were intended to convey a much deeper spiritual reality. While all hearers generally understood the items in the story, Jesus communicated many times that not all his listeners would be able to rightly interpret the meaning of the parable. The interpretations were reserved only for those God chose to reveal them to.

Key Concepts

• The parables are small stories within the Gospels that are used to teach lessons.
• The parables use basic imagery of everyday life to convey deeper spiritual realities.

Examples