Why was it necessary for Christ to hide truth in a parable

[Diserner]

“To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but for those who are outside, everything comes in parables, 12 so that WHILE SEEING THEY MAY SEE, AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR, AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND IT WOULD BE FORGIVEN THEM.”

Why if man is born with no ability to receive biblical truth is Christ hiding the truth in a parable? How is it that this is to prevent a circumstance in which they might otherwise return (repent) and be forgiven?

You really have to study the context of Isaiah 6 and his ministry to Israel, what Israel had been through and where they currently where, to understand what Christ is saying here.

In both passages the point is not AT ALL that God is DELIBERATELY trying to withhold truth from any people, but rather that people have so hardened themselves they no longer hear God.

Both the Calvinist AND the Provisionist fail to look at the actual CONTEXT of Scripture.

If one tries to make the argument that JUDICIAL HARDENING somehow disproves SPIRITUAL INABILITY, that logically fails on all accounts, because GOD'S GRACE can be working on us even from conception.

Judicial hardening is the removal of preceding grace so that the sin nature solidifies back into its natural state—that's why depraved people can become depraved all over again.

This is the SNEAKY SWITCHEROO from the Provisionist crowd to try to give natural ability and goodness to man without the need for unmerited favor in Christ, and then slap the label "gift" on it.

 

[armylngst]

It makes no sense and God is not irrational

Remember Calvinism, unregenerate is like Lazarus in the grave.,

And regenerate is when Jesus calls Lazarus out of the grave, and faith, belief, and salvation comes after he comes to Jesus.

 

[armylngst]

I think you are spot on with starting with God in our study, after all theology is the study of God. I begin with who is God apart from His creation then work from there.

You can't take Him separately from THE creation, or you lose what it means when we say He is the Creator. There is a list of rights and privileges that come with that. Those which are rejected by Arminians.

 

[TomL]

And regenerate is when Jesus calls Lazarus out of the grave, and faith, belief, and salvation comes after he comes to Jesus.

Not found in scripture and you have not shown the necessity to hide truth from a dead man.

 

[TomL]

You really have to study the context of Isaiah 6 and his ministry to Israel, what Israel had been through and where they currently where, to understand what Christ is saying here.

In both passages the point is not AT ALL that God is DELIBERATELY trying to withhold truth from any people, but rather that people have so hardened themselves they no longer hear God.

Both the Calvinist AND the Provisionist fail to look at the actual CONTEXT of Scripture.

If one tries to make the argument that JUDICIAL HARDENING somehow disproves SPIRITUAL INABILITY, that logically fails on all accounts, because GOD'S GRACE can be working on us even from conception.

Judicial hardening is the removal of preceding grace so that the sin nature solidifies back into its natural state—that's why depraved people can become depraved all over again.

This is the SNEAKY SWITCHEROO from the Provisionist crowd to try to give natural ability and goodness to man without the need for unmerited favor in Christ, and then slap the label "gift" on it.

You have a major problem if they were so harden not to mention the fact your theology states they have no capacity to believe God's truth why is he hiding truth so they will not believe

it and your argument make no sense.

 

[TomL]

@TomL
Maybe these verses can help one to better understand, 1 Corinthians 9:19 "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more." 1 Corinthians 9:20 "And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;" 1 Corinthians 9:21 "To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law." 1 Corinthians 9:22 "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." 1 Corinthians 9:23 "And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you."

101G.

???????

How does that address the issue of the op

 

[TomL]

the Lord Jesus did not hide any truths but it was their understanding of his speech they could not grasp. listen, John 8:43 "Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word." STOP, was all deaf? no, they hear, but did not understand. here is a principle. "a truth can be spoken, but because it is not the right time for the hear to understand.". see one can speak a scriptural truth, but it may not be perceived/or understood correctly, at that time. and with this a soul could be damage or lost because of the TRUTH... "AT THAT TIME".

one can be scripturally correct, but Spiritually in ERROR. an elder mother told me that a long time ago. she put it this way, "sometimes one has to give up the right for the wrong.". at that time I did not understand what she meant until many years later. sometime a teaching can for some be before the hears needs. this is why one must go to the hear level of speech.

101G.

This says he did

Mark 4:10–12 (NASB 2020) — 10 As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve disciples, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but for those who are outside, everything comes in parables, 12 so that WHILE SEEING THEY MAY SEE, AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR, AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND IT WOULD BE FORGIVEN THEM.”

 

[Diserner]

You have a major problem if they were so harden not to mention the fact your theology states they have no capacity to believe God's truth why is he hiding truth so they will not believe it and your argument make no sense.

Can you stop spamming "Calvinism man bad" for a few moments and actually read through what I wrote instead of mindlessly regurgitating a non sequitur Flowers force fed so many people?

Not to mention you should really remember I'm anti-Calvinist myself. My theology does NOT and never HAS stated that people CANNOT believe God's truth AT ALL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, it states that IN ALL CASES people need the GRACIOUS HELP OF GOD to be able to perceive truth.

I don't think your actions really show you care about honest, sincere and mature dialogue or the truth behind it.

You just want to spam your mindless points and thump your chest and tell yourself you "won."

 

[Diserner]

This says he did

No, it does not "say" that.

YOU say it says that.

But IT does not say that.

 

[101G]

???????

How does that address the issue of the op

it, the GOSPEL, was not hid because one must first have a basic understanding of the subject matter that is being taught in the Parable.
in order to build a house, one must first lay the foundation. and just looking at the foundation give no IDEA of what the House looks like.

101G.

 

[Diserner]

the Lord Jesus did not hide any truths but it was their understanding of his speech they could not grasp.

Good post.

 

[101G]

This says he did

Have you read a scripture before and then later read the same scriptures weeks or a month later, and then the second time understand ... NOW, what you read before a month or a week before, did you not see it? was it hid? no, you just did not understand the verse at that time.

101G

 

[TomL]

Have you read a scripture before and then later read the same scriptures weeks or a month later, and then the second time understand ... NOW, what you read before a month or a wekk before, did you not see it? was it hid? no, you just did not understand the verse at that time.

101G

Text

Mark 4:10–12 (ESV) — 10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that “ ‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’ ”

 

[TomL]

it, the GOSPEL, was not hid because one must first have a basic understanding of the subject matter that is being taught in the Parable.
in order to build a house, one must first lay the foundation. and just looking at the foundation give no IDEA of what the House looks like.

101G.

Do you speak to a dead man with a parable?

Calvinists believe Christ did

it makes no sense

 

[armylngst]

Do you speak to a dead man with a parable?

Calvinists believe Christ did

it makes no sense

Jesus did. Why? So that they remained dead.

 

[Diserner]

so that “ ‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’ ”

You are importing direct intention to Christ the grammar does not necessitate.

When it says "so that" it does not mean Christ is using these things deliberately to hinder people from understanding.

Why would a loving Christ even do that? Don't you see that's against the character of a loving God?

No, the word "hina" which is translated as "so that" means here "with the result that."

It's just the inevitable consequences of their actions.

 

[TomL]

Jesus did. Why? So that they remained dead.

How is it he could have told them all explaining it in plain speech and your theology still says they would not understand

so why is he hiding truth in a parable?

BTW you just refuted you own doctrine of total inability

as you clearly expressed the idea they could have believed if spoken to plainly

 

[Diserner]

Do you speak to a dead man with a parable?

it makes no sense

You need to understand EVERYONE Christ spoke to was spiritually dead at one time.

His WORDS are what bring life.

"MY WORDS ARE SPIRIT AND LIFE."

His words are not this mental information nonsense from Flowers where people accept propositions about data.

His words are SPIRIT and LIFE, that is, they contain a supernatural element.

 

[TomL]

You are importing direct intention to Christ the grammar does not necessitate.

When it says "so that" it does not mean Christ is using these things deliberately to hinder people from understanding.

Why would a loving Christ even do that? Don't you see that's against the character of a loving God?

No, the word "hina" which is translated as "so that" means here "with the result that."

It's just the inevitable consequences of their actions.

Read the text

Mark 4:10–12 (ESV) — 10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that “ ‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’ ”

 

[TomL]

You need to understand EVERYONE Christ spoke to was spiritually dead at one time.

His WORDS are what bring life.

"MY WORDS ARE SPIRIT AND LIFE."

His words are not this mental information nonsense from Flowers where people accept propositions about data.

His words are SPIRIT and LIFE, that is, they contain a supernatural element.

But he did not hide the truth from everyone so they would not believe

And Calvinist theology says there could not have believed unless they were regenerated first

Hiding truth would be unnecessary if Calvinism is true

It's as plain as day