The Prodigal Son examined

[Macabeus]

Yes good exegesis leads to sound doctrine.


Unfortunately, that’s not the case with your post.


Jesus is teaching His disciples, with the Pharisee’s listening, what to do if a person wanders away from the truth, by sinning against a brother.


Here is the same parable from Matthew.




“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Matthew 18:12-17

• If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?
• And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

Jesus defines the steps to take, to go after a person who has sinned against you to get them to repent:

1. “Moreover [likewise] if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
2. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
3. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’
4. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

James says it this way -


Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
James 5:19-20

• Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth
• and someone turns him back
• let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way
• will save a soul from death

Found = Reconciled to God: Justified - Declared to be right with God.


Lost = Seperated from God. Unjust. Unrighteous. A Sinner in need of repentance.


For one of His sheep to become lost, it must first belong to the Shepherd.



JPT

That is a decent application, but not the intent of the Parable. Context determines the intent of the parable. Check the context, friend.

 

[Macabeus]

The difference between FELLOWSHIP and SONSHIP........and to say we cannot glean truth from EVERY ASPECT of a parable goes against...EVERY WORD OF GOD IS INSPIRED AND PROFITABLE FOR.........<---2ND Timothy 3:16-17

You can glean truth from every aspect, but also you can read stuff into it that is your own thoughts and not God's if you're not careful. Always consider context.

 

[Macabeus]

In general, I agree... there is only one correct interpretation: what God intended it to mean. That can be multifaceted... or not.


In your first post, you seemed to be claiming that your exegesis was good. I was suggesting that you let others say that. Ultimately, the praise we should seek is from the Lord.

I hear you about the false accusations. I have little patience for them, especially when they are completely unnecessary, inappropriate, and baseless. It should be easier to ignore them!

If that was your intent, then I understood what you were we saying and responded accordingly.

 

[Macabeus]

The difference between FELLOWSHIP and SONSHIP........and to say we cannot glean truth from EVERY ASPECT of a parable goes against...EVERY WORD OF GOD IS INSPIRED AND PROFITABLE FOR.........<---2ND Timothy 3:16-17

So what does the lost coin represent? The same as the lost son, right?

 

[Macabeus]

Yes good exegesis leads to sound doctrine.


Unfortunately, that’s not the case with your post.


Jesus is teaching His disciples, with the Pharisee’s listening, what to do if a person wanders away from the truth, by sinning against a brother.


Here is the same parable from Matthew.




“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Matthew 18:12-17

• If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?
• And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

Jesus defines the steps to take, to go after a person who has sinned against you to get them to repent:

1. “Moreover [likewise] if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
2. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
3. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’
4. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

James says it this way -


Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
James 5:19-20

• Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth
• and someone turns him back
• let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way
• will save a soul from death

Found = Reconciled to God: Justified - Declared to be right with God.


Lost = Seperated from God. Unjust. Unrighteous. A Sinner in need of repentance.


For one of His sheep to become lost, it must first belong to the Shepherd.



JPT

Matthew and Luke are different contexts. You do know that Jesus repeated Himself on different occasions

As far as belonging to God. Jesus came first to the lost sheep of Israel. Also, you forget that the prodigal is called lost and dead, and other contexts when the Pharisees complained about Jesus eating with sinners, He said He came to call sinners to repentance.

 

[Macabeus]

In general, I agree... there is only one correct interpretation: what God intended it to mean. That can be multifaceted... or not.


In your first post, you seemed to be claiming that your exegesis was good. I was suggesting that you let others say that. Ultimately, the praise we should seek is from the Lord.

I hear you about the false accusations. I have little patience for them, especially when they are completely unnecessary, inappropriate, and baseless. It should be easier to ignore them!

By the way when I said good exegesis, I was not praising myself. I did not mean good in the sense that it was something special. I meant good as in I followed the rules of exegesis. Following the rules of exegesis leads to right doctrine. Not following the rules leads to bad doctrine

 

[Macabeus]

So what does the lost coin represent? The same as the lost son, right?

And as to your original post about no external means of calling for the prodigal, if Jesus had added that in, it would have been ungainly.

...he was eating from the husks that the swine ate. But the Father sent a messenger and said “come home, son, I still love you...

The Son represents the same thing the sheep and the coin. Lost and found.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. And He came first to the lost sheep of Israel

 

[justpassinthrough]

That is a decent application, but not the intent of the Parable. Context determines the intent of the parable. Check the context, friend.

Brother the context is clear and to whom Jesus is teaching is clear.


“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Matthew 18:15-17


Jesus is teaching the Church how to deal with those who wander away and become lost.


Lost sheep need salvation.





JLB

 

[Macabeus]

Brother the context is clear and to whom Jesus is teaching is clear.


“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Matthew 18:15-17


Jesus is teaching the Church how to deal with those who wander away and become lost.


Lost sheep need salvation.





JLB

Where do you see the parable of the prodigal son in Matthew ?

And what is the setting, and who are the three parables in luke 15 directed to. The church or the Pharisees or scribes? Context determines meaning and intent

 

[justpassinthrough]

Where do you see the parable of the prodigal son in Matthew ?

And what is the setting, and who are the three parables in luke 15 directed to. The church or the Pharisees or scribes? Context determines meaning and intent

Brother, please define the word “lost”, as it relates to the three parables listed in Luke 15.


Are the lost saved?





JLB

 

[Macabeus]

Brother, please define the word “lost”, as it relates to the three parables listed in Luke 15.


Are the lost saved?





JLB

In the parables, the prodigal son represents the Publicans and sinners, who being lost, are found

 

[Macabeus]

In the parables, the prodigal son represents the Publicans and sinners, who being lost, are found

...and the parable of the prodigal is in Luke, not Matthew. Luke 15

 

[Absolutely]

I enjoyed reading your explanation. My question would be, who preached to the prodigal to have him repent? Lost sinners just don't turn to the Lord Jesus Christ on their own. They must hear the word of the Lord to turn to Him. This prodigal remembered who he was and the goodness he enjoyed when he was close to his father.

Your thoughts?

Tons of conversions with no evangelist or message.
You have been shown it several times.
Look up "muslems coming to Jesus in dreams"
The Jailer in acts came in through belief in Jesus with no cross/resurrection message.

 

[Absolutely]

The prodigal, reflecting on his home life with his father while he had hit the skids, realized he was better off with his father than on his own. Even his father's servants had a better life than he was living. He then went to his father, and he repented his ways to his father who had never stopped loving him and he was welcomed home as though he had come back from the dead.

I like to believe his brother eventually realized how joyous his return was to the father and to him. We rejoice when all sinners come to the Lord, Jesus, so this is but a reflection of this event.

Would Anyi here reject a repented sinners simply because his or her former sins repulsed ? We must welcome all into the fold, no exceptions of any who are repented…..no, not at all.

....except the produgal left the fold.
He was saved before he left.
Had a nice relationship and home with his father.
The sinner is of his father the devil.
IOW, A different father

 

[Absolutely]

In the parables, the prodigal son represents the Publicans and sinners, who being lost, are found

Not in the parable.
You have to destroy the parable to make it say that.
Did not Jesus say they were of their father The devil?

 

[Lanolin]

In the parable the two sons had a relationship with their father, the prodigal son left that relationship and took his inheritance to spend, kind of like disowning his father in the process. He realised he was wrong and came back to his father. The other son never left, but grew resentful of his brother. The father wants to convince both sons he still loves them.

One interpetation could be the prodigal son reperesents the house of Israel and the one who stayed home was the house of Judah.

 

[John146]

Tons of conversions with no evangelist or message.
You have been shown it several times.
Look up "muslems coming to Jesus in dreams"
The Jailer in acts came in through belief in Jesus with no cross/resurrection message.

I’ll stick with what Scripture says. If experiences goes against Scripture, it is the experience that is false.

I showed you Scripture concerning the Philippians jailer but you failed to see it. Read Acts 16 again.

 

[Macabeus]

Not in the parable.
You have to destroy the parable to make it say that.
Did not Jesus say they were of their father The devil?

No, where do you read that? That is in John, I think chapter 8? We are talking about Luke 15, where they are coming to Jesus and He is explaining that He is eating with them because He did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

You're in the wrong context

 

[Macabeus]

....except the produgal left the fold.
He was saved before he left.
Had a nice relationship and home with his father.
The sinner is of his father the devil.
IOW, A different father

We must remember that the prodigal represents the same thing that the lost sheep and lost coin represents. Someone who is lost and then found

The Jews in a relational covenant with God. The sinners had gone into a far country away from Him, and needed to be found. The Pharisees were seemingly in close proximity, but with hearts far away from the heart of God, needed to be found too. Near and far, they all were lost

The Publicans were coming to Jesus, who came to save them. The Pharisees were not. Jesus, like the Father in the parable entreating the brother to come in and join the celebration, was entreating the Pharisees that their hearts in rejecting the younger brother, Publicans and sinners, and rejecting Him, they were in effect rejecting the Father

 

[Hevosmies]

Just a reminder that God works in covenants!