The story of Lazarus and the rich man is an anomaly; some people count it as a parable while others don't. All other parables that are widely recognized as such don't have proper names, but only characters. The way they are structured makes it irrelevant whether and unlikely that they are literal historical events. The story of Lazarus and the rich man suggests that it relates real events, and is therefore not truly a parable. The story of Noah's ark is clearly historical and while it conveys spiritual truths, those truths are presently plainly, not in veiled language as in the "standard" parables. If the word "parable" is used for stories not recognized widely as such, it debases both the standard parables and the historical records, because the former are given historical weight, and the latter are considered mere stories.
One key distinction is whether the main point of the story is to illustrate a spiritual truth. Related to that is whether the specific details are critical. In the "standard" parables, they aren't. The lost coin in Luke 15 might have been a lost $1,000 dollar bill, and the story's point is the same. The lost sheep might be replaced with a calf if the story were told to a group of ranchers.
As for the two arks, think of the word "ark" as meaning "box". Noah built a big box designed to float and contain humans and animals. Moses built a much smaller box designed to be carried on poles by a few men and to contain stone tables, a jar, and a staff.
One key distinction is whether the main point of the story is to illustrate a spiritual truth. Related to that is whether the specific details are critical. In the "standard" parables, they aren't. The lost coin in Luke 15 might have been a lost $1,000 dollar bill, and the story's point is the same. The lost sheep might be replaced with a calf if the story were told to a group of ranchers.
As for the two arks, think of the word "ark" as meaning "box". Noah built a big box designed to float and contain humans and animals. Moses built a much smaller box designed to be carried on poles by a few men and to contain stone tables, a jar, and a staff.
Why would God sneak in a literal understanding in the middle of series of parables all ending with same gospel meaning?
We are to compare the spiritual unseen meaning called faith to the same . No instruction to compare the literal to the literal.