Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

[Melach]

Peter himself said it. That is enough evidence for me. I don't try to teach a Jew what is contained in the Law of Moses.

st.peter never said anything about law of moses there. you realize the apostles and jews of Jesus' day did all sorts of things not in the law? like when the pharisees told the apostles to wash their hands before eating and Jesus confronted them about it saying thats not God's law but your tradition. im talking about the verses in matthew 15:

"Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

Jesus says its ok and explains the real teaching:

“Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

jews have this same problem today. they got so many rules in their antichrist talmud that are not biblical and make them look like idiots really. have you seen some of those guys driving bicycles with a tent on top because its feast of tabernacles? ridicilous. or phones that make a phonecall without pressing buttons since thats somehow breaking sabbath lolz

 

[John146]

Book(s)/Chapter(s)/Verse(s)?

Jesus speaking in the future tense. I will be build my church upon the rock of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 

[Guojing]

st.peter never said anything about law of moses there.

Acts 10:28

 

[John146]

Jesus speaking in the future tense. I will be build my church upon the rock of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

 

[John146]

if the body of Christ only started with saving of st.paul what body were people joining in acts 2? and what about st.peter who went to preach to cornelius a gentile, what body did he join?

Paul persecuted the church.

 

[Guojing]

I think its time all of us go back to the OP and addressed that parable, at least before bringing in related topics.

 

[Lightskin]

Is not believing in the d,b,r for sins the requirement to be a part of the body of Christ, the Church? Paul says yes.

I read your post and wanted to take time to ponder it before responding to you. What you say makes perfect sense and is biblically supported however what Gary shared also makes sense as well.

I believe the people who put their faith in Jesus before his death, burial and resurrection are a part of the body of Christ. If not technically before His death, burial and resurrection, then definitely now.

 

[John146]

I read your post and wanted to take time to ponder it before responding to you. What you say makes perfect sense and is biblically supported however what Gary shared also makes sense as well.

I believe the people who put their faith in Jesus before his death, burial and resurrection are a part of the body of Christ. If not technically before His death, burial and resurrection, then definitely now.

So, you believe there are different ways to get into the body of Christ? What did these Jews put their faith and trust in? Jesus Christ for what?

 

[Lightskin]

I think its time all of us go back to the OP and addressed that parable, at least before bringing in related topics.

It’s all good, friend. I saw that the parable was set aside but that’s OK. I enjoy learning and appreciate what you share. 😎

 

[Lightskin]

So, you believe there are different ways to get into the body of Christ? What did these Jews put their faith and trust in? Jesus Christ for what?

Re-read my post slowly and deliberately. I said, people who “put their faith in Jesus”.

 

[John146]

Re-read my post slowly and deliberately. I said, people who “put their faith in Jesus”.

Yes, but put their faith and trust in Jesus for what? To be part of the body of Christ, one must put their trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ, His d,b,r for sins. No one did this before the cross.

 

[Guojing]

Yes, but put their faith and trust in Jesus for what? To be part of the body of Christ, one must put their trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ, His d,b,r for sins. No one did this before the cross.

I think what he meant was to put their faith in Jesus as their promised Messiah and Son of God, as what John 20:31 and John 3:16 are saying, reinforced by what Peter stated in Acts 2:36

 

[John146]

I think what he meant was to put their faith in Jesus as their promised Messiah and Son of God, as what John 20:31 and John 3:16 are saying.

Yes, but the Lord says in John 3, when I am lifted up that whosoever believeth in me...not before. And John 20 is after the resurrection.

 

[Guojing]

Yes, but the Lord says in John 3, when I am lifted up that whosoever believeth in me...not before. And John 20 is after the resurrection.

The Gospel of the Kingdom was valid before the cross, and continue to be valid one year after the cross, as the parable of the barren fig tree explained.

In that gospel, the Jews had to repent and believe in Jesus as their promised Messiah, together with water baptism (Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38)

 

[John146]

The Gospel of the Kingdom was valid before the cross, and continue to be valid one year after the cross, as the parable of the barren fig tree explained.

In that gospel, the Jews had to repent and believe in Jesus as their promised Messiah, together with water baptism (Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38)

Yes, I agree. The kingdom was at hand in early Acts. I believe with the stoning of Stephen, the gospel of grace would start going out to the Gentiles. Acts 8 you get Samaritans believing, and the first Gentile being saved, the Ethiopian Eunuch. Paul gets converted in Acts 9.

 

[Lightskin]

Yes, but put their faith and trust in Jesus for what? To be part of the body of Christ, one must put their trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ, His d,b,r for sins. No one did this before the cross.

I respectfully disagree. The multitudes of people we see in the Gospels who had faith in Jesus were healed of their inflections, forgiven of their sins and saved.

In Luke chapter 7:36-50 we see how a sinful woman approached Jesus seeking forgiveness. The last words in that story are Jesus’ saying to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” That seems to me she became an immediate part of the body of Christ.

 

[EleventhHour]

Yes, but put their faith and trust in Jesus for what? To be part of the body of Christ, one must put their trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ, His d,b,r for sins. No one did this before the cross.

Are you stating no one was saved before the cross?

 

[John146]

Are you stating no one was saved before the cross?

They were not saved like you and I. They were safe from God's judgment.

Were they:
Born again
Made new creatures in Christ
Redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ
Sealed by the Holy Spirit
Part of the Church, the body of Christ
Absent from the body, present with the Lord

The best they could do is end up in Abraham's bosom. We've got something better.

 

[Hungry]

A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’

The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’ ~~ Luke 13:6-9

My question is, what is the moral of the story? Does it pertain to Israel and Jesus’s ministry of three years? It seems like there should be more to the story. Thoughts?

In the narrative that precedes it, Christ is encouraging repentance or perish. His parable immediately following is showing God’s patience has a limit. We all only have limited time. We were invented/engineered/created to do work for the Master. He flooded the world to start again, He sent prophets, He led them in and out of captivity, and finally He sent His Son to once again call His employees back to Him. The benefits are good and the retirement package can’t be beat. If they don’t want to be “fruitful”, then they will perish.

 

[garee]

A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’

The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’ ~~ Luke 13:6-9

My question is, what is the moral of the story? Does it pertain to Israel and Jesus’s ministry of three years? It seems like there should be more to the story. Thoughts?

Not all Israel is born again Israel . A outward Jew in respect to the flesh the things seen represent the temporal is used to give us the unseen spiritual understanding (walk by faith) . Eternal God uses the unbelieving outward Jew to represent the whole of faithless humanity . The demonstration was to the whole world of unbelief, no faith.

There will be no more demonstrations given . New prophecy will cease as it has . Behold he had warned the believers beforehand when that great tribulation came .The Jew lost their identity to be used to represent God's people . He was now using all the nations as his new kingdom of Priest as ambassadors sent for a foreign land not of this world. .

It must of upset the "law of the fathers". A tribulation of confusion and caucus like never before or ever again . They even said. . . all things written in the law and the prophets (sola scriptura) was heresy so that they could keep the "law of the fathers" as oral traditions of sinful men Keep the false prophecy coming....

It would not be possible to deceive the elect today. They know Revelation is the last book in the book of prophecy . They would seem to understand that the seven seals are applied for some reason .It has been cut off. Having all the laws by which we can know Him not seen by faith sealed in a book.

Mathew 24: 21-26 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.