ABC’s for Interpreting the Prophets, Proverbs, and Parables

It is vital for us as Christians to rightly read, interpret, and teach the Bible. Paul likens false teaching to staff infection. He tells Timothy, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene" (2 Tim 2:15–17 ESV). It's easy to misrepresent God by misinterpreting Scripture especially when it coms to types of literature that we are not familiar with. Below are some principles the help you interpret prophets, proverbs, and parables. It's my hope that this can guide you as you read through the Bible.

ABC’s for Interpreting the Prophets, Proverbs, and Parables [1]

PROPHETS
 
The Prophets - “At the most fundamental level, a prophet is someone who is sent by God with a prophecy—that is, a message from him” (Plummer, 299).
 
A. APPLY Deuteronomy

• Deuteronomy is the key to reading the prophets. Prophets are covenant enforcers.
• In Deuteronomy 28, the LORD promises blessings for covenant obedience and curses for covenant disobedience. One of these curses for disobedience was devastation to the land (read portions of Deuteronomy 28).
• Prophets speak out about two things primarily – idolatry and injustice.

Example:
In Joel, we find the prophet Joel telling of a recent locust plague that came upon the land. This has come because of their disobedience (read Joel 1:1-12).

B. BEHOLD Repentance

• The prophets are not simply telling the future. They are predicting the future in order to bring about repentance to their present day.
• The prophets bring a message of destruction, but also a message of salvation. Even though they are not steadfast in love and faithfulness, the LORD is and wants them to be saved.
• Instead of idolatry and injustice, they LORD wants righteousness (love for God) and justice (love for people).
• 2 Chronicles 36:15 - The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers [prophets], because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.

Example: 
Joel calls his hearers to repent. If they repent, they will be saved and blessed (read portions of Joel 1:13-2:27).

C. CONSIDER Christ and the New Covenant

• The prophets are messengers of the Messiah.
• The prophets are messengers of the New Covenant.
• 1 Peter 1:10–11 - Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.

Example:
Joel predicts the New Covenant (read Joel 2:28-32). Peter says this prophecy was fulfilled through Christ (read Acts 2:1-40).

Practice: Read Malachi and practice your ABC’s.
How does Malachi APPLY Deuteronomy, or the Law of Moses?
Can you BEHOLD a call to repentance in Malachi?
How does Malachi point forward to make you CONSIDER Christ and the New Covenant?
 
PROVERBS

The Proverbs - Proverbs are “pithy observations on the normal workings of life” (Plummer, 355).

A. ASSUME Exceptions

• Some proverbs assume exceptions.
• Example: Proverbs 10:4 - A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
• While this is generally true, there are people are extremely wealthy and can afford to lie around all day.
• Proverbs are not promises but general principles

Example:
Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. While this is a general principle, it is not a foolproof guarantee, as there are many godly people with wayward kids.
 
B. BELIEVE with no Exceptions
 

• Some proverbs need to be believed without exception.
• “Insofar as a proverb describes a quality of God (holiness, knowledge, etc.), that proverb is true without exemption” (Plummer 358).

Examples:
Proverbs 6:16–19 - There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

Proverbs 11:1 - A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.

C. CONTEMPLATE Wisely

• Some proverbs are seemingly contradictory.

Example:
Proverbs 26:4 - Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.

Proverbs 26:5 - Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

“We must realize the circumstantial nature of proverbs to affirm the truth of both these proverbs. Depending on the receptivity of the fool to rebuke, one of these proverbs will apply to any fool’s folly. . . . Wisdom about the situation is needed” (Plummer, 356).

Practice: Read Proverbs 31:10-31 and practice your ABC’s.
What are some exceptions that we can ASSUME? (Hint: Does a woman today who fears the LORD must learn how to sew and so on?)
What are some things that we should BELIEVE with no exception? (Hint: Look at verses 11 and 30.)
Where do we need to CONTEMPLATE wisely? (Hint: Look at verse 18.)
 
PARABLES

The Parables - "About one-third of Jesus's teaching is in parables.” (Plummer, 396).

A. Pay Attention to ACCUSTOMED Imagery in the Parable

• Just as we automatically think donkey = Democrat and elephant = Republican, “Jesus first-century audience and the early readers of the Gospels also were accustomed to certain stock imagery” (Plummer, 406).
• “Not all details in a parable have significance. Rather, many details simply make the story interesting, memorable, or true to life for the hearers. . . . To attempt [to decode everything] is to head down the misguided path of allegorical interpretation” (Plummer, 408).
  
  

Some Examples of Accustomed Imagery (Plummer, 411):
Stock Image – Father

Significance – God

Scripture – Luke 15:11-32

Stock Image – Son

Significance – Israel, a follower of God

Scripture – Luke 15:11-32
 
B. Pay Attention to the BEGINNING of the Parable

• A lot of parables begin by saying something like, “This is what the kingdom of God is like.”
• This shows us that the primary purpose of parables is to tell us about the kingdom of God.
• “The primary focus of the parables is the coming of the kingdom of God and the resulting discipleship that is required” (Snodgrass via Plummer, 405).
• “The kingdom theme, in turn is often expressed through… ‘the graciousness of God, the demands of discipleship, and the dangers of disobedience’” (Plummer quoting Blomberg, 405).

Examples:
Matthew 13:24 - He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.”

Matthew 18:23 - “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.”

Matthew 22:2 - “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.”

C. Pay attention to the CONTEXT Clues in and Around the Parable

• The gospel writers will tell you why the parable is here.
• “The authors of the Gospels often clue us to the meaning of a parable by including information about why Jesus uttered that parable or by grouping together parables on similar topics” (Plummer, 411).

Examples:
Luke 18:1 (The Parable of the Persistent Widow) - And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

Luke 18:9 (The Pharisee and the Tax Collector) - He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:

Luke 15:1–3 (The Parable of the Lost Sheep) - Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable...

“Any interpretation that neglects this authoritative word of guidance is sure to go astray” (Plummer, 411).

Practice: Read Luke 15:11-32 and practice your ABC’s.
Is there any ACCUSTOMED imagery in this parable?
How does the parable BEGIN? (Hint: Even though this parable does not follow “the kingdom is like” formula, what can still learn about the kingdom from this parable.)
What are some CONTEXT clues that help interpret this parable? (Hint: Go back to Luke 15:1. Notice also, the two parables that come before Luke 15:11-32).

         
[1] These lessons are adapted from Dr. Brian Vickers’ video lectures, (Hermeneutics, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) and Dr. Robert Plummer’s 40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2010).