Parables of the Kingdom

Biblical Text

The "parables of the kingdom" are the parables in which Jesus taught about the kingdom of God through stories drawn from everyday life. In the narrower sense, the term refers to the seven parables gathered in Matthew 13. Jesus called these "the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 13:11).

• Parable of the Sower (13:1-23)
• Parable of the Tares (13:24-30, 36-43)
• Parable of the Mustard Seed (13:31-32)
• Parable of the Leaven (13:33)
• Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl (13:44-46): the hidden treasure and the pearl are counted as two parables.
• Parable of the Net (13:47-50)

In the broader sense, the term also includes other parables that begin with "The kingdom of heaven is like…" These include the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (18:23), the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (20:1), the Parable of the Wedding Feast (22:2), and the Parable of the Ten Virgins (25:1). In Mark 4 and Luke 13:18-21, parables of the same kind appear as parables of "the kingdom of God."

Background

"Kingdom of heaven" translates the Greek basileia tōn ouranōn, which literally means "the kingdom of the heaven(s)." The expression occurs mainly in Matthew, while Mark and Luke present the same material in terms of "the kingdom of God." A widely accepted explanation is that "heaven" was used in place of "God" in keeping with the Jewish custom of avoiding direct use of the divine name. Basileia refers less to territory than to a king's rule, that is, to his reign.

The imagery of the parables came from the daily life of the farmers and fishermen of the time: sowing seed, leaven mixed into dough, and nets cast in the Sea of Galilee. In explaining why Jesus spoke in parables, Matthew quotes Isaiah 6:9-10 (13:14-15) and Psalm 78:2 (13:35).

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

The Old Testament confesses God as King over all the world and promises a kingdom that shall never be destroyed (Daniel 2:44). Jesus proclaimed, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17), teaching that this promise had begun to be fulfilled in him. The parables of the kingdom present two aspects together: the kingdom is now small and hidden, yet it will surely grow, and it will be fully revealed at the final harvest and judgment. These two aspects provide an important framework for understanding the kingdom of God.

Interpretation and Issues

• Meaning of "heaven": In everyday usage, "heaven" often refers to the place one goes after death. In these parables, however, the kingdom of heaven refers chiefly to the reign of God that has already begun. The afterlife is treated in Heaven and Hell.
• Kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God: Most interpreters regard the two expressions as synonymous. Some interpreters within dispensationalism, however, distinguish between them and read Matthew 13 as describing the hidden form of the kingdom during the church age.
• Leaven and mustard seed: These parables are usually read as depicting a small beginning that spreads widely. Others, however, noting that leaven sometimes symbolizes corruption in Scripture (Matthew 16:6; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8), read the parable of the leaven as depicting the spread of evil within the church.
• Tares: Jesus explained that the field is "the world" (13:38). Augustine is said to have appealed to this parable in his controversy with the Donatists, arguing that the church contains a mixture of true believers and others.
• Treasure and pearl: Some interpret the one who sells all he has to make the purchase as the believer seeking to gain the kingdom, while others interpret this figure as Christ.
• Method of interpretation: Allegorical interpretation, which seeks a symbolic meaning in each detail, has persisted since ancient times. Since the late nineteenth century, the view that each parable should be read for a single central lesson is reported to have gained wide acceptance among scholars.

In the Korean Church

The New Korean Revised Version renders the phrase as cheonguk ("heavenly kingdom," commonly understood as "heaven"), while the New Korean Standard Version and the Korean Common Translation render it as haneul nara ("kingdom of heaven"). Because cheonguk is used in the Korean church mainly to refer to the afterlife, preachers expounding Matthew 13 sometimes take care to point out its sense of God's present reign.

Shincheonji, which major Korean denominations have designated a heresy, is reported to treat the parables of Scripture as hidden codes and to emphasize instruction in its own interpretations of them. Counter-cult counseling organizations have criticized this method of interpretation.