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Figures of Speech--An Introduction (3)
by Peter Wade
We see a further example of the figure of representation in Matthew 13:36-43. Jesus had taught the multitude a number of parables, and then He sent them away. He went into a house, "and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man." The one who is sowing the seed in the parable represents the Lord Jesus Christ. It was not Jesus himself who was sowing the seed in the field, for it is only a parable, a figure of representation. "The field is the world"; no, it is not -- one field is not the whole world. So the phrase is not true to fact, therefore it must be a figure of speech. The word "is" (the verb "to be") is present, one thing is said to be another, and so it is a representation -- the field represents the world. "The good seed are [the plural of the verb "to be"] the children of the kingdom"; the seed represents them. "The tares are [represent] the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is [represents] the devil; the harvest is [represents] the end of the world; and the reapers are [represent] the angels." The figure of representation is used in a series to interpret the parable. Every major part of that parable has some meaning, but in order to make it clear to us a figure had to be employed, the figure of representation.
Now let us examine a statement of fact in John 4:24 This is part of the discussion Jesus had with the woman of Samaria at the well. Jesus said to her, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." The verb "to be" ["is"] is not present in the Greek but is necessary in English, and so it appears in italics in the King James version. The italics indicate what has been added by the translators. However, the absence of the verb "to be" in the Greek is proof that the phrase "God a Spirit" is not a figure but absolute truth. In fact, the text reads "Spirit is God", placing the emphasis upon the nature of God as a truth to be comprehended.
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Now keep that truth in mind as we look at the I John 4:8, where we read another statement concerning God. "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." The word "is" is present in the original text and here we have a figure of representation, because the plain statement of fact in John 4:24 was that "God is Spirit." Now we read that "God is love." Everything about God speaks of love, God acts on the basis of love, God sheds abroad His love, God is the ultimate picture of love, but actually "God is Spirit." John 4:24 is literally true, but I John 4:8 is a figure.
We have then a beautiful figure emphasizing that one of God's characteristics is love. You could read many other statements in the Word that declare God is light, God is holy, God is pure, God is just, and you will find all these have the verb "to be" in the statement and are therefore representations. These figures of speech emphasize and bring to our attention some part of God's character. If you will read the rest of the discussion in I John chapter 4, you will find that from verse 7 onwards it concerns love down through to verse 12, and then from verse 16 to verse 21. The whole context has to do with love, and so through a figure of speech God's attribute of love is emphasized to us. There would be very little virtue in saying throughout that passage that God is Spirit, but to show one of His characteristics, that God is [represents] love, has tremendous impact in the whole argument. One characteristic of God is love, and since we are children of God we ought to be expressing the same kind of love that God has. How tremendous it is to recognise the figure of representation in the Word of God. It is most important in the New Testament to observe whether the verb "to be" is present or not, and to do this you may need to check a version such as the Concordant Literal New Testament, Newberry's Bible, The Companion Bible, or some other annotated Bible that will indicate this to you.
The Figure of Implication
Now let us take our study one step further and observe the figure of implication. Perhaps this is the most frequently employed figure of speech in the Word of God. In the figure of resemblance which we have already discussed, we would perhaps say, "You are like a beast." In the figure of representation, we might say to somebody, "You are a beast", but when we come to the figure of implication, we would simply say to that person "Beast!" The figure of implication does not have any likeness in it, as does resemblance, and it does not need a verb; it simply comes straight to the point and the implication is inherent -- "Beast!
Now the best thing for us would be to see some examples of this figure. In Matthew 16:6, we read of the teaching of Jesus: "Then Jesus said unto them, take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." Leaven is like the yeast that you put into the dough of bread so that it rises. Leaven is a physical thing. Now surely Jesus is not talking about the ability of the Pharisees and the Sadducees to make bread. No, it must be a figurative usage, the figure of implication. That the disciples were not well trained in figures of speech is clear from verse 7: "And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread." They took the figure literally! "Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason you among yourselves, because you brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up? How is it that you do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that you should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of the bread, but of the doctrine [teaching] of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees" (verses 8-12). Isn't that. a tremendous record?
Now that is where most Christian believers sit today; they just do not realize the figures that are employed. The disciples should have known that when Jesus spoke of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, he was not talking about buying bread from that group, for bread is not related to Pharisees and Sadducees; they were not known as bakers in the community. They were sects within the Jewish faith, and each of those names, Pharisees and Sadducees, represented a particular viewpoint within the Jewish religion. Why relate bread to religion? It doesn't fit, so we have a figure, and the figure is implication. I believe that perhaps this incident is one of the greatest illustrations on record of the need to understand figures of speech in the Word of God.
Let's take another example from Matthew 15:22. Jesus had come to the coast, into the area of Tyre and Sidon, "And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs" (verses 22-26). Now wait a minute, we have read nothing prior to this about dogs. Why are dogs suddenly brought into the argument? Because it is a figure of speech, a figure of implication. This woman from Canaan was not part of the Jewish religion and this was why Jesus said that He came only to the lost house of Israel, the Jewish people. He said that you do not take bread that belongs to the children and cast it to the dogs. You do not take the help that is intended for the Jewish people and give it to the other nations. Therefore, by implication, the word "dogs" is used for people who are outside the Jewish faith. But this woman turned it around beautifully and in verse 27 she said, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." And she received what she wanted through the grace and mercy of Jesus.
This same figure of implication is used in Psalm 22:16, a prophecy concerning Jesus on the cross, and it says that "dogs have compassed me." Now this was written not to indicate that there were many dogs running around the foot of the cross, but by implication the fact that at the time of his death Gentiles would be surrounding the cross.
Let us look at another example of implication, this time in John 2:18-21: "Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body." Once again a figure of speech was misunderstood by the hearers. By implication Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, that is, my body, and in three days I will raise it up." Instead of giving a lengthy dissertation on how a temple and a body have certain similarities between them, the temple is simply substituted for the body, and we have the figure of implication.
For a final example, notice Acts 20:29: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock." Is it true to fact? No, Paul was not concerned that there were wolves coming to church. It is a figure, a figure of implication concerning those who would come in and spoil the church in the same way as wolves would spoil a flock of sheep. So instead of saying that people with wolf-like characteristics are going to come into this group of believers, he said, by implication, "Wolves shall enter in among you and spoil the flock."
This figure is used constantly throughout the Word of God. It is a bold figure, a strong figure, but in order to recognize it you must have your thinking abilities in full working order. Implication is one of the figures of likeness.
The Figure of Parable
A parable is simply an extended figure of likeness in the form of a story -- a likeness with action. It is "a story with a hidden meaning, without pressing in every detail, the idea of a comparison... This likeness is generally only in some special point. One person may be like another in appearance, but not in character, and vice versa; so that when resemblance or likeness is affirmed it is not to be concluded that the likeness may be pressed in all points, or extended to all particulars. For example, a lion is used as a resemblance of Christ, on account of his strength and prowess. The Devil is likened to a lion because of violence and cruelty. Christ is compared to a thief, on account of his coming, being unexpected; not on account of dishonesty" (Bullinger).
In Luke 4:23 we have the shortest named parable in the Word of God. "And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself..." (The text actually reads "parable", this being the only place the King James translators have rendered parabole as "proverb".) Jesus is compared to a physician who attends on his own case, and the action of a physician is added to the likeness. This is a beautiful parable, full of deep meaning in the likeness suggested and the action -- the physician is curing himself.
Another parable is found in Matthew 13:24-30: "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field; But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."
This parable gives much detail and it is necessary to establish which points have teaching value -- that is, which physical things have likeness to spiritual matters and which points are merely background detail to complete the picture. Fortunately, God in His wisdom has given us the key to many of the parables, in this instance in verses 36-43 of the same chapter. The field, the good seed, the tares, the enemy, the harvest, the reapers, and the gathering and burning of the tares, are all given a spiritual meaning. No mention is made of the men who slept (the servants of the householder), the binding into bundles of the tares, nor of the barn, and so these points are given in the story simply to complete the picture. Any attempt to allot to them spiritual significance would be to go beyond the revealed will of God.
"Perhaps the most extensive parable in the Scriptures is the tabernacle and its ritual" (Keyword Concordance). Notice Hebrews 9:8-9: "The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure [the text is "parable"] for the time then present..." A parable then is simply a story giving a likeness, and by observing that likeness we can learn great spiritual truths.
This page Copyright © 2002 Peter Wade. The Bible text in this publication, except where otherwise indicated, is from the King James Version. This article appears on the site: http://www.peterwade.org/. Would you like your own copy of books by Peter Wade and other authors? Go to our Catalog. | |
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