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New Parable Interpretation?


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Recently I received an email, out of the blue, by a fellow who has re-interpreted a well-known Bible parable. I will post it here because I am interested to see if others got the same things from it that I got.

 

Take a moment and read it over, let me know what you think.

 

 

I would like to submit a New Interpretation/Parable on "Strive to enter the narrow gate" to Pastors and Christian Believers to review and consider….... Below Is The Final, Final Draft Of The Parable.
 
“ STRIVE TO ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW GATE ”
(New Interpretation of Parable)
 
What is the meaning of the parable? During the time of Jesus’ministry before His death on the cross, He spoke mainly to the Jews of Israel. Most of the parables spoken by Jesus was about the nation of Israel and the Jewish Priesthood only and not about other nations or future Christians. Remember prior to the cross, Grace, as we know it today, did not exist during the ministry of Jesus as He spoke to the Jews prior to His death. In Luke 13vs24, Jesus said, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” What was Jesus referring to when He said “Narrow is the gate?” Was Jesus speaking about Himself as being the narrow gate?
 
No, He was not speaking about Himself. Jesus was talking about the Law as being the Narrow Gate, not Himself He was speaking about the Jewish nation, the Jewish Priesthood exclusively. Jesus was talking about the Law as being the Narrow Gate, a small window, not Himself. Jesus was saying It’s harder to enter Paradise through the Law, this small window, this narrow gate. Jesus was saying that people who are murders, adulteress, liars, envious, prideful, spiteful, hateful, not giving to the poor, not forgiving others, false witness, sexual fornicators, abusiveness of any sort, rOBbers and thieves, upright individuals that are good citizens and anyone born with an evil nature-that means every child, the rich, the poor, every teen, every adult, every mother, every father, every Jew and every gentile in the world will not enter into Paradise, the kingdom of God through the Law.
 
The Law is the Narrow Gate. The Law said no to anyone trying to enter the Gate of Paradise. The Law made the Gate of Paradise very narrow to enter-almost impossible to enter except for a few as the scripture said, “Many Are Called but Few Are Chosen” and Jesus was referring to the Jews and the Jewish Priesthood. Jesus spoke in parables and the Jewish Priesthood knew that Jesus was speaking about them in the parables according to NKJ Bible Matt 21vs45, and the parables were very confusing to the Jews at that time period, including many Christians and preachers today who are misinterpreting the Parable (NKJ Bible, Luke 13vs24 and Matt 7vs 12,14).
 
Jesus is not the Law, the Narrow Gate, where few can only enter. When Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected, the Flood Gates of Paradise became wide open, not narrow, to capture all of humanity and not just a few. Jesus became available as a Savior to everyone who would receive Him as their Savior, including the Jews and all the gentiles in the world. Yes, the Flood Gates of Grace became available to those who were murders, adulteress, liars, envious, prideful, spiteful, hateful, not caring about the poor, not forgiving others, false witness, sexual fornicators, abusiveness of any sort, rOBbers and thieves, upright individuals that are good citizens and anyone born with an evil nature-that means every child, the rich, the poor, every teen, every adult, every mother, every father, every Jew, and every gentile in the world.
 
Yes, the Flood Gates of Grace was extended to the “Thief on the cross” as he said to Jesus, “Do not forget me when you come into your kingdom and Jesus said “today you will be with me in Paradise.” A thief in those days committed prOBably murder or violent attacks upon their victims, but the Gate of Grace, excepting Christ as his Savior gave the thief access into Paradise. The Law, the Narrow Gate would have denied the thief access into Paradise, but the blood of Christ covers all of our sins from murder to mayhem to lying and most of all the evil nature that we inherited from Adam and Eve.
 
Christian preachers today used the parables mention in this commentary to make Christian Believers doubt their salvation or perhaps, never been saved which is not true. These parables were meant for the Jews only and not meant to condemn Christians who are weak in the faith or in the process of learning to live out their salvation in the midst of their sins-all of us are a work in progress. And anyone today who is trying to enter paradise by way of works via the narrow gate will be denied access.
 
Jesus opened wide the new Flood Gates of Grace to capture you and me-all the Jews and Gentiles in the world. Without Christ as your Savior, there is the Narrow Gate of the Law for you to contend with. The Narrow Gate of the Law is still in existence. If you seek to enter into the narrow gate of the Law or works, the Lord will say” I do not know you, depart from me and He was speaking to the Jews in general and the Jewish priesthood when He taught them in the streets of Jerusalem in NKJ Bible, Luke13vs25, 27 and the Jewish Priesthood always knew that Jesus was talking about them in all His parables as in Matt 21vs 45
 
There is also the narrow gate and the wide gate of destruction that Jesus spoke about in Matt 7vs12, 14. In verse 12 Jesus was talking to the Jewish prophets, the Jewish nation in general about the Law with respect to entering the narrow gate as well as the wide gate of destruction in verse 13,14. Jesus did not explain that parable from verse 13 to 14 or the parables in this commentary as He has in other parables. Jesus was referring to the wide gate of destruction as being the Gate of Hell. He was referring to the narrow gate as being the Law which made it impossible to enter into Paradise by fulfilling the Law or through works. Jesus was saying It’s harder to enter Paradise through the Law, this small window, this narrow gate. It’s much easier to enter Paradise through Grace, through Jesus Christ.
 
And the Gate of Hell is open wide to anyone, be it an atheist, agnostic, those who could care less about the afterlife and the list goes on and on and Hell has no requirements for entering-come as you are. The Law, the Narrow gate, has the requirement of fulfilling the Law to enter into Paradise. Who can fulfill the Law? It's hard, the window is so narrow, so small and “Many are call but few are chosen” as Jesus stated.
 
In summary, the Gate of Grace is wide open- it’s not narrow, there is no Law to fulfill. And Grace is open wide to everyone, be it a murder, a thieve, an adulteress and the list goes on and on and the only simple requirement for entering into Paradise is accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior. Yes, the Gate of Grace is Wide Open To Everyone, both Jews and Gentiles-who believe in Christ Jesus as their Savior.
 
Over the years many Christians have been taught by pastors and teachers to believe the prevailing view about the Narrow gate as being Jesus and the Lord has over the years given me another understanding about these parables. Yes, it’s much easier to enter Paradise through Grace than it is by way of the Law, this small window, this narrow window and that’s what Jesus was talking about. Jesus was saying It’s harder to enter Paradise through the Law, this small window, this narrow gate. When Jesus said, “Many are call, but few are chosen,” Jesus was talking about the Jewish priesthood and the Jewish nation "As Few Being Chosen." He was not talking about Christian Believers. Just as Jesus was not talking to Christians Believers when he said in Matt 7vs 22 “I never knew you, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.” He was talking about His Jewish followers who were casting out demons prior to the Cross and stop being His followers when Jesus said, “Take this living bread my body and eat as well as drink my blood,” NKJ Bible, John 6vs 51, 66
 
Hopefully, many will see the logic of my position, this new interpretation of these parables. I am just presenting this new view of the parables for Pastors and Believers to consider, accept and to mull over in their spare time as well as having a new view of the parables to teach and share with others. Regardless of your views or assessment of my interpretation about these parables, continue to go on doing what the Lord has call you to do-whether it’s sharing the gospel message of Christ, feeding the poor, praying for the sick, caring about your earthly family and the family of God in your church.
 
END
 
GOD BLESS
 
Lou Barreto, An Original Commentary Publication, December 22, 2014, Kingdom Come Publishers

 

 

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In a word: wrong and I mean wrong in every line. The Lord never said or implied anywhere that a human can fulfill the law, it is quite impossible. The Parable is one of true faith and still rings true today. The difference for us now as opposed to those in the OT and the Gospels is the new birth. But even the new birth can ONLY come by true faith (faith as a child) in the Gospel of salvation.

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I agree. I actually responded to him and gave him what I believed was his errors. I did so kindly, figuring he really is trying to do well, prOBably in the area of teaching people to think for themselves and not be slaves to their pastors' interpretations of everything, which is correct-we should seek the truth always and verify with scripture. But in doing so, he has promoted some really poor ideas, as well as, it seems, a great misunderstanding of the subject.   And his main responses were that I just didn't understand what he was trying to say, even when I quoted his article. Finally after my fourth try, he just cut me off politely and that was that. But he was polite. So there's that.

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For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. James 2:10

 

The King James says "straight gate". The Straight Gate is entered only by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and doesn't take 12 paragraphs of hogwash to explain.

Edited by heartstrings
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A major prOBlem with the emils is it is removing Jesus from the equation. John 14:6 makes it abundantly clear that Jesus is the Way, the truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except through Jesus Christ.

Why would Jesus divert people away from Himself to a system that could not save?

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For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. James 2:10

 

The King James says "straight gate". The Straight Gate is entered only by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and doesn't take 12 paragraphs of hogwash to explain.

Actually, (get ready for spell nazi) it is 'strait' in the KJV.

 

The rest, however, I agree with.  Thanks

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A major prOBlem with the emils is it is removing Jesus from the equation. John 14:6 makes it abundantly clear that Jesus is the Way, the truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except through Jesus Christ.

Why would Jesus divert people away from Himself to a system that could not save?

See, this was my issue: he wanted to apply the strait gate to the law, as opposed to Christ, and the broad path to grace in Christ, being open for all, rather than being the path to desruction. If the verses weren't so incrediby SPECIFIC, maybe it could have a bit of wiggle room for such an interpretation, but Jesus specifically says the narrow way leads to life, while the broad path leads to destruction: it's clear as crystal.

 

This is was question to him: HOW could it possibly be reinterpreted into anything else, but what Jesus specifically said it meant? And in the end, his thought was that I misunderstood his point, and that was that. Can't say I didn't try.

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Actually, (get ready for spell nazi) it is 'strait' in the KJV.

 

The rest, however, I agree with.  Thanks

Thanks for pointing that out; you made me look it up. Both words are in the KJB and they mean two different things.

 

The word "straight" basically means the opposite of "crooked", as in Ecclesiastes 1:15 and 7:13

 

But the word "strait" basically means a "difficulty", a "quandry" , a "confined place", or "tight spot" so I suppose that "narrow" kind of fits the meaning.

 

Strait /n. 

mid-14c., "narrow, confined space or place," specifically of bodies of water from late 14c., noun use of adjective strait "narrow, strict" (late 13c.), from Old French estreit (French étroit) "tight, close, narrow" (also used as a noun), from Latin strictus, past participle of stringere "bind or draw tight" (see strain (v.)).

Sense of "difficulty, plight" (usually straits) first recorded 1540s. Strait and narrow "conventional way of life" is recorded from mid-14c. (see straight (adj.2)).

 

The "eye of the needle" is pretty tight I would say. But Jesus said "with God all things are possible". This is true, because no one gets through that tight spot and passes into eternal life without Jesus.

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Just a thought. Wasn't Father Abraham, (the one God used for these 60 or so centuries to show all of mankind what real faith is), in his 'uncircumsized' condition when his 'faith was counted for righteousness'? Yes.

That makes faith available to all mankind, because Abraham was a gentile, and there was no 'law'.

Jesus Christ was not 'just talking to the Jews and the Priests', he was talking to all of us.

The strait gate is the ONLY way to the Father, and that is through Jesus Christ! Because no one comes to the Father but by him.

Edited by Genevanpreacher
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Well, his discourse did bring me to these verses (bolding added)...

19  Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 
Romans 3:19-20

Galatians 2:16 "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

...therefore it was not a total waste to read it. It caused me to go back and look at scripture. I wonder if the author was a young Christian who didn't seek other's wisdom before he just jumped out there?

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And that's just it-I find often that, even though I know early on that I will be opposed to something, I rarely find it to be a waste to read, because these are the kinds of people that we will deal with as believers, and to know the weird things out there before we have to deal directly with it, can be a help in defending the faith well when we are slapped in the face with the weirdness that exists out there. Kind of prepares us beforehand.

But maybe that's just me.

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