Parables by John MacArthur, A Review

John MacArthur has a book entitled Parables and it is a thoughtful and deep look into the teaching of Jesus. It examines the method of story-telling Jesus often used, in parables. Parables are stories with a core truth or lesson and the center of the story. They are stories that are to help us better grasp the keeping concepts of philosophy, theology and the soul.

Jesus used parables to help his disciples understand the mysteries of the gospel and the kingdom of God. We can also understand the mysteries of the kingdom if we would take the time to dive deeper into the words that Jesus taught.

It’s easy to look at parables on the surface and draw the initial meaning from them. Yet, Jesus talked about a deeper meaning that could only be revealed through the Holy Spirit. It’s implied that there were some who couldn’t fully understand the meaning of the parables because their spiritual eyes had not yet been opened.

As Christ-followers in our current culture we must dig into the scriptures rather than take them at the surface without study, contemplation or examination. A good spiritual practice would be to pray before reading these passages in order to focus our hearts on the true meanings of God’s word.

John MacArthur draws out much of the deeper meaning of the mysteries of the kingdom of God through his study of the parables.  This study is fleshed out in his book Parables. At the bare minimum it is a healthy study of the parables themselves and the meanings found therein. I highly recommend the book, not just for academic excellence but for spiritual edification and growth.

John MacArthur’s Parables Official Description

Pastor-teacher John MacArthur helps readers understand Jesus’ parables and how they relate to the whole of His message.

Jesus was a master storyteller, and the parables He told were ingeniously simple word pictures with profound spiritual lessons. Understanding the parables is a crucial matter for followers of Jesus. Jesus told parables so His people might comprehend His message about the kingdom of God clearly.

Master expositor and Bible commentator John MacArthur has spent a lifetime explaining the Word of God in clear and comprehensible terms. In Parables he helps Christians understand the essential lessons contained in the most famous and influential short stories the world has ever known.

Links related to John MacArthur’s Parables:

• Tim Challies: Parables
• Southern Baptist Theological Seminary: Parables are ‘salvation stories’ says John MacArthur in Southern Seminary’s Mullins Lectures 
• Christian Bookshelf: Review of John John MacArthur’s Parables