Alternative interpretations of the parable of the pearl

cloudyday2

Generic Theist
Supporter
Jul 10, 2012
7,381
2,352
✟568,802.00
Country
United States
Faith
Agnostic
Marital Status
Single
For you to say the above shows you are not a believer or a follower in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Forum Rules state you cannot denigrate our Lord & Savior.
I think @JackRT was merely describing the behavior of the person who discovered the treasure as rotten - not Jesus for telling the parable. The behavior does seem mildly rotten to modern ears, but that is only because we don't understand the laws and customs of that day. I suppose two thousands years in the future people might think behaviors today are rotten. For example, the idea of people changing jobs in an effort to make more money might seem disgustingly self-centered and petty, but today it seems sensible.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

JackRT

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Oct 17, 2015
15,722
16,445
80
small town Ontario, Canada
✟767,295.00
Country
Canada
Faith
Unorthodox
Marital Status
Married
Upvote 0

hedrick

Senior Veteran
Supporter
Feb 8, 2009
20,250
10,565
New Jersey
✟1,147,348.00
Faith
Presbyterian
Marital Status
Single
Most parables aren't allegories. Any basic introduction of the Gospels will make that distinction clear. The text says "kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls". But that needn't mean (and in this case probably doesn't mean) that the merchant is the Kingdom. Rather the whole situation shows how we should regard the Kingdom. We should give up everything else to have it.

I don't think the issue here is one of Greek syntax. I'm not an expert, but as far as I can tell, the syntax is straightforward. Rather it's a literary question: what type of literature is a parable?
 
Upvote 0

FireDragon76

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Apr 30, 2013
30,473
18,454
Orlando, Florida
✟1,249,087.00
Country
United States
Faith
United Ch. of Christ
Marital Status
Legal Union (Other)
Politics
US-Democrat
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."
Parable of the Pearl - Wikipedia

Most teachings on this parable equate the kingdom of heaven with the pearl, but the English translations I have read seem to equate the kingdom with the merchant.

If the kingdom of heaven is the merchant, then the pearl becomes the humans who are purchased through the crucifixion of Jesus. I like the parable better in that form.

Is there anybody who understand the Greek? What was the originally intended meaning?

The Gospel of Thomas's version of it seems to imply that the Pearl represents the Kingdom of Heaven:

Jesus said, "The Father's kingdom is like a merchant who had a supply of merchandise and found a pearl. That merchant was prudent; he sold the merchandise and bought the single pearl for himself. So also with you, seek his treasure that is unfailing, that is enduring, where no moth comes to eat and no worm destroys." (76)
 
Upvote 0

FireDragon76

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Apr 30, 2013
30,473
18,454
Orlando, Florida
✟1,249,087.00
Country
United States
Faith
United Ch. of Christ
Marital Status
Legal Union (Other)
Politics
US-Democrat

Jesus isn't really a modern moralist, and it's a mistake to read him that way, though. The Parable of the Shrewd Manager, for instance, makes sense within the dynamics of a shame/honor culture of clients and patrons, which Jesus actually lived in.

Parable of the Unjust Steward - Wikipedia

Jesus is saying people that have been given much but done very little in this life of any good, or who had opportunities but neglected them, will suffer for it in the next life.
 
Upvote 0

Mathetes66

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Feb 24, 2019
1,031
867
Pacifc Northwest
✟90,217.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
"I think @JackRT was merely describing the behavior of the person who discovered the treasure as rotten - not Jesus for telling the parable. The behavior does seem mildly rotten to modern ears, but that is only because we don't understand the laws and customs of that day. I suppose two thousands years in the future people might think behaviors today are rotten. For example, the idea of people changing jobs in an effort to make more money might seem disgustingly self-centered and petty, but today it seems sensible."

You cannot divorce the actual story Jesus is using & apply modern thinking. That makes for a very incorrect interpretation. You are correct in that he doesn't understand the eastern culture of that day in terms of property issues.

But that still isn't the issue of the meaning of the story or context AND that Jesus would NEVER use a rotten person as an example of someone finding a great treasure or a pearl of great value and selling all they have to obtain it, that is entrance into His kingdom.

The kingdom of heaven is like that great treasure or that one pearl of immense or great value. One will sell everything they have to obtain it--that is the point Jesus is making for someone who wants to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus is the KING of that kingdom! He should know what He is talking about. He would never use a rotten character to describe someone willing to give up all they have to enter into His kingdom, believing in Him. He desires holiness & righteousness for those to enter His kingdom. There will be no one entering who is unclean or a liar or a murderer or one who is sexually immoral.

Because that is the case, Jesus would never use a sinful person as an example like that. Those people are the ones who are CAST OUT OF THE KINGDOM, not those trying to enter it.

The rest of the parables in context show that; weeding out the rotten people from the righteous & good people. The whole context argues against that type of interpretation, let alone Jesus holy character. Why is it people IGNORE who is giving the story & His character of holiness, to even suggest such a thing, that Jesus would ever tell a story like that.

Revelation 22:3-5 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God & of the Lamb will be in it & His servants will worship Him. 4They will see His face & His name will be on their foreheads. 5And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light & they will reign forever & ever.

14Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life & that they may ENTER the city by the gates. But OUTSIDE are the dogs & sorcerers & the sexually immoral & murderers & idolaters & EVERYONE WHO LOVES & PRACTICES FALSEHOOD.

Jesus would NEVER tell a story to promote someone who loves & practices falsehood, especially someone wanting to enter the kingdom of heaven! That is what He came to judge righteously.

Matthew 18:2-4 He called a little child to Him & placed the child among them. And He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you are converted & become like little children, you will NEVER ENTER the kingdom of heaven.

Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but WHOEVER CAUSES one of these little ones who BELIEVE IN ME TO STUMBLE, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck & to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

If what Jesus teaches here is the truth, then there is no way He would ever tell a story about a rotten person seeking to enter the kingdom of heaven when He tells a story of an innocent child seeking to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus would never tell a story that would cause one to stumble & KEEP them from entering.

This is what he said the hypocritical Sadducees, scribes & Pharisees taught!

Matthew 23:13-16 BUT WOE TO YOU, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites, because you SHUT OFF the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do NOT enter in yourselves, nor DO YOU ALLOW THOSE WHO ARE ENTERING TO GO IN.

14Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites, because you DEVOUR WIDOWS' HOUSES & for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

“Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea & land to make one proselyte & when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides..."
 
Upvote 0

cloudyday2

Generic Theist
Supporter
Jul 10, 2012
7,381
2,352
✟568,802.00
Country
United States
Faith
Agnostic
Marital Status
Single
The kingdom of heaven is like that great treasure or that one pearl of immense or great value. One will sell everything they have to obtain it--that is the point Jesus is making for someone who wants to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
That was also the opinion of the DVD study that I watched on this parable - the merchant is the person seeking to enter the kingdom of heaven and the pearl is the kingdom of heaven. However, @Monk Brendan wrote in post #2 that the Eastern churches prefer an interpretation where "Jesus is the merchant who gives up all He has to purchase us." That question is why I started this thread.
 
Upvote 0

Mathetes66

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Feb 24, 2019
1,031
867
Pacifc Northwest
✟90,217.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
"That was also the opinion of the DVD study that I watched on this parable - the merchant is the person seeking to enter the kingdom of heaven and the pearl is the kingdom of heaven. However, @Monk Brendan wrote in post #2 that the Eastern churches prefer an interpretation where "Jesus is the merchant who gives up all He has to purchase us." That question is why I started this thread."


Thanks for having this thread, for discussion on it. And yes, eastern churches prefer that interpretation but notice the word 'prefer.' It does not mean that is the only one that they accept.

I can understand that the 'application' of that interpretation because other places the Scriptures plainly teach that Jesus gave His life on a cross, took the curse of the law of sin & death for us & victoriously rose again from the dead--conquering the power of sin over us & death over us--& giving eternal life to those who trust in Him for their righteousness & salvation.


And for JackRT, he is on the right path concerning the rotten or evil person who doesn't enter God's kingdom of heaven, but that idea is not in vss 45,45 but in the other parables in the context of Matthew 13:45,46.

And those specific ones show a CONTRAST to the good seed or those who believe in the King & who enter the kingdom of God vs the bad seed or the ones who are evil & of the evil one rebelling against the King of the kingdom of heaven.

There will be no evil people entering the kingdom of HEAVEN. They will be weeded OUT of it & cast outside of it. Only those imputed the very righteousness of the King will be able to enter in & shine like the sun or the stars of heaven. (in glory)

But here are some reasons within the context & passage of why I prefer the understanding that it is talking about someone entering the kingdom of God & giving up all they have to obtain it, after discovering the immense value of entering it.

The message of God, the word of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven remains the same in the whole context. This is the seed sown in the world, that if sown in the right soil, it will spring up, grow & bears an actual crop of fruit (grain) in the harvest, in the hearts of those who believe, being regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

Matt 13:18,19 “Hear then the parable of the sower: when ANYONE HEARS THE WORD OF THE KINGDOM & does not understand it, the evil one comes & snatches away what has been sown in his heart.

vs 38 "The field is the world..."

The purpose of sowing the seed is to get good seed that sees the immeasurable value of entering the kingdom of heaven & that produces a crop & is fruitful for the kingdom of heaven; in other words, disciples of the kingdom having given all, in order to preach the word of the kingdom, so that more might repent & believe in the gospel & be saved. (principle of multiplication)

There are those who hear the word of the kingdom & understand it & out of a good heart believe it & give up all they have to enter it, then demonstrate they are the good seed of the Son of Man by multiplying themselves, being seed that actually produces a crop of grain.

'One sows, another waters, another breaks up the ground & fertilizes & another reaps, but God gives the growth.'

SIMILE: a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, using terms: as, like--& used to make a description more emphatic or vivid.

The whole context is using similies concerning the 'kingdom of heaven' being like something different but making the description of it more emphatic or vivid. A similar passage from the Old Testament to also read is Ezekiel chapter 17.

Jesus preaching was all centered on entering His kingdom--how this is accomplished & what is required in order to do so.

Unless you are born of water in birth & born a second time of the Spirit you cannot see nor enter the kingdom of heaven.

Unless you become converted & humble yourself like a child, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

The kingdom of heaven IS AT HAND. Repent & believe the gospel.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but ONLY the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven."

"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks to the Son & believes in Him shall have eternal life &I will raise him up at the last day.”

"What do I STILL lack?" Jesus looked at him, loved him & said to him, “There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own & give to the poor & you will have treasure in heaven. Then come & follow Me.” But the man was saddened by these words & went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus looked around & said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Mark 9:47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes & be thrown into hell (the Gehenna of fire, the lake of fire).

Again the emphasis on what the kingdom is like continually portrays those that do certain things will enter it & those who don't won't enter it; those who produce fruit & those who don't; the good seed & the bad seed, the good fish & the bad fish; the good & the evil people; the righteous & the unrighteous people, etc.

Matthew 13:44-46 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again & in his joy he went & sold all he had & bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one very precious pearl, he went away & sold all he had & bought it.

These two parables are almost identical. The first one says treasure in general, the second treasure is identified as a precious pearl of great value.

The reason I don't favor the man finding the treasure or the merchant examining various pearls until he finds the precious one of great value as Jesus selling all He had & buying it--is because Jesus owns all things in heaven & earth as God. He didn't sell all that. And who in the world, if He did sell the whole universe, to whom did He sell it?

Jesus when He came to earth, did not lose any of His Deity, when He became a man. Because He took on a human body limited in time & space, that did not diminish any of His Deity at any time. He did not 'sell' it or lose it or had to buy it. Adam lost it all when he sinned. Not Jesus.

Jesus did make Himself of 'no reputation.' He didn't draw attention to Himself but to His Father & His Father's teaching. He humbled Himself, even to die with criminals on a cruel cross, an instrument of humilation, shame & torture. But He was innocent, holy, set apart from sinners.

But by His shed blood on the cross, He did purchase back from the slave market of sin, those who repent, believe the gospel, follow Him & enter in to His kingdom, which is everlasting. He gave His life for us, to redeem us from sin, Satan & this worldly system. But Adam was the one who lost all of it. Jesus came to reconcile all things to Himself.

But Jesus didn't have to sell all that He had. He still owns 'the cattle on a thousand hills.' He was a carpenter for awhile & I'm sure He did good carpentry but was a man of humble means. He didn't have much in terms of worldly possessions, to sell. He was poor when He began His ministry, with no where to lay His head & at the end of His physical life as a man, the one garment He owned, they cast lots for it.

The emphasis in each parable is upon what the man & the merchant FOUND. This precious item was worth selling everything they had in order to obtain this one thing.

One thing you still lack....

Martha, Martha, you are anxious & troubled about many things. BUT ONE THING IS NEEDFUL. Mary has discovered it & has chosen the GOOD portion, which shall not be taken AWAY from her.

One thing have I desired & THAT I will seek...

One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek...

'One thing I do know: I was blind & now I can see.'
 
  • Like
Reactions: cloudyday2
Upvote 0

Noxot

anarchist personalist
Supporter
Aug 6, 2007
8,191
2,450
37
dallas, texas
Visit site
✟231,339.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
What I want to know is did the merchant end up selling the pearl so he can have more riches or did he keep it for himself?

Based on some of the other parables and some of the things Jesus told us to do, I would say that the merchant stopped being a merchant.

Maybe you could see the merchant as a person's ongoing life of perceptions and desires and The Pearl a symbol of a person's discovery or arrival to enlightenment/salvation.

The merchant is the saint or Monk who went about their daily business of seeking God day by day in practice and by study. Then one day they found God more than they ever had before.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cloudyday2
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Mathetes66

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Feb 24, 2019
1,031
867
Pacifc Northwest
✟90,217.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
"What I want to know is did the merchant end up selling the pearl so he can have more riches or did he keep it for himself?"

Best to interpret as the CONTEXT reveals it & not add to it speculations & presumptions. Repeated: the kingdom of heaven is like...

The issue is what the merchant FOUND, out of all the pearls he examined, he found one of exceptional VALUE. In order to obtain it, it cost him everything he had. Now the real issue is the spiritual truth behind the story or parable. This illustration points directly back to the kingdom of the living God, the kingdom of heaven. How is the story like obtaining entrance into the kingdom of the Lord & following Him?

Luke 14:33 In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.

Out of all the things in this world that we could give our lives to, the possessions & riches, they are nothing in comparison to entering the kingdom of God & obeying the King, having nothing in between us, to hinder our relationship with Him.

'Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven...'

'Seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God & His righteousness...'
 
Upvote 0