tampasteve
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Jonah, let's talk about it. I know that different Lutheran's are going to have different views on it, and on the play of the historicity of scripture - that is OK.
Let's try not to make this a debate so much as an explanation of your views on the story.
We can keep it civil while explaining our views
My view is that the story of Jonah is both a parable and foreshadowing. The parable is easy to learn - trust God and follow His will and incredible things can happen. Trust that he will provide and enable the impossible. The story can also be seen as a foreshadowing of baptism. Of death and rebirth through the power of God. A literal burial in water and re-birthing. Others believe it is a foreshadow of the transfiguration of Christ.
It could of course be all of these at once. As our Jewish brothers say "scripture has 7 different interpretations, non is wrong necessarily."
Parables and literature are common in Jewish teaching and ancient Hebrew learning, it is not a problem for Jewish people to see this as a literary work, as a parable being taught to the people. Jesus used parables in the same way and we don't have a problem with this, he was using a common Jewish method of teaching.
St. Augustine both argued for the miracle and for the allegorical interpretation, leaving room for either viewpoint. He argued that it should be believed as a miracle as if one questions that then one must question all of the miracles. But he also believed it was a foreshadowing of the transfiguration. He left the question open.
Even Jesus uses the story as a allegory for himself in Matthew 12:38-42.
Another problem is that the historicity does not prove out here either. Nineveh did not convert to Judaism, there is no evidence of that happening. Nor is there evidence of them changing any ways, of changing their rituals or gods, or of Jonah actually going there.
Then there is the problem of the animal that swallowed him. Was it a fish? A whale? Something we don't know about? The Hebrew is unclear here as the word is just a "sea creature". It doesn't really matter what it was though, if the story is historical it is an entire miracle as biologically there really is no animal that could naturally accomplish this. That's ok, if it is a miracle then it really does not need a natural explanation.
I believe it is an incredible prophesy, parable, and foreshadowing of Christ, not meant to be a historical event. I also believe that seeing it in this light is even more powerful than just another miracle. For Jonah to prophesy this story of Christ and baptism so far ahead is incredible and inspiring.
I don't think it really matters if we "solve" this, there is no solving it. We can all hold differing views and that is OK, this is not a point of salvation or the Gospel.
Let's try not to make this a debate so much as an explanation of your views on the story.
We can keep it civil while explaining our views
My view is that the story of Jonah is both a parable and foreshadowing. The parable is easy to learn - trust God and follow His will and incredible things can happen. Trust that he will provide and enable the impossible. The story can also be seen as a foreshadowing of baptism. Of death and rebirth through the power of God. A literal burial in water and re-birthing. Others believe it is a foreshadow of the transfiguration of Christ.
It could of course be all of these at once. As our Jewish brothers say "scripture has 7 different interpretations, non is wrong necessarily."
Parables and literature are common in Jewish teaching and ancient Hebrew learning, it is not a problem for Jewish people to see this as a literary work, as a parable being taught to the people. Jesus used parables in the same way and we don't have a problem with this, he was using a common Jewish method of teaching.
St. Augustine both argued for the miracle and for the allegorical interpretation, leaving room for either viewpoint. He argued that it should be believed as a miracle as if one questions that then one must question all of the miracles. But he also believed it was a foreshadowing of the transfiguration. He left the question open.
Even Jesus uses the story as a allegory for himself in Matthew 12:38-42.
Another problem is that the historicity does not prove out here either. Nineveh did not convert to Judaism, there is no evidence of that happening. Nor is there evidence of them changing any ways, of changing their rituals or gods, or of Jonah actually going there.
Then there is the problem of the animal that swallowed him. Was it a fish? A whale? Something we don't know about? The Hebrew is unclear here as the word is just a "sea creature". It doesn't really matter what it was though, if the story is historical it is an entire miracle as biologically there really is no animal that could naturally accomplish this. That's ok, if it is a miracle then it really does not need a natural explanation.
I believe it is an incredible prophesy, parable, and foreshadowing of Christ, not meant to be a historical event. I also believe that seeing it in this light is even more powerful than just another miracle. For Jonah to prophesy this story of Christ and baptism so far ahead is incredible and inspiring.
I don't think it really matters if we "solve" this, there is no solving it. We can all hold differing views and that is OK, this is not a point of salvation or the Gospel.
