Customer Reviews

The Parables of Jesus

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It is a joy to read the works of the late James Boice. He was one of those teachers who not only had a passion for God's word and a solid grasp of theological doctrine, he also had an amazing ability to gently explain even the most difficult concepts in ways that are easily digestible. The Foundations of the Christian Faith is just another great example of this.

In the Parables of Jesus, James Boice takes a look at 22 parables spoken by our Lord, separating them into five different categories based on their main application. He groups them into parables of the Kingdom, parables of Salvation, parables of Wisdom and Folly, parables of the Christian Life, and parables of Judgment. He walks the reader through each parable, discussing the overall theme of the parable and then examining the details and meanings of the imagery used by the Lord in these instructive stories.

These parables were not new to me, and for most of them I had a pretty good idea what Jesus was teaching in His use of them. But even those parables I felt I already had a handle on, I gained additional insight into because of the sound exposition by Boice.

There were a couple of parables he explained that I thought I understood before, but that completely surprised me as he worked through them. One example of this in the third chapter of the book where he discusses the man who found the treasure buried in the field and the merchant who found the pearl of great value. That single chapter alone was worth the price of the book many times over for me as it actually helped me better understand the process involved in my own conversion!

And finally, of course, there were a few parables that had always been a little mysterious to me. This book helped shed some helpful light on those as well. The story of the persist widow and the unjust judge is a good example here, and he tied this parable to a neat story about George Mueller and the persistence of prayer in a way that was very encouraging.

All in all, I highly recommend this little gem of a book. I think there is a lot of value and worth tucked into this book, and the simplicity of the presentation in no way undermines the depth of the wisdom it elucidates. Without a doubt or a misgiving, I will be recommending it and sharing it with other believers in the faith.

This book had a very positive theological impact on my life. In each chapter, James Boice tackles a different parable, relying on the gospels of Matthew and Luke.

Boice groups 22 of Christ's parables into those relating to kingdom, salvation, wisdom & folly, the Christian life, and judgment. He then summarizes and provides useful background information and commentary on each one.

The actual teachings of Christ himself plus the helpfully illuminating commentary by Boice gave me an enhanced understanding of Christ's will and encouraged me to draw closer to Him in appreciation for the peace and salvation He offers.

Highly recommend this book.

While Boice is a popular author and many will enjoy his writing style, he offers little new. Taking a highly Calvinistic theology and imposing that on the parables, Boice limists his insights to anything other than his own (surprise) theology (note: most all will impose their own theology upon the Parables... they are often open to interpretation so pastors teachers stick their own theology in the interp of the parable).

If you are new to the parables, you may like this approach. Boice will give you answers. Are they correct, though?

If you are tired of hearing the pastor's/theologians theology, then you need to get something else. Recently Stories With Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus has come out... still has a Calvinistic flavor, though well researched, well presented, and complete. The two books cannot be compared. There are many other good ones... Interpreting the Parables and Jesus the Sage: The Pilgrimage of Wisdom. All three of these (the last is not merely a book on the parables) are more academic and complete, so you might investigate them a bit before you buy.

One wonderful book on the Parables is by Kenneth Bailey and he has several books to choose from. One on Luke's Parables is outstanding: Poet and Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes: A Literary-Cultural Approach to the Parables in Luke (Combined edition) and is very readable. His new one is even more easily read and full of wonderful insights: Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels. You will enjoy and be informed of some of the deep meanings behind the Parables.

First of all, I think that this is a good book to keep on reference. The author CLEARLY knows what he's talking about. He does not just present an empty explanation. He explains each parable thoroughly, referencing the Old Testament, other theologians, other parables within the New Testament, and the original Greek text. In this way, the author gives the most comprehensive explanation possible for each of Jesus' timeless lessons. There are a great many factors that could trip up the modern reader, not the least of which are language and culture differences between now and 2,000+ years ago. I believe all of these things are necessary to be able to appreciate Jesus' words.

I have two complaints with this book, however. One is the writing style. It is weighty with preaching and, for that reason, rather difficult to read. The book is only 216 pages long, yet it took me almost a week to get through it. Secondly, it is very repetitive. The author repeats the same idea over and over throughout a chapter, which I suppose is necessary for comprehension, but it is usually in the form of entire paragraphs, not just a sentence or two. While the lessons are for the most part easily accessible to a lay reader such as myself, it sometimes felt like a chore to read.

Boice is one of the top theologians of our time. This book provides a approach that is both easy to understand and very powerful in its message. In my opinion, the parables contain some of the most important lessons in the Bible and as Christians, we should try to understand them. Boice provides an outstanding commentary to give each of us the capability to understand these verses. I recommend any book by Boice, but I put this one ahead of the others.

This is an excellent explanation of the parables of Jesus, with a perspective that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. I am a believer with a Baptist background who leans heavily to the reformed side of theology and I found this wonderful!