the role of the lukan parables in terms of the purpose of luke's gospel

the Lukan parables, examining the travel narrative in the Gospel of Luke is indispensable,
since all the parables that we will analyze are located in the travel narrative. To do this, I will
also examine and evaluate the current scholarly views of the Lukan travel narrative in chapter
6.
In chapter 7, from the theological themes of the Lukan Parables and the results of the
examination on the Lukan parables in the travel narrative, I will propose ‘Perspectives on the
Christian life’ as a unifying motif of the Lukan parables. This is because all of the Lukan
parables in the travel narrative are intimately related to instruction on the Christian life. Here,
I will concretely delineate the ‘Perspectives on the Christian Life’ by examining how
Christians should live in the world according to Jesus’ instruction which emerges from the
Lukan parables, especially in terms of relationships.
In chapter 8, in order to identify the role of the Lukan parables in the purpose of Luke’s
Gospel, I will survey the purpose of Luke’s Gospel. By researching the preface to Luke’s
Gospel and the audience of the Gospel, I will contend that Luke’s aim is not simply to write
the story of Jesus and the early church, but to show the continuation and fulfillment of God’s
design which brings salvation to all people, the redemptive purpose of God. In short, Luke
strives to reassure his readers of the gospel by presenting God’s plan of salvation.
Finally, I will suggest two aspects for the role of the Lukan parables in the purpose of
Luke’s Gospel: the role of the Lukan parables as one facet in concretizing God’s redemptive
purpose, and the role of the Lukan parables in serving to accomplish God’s redemptive
purpose. Here, I will examine the role of the Lukan parables in God’s redemptive purpose,
since Luke seeks to reassure the readers of his Gospel through the pattern of God’s plan of
salvation. In conclusion, taking all that into consideration, the Lukan parables, as perspectives
of the Christian life, play a vital role in concretizing God’s redemptive purpose into the faithlife
of the Christian, as well as to accomplish God’s saving purpose.
3. Value of the Study
In recent years, literary approach to the parables has tended to overlook the other aspects of
the parables, because of an excessive focus on the text itself. However, if we take a broad
view of the Lukan parables as we study them, such as looking at the function and role of the
Lukan parables in the purpose of the Gospel, we can gain a comprehensive understanding of
the Lukan parables. Furthermore, such a broad view in examining the parables helps us find
the importance of a theological interpretation to the parables, as will emerge from Luke’s
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