Proclaiming the Good News through Story in Oral Cultures

How did Jesus teach? 

In Matthew 13:34 (NLT)

Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables.

In Matthew 13:3 (NLT)

He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds….”

In Mark 4:2 (NLT)

He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:…

In Mark 12:1 (NLT)

Then Jesus began teaching them with stories: “A man planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country….”

In Matthew 22:1 (NLT)

Jesus also told them other parables. He said,…

In Matthew 13:53 (NLT)

When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country.

In Mark 4:33 (NLT)

Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand.

Jesus taught by using stories and parables and He truly is the Master Storyteller.  If we are to follow Jesus and become more like Him, why would we not use stories, illustrations, and parables like He used to reach and engage others in their own language and dialect?  Men and women of peace, all over the world, are storytelling God’s story as recorded in the Bible to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ among their own people in their communities and to nearby unreached people groups.

Come join us in this Orality Movement. 

Staying Connected

Hopefully this post and short video encouraged you. Thank you for staying connected with Scriptures In Use, our Partners and the Lord’s work of proclaiming the Good News among oral cultures around the world.  Please feel free to ask or leave any questions or comments to this post.  We look forward to hearing from you!