Tom Shepherd
Typology is based on the fact that there is a pattern in God’s work throughout salvation history. God prefigured His redemptive work in the OT and fulfilled it in the NT. Parables and allegories can be found in the Old, as well as in the New, Testament. Jesus used parables regularly as He taught. The Greek parabolē occurs nearly fifty times in the synoptic gospels, indicating that parables were one of Jesus’ favorite teaching devices. An allegory differs from a parable in that the parable and its interpretation follow one another (Matt 13:1-9, 18-23), whereas in an allegory, story and meaning are intertwined (Eph 6). Furthermore, parables generally focus on one comparison, while allegories may have several points of comparison.
Types, parables, and allegories in Scripture present us with both an intriguing opportunity in imaginative theological thought and, at the same time, introduce the threat of diverse interpretations that can contradict even the most central truths of Scripture. To enhance the first, without falling into the trap of the second, is the goal of this chapter.
Before proceeding further, it is important to define terms as they are used within a biblical setting.
Type—An OT historical event, person, or institution which serves as a prophetic model or pattern for a heightened or intensified fulfillment in an OT and/or NT historical counterpart (often called the Antitype).1
Allegory—The use of a story as an extended metaphor to refer to spiritual truth outside the literal meaning of the text. The meaning of the metaphor is found in the interpretive method. The focus resides in the interpreter’s method rather than in the story itself. In contrast to parables in which the application usually follows the story, allegories intermingle the story and its application.
Parable—A short story that teaches a lesson by comparisons. It is usually taken from the setting of everyday life, which serves as a simile or allegory comparing or bringing together God’s reality and our everyday life. It often deals with the eschatological realities of the Kingdom of God (“The kingdom of God is like …”). Through unique twists in plot or striking depictions of human experience the story challenges the hearer to make a decision and change.
These definitions give a content of meaning to each of the terms. However, to understand better each term and its limits it is useful to carry out two other tasks. One is to explain the term’s usage in a biblical setting. The other is to demonstrate how these terms compare and contrast with one another. In the process of carrying out these two tasks it is important to formulate clear and useful rules for interpreting each of these literary devices.