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Ensuring Faithfulness of Non-Scriptural Examples in Biblical Illustrations

Biblical illustrations, while often drawing from everyday life, must remain faithful to scriptural principles, especially when using non-scriptural examples. The primary concern is to avoid any illustration that might inadvertently promote idolatry or misrepresent God's nature and commands. Idolatry, as defined in scripture, includes bowing down to or worshipping images (Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9; Isaiah 44:17; Daniel 3:5, 10, 15), sacrificing to images (Psalm 106:38; Acts 7:41), worshipping other gods (Deuteronomy 30:17; Psalm 81:9), or even worshipping the true God by means of an image (Exodus 32) [1]. Therefore, any illustration that could be perceived as encouraging such practices would be unfaithful to biblical teaching.

The faithfulness of an illustration also involves ensuring it aligns with the broader theological truths found in scripture. For instance, the concept of "work of faith" is not merely an "otiose assent" but a "realizing, working faith" that manifests in continuous action [5]. An illustration of faith should reflect this active, fruit-bearing aspect rather than a passive belief. Similarly, the "work of righteousness" is understood to produce peace and quietness [9]. An illustration of righteousness should convey this outcome, rather than suggesting a different result.

Furthermore, biblical illustrations should not contradict the clear testimonies of God found in the sacred writings. As Abraham's answer in Luke 16:31 suggests, the scriptures themselves provide sufficient proof of their divine origin and truth [14]. An illustration should reinforce, not undermine, the authority and clarity of God's word. The consistent message across various biblical texts, as seen in the extensive scriptural references in commentaries by figures like John Calvin and John Chrysostom, underscores the importance of drawing illustrations that resonate with the entirety of scripture [2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13]. This comprehensive approach helps ensure that non-scriptural examples serve to illuminate biblical truths rather than distort them.

Sources

  1. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Idolatry — Forbidden -- Ex 20:2,3; De 5:7. Consists in Bowing down to images. -- Ex 20:5; De 5:9. Worshipping images. -- Isa 44:17; Da 3:5,10,15. Sacrificing to images. -- Ps 106:38; Ac 7:41. Worshipping other gods. -- De 30:17; Ps 81:9. Swearing by other gods. -- Ex 23:13; Jos 23:7. Walking after other gods. -- De 8:19. Speaking in the name of other gods. -- De 18:20. Looking to other gods. -- Ho 3:1. Serving other gods. -- De 7:4; Jer 5:19. Fearing other gods. -- 2Ki 17:35. Sacrificing to other gods. -- Ex 22:20. Worshipping the true God by an image, & c. -- Ex 32:”
  2. CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 2, section 53.2: 64:7 66:24 Jeremiah 4:31 5:8 5:28 7:4 7:4 9:1 10:23 10:24 10:24 11:21 17:1 17:5 18:16 19:6 19:8 22:24 22:28 25:9 25:13 25:18 28:10 28:11 30:11 31:15 43:2 48:2 50:11 Lamentations 1:7 2:5 2:8 3:29 Ezekiel 15:3 16:26 20:11 20:24 20:25 26:2 26:14 37:1 43:15 43:15 47:11 Daniel 5:28 5:30 5:31 7:10 7:17 8:20 Hosea 1:7 6:4 8:14 9:6 13:3 Joel 1:13 2:13 2:23 2:28 Amos 1:3 3:6 4:1 4:1 5:10 5:19 8:11 Micah 1:3 1:11 2:11 7:9 7:16 Nahum 3:8 Habakkuk 2:1 2:1 2:1 2:2 3:2 3:2 3:13 Zechariah 9:14 13:4 14:3 Malachi 1:4 1:11 4:2 Matthew 2:14 3:12 3:12 3:12 3:12 ”
  3. CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 28.1: Index of Scripture References Genesis 1:1-6 1:1-31 1:2 1:28 1:29-30 2:1 2:1-25 2:15 2:19 3:1 3:1-24 3:7 3:16 4:1 4:1-26 4:7 5:1 5:1-32 6:1 6:1-22 6:11-16 7:1-24 7:11 8:1-22 9:1 9:1 9:1-29 9:2 9:24 10 10:1 10:1 10:1-32 10:21 11:1 11:1 11:1-32 11:28 12:1 12:1 12:1 12:1-20 12:4 12:4 12:6 13:1 13:1-20 14:1-24 15:1-21 15:7 16:1-16 16:2 16:8 17:1 17:1 17:1 17:1 17:1-27 18:1 18:1 18:1-33 18:19 19:1-38 20:1 20:1 20:1-18 21:1-34 21:15 22:1-24 22:18 23:1-20 24:31 25:1 25:13-16 35:7 48:1 Exodus 6:3 12:40 Leviticus 7:18 17:4 18:25 Numbers 6:2”
  4. CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts & Romans: Index of Scripture References Genesis 1:26 2:10 2:18 2:21 2:21 2:24 2:24 2:24 3:5 3:6 3:11 3:16 3:16 3:16 3:19 3:19 4 4:2 4:6 4:7 4:7 4:7 4:9 4:9 4:10 4:10 4:10 4:11 4:14 6:3 6:3 6:9 9:5 9:20 9:22 11:8 11:31 12:3 12:7 12:7 14:14 15:12 15:13-14 18:3 18:3 18:3 18:7 18:17 18:19 18:27 18:33 21:12 22:3 22:18 25:33 27:27 27:41 27:45 28:12 28:20 29:23 30:1-2 31:7 31:15 31:40 32:10 32:21 32:28 32:29 33:19 37:18 39:1-20 40:23 41:40 41:42-43 42:21 45:5 45:5 45:9 45:24 48:16 49:7 60:8 Exodus 1:14 1:22 2:11 2:13 2:15 2:22 3:1 3:2 3:2 4:10 4:22 5:2 9:11 17:4 18:2”
  5. 1 Thessalonians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Thessalonians 1:3: work of faith--the working reality of your faith; its alacrity in receiving the truth, and in evincing itself by its fruits. Not an otiose assent; but a realizing, working faith; not "in word only," but in one continuous chain of "work" (singular, not plural, works), Th1 1:5-10; Jam 2:22. So "the work of faith" in Th2 1:11 implies its perfect development (compare Jam 1:4). The other governing substantives similarly mark respectively the characteristic manifestation of the grace which follows each in the genitive. Faith, love, and hope, are the ”
  6. CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on John & Hebrews: Index of Scripture References Genesis 1:1 1:2 1:3 1:20 1:26 1:26 2:7 2:17 2:18 3:5 3:9 3:9 3:10 3:16 3:18 3:19 4:4 4:7 4:7 4:9 4:10 6:2 6:5 6:9 7:1 11:4 12:1 12:7 12:7 13:15 13:15 15:5 15:6 17:14 18 18 18:15 18:17 18:21 18:21 21:12 22:1 22:1-2 22:12 23:4 25:27 26:18-22 27:41 28:20 37:7 37:9 37:10 47:9 47:9 47:31 49:9 Exodus 2:14 2:14 2:14-15 3:6 3:14 6:9 12:3 12:46 14:21 17:12 17:12 19 19:16 19:16 19:18 19:19 19:19 19:19 19:20 19:20 20:9 20:13 20:19 20:21 23:3 32:10 33:13 33:20 35:23 Leviticus 15:18 Numbers 5 6:3 9:12 11:12 14:3 14:29 16:5 17:12 Deu”
  7. CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 1, section 23.2: 62:10 65:20 65:24 Jeremiah 1:6 1:17 2:21 2:21 7:4 7:4 7:21 7:22 9:23-24 9:26 10:14 17:5 17:5 22:7 23:5 23:19 23:36 25:11-12 29:10 30:9 30:9 31:34 32:18 33:15 41:5 48:7 48:13 48:29 48:30 48:32 48:32 48:32 48:34 Lamentations 2:22 3:22 Ezekiel 4:16 13:9 18:20 20:22 34:23 34:23 36:25 37:11-12 37:16 37:24 37:24 47:1 47:1 Daniel 2:44 7:10 7:14 7:27 9:24 9:27 Hosea 2:5 2:13 2:18 2:19-20 2:23 3:4 3:5 6:6 13:11 14:2 14:9 Joel 2:31 2:32 2:32 Amos 2:4-5 3:11 5:11 5:18 5:20 5:21 6:11 9:11 9:11 Jonah 1:2 3:10 Micah 1:16 5:10 6:7-8 7:8 Habakkuk 1:16 2:2 2:”
  8. CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts & Romans: 1:19 1:20 1:20 2:1-2 2:2 2:8 2:8 2:9 2:9 2:12 2:14 2:14 2:15 3:2-9 3:5 3:8-12 3:16 4:13 4:13 4:19 5:5 5:6 5:16 5:20 5:23 5:23 6:2 6:8 6:9 6:9 6:10 6:10 6:13 2 Timothy 1:5 1:5 1:16 2:9 2:9 3:2 3:12 3:15 4:6 4:6 4:10 4:11 4:11 4:13 4:15 4:17 4:20 Titus 1:7-9 1:12 1:12 1:16 2:12 3:5 Philemon 1:1 1:2 1:2 1:9 1:22 5:13 Hebrews 1:5 1:14 2:2 2:2 5:11-12 6:9 8:11 8:13 9:16 9:26 9:26-28 10:12 10:24 10:28-29 10:28-29 10:29 10:34 10:37 11:31 12:2 12:24 12:29 13:3 13:3 13:10 13:17 13:17 13:21 13:22 13:24 James 1:9 1:18 2:6 2:23 3:4 4:6 5:14-15 5:17 1 Peter 3:21 ”
  9. Isaiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Isaiah 32:17: work--the effect (Pro 14:34; Jam 3:18). peace--internal and external.”
  10. CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 1, section 29.2: 62:10 65:20 65:24 Jeremiah 1:6 1:17 2:21 2:21 7:4 7:4 7:21 7:22 9:23-24 9:26 10:14 17:5 17:5 22:7 23:5 23:19 23:36 25:11-12 29:10 30:9 30:9 31:34 32:18 33:15 41:5 48:7 48:13 48:29 48:30 48:32 48:32 48:32 48:34 Lamentations 2:22 3:22 Ezekiel 4:16 13:9 18:20 20:22 34:23 34:23 36:25 37:11-12 37:16 37:24 37:24 47:1 47:1 Daniel 2:44 7:10 7:14 7:27 9:24 9:27 Hosea 2:5 2:13 2:18 2:19-20 2:23 3:4 3:5 6:6 13:11 14:2 14:9 Joel 2:31 2:32 2:32 Amos 2:4-5 3:11 5:11 5:18 5:20 5:21 6:11 9:11 9:11 Jonah 1:2 3:10 Micah 1:16 5:10 6:7-8 7:8 Habakkuk 1:16 2:2 2:”
  11. CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians–Colossians–Thessalonians: Index of Scripture References Genesis 1:11 1:11 1:26 1:26 1:26 1:27 1:27 1:27 1:31 1:31 2:2 2:7 2:17 2:17 2:18 2:23 2:24 2:24 2:24 3:5 3:16 3:24 4 4:9 4:14 6:2 6:3 6:4 6:9 6:12 7:7 8:21 12:1 12:4 12:16 13:10 13:10-11 14:14 14:21-23 15:16 16:5 16:6 17:8 18:11 18:12 18:14 18:21 19:13 19:14 19:24 21:10 21:12 21:12 22:7-8 22:16 22:18 22:18 24:1-67 24:22 24:65 25:21 25:21 26:4 27:46 28:1 28:13 31:42 31:45 32:48 35:18 37:9-10 37:20 39:1 39:6 40:4 40:7 40:8 40:14-15 40:22 41 41:16 42:36 43:14 43:30 45:5 48:15-16 49:9 64:28 Exodus 2:11 2”
  12. CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 1, section 23.4: 29:10 30:9 30:9 31:34 32:18 33:15 41:5 48:7 48:13 48:29 48:30 48:32 48:32 48:32 48:34 Lamentations 2:22 3:22 Ezekiel 4:16 13:9 18:20 20:22 34:23 34:23 36:25 37:11 37:12 37:16 37:24 37:24 47:1 47:1 Daniel 2:44 7:10 7:14 7:27 9:24 9:27 Hosea 2:5 2:13 2:18 2:19 2:20 2:23 3:4 3:5 6:6 13:11 14:2 14:9 Joel 2:31 2:32 2:32 Amos 2:4 2:5 3:11 5:11 5:18 5:20 5:21 6:11 9:11 9:11 Jonah 1:2 3:10 Micah 1:16 5:10 6:7 6:8 7:8 Habakkuk 1:16 2:2 2:2 Zephaniah 1:5 1:7 Haggai 2:9 Zechariah 2:8 2:8 3:2 6:12 Malachi 2:10 4:3 4:4 Matthew 1:5 3:2 4:15 4:16 5:10 5:11 ”
  13. CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 2, section 53.1: Index of Scripture References Genesis 1:1 1:27 1:27 3:17 3:17 3:18 4:11 4:13 4:14 6:5 7:11 8:1 10:4 10:11 11:29 11:31 11:31 12:1 12:1 12:17 14:6 14:16 15:1 17:7 17:7 19:24 19:37 20:2 20:8 20:14 21:2 21:5 25:1 25:14 25:14 27:38 27:38 32:3 32:10 32:12 36:8 36:9 Exodus 3:8 7:13 8:15 13:3 13:5 13:8 13:14 13:17 14:14 14:21 14:22 15:10 17 18:21 19:5 19:6 19:6 19:6 19:6 20:1 20:2 20:24 20:25 23:32 27:1 29:45 33:3 34:6 34:6 34:15 34:30 Leviticus 19:9 19:10 26:3-13 26:8 26:12 26:12 26:16 Numbers 3:1-4:49 10:36 12:6 13:22 23:19 24:13 30:3 32:34 Deutero”
  14. Luke (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Luke 16:31: If they hear not Moses, etc. - This answer of Abraham contains two remarkable propositions. 1. That the sacred writings contain such proofs of a Divine origin, that though all the dead were to arise, to convince an unbeliever of the truths therein declared, the conviction could not be greater, nor the proof more evident, of the divinity and truth of these sacred records, than that which themselves afford. 2. That to escape eternal perdition, and get at last into eternal glory, a man is to receive the testimonies of God, and to walk according to their dictates. And th”
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