Much of the issue of emerging churches seems to be the claim of a lack of propositional truth. I’ve thought about this issue and began looking at Jesus for a few moments. I have done this without a Bible in hand and a ton of research, just a thought process through the gospels.
There are times when Jesus uses propositional truths. For instance, he states that the only way to God is through him: “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except by me.� That’s a pretty firm statement, it seems to me, about the exclusiveness of Christ as the only way to God.
But quite a few other times, Jesus uses stories, or parables to communicate relavant truth regarding lifestyle changes, teaching, etc. One particular thought revolves around the story of the prodigal son. We far too often hear the story about the prodigal son and don’t think too much about the older son.
In the context of Luke 15 where this story shines, Jesus is teaching and fellowshipping with tax collectors and sinners and the pharisees are in the audience. Jesus uses 3 parables in a row about something that was lost (or lost their way) and then was found. First was a lost sheep, then a lost coin, then a lost person. The stories are pretty simple to understand. But there are no real “propositions� within the stories. If you are a tax collector, sinner or pharisee in the audience, you have to bring meaning to the stories yourself.
We’ve all heard the various 3 points and a poem sermon on the Prodigal son. But Jesus himself never makes any type of propositional and absolute statement to the audience. Well, I should say that Luke doesn’t record one but now we would be arguing from silence which is never a real good argument according to my NT prof in seminary.
So in preaching/teaching to some groups Jesus makes absolute propositional statements. To other groups, they are left to draw truth and application from the stories and parables he told.
What does that mean for our preaching and teaching?
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David is an entrepreneur, pastor, coach, and author. He has his doctorate from George Fox Seminary where he studied under Len Sweet, his M.Div. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and has done post graduate work in communications from the University of Alabama and the University of South Florida. He lives with his wife Brenna Phillips in Smyrna, DE. 
