Why Jesus Spoke in Metaphors? Matthew, Mission, and Meaning | Robert Lane

Exploring the Language of Scripture

In this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, Daniel Mikkelsen is joined by Robert Lane—a missionary, linguist, and PhD candidate in New Testament at the University of Edinburgh—for a deep dive into why Jesus spoke in metaphors and how understanding them helps us read Matthew’s Gospel more faithfully.

Drawing on years of cross-cultural mission work and a research focus on metaphor in the Gospel of Matthew, Robert shares how metaphors do far more than illustrate—they shape meaning, reveal divine truth, and bridge cultural and experiential gaps. Together, they explore well-known passages like “I will make you fishers of men,” the kingdom parables, and the phrase “bread of life,” unpacking how these metaphors work and how they often get lost or misread in translation.

Whether you’re passionate about biblical interpretation, engaged in cross-cultural ministry, or simply want to understand the Gospels more deeply, this conversation will equip you to grasp the power of metaphor in Scripture—and see the teaching of Jesus with fresh clarity.

📢 Don’t Miss the Next Episode:
In our next conversation, Daniel sits down with Diego Dy Carlos to explore how Paul speaks of peace-making through blood in Colossians—and what this means for reconciliation in both theology and practice.

🎯 Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
01:41 – Meet Today's Guest – Robert Lane
03:41 – From Missionary to Scholar: Robert’s Path into Biblical Languages
15:24 – How Life Experience Shapes Our Reading of Scripture
18:22 – When Culture Skews Interpretation: The Need for Contextual Reading
22:21 – “Fishers of Men”: What Does It Mean?
28:17 – Why Matthew? A Rich Tapestry of Hebrew Metaphor in Greek
37:47 – What Exactly Is a Metaphor? And How Is It Different from a Parable?
42:18 – Do Metaphors Actually Help Us Understand the Bible Better?
47:53 – Translating Metaphors Across Cultures: Bread, Pigs, and Pickled Herring
50:46 – Why Jesus Describes the Kingdom of God in Metaphors
52:57 – Reading the Greek Text: What We Gain—and What We Risk Missing in English
56:27 – The Importance of Original Language in Interpretation
01:01:38 – When a Familiar Metaphor Gains New Clarity

🎵 Music Credits:
Music from #Uppbeat
🔗 https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/aspire

Please, let us know what you thoughts on the episode.

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Podcast Keywords:
biblical languages, New Testament, Old Testament, Christ, bible study, Relationship with God, learn biblical languages, Biblical Theology, Christianity, Covenants, New covenant, old covenant, language acquisition, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew.

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1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Meet Today's Guest – Robert Lane (00:01:41)

3. From Missionary to Scholar: Robert’s Path into Biblical Languages (00:03:41)

4. How Life Experience Shapes Our Reading of Scripture (00:15:24)

5. When Culture Skews Interpretation: The Need for Contextual Reading (00:18:22)

6. “Fishers of Men”: What Does It Mean? (00:22:21)

7. Why Matthew? A Rich Tapestry of Hebrew Metaphor in Greek (00:28:17)

8. What Exactly Is a Metaphor? And How Is It Different from a Parable? (00:37:47)

9. Do Metaphors Actually Help Us Understand the Bible Better? (00:42:18)

10. Translating Metaphors Across Cultures: Bread, Pigs, and Pickled Herring (00:47:53)

11. Why Jesus Describes the Kingdom of God in Metaphors (00:50:46)

12. Reading the Greek Text: What We Gain—and What We Risk Missing in English (00:52:57)

13. The Importance of Original Language in Interpretation (00:56:27)

14. When a Familiar Metaphor Gains New Clarity (01:01:38)