written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come."
1 Corinthians 10 : 11
The Bible's narrative section are among its most readable passages. It is uplifting for us to read of the mighty deeds of God and of the great saints who walked the earth before us. Unfortunately, interpretation of narrative passages can be quite tricky because the authors use such a wide variety of literary devices and techniques. If we are not careful, we can arrive at terribly erroneous conclusions.
What is narrative? Simply put, it is those sections of Scripture that relate historical events in story format. It portrays characters doing things in particilar times and places. Unlike a parable, however, it usually has no moral point to make. Genesis and Exodus; Joshua through Esther; and the gospels and Acts are books that are mainly narrative.
In seeking to find the meaning of narrative passages, we must remember that Scripture interprets Scripture. That is, to understand what a passages is teaching, we should consult other part of Scripture. In interpreting narrative, it is particularly important to consult the didactic portion of the Bible, the sections that have the primar purpose of teaching. The New Testatment epistles are the clearest examples of didactic literature. These sections of Scripture give us inspired interpretations of the narrative sections. By reading narrative in light of didactic passages, we guard against the temptation to draw improper theological and doctrinal conclusions from the Bible's stories.
Here are some examples of his failure to let Scripture interpret Scripture can lead us to incorrect conclusions. In Genesis 22, God tests Abraham by asking him to Sacrifice his son. When Abraham almost does so, God declares, ""Now I know that you fear God"' (v.12). Thus it appears God did not know Abraham's heart, but other passages declare God's total omniscience. In another example, Genesis 1.27 teaches that God made man in His image. We might read this and deduce that dince this is so, and since man has a body, God must have a body, too. The Motmons make this errors, overlooking passages that teach that God is. Spirit. Finally, we err by blindly attempting to imitate saints from the past. We must evaluate their deeds in light of all of Scripture. Even imitation of Jesus is not always right. He was circumcised but we need not be. He forgave sins but we cannot. Scripture itself helps us understand the stories it contains.
We are often drawn to the narrative passages of Scripture, finding them compelling and easier to read. But we put oursekves at risk of drawing wrongful conclusions by focusing only on Bobles stories. The only way to guard against this danger is to read all of the Bible. Make a commitment to read through the entire Bible in the next year or two.
No comments:
Post a Comment