Stories from the OLD-en days! {narrative}

Did you know? Narrative is the single most common type of literature in the Bible -- comprising over 40% of the Old Testament.

nar·ra·tive

: something that is narrated : story, account

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narrative

According to Fee and Stuart, Narratives are stories--purposeful stories retelling the historical events of the past that are intended to give meaning and direction for a given people in the present. (pg. 90, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth)


As you enter the individual stories, don't lose sight of the BIGGER PICTURE.

meta-nar·ra·tive

As you engage a narrative (and the entire Bible), keep the WHOLE of Scripture in view.  Each individual story fits into the larger context -- the initial creation, the fall of humanity, the power and nature of sin, the need for redemption and Christ's incarnation and sacrifice.

So what does the Old Testament as a whole contribute?  Remember, the BIG PICTURE is the "story of God's redeeming a people for His name."

What about all the individual stories? 

The Letters! What does it mean to me?

Looking for what the Bible passage meant then adds to our understanding of how we might apply it now.   Ultimately, we want to see WHY this passage matters to me and HOW I should be living my life.

Here's what we are suggesting!  Simply stated, read, reread and ask a lot of questions.   Begin by asking these questions:

• Who was this letter written to?
• What was going on in their world?
• What question, concern or problem was the letter (or epistle) trying to address?
• What was the central idea or theme the writer was trying to convey? Remember, always read the passage in the context of the rest of the letter!
• How does this letter's content fit within the context of the whole of scripture?
• What personal applications can I make from this passage of scripture?

More specifically, we need to ask if can we read the letters of the New Testament and apply them without consideration to context and cultural norms?  Some would say we should, but in reality very few if anyone actually does.

Here are two examples to consider.

A Letter: Exploring the Epistles

Exploring the Epistles: Straight for the Heart

The Epistles are defined as all books in the New Testament except the four gospels, Acts and Revelation. These letters were written to believers and nonbelievers, corrupt and confused cities, lost and lonely souls looking for answers. Simply stated—they continue, in our day, to be rich in comfort and wisdom requiring care and caution in interpretation.

As mentioned in the previous post, Biblical interpretation isn't as difficult as it may seem, so let's dig in and break down the parts and pieces of an Epistle—reading the recipe before baking.

Do you remember how to write a formal letter, “formal” as in Dear Aunt Millie? That’s a great place to begin understanding how the Epistles are formatted, which are letters as we understand them to be.

Reading the Bible: A Good Translation

The sixty-six books of the Bible were originally written in three different languages:
                                                                                                  
·         Hebrew (most of the Old Testament)
·         Aramaic (a sister language to Hebrew used in half of Daniel and two passages of Ezra)
·         Greek (all of the New Testament)

 Since most of us do not know these languages we rely on good English translations.   

Reading the Bible: What's the point of all these different books?

In the book,  How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, authors Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart provide a guide for choosing the best tools to help you engage with your Bible effectively, interpreting Scripture as God intended. Sound like a tall order?  I hear you. Trust me, it really isn’t as hard as it sounds!