Has this ever happened to you: you read an email and thought you understood its contents, only to talk with the friend who sent it and discover they had a totally different tone or message than what you had understood? Or maybe the opposite has happened. You sent an email that you felt was well-worded and perfectly understandable, but found out from the recipient that your message was as clear as mud! We must know what an author intends by their words before we can completely understand the message.
The same is true of the Bible and its message. It is very helpful to identify what kind of literature you are studying before you dig in to understand the meaning. Identifying the way an author presents his message will be helpful in interpreting what it is really saying. I compiled the following information with help from Howard Hendricks' Living By the Book.
Both the Old and New Testament contain narrative passages, which tell stories about God's dealings with people. In stories it is helpful to note the movement (physical, spiritual), the characters and possible comparisons between them, and the problems and solutions that are presented. Many times we can easily find examples to follow or not follow. When you are reading the story, ask yourself why the characters responded the way they did. What was going on culturally, spiritually, physically? What do their lives reveal about the condition of their heart or soul? How does that knowledge help you see yourself more clearly?
In the New Testament, most of the narratives are contained in the gospels and in Acts. Here Jesus Christ is revealed to Israel and then to the Gentiles. How did people respond? What do you learn of Jesus' character and person? How do these revelations elicit faith in the character, and how do they encourage your faith? How do they provide warnings through examples of missteps?
The epistles are an example of exposition. This genre is generally a straightforward argument or explanation of truth. Exposition is excellent for beginning studiers, because the meaning of the text is usually easy to discern. When studying these letters, it is important to understand what questions the author is trying to answer, and to follow the logical unfolding of their argument. For example, Romans is like a courtroom argument for the explanation of the gospel. Many times epistles will deal with an error in the church. One thing to keep in mind when studying many of the letters is that often there is an explanation of the person and work of Christ, followed by application to the church and daily Christian living. It's easy to want to skip doctrine and go to application, but we cannot live well until we think well about Christ and His work and correct any errors we may have regarding these things.
Another genre in the Bible is poetry. The largest book is Psalms, but there is beautiful poetry scattered throughout. This literature captures human emotion and imagination. We can find our own experiences in the written record of others who have been in similar circumstances, and there are breath-taking pictures of God and glimpses of Christ. Look for how the author deals with emotions while he clings to the character of God and the promise of salvation in all things.
One of the most challenging types of Biblical literature is prophecy. The tone is often one of warning and judgment, with the aim of helping people to wake up and turn to the Lord. Throughout the harsh and sober warnings of judgment you will find messages of salvation and comfort. There are many direct and indirect references to Christ as the coming King who will save His erring people. Knowing biblical history is important in understanding prophecy. The more you know about the problems the prophet is addressing, the better you will understand his message.
There are many other genres in scripture, but this is an overview of some of the most common. As you gain experience in study, you will pick up clues and helps along the way. Before digging into a book, skim its contents and look for clues that point to what is there. This will help you better understand the author's overall message and aim, and make the job of finding lessons and application easier. Most of all, enjoy the adventure of getting to know God through the authors of scripture as they point you to the Divine Author who guided their message.
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