Bible Interpretation, Student Workbook, SW05

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B I B L E I N T E R P R E T A T I O N

a. The authors selected from a store of possible experiences they could have written about, John 21.24-25 - This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. [25] Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. b. The writers function as editors, 2 Chron. 24.27, “annotations on the book of the kings”; writer of 2 Chronicles refer to writings of Nathan and Ahijah (9.29), Shemaiah (12.15), Jehu (20.34), and two different books by Iddo (9.29 and 13.22) as part of the sources from which he constructed his book.

c. Things were placed together to communicate the truth in the most assuring and effective way possible, Luke 1.1-4.

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2. The Bible uses language in a literary manner (not merely as descriptive reporting or prose).

a. Metaphors and similes – the Kingdom of God is like a merchant looking for pearls, like a mustard seed, like a net, etc.

b. Images and symbols – an image is a word that names a concrete thing, and a symbol is an object that stands for something over and above its concrete meaning (oil, fire, water, household, fruit, head).

c. Types and archetypes – archetypes are the universal elements of human experience (sun, family, weeds, lion), i.e., they are universal symbols. Types are events, persons, and places in salvation history that becomes a pattern of something to occur in the future (i.e., Joseph is a type of Jesus: he is sold for 30 pieces of silver, saves his