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

Narrative is the most common form of genre in Scripture, and includes stories and story accounts which are either historical or imaginative. Story theologians focus on narrative accounts in Scripture, and begin their work of interpretation with general assumptions of story theology, which include the idea that God’s primary way of recording his person and work is in light of story accounts in Scripture. Other assumptions include the idea that all theology is reflection on the stories of the Bible, that biblical stories that refer to historical accounts are reliable and accurate, that stories are written with artistic skill and mastery, that we encounter God in the story text, and that God often provides his own commentary on the meaning of the biblical story accounts. Story theology is built on the foundation of key propositions about stories, the Bible, and the Church. These include the concept that stories introduce us to sacramental presences, are more important than facts, and are normative for the Christian community. Christian traditions evolve and define themselves by stories, which also precede and produce community, and produce censure, accountability theology, ritual, and sacrament in the Church. Stories, too, are history. Like other literature, the general elements of narrative in Scripture include the setting, characters, author’s point of view, plot, and theme of the stories. Prophecy is another main genre of Scripture, a literary type which offers truth about God and the universe, flows from the Spirit, and is itself a specific mode of revelation from God which comes either in persons or written forms. Apocalyptic is a sub-genre of prophecy, and includes the two main types of Jewish apocalypses, the OT book of Daniel, and the most distinctly apocalyptic book in Scripture, the book of Revelation. In order to rightly interpret both prophecy and apocalyptic genres of Scripture we must first focus on the person of Jesus Christ, refer the prophetic messages to the call of the Kingdom of God, and seek to emphasize the fulfillment of God’s sovereign purposes even in the face of evil, suffering and injustice.

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