How can I possibly understand what I’m reading when it was written in an ancient culture and time?
KRCC family,
Today I just want to give you a quick primer to help you as you read your Bible. One of the things that I have struggled with over the course of my walk with the Lord as I have studied the scriptures is one you probably have also:
How can I possibly understand what I’m reading when it was written in an ancient culture and time so far removed from my own? Especially when some of the things I read are meant to be taken literally and some of them are allegory.
Well, there is actually a really helpful guide to better understand how to interpret and understand each passage you read. It comes from understanding the different genres of the Bible. A genre is essentially a category or style of writing to help express a thought or a concept. When you know what specific genre you are reading, it will help you tremendously in understanding what you are reading and how to interpret and apply it.
For instance, if I’m reading Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, I know I’m reading the genre of fiction. I know that elves and hobbits and wizards don’t exist, though I wish they did! So I’m going to think differently about how to interpret and apply the Lord of the Rings in my life than I would if I were reading something like the contract for buying a house. That would fit into the genre of law and how I interpret and apply that document will be a lot different than I how I interpret and apply fiction. The same is true of the Bible. If I’m reading the words of Jesus when He says that if your eye causes you to fall into sin (because of what you are looking at), pluck it out, and if your hand causes you to sin to cut it off, it is really important that I understand the genre in which Jesus is making that statement!
He’s using metaphor. He does not literally mean gouge out your eye or cut off your hand, He means remove anything in your life that tempts you and causes you to sin. You can see why it’s important to know the difference between a metaphor and an imperative command when you read.
Knowing the genre of the passage you are reading is a game changer in helping you better understand the Bible. So here is a reference guide that I hope you will keep with you and refer to when you are digging into God’s Word! There are several genres in the Bible, and even within each book of the Bible you can have different genre shifts. Here are some examples (this list comes from gotquestions.org and is collaborated in many places):
Law – God shares His sovereign will, priestly duties, Hebrew life, etc. Leviticus and Deuteronomy are examples.
History – Stories and Epics. Almost every book of the Bible contains some history in it, but we are looking specifically at examples like Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, the books of Kings, the books of Chronicles, etc.
Poetry – Prose with a rhythmic style, displays word pictures, parallels, and metaphors. Examples are Song of Solomon, Lamentations, and many of the Psalms.
Narrative – Biographical accounts of the life or lives of individuals or groups. Examples are the Gospels, Ruth, Esther, and Jonah.
Epistles – Letters. Usually contain an opening, a greeting, a body, and a conclusion. Examples – sections of Acts, basically everything Paul wrote (Romans, Galatians, Philippians, etc.), James, the books of Peter, etc.
Wisdom – Maxims or lessons teaching the meaning of life and how to live in the world. Some wisdom
literature mixes poetry and metaphor. Some examples are Ecclesiastes, Job, and Proverbs.
Prophecy and Apocalyptic – Includes predictions of future events, warnings of coming judgment, and an overview of God’s plan for Israel. Apocalyptic literature is a specific form of prophecy, largely involving symbols and imagery and predicting disaster and destruction. Examples of Prophecy are Isaiah through Malachi and Revelation. Examples of apocalyptic literature are sections of Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Revelation.
These are some examples. There are other genres as well. I’d challenge you to do some research and keep this information handy and see how your knowledge of the Bible grows because of it!
Pastor Richie