How To Study The Bible Like A Pro - Class #8d - Methods Of Bible Study Series

6. Teachings of Jesus

These are direct statements of truth from Jesus concerning the nature and character of God the kingdom of God/Heaven, what God expects of us, principles of righteous living, and the ways in which Jesus fulfils the Old Testament prophecies.

They are not exhaustive ‘DOs and DON’Ts,’ but rather, serve as examples and paradigms (patterns) from which we can derive underlying principles to apply in other situations. These teachings are found in parts of the Gospels i.e. Matthew – John.

7. Letters

These are generally occasional documents i.e. they were written with a clear purpose to a well identified audience. However, some letters (called epistles) were written to a larger people group.

The letter/epistle writer presents arguments to correct, rebuke, defend, instruct, praise and encourage their readers. Letters/epistles form the vast majority of the New Testament from Romans to Jude.

8. Apocalypse.

This includes the book of Revelation, and also large parts of Ezekiel and Daniel.

Revelation is a vision of warning and encouragement to the early church as it was going through immense persecution.

D. Types of writing in the Bible – Literary Forms

The Bible is a collection of works composed over great spans of time by various writers who each had a unique perspective and style of writing in which to present the message. As a result, the Bible contains writings of several genres, or literary styles. Each genre is suited to the message that is being used to present but in order to understand the message being presented we must first know how to approach the genre itself.

1. Figures of Speech

A figure of speech is a word or phrase that is used to convey something beyond its ordinary meaning. An example of figure of speech would be to say that "the Sun has set."

The Sun has not actually set but has become hidden beyond the edge of the Earth due its rotation. We say that it has set but we are conveying information of an entirely different sort.

We are using a figure of speech because the context of the expression has been established over time and it has become understood that the obvious meaning of the figure of speech is not the meaning that is intended and that we are speaking of things as they appear, not as they are.

It is important to regard the Biblical context of each figure of speech as it is encountered in order to interpret properly what is being said, for often the opposite of what seems to be true will be used and will only become apparent through reading the surrounding verses.

Several types of figures of speech are:

a). Parables

An extended metaphor or simile which compares a religious truth with a common experience or circumstance. It means to place two things alongside each other for comparison. They both illustrative and provocative and have only one message or central idea, and even if multiple messages are present, one of them will be the chief idea.

A parable exists to establish one main point. "In preaching parables and similitudes, great care should be taken to discover their object and design, and those grand and leading circumstances by which the author illustrates his subjects."

Stories told for the purpose of driving home a specific idea or collection of ideas. In most cases, like the rest of the Bible, parables have ONE BASIC MEANING.

Ex: The parable of the ten virgins is a Biblical example. It is full of unique symbolism:

the number ten, virgins, lamps, oil.

The parable of 10 virgins teach readiness:

• Arminians have used it to prove it was possible to fall from grace

• Holiness advocates have used it to prove a second blessing

• Calvinists use it to prove there may be professions of faith which are not genuine

• Dispensationalists use it to prove some detail of God's prophetic program - partial

rapture?

• Others attempt to derive some doctrine about the Holy Spirit

The point of the story is that we should "watch" or "be spiritual alert." Whatever else all the symbols mean is not clear, and to start building doctrines on this parable (like a doctrine of a partial rapture) is theological thin ice.

A parable is a story that is true to life but is not usually an event that has actually occurred (much like the novels of our day) and may be considered to be an extended simile (see below). The parable is usually designed to teach one main point, such as the parable of the Good Samaritan is used by Jesus to teach the concept of loving one’s neighbor. Parables are generally found in the gospels and are usually introduced by a phrase similar to this: "And Jesus spoke this parable,"

Ex: