The Bible as Literature
I hope you read the Bible regularly. It helps us discover who Jesus really is, to learn what God expects of us, to find the guidelines for life needed if we wish to follow the Lord. We need to read the Bible. As we do so there are different approaches. Some read it like a magic book, just open it up, flip to some random page, put your finger on a verse, and let it speak to you. No thought about context, about what the original writer intended to the original audience. We’re asking for trouble when we go this route. Some people read it literally, while others take symbolism to an extreme. Which is it? The Bible is not always literal, and not always symbolic, and as we read it we must do so in context. We must realize that it is like any other piece of literature. It uses the tools of literature to communicate. Let’s look at some examples.
Metaphor. A metaphor is a figure of speech where a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” would be an example. The world is not literally a stage; men and women not literally players in an act, but it communicates an idea. James 3:6 says, “The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness,” and we realize it’s not literally a fire, but it communicates the idea of how it can be dangerous. “I am the bread of life” Jesus said in John 6:35. Not literally, of course, but as his audience thinks of the manna God once provided Israel, as they think of the unleavened bread of Passover (and communion), of the everyday bread they eat, they understand what Jesus is saying. It’s a metaphor.
Simile. This is a type of metaphor but comparing two things of different kinds to make a description more emphatic, more vivid. In Matthew 28:3 we read of the angel who came to roll back the stone of Jesus’ tomb, and it says, “His appearance was like lightening, and his clothing white as snow.”
Hyperbole. A hyperbole is an exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally, but to make a point. Jesus says in Mark 9:43, “And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell.” His point? Sin is a serious thing. Take serious action to remove it from your life! Jesus also said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” The point? Riches can mess with your spiritual life big time. Don’t be fooled. Keep your stewardship to God in front of you. Hyperbole: exaggeration to make a point.
Paradox. No, it’s not two doctors, as Groucho Marx might contend. A paradox is seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statements that when investigated prove well-founded or true. “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my safe will find it,” Jesus said (Matt. 16:25). Save life by losing life? Paradox.
Personification. “When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; indeed, the deep trembled” says Psalm 77:16. “Wisdom cries out in the street, in the markets she raises her voice” says Solomon in Proverbs 1:20. Assigning human attributes to a non-human entity to express a point in a more colorful way. The waters were afraid, wisdom cries out. That’s personification.
There are many more we could list, such as Alliteration, a repetition of words with identical or similar sounding vowels followed by different consonant sounds. “The fair wind blew, the white foam flew, the furrow followed freely,” is an example (Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner). Hard to pick up in the Bible since the authors would use Hebrew or Greek, and that doesn’t translate well into English for alliteration. The point? The Bible is not a magic book. It’s not all literal nor is it all symbolic. It is a true story of God’s interaction with men and women, using all the typical tools of literature. If we will read it that way, we have taken a huge step toward understanding.
Cross Point: “But now, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand,” says Isaiah (64:8). This is an example of ______________.
Metaphor. A metaphor is a figure of speech where a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” would be an example. The world is not literally a stage; men and women not literally players in an act, but it communicates an idea. James 3:6 says, “The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness,” and we realize it’s not literally a fire, but it communicates the idea of how it can be dangerous. “I am the bread of life” Jesus said in John 6:35. Not literally, of course, but as his audience thinks of the manna God once provided Israel, as they think of the unleavened bread of Passover (and communion), of the everyday bread they eat, they understand what Jesus is saying. It’s a metaphor.
Simile. This is a type of metaphor but comparing two things of different kinds to make a description more emphatic, more vivid. In Matthew 28:3 we read of the angel who came to roll back the stone of Jesus’ tomb, and it says, “His appearance was like lightening, and his clothing white as snow.”
Hyperbole. A hyperbole is an exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally, but to make a point. Jesus says in Mark 9:43, “And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell.” His point? Sin is a serious thing. Take serious action to remove it from your life! Jesus also said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” The point? Riches can mess with your spiritual life big time. Don’t be fooled. Keep your stewardship to God in front of you. Hyperbole: exaggeration to make a point.
Paradox. No, it’s not two doctors, as Groucho Marx might contend. A paradox is seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statements that when investigated prove well-founded or true. “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my safe will find it,” Jesus said (Matt. 16:25). Save life by losing life? Paradox.
Personification. “When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; indeed, the deep trembled” says Psalm 77:16. “Wisdom cries out in the street, in the markets she raises her voice” says Solomon in Proverbs 1:20. Assigning human attributes to a non-human entity to express a point in a more colorful way. The waters were afraid, wisdom cries out. That’s personification.
There are many more we could list, such as Alliteration, a repetition of words with identical or similar sounding vowels followed by different consonant sounds. “The fair wind blew, the white foam flew, the furrow followed freely,” is an example (Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner). Hard to pick up in the Bible since the authors would use Hebrew or Greek, and that doesn’t translate well into English for alliteration. The point? The Bible is not a magic book. It’s not all literal nor is it all symbolic. It is a true story of God’s interaction with men and women, using all the typical tools of literature. If we will read it that way, we have taken a huge step toward understanding.
Cross Point: “But now, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand,” says Isaiah (64:8). This is an example of ______________.
Posted in Cross Points