Biblical Literature

Overview
I. Information about the Bible
• Most widely distributed book in
history
• The Bible has been translated
more times into more languages
than any other book.
 II. Beliefs about the Bible
• Some people feel the events described in the
Bible actually happened and are true.
• Some people feel the events described in the
Bible are symbolic of religious belief and are
not to be taken literally, but rather to be
interpreted for moral lessons.
• Some people believe the Bible is false and
merely a work of fiction.
 III. Origins of the Bible
• The Christian Old Testament was developed
from the Hebrew Bible; in the mid 200s BC,
Jewish scholars in Egypt translated the Bible
into Greek.
• In that translation more chapters were added –
some were translations of Hebrew works and
some were original works of Greek authors.
• Apocrypha is the word used to refer to the
chapters that were added to the Old Testament
that were not originally found in the Hebrew
bible.
 III. Origins of the Bible cont’d

• The Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament are

virtually the same except for the Apocrypha.

• The New Testament differs from the Old

Testament in that it was written (in Greek) after
the birth of Jesus Christ, and it records the life
of Jesus Christ.
 III. Origins of the Bible cont’d

• Scholars have been able to confirm some (but

not all) of the statements in the Bible though
archeology and the study of documents written
by other peoples of the ancient Near East.

• The Bible was written from about 1450 BC to

100 AD by many different authors writing in
many different times and places.
Six Literary types in the Bible
History
Law
Poetry
Wisdom
Prophetical Books
Letters
It’s all used to teach us about God, but
in different ways.
Interpreting the Bible
To understand the Bible, we need to
know that the Bible is more of a
compilation of books, with different
authors, styles, genres and intent.
Each type of Biblical literature attempts
to highlight who God is and our
relationship with Him, but in very
different ways.
History: Gospels & Narratives
Gospels & Old Testament Understand
Narratives: up to Esther, author’s intent
accurate Matthew, in writing.
accounts of Mark, Luke, Learn from
history, but John and Acts history, both
meant to teach positive and
or drive a main negative
theme. lessons.
Law: Biblical commands
Law: Found To be
commands throughout followed,
given to be Scripture, particularly all
obeyed. though moral laws.
traditionally Civic and
given to the ceremonial
first five books laws of the OT
of the Bible. were not as
weighty.
Poetry: heartfelt prayers
Poetry: Job, Psalms, Realistic
expressing the Song of Songs expressions of
prayers and faith. Connect
heartfelt with it. Find
emotions of inner truth, not
the saints. necessarily
facts.
Wisdom: stylistic teaching
Wisdom: Proverbs, Don’t get
using literary Ecclesiastes, caught up too
style to get the Jesus’ parables much in the
teaching details; avoid
across allegorizing.
Find the main
point and
apply.
Prophets: a lawyer’s charge
Prophetical Everything in Not only about
books: the Old future:
authors were Testament understand
God’s from Isaiah to God’s heart
prosecutors, Malachi; and our
indicting Israel Revelation. actions in
and expressing present. Some
future understanding
punishments of future.
Letters: addressing a context
Letters: Everything in Understand
Epistles were the New context. Easier
written to a Testament to apply, since
particular from Romans motivations
group of to Jude. are often
people in a explained.
given context.
Example: What happened at
Creation?
Genesis 1, Creation account. Did God create
the world in 6 literal 24-hour time periods?
Genesis 1 is poetic, if not poetry.
It’s trying to answer the question, “What
kings rule over which kingdoms?”
God rules over all, and humans are his
adjunct governors.