The Bible can be broken into several categories of writing. Approximately 43% of the Bible is made up of narrative, from historical narrative to parables. Roughly 33% of the Bible is poetry, including songs, reflective poetry, and the passionate, politically resistant poetry of the prophets. The remaining 24% of the Bible is prose discourse, including laws, sermons, letters, and even one essay.
The Bible is an ancient collection of sacred literature made up of many different literary styles. Each biblical book uses, to a varying degree, a combination of all the literary styles to make its unique contribution to the story of the Bible. First, let's take a look at the narrative style of storytelling.
An important part of reading biblical narratives is learning how to understand the nature of "the plot," how stories are arranged into a pattern of conflict and resolution. In this video we'll see how ignoring the sequence of the plot can lead to distorted interpretation of biblical stories. We'll also explore how grasping the multi-layered nature of the narrative can help you see the unified story that leads to Jesus.
"How to Read the Bible is copyright 2020 by BibleProject and are available for viewing at www.bibleproject.com"
5 - Plot
The Bible Project
1 - What is the Bible?
The Bible Project
This is episode 1 of an ongoing series that explores the origins, content, and purpose of the Bible. Here you'll be introduced to a condensed history of how the Bible came into existence, and the different forms of the Bible in the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christian traditions. By the end of this series, you will be familiar with every part of the Bible and how it uses language to communicate who God is, who we are, and the big, redemptive story that we are all living. "How to Read the Bible is copyright 2020 by BibleProject and are available for viewing at http://www.bibleproject.com"
2 - Biblical Story
The Bible Project
Episode 2 summarizes the overall story of the Bible as a series of crossroad decisions. All humanity, followed by the Israelites, redefine good and evil and end up in Babylon. They are followed by Jesus, who takes a different path that opens up the way to a new creation. "How to Read the Bible is copyright 2020 by BibleProject and are available for viewing at http://www.bibleproject.com"
3 - Literary Styles
The Bible Project
Episode 3 shows how reading the Bible wisely requires that we learn about the ancient literary styles used by the biblical authors. These writers expressed their ideas and claims through a variety of different type of literature, and this video will explore why it's important to tell them apart so we can hear their message on their terms. "How to Read the Bible is copyright 2020 by BibleProject and are available for viewing at http://www.bibleproject.com"