How to Read Historical Narratives in the Bible
In our last post, we began to explore the rules of the game for one item biblical genre: historical narrative. This is a vitally important genre to properly understand, as it is far and abroad the largest blazon of literature found in the bible (at least fifty%!). We discussed the fact that historical narratives are not myths, fables, or legends. They are to be understood equally relating events that truly happened. Y'all might non receive them as historical, just the genre presents these events as historical.
This is an important point as the validity of these narratives historically is constantly under assail. I just saw an article in the Washington Postal service yesterday arguing that Jesus never lived (information technology is astonishing that such an idiotic thing can be published in a purportedly serious news publication – talk about "simulated news"!). Similar claims are made about Moses, David, Solomon, and, quite honestly, virtually every meaning biblical person and event. As This reflects a truly astonishing ignorance of archaeology, history, biblical interpretation, and (for that matter) even of mythology.
The Bible presents the events described in historical narrative equally history. Real people really did these actual things. If you had been nowadays with a video photographic camera, you could accept captured them on film (or y'all could accept, when video cameras even so had movie). Hither are iii points that chronicle to the Bible's cocky-presentation in historical narratives:
- Biblical Historical narratives nowadays themselves as history .
One reason for treating the historical narratives of the Bible as history rather than equally myths, legends, and and then on, is the very result nether consideration: the biblical narratives take the form of "historical narrative." The Bible talks about people and events as though these events and people are real and true. This doesn't happen in 'myths.' Become read some Greek mythology; go read some Norse mythology. No one, not even the original Norse storytellers, took these stories too seriously. They understood their genre. They understood that the talk almost the 'world snake' might contain hints or elements of truth, but didn't represent an bodily description of the make-upwards of the globe. How radically different such myths are from scriptures similar this:
1 Kings 6:1-5 In the four hundred and eightieth yr after the Israelites had come out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the LORD. ii The temple that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high. 3 The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is xx cubits, and projected ten cubits from the front of the temple. iv He fabricated narrow clerestory windows in the temple. 5 Against the walls of the main hall and inner sanctuary he built a construction around the building, in which at that place were side rooms.
This is set in time in space – in Jerusalem in the 10th century BC. This is firm and tangible history – as hard equally the rocks used to build the temple. How different this is from stories of Thor and Asgard! Who would want to make up a fantastic story and include details most the width of clerestory windows? Maybe Solomon never lived (though the burden of proof clearly rests upon the shoulders of the sceptics!), but the author of Kings doesn't nowadays this narrative with the least shred of doubt about the concrete historical nature of the wise and celebrated monarch.
Or consider this work from Luke the evangelist, recognized by many historians every bit a marvelous example of aboriginal historiography:
Luke 1:i-5 Many accept undertaken to describe up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, two just equally they were handed downward to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 Therefore, since I myself have advisedly investigated everything from the beginning, information technology seemed skilful likewise to me to write an orderly business relationship for you, near excellent Theophilus, iv so that you may know the certainty of the things you take been taught. 5 In the fourth dimension of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his married woman Elizabeth was likewise a descendant of Aaron.
This is a remarkable statement. Luke doesn't present the good news of Jesus as a fanciful representation of his personal organized religion – true for him, simply non true in any substantive sense historically. Luke rather presents the gospel narrative in the same style as the great Greek historiographers Herodotus or Thucydides presented their primary works. These are events set firmly and squarely in a historical context – with Herod king, and the division of Abijah serving in the temple courts. Indeed, Luke has "carefully investigated everything from the offset" and sets out to write "an orderly business relationship" – hardly the language of a loosey-goosey, wing-by-the-seat-of-one's-pants, slipshod myth writer.
This extends to other parts of the Bible too, such every bit to the historical narratives in the prophetic books. Consider Isaiah 36-37. Some amazing things happen in these narratives. An affections strikes downward hundreds of thousands of men in a single night. You might not believe in angels, or miracles, simply Isaiah did, and he presents this equally historical fact.
Miracles are all over the historical narratives of the Bible. Blind people meet; lame people walk; expressionless people are raised; waters are divided (or walked upon!). But just because something is miraculous doesn't mean it isn't true and historical. This just follows if miracles are ruled out of leap from the go-go – presuppositionally excluded. Perhaps many modern readers accept this problem, simply it isn't a necessary i and the biblical authors don't share it.
It should also exist mentioned that the Bible is likewise very aware of such things as 'myth,' simply myths show upwardly in other, not-historical contexts. For instance, the volume of Job takes the aboriginal myths related to Leviathan and recasts them in a poetic context. And so myth is utilized, only it is obvious in this poetic context that a historical meaning isn't intended (this is a dissimilar genre, a different game with different rules).
- Where Testable, these historical narratives show themselves to be true and trustworthy.
Many of the events described in the Bible can't be tested. How can we prove that Naaman the Aramean was really healed of his leprosy in the days of Elisha the prophet (2 Kings five)? We can't; nosotros weren't there, don't take video footage, etc. Of form, by the same standard it is impossible for me to prove that I ever visited Brazil. I have no pictures or video footage to show. I don't fifty-fifty have the passport postage stamp to prove it. But visit there I did. The vast majority of historical narratives are not testable in any way. I believe Patrick Henry said "Give me liberty or give me death!," but I can't prove information technology in any modernistic scientific sense. It is reported through apparent and reliable historical sources and I trust the authority of these sources by faith.
Only some historical events are testable. We read in 1 Kings 12 most the division of the kingdom of Solomon's son Rehoboam. A rebel, Jeroboam, established an contained northern kingdom. He also established temples to rival Jerusalem's nifty temple of Solomon. I remember visiting the cultic middle of Dan, the site of Jeroboam's northern temple. It was a surreal experience to walk up the steps into what would have been the holy of holies of Jeroboam's temple. This temple dated to most a millennium before the time of Christ. The Bible tells the story, and…at that place it is. Bricks and mortar. Just where it should be, simply as described.
In that location are countless examples of this kind of thing. Information technology was fashionable amidst disquisitional scholars to deny the being of King David for many years, despite the Bible'south narratives concerning him. Information technology became ridiculous to assert confidence in David'southward beingness….until a reference to David turned up on a stone in the same Dan where Jeroboam's temple is institute. The (groundless) critical assumptions crumble, the reliability of the historical narrative of the scriptures stands.
Nosotros could multiply this with countless examples. Simply these are plenty to illustrate that the Bible demonstrates itself trustworthy on any occasion where the truth of historical narratives is testable. If true where testable, why would we doubt its veracity in those areas where we can't test information technology? If you find me to be more often than not reliable, wouldn't you believe me when I tell you lot I had visited Brazil, even if I can't prove it to you lot?
- Jesus views them equally historical.
Christ received the Former Testament scriptures as the Word of God. He refers to historical narratives from throughout the Quondam Testament, treating them not as fanciful or mythological accounts, but as literal history. These include some of the texts that a modernistic reader would be most probable to dismiss as history, including the narratives of Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Jonah. This does not, of grade, mean in and of itself that these events actually happened, but it does make it seem certain that Jesus himself believed and taught as if these events actually happened.
The full list as provided by John Wenham (Christ and the Bible, Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity, 1973, p. vi-7) is quite impressive for its scope and inclusiveness. He writes,
He refers to Abel (Luke eleven:51), Noah (Matt. 24:37-39), Luke 17:26, 27), Abraham (John viii:56), the institution of circumcision (John 7:22; cf. Gen. 17:10-12; Lev. 12:3), Soddom and Gomorrah (Matt. 10:15; xi:23, 24; Luke 10:12), Lot (Luke 17:28-32), Isaac and Jacob (Matt. eight:eleven; Luke xiii:28), manna (John 6:31, 49, 58), the snake in the desert (John 3:xiv), David eating the consecrated staff of life (Matt. 12:three, iv; Mark 2:25, 26; Luke 6:3, 4), David as a psalm writer (Matt. 22:43; Mark 12:36; Luke xx:42), Solomon (Matt. six:29; 12:42; Luke 11:31; 12:27), Elijah (Luke 4:25, 26), Elisha (Luke 4:27), Jonah (Matt. 12:39-41; Luke 11:29, thirty, 32), and Zechariah (Luke 11:51)…He repeatedly refers to Moses as the giver of the Law (Matt. 8:4; xix:eight; Mark one:44; 7:x; x:5; 12:26; Luke v:14; xx:37; John 5:46; 7:19). He often mentions the sufferings of the true prophets (Matt. 5:12; 13:57; 21:34-36; 23:29-37; Marker half-dozen:4 [cf. Luke 4:24; John 4:44]; 12:2-5; Luke 6:23; 11:47-51; 13:34; twenty:10-12) and comments on the popularity of the simulated prophets (Luke 6:26). He sets the postage stamp of his approval on such meaning passages as Genesis i and 2 (Matt xix:iv, 5; Mark 10:6-eight)."
For a Christian, this is the strongest argument of all. If Jesus views these historical narratives equally historical, then who am I non to? Or, to say information technology another way, what's good plenty for Jesus is good plenty for me. Who am I to doubt what my Lord says is true? The start thing we must do when interpreting the historical narratives is to recognize that they are historical narratives.
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Source: https://www.mpchurchpa.org/historical-narratives-are-historical-narratives/
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