GURUKUL LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE & RESEARCH INSTITUTE

CHENNAI

Course Code: MCOM006 Course Title: Biblical Narratives and Religious

Communication

Biblical Understanding of Narratives

Submitted To : Rev. Dr. M. Peter Singh

Presented By : Rajesh J. Charles, M.Th. II Date: 20th September, 2021

Introduction

Story time is the most awaited moment not only to the children but for the adults too. Narrating
a story is all the more interesting as it focuses on detailing the events making the story more
appealing. That’s where the importance of Narration lies. Narration becomes more important
because it is the process of recounting a sequence of events that is real or imagined. By and
large a narrative is a historical story that provides an account of events that took place in the
past, so that the reader may gain knowledge and direction in the present. Much of the Bible is
composed of narratives accurately depicting events in the history of God’s chosen people.
Predominantly narratives serve a very distinct purpose in Christianity. In fact, the main
structure of the Bible itself is that of a narrative, moving through creation, fall, and redemption
to consummation. That is the reason why this paper puts an effort to bring out the importance
of Bible and narratives, its genre, characteristics and interpretation not only using the human
characters but God’s entire creation that shares his beautiful story.

1. Biblical Narrative:
A biblical narrative is both a type of narrative and a reference to certain passages or books of
the Bible. Biblical narratives are historical narratives with more emphasis on information, not
entertaining drama. The first seventeen books of the Old Testament (Genesis to Esther) are
basically narratives. The poetic and prophetic books are occasionally interlaced into these
seventeen books (the statutes in Exodus). Narratives are also interlaced into the poetic books
and the prophets (Jer. 39:1-18). Job is considered a poetic book, but is also a narrative.
Likewise, Daniel and Jonah are considered prophetic books, but are also narratives. The first
five books of the New Testament (the gospels and Acts) are classified as narratives; although,
the events in the gospels are not always presented in chronological order.1

2. Biblical Genres:
2.1. Narrative / Historical:
The Bible contains narrative throughout most of its books. These report accounts or stories of
events or people as they encounter God, sin against each other or live out their lives. It records

1
Allen B. Wolfe, Balancing the Sword, Accessed 19 August 2021,
http://www.balancingthesword.com/study_support/glossaryword.asp?ID=27&_Word=biblical+narrative.

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historical accounts of events as well as providing descriptions of what is happening in particular
scenes.2

2.1.1. Biblical Narratives are History:

Many Christians who believe the Bible to be true history, but then read it and teach it as if it
were something totally a historical. Our hope of salvation rests on the truthfulness of biblical
narratives. Jesus was a real man who really died and rose from the dead. More than that, He
was the one who fulfilled the promises of the Old Testament.

2.1.2. Biblical Narratives are Theology:

Biblical narratives relate true facts about history, but they are doing more than that. The authors
of biblical narratives like Genesis or Acts aren’t just giving us the facts in order. They are
writing history in order to make a theological point.

2.1.3. Biblical Narratives are Selective:

The authors of the Bible are not pretending to give a comprehensive history of anything. The
biblical narratives tend to focus on key individuals like Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus,
and Paul. So, biblical narratives tell a big story by focusing on the smaller story of individual
men and women. But they don’t even give us full details of any of those people. Biblical authors
tell us just enough to make their point.

2.1.4. Biblical Narratives are Ancient History:

Biblical authors used conventions of ancient writing. They used loose quotations and round
numbers. They are not always clear on the sequence of events or times things happened. They
never once used a footnote. We cannot hold ancient writers to modern conventions of writing.
So theology of the text should be looked while studying a narrative part of the Bible. Questions
like Why did the author include this and not something else? What point is he/she making?
should be asked.

2.2. Poetry:
A large portion of the Bible, in particular the Old Testament is poetry. The Psalms and the Song
of Solomon are examples. Even some narrative books contain occasional songs or poems. The
structure and the parallelism should be concentrated.

2.3. Wisdom Literature:

The Old Testament books of Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes are wisdom books. They are
immensely practical books meant to help us live well in the world. Wisdom literature comes in
lots of forms—stories, parables, confessions, and so on. Context is often very important in
wisdom literature.

2.4. Prophecy:
A large portion of our Old Testament books are written by prophets. There are two key aspects
to biblical prophecy that we need to understand.

2
Robert Sang, 6 Literary Genres in the Bible, Accessed 29 August 2021, https://drawingontheword.com/literary-
genres-in-the-bible-how-to-read-them/.

2
 2.4.1. Foretelling:
Foretelling is predicting the future. There are lots of examples of this kind of prophecy in
Scripture. Perhaps the most famous prophecy in all of Scripture is Isaiah 53; there, Isaiah
foretells the sufferings of Christ.

2.4.2. Forth telling:

Foretelling is not the main point of the prophetic books. The main point is forth telling. In other
words, the prophets were speaking forth God’s truth to the people of their own day. By and
large, the message of the prophets was, “Repent and turn back to your covenant with God,
because the Lord is bringing judgment.”

2.5. Apocalyptic:
This is the genre of Scripture that is most foreign to modern readers. The name comes from the
Greek word “to reveal.” Revelation is apocalyptic literature, as are parts of Daniel, 2
Thessalonians, Matthew, and a few others. Apocalyptic literature is a kind of drawing back of
the veil to let us see the great spiritual conflict which is generally invisible to us. It allows us
to see the true meaning and destination of history.

2.6. Epistles/Teachings:
The last genre is the epistle. Much of the NT is epistolary literature. Epistles are great because
they are probably the most straightforward books in the Bible. They are logical. Some epistles
seem like they were written for the church at large, but others are written to specific churches
facing specific issues.3 It is important to know the literary genre of the book we are reading in
the Bible. If we neglect this, it can lead to misunderstandings and wrong assumptions. We can
also end up applying God’s word in the wrong way.

3. Genres of Books & Sections of the Old Testament:

Genre / Section Books of the Old Testament Theme
Law Genesis to Deuteronomy Origins & How God relates to Israel
History Joshua to Esther The history of Israel
Poetry Job to Song of Songs Psalms, Proverbs & Writings
Prophets Isaiah to Malachi Calling Israel back to God

4. Genres of Books & Sections of the New Testament:

Genre/Section Books of the New Testament Subject
Gospels Matthew to John The Life of Jesus
History Acts History of the Early Church
Letters Most by Paul, several by others Letters to Churches or Individuals
Jesus’ Second Coming and
Prophecy Revelation
Leadership4

5. Characteristics of Biblical Narratives:

Biblical narratives are interpreted history with a specific divine purpose. They are not allegories
nor are they primarily intended to teach moral lessons or doctrine although they may illustrate

3
Biblical Literary Genres, Accessed 29 August 2021, https://www.fbcdurham.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/08/Learning-How-to-Teach-Scripture-More-Effectively-4-Biblical-Literary-Genres.pdf.
4
David Kim, How to Understand the Bible for Beginners? Accessed 15 September 2021,
https://pursuitbible.com/how-to-understand-the-bible-for-beginners/#3_Get_Familiar_with_the_Main_Storyline.

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doctrine taught propositionally elsewhere. Narratives may teach either explicitly, by clearly
stating something, or implicitly, by clearly implying something without actually saying it.

Narratives record what actually happened, not necessarily what should have happened or what
ought to happen every time. Many of the characters in them are far from perfect and their
actions are too. What people do in narratives is not necessarily a good example for us. At times
it is just the opposite.

Biblical narratives have limitations. They are selective in what is revealed and incomplete (John
21:25). Not all the relevant details are always given but what is written is everything the
inspired author thought important for us to know according to his purpose in writing. 5

6. Interpreting Biblical Narratives:

The purpose of biblical narrative is not merely to tell what took place in the past. Rather, it is
to relate these past events to biblical faith. Thus, the meaning of such texts involves not
primarily what happened but rather the interpretation of what happened. Unlike legal materials
or letters, however, the meaning of a narrative is taught implicitly rather than explicitly. The
writers of the biblical narratives seldom say, “Now the point I am trying to make by this story
is . . .” The meaning of a narrative is thus more elusive for the reader. To facilitate the
interpretation of biblical narrative, investigation of the following is especially useful.6

6.1. Context:
While reading about the feeding of the 5,000 in John 6:1-15, it is important to remember what
John says is the purpose of his entire Gospel: “These [things] are written so that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his
name” (John 20:31). The immediate context also gives an important hint about meaning. In
verses 30-31, the crowd demands that Jesus do a sign to help them believe He is from God, and
they suggest a miracle similar to what God did in Exodus by providing Israel with bread in the
wilderness. From context, we see that the point of the feeding of the 5,000 is to demonstrate
that Jesus is the promised Messiah from God whom we should follow.

6.2. Authorial Comments:

The repeated commentary in the story of David and Goliath concerning David’s lack of
traditional battle weapons. The author says he “put off” the armor offered by Saul (1 Samuel
17:39) and that “there was no sword in the hand of David” (1 Samuel 17:50). And twice we’re
told that he fought with a sling (1 Samuel 17:40, 49). One point of the story is to illustrate that
God had anointed David as the warrior king of Israel. His victory was attributable to God’s
empowerment, not impressive weapons.7

6.3. Repetition:
In Judges, we notice a cycle in the narrative. The author tells us that when Israel sinned, God
gave them over to their enemies (Judges 2:14; 3:8, 12; 4:2; 6:1; 10:7-9; 13:1). Then, when
Israel cried out to the Lord, He delivered them (Judges 3:9, 15; 4:4-24; 6:11-25; 11:1-33). From

5
Steve Johnson, Biblical Narrative, Accessed 19 August 2021, https://www.insightforliving.ca/read/articles/
biblical-narrative.
6
Robert H. Stein, A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible (Michigan: Baker Academic, 2011), 128.
7
Dennis Bratcher, Guidelines for Interpreting Biblical Narrative, Accessed 17 September 2021,
http://www.crivoice.org/narrguide.html.

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this repetition it’s clear that the narrative is meant to teach that sin leads to judgment and
following God to deliverance.8

6.4. God is the ultimate character and the supreme Hero of every Biblical Narrative:
Since the Bible is the story of rescue and redemption of fallen mankind through the coming of
his Messiah ask, “How does this story point towards Jesus and His redemptive work?” In
biblical narratives, God is always the hero and the history being told is His story. 9

7. Stories in the Bible:

7.1. Story may Entertain or Delight:
A story may entertain or delight us. The lad David, equipped only with a slingshot, defeats the
giant Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, in spite of the Philistine’s threatening size, mighty armor, and
weaponry. While entertaining us, this story also serves another, more political purpose,
introducing us to David, the future king of Israel, in the best possible light. We have legends
of mighty figures such as Samson, who in Judges 16 pulls the pillars of a whole temple down
upon Philistine idolaters, killing himself at the same time.

7.2. Stories about People:

The Bible has a “cast” of thousands, but some of them play more important roles than others.
The prime players in the Bible are from the first humans to Prophets to Apostles to Jesus
himself. Of course, the most important character in the Bible is God, but because God isn’t a
“people,” God does not appear in this collection.

7.2.1. Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve are two people. But Adam and Eve really are inseparable. Even the Bible refers
to them as “one flesh” in recognition of their coming from the same flesh (Adam’s) and being
joined together again in marital/sexual union. Adam and Eve are important because, according
to the Bible, they’re the first two people in the world, and from them comes everyone who has
ever lived. Adam and Eve live together in Paradise, until they disobey God by eating fruit from
the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This act of defiance, called “The Fall” by many
theologians, is a real bummer because from it comes painful childbirth, weeds in your garden,
and, ultimately, death. Moreover, Adam and Eve’s disobedience introduce fear and alienation
into humankind’s formerly perfect relationships with God and one another. As evidence of this
alienation, Adam and Eve’s son, Cain, murders his brother, Abel.

7.2.2. Moses:
The Hebrew Bible describes Moses as the greatest prophet who ever lived, and for good reason.
Moses is born during the hard times for ancient Israel. His mother saves him by placing him in
the river Nile. After he is grown he had to flee Egypt and eventually God appears in a burning
bush and tells him to return to deliver the Israelites from slavery. Moses is given the Law at
Mount Sinai and he leads the Israelites to the edge of the Promised Land and dies at the age of
120 years.

8
Bible Mesh, How Should We Interpret Biblical Narratives? Accessed 17 September,
https://biblemesh.com/blog/how-should-we-interpret-biblical-narratives/.
9
Steve Johnson, Biblical Narrative, Accessed 19 August 2021,
https://www.insightforliving.ca/read/articles/biblical-narrative.

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 7.2.3. Jesus
The New Testament’s story of Jesus is as fascinating as it is inspiring. Born and raised in the
“backwaters” of the Roman Empire, Jesus begins a religious movement that eventually
overtakes the Empire. According to the New Testament, Jesus is the Messiah (“anointed one,”
Greek “Christos”), the promised deliverer of Israel, whose death on the cross brings deliverance
from sin, and whose eventual return to earth will bring deliverance from oppression by ushering
in God’s kingdom. Jesus’s message of caring for the downtrodden, extending kindness to
strangers, and loving one’s enemies is still unmatched for its profound insight and penetrating
simplicity.

7.2.4. Paul
Paul is arguably the person most responsible for spreading Christianity throughout the
Mediterranean region, on its way to becoming the religion of the Roman Empire. Paul’s efforts
to convert people to Christianity are all the more remarkable since, when we first meet Paul,
he is vigorously attempting to stamp out this movement because he believes that its message
contradicts the teachings of the Hebrew Bible.

Then, one day, while Paul is traveling to Damascus to arrest Christians, Jesus appears to him
in a blinding flash of light and tells Paul his efforts against Christianity are what contradict the
teachings of the Hebrew Bible, because Jesus is God’s promised Messiah. Paul spends the rest
of his life spreading the “good news” about Jesus’s life and teachings throughout the Roman
world.10

7.3. Stories about Places

7.3.1. Mount Moriah
The importance of Mount Moriah is associated with what took place there. Abraham was asked
to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, and offer him up to God on Mount Moriah. Abraham obeyed
God and just before plunging the knife into Isaac, the angel of the Lord stopped him (Gen
22:11-12). Abraham typifies what God the Father sacrificed in His Son, Jesus by offering Isaac
but Isaac was spared. Jesus was not. In a doctrinal statement of sorts that foretells the coming
Son of God, Isaac asks about the animal to sacrifice and Abraham responds, “God will provide
for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son” (Gen 22:8). God did just that (John 3:16).

7.3.2. The Red Sea:

After Israel had left Egypt, Pharaoh changed his mind and came after the Israelites when they
were trapped by the Red Sea. Surely Pharaoh must have thought he’s got them now but God
has a purpose for His telling Israel to camp by the Red Sea (Ex 14:1-2). This epic event was
going to be so burned into the nation’s mind that centuries later Stephen the Deacon referred
to it as part of his defense of his faith in Christ (Acts 7:36). Finally, in Exodus 14.19-20, the
angel of God stood as a pillar between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. The rest is
history…or His-story and God receives glory for saving a nation.

7.3.3. Bethlehem:
This small and seemingly insignificant town called Bethlehem wouldn’t draw much attention
except for the fact that this is where Jesus, the Son of God, entered into human flesh to redeem
human flesh; at least those who are brought to repentance and faith in Christ. Micah the Prophet

10
Jeffrey Geoghegan, 11 Important People in the Bible, Accessed 16 September 2021,
https://www.dummies.com/religion/christianity/the-bible/11-important-people-in-the-bible/.

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foretold this day in Micah 5:2, and this city itself is ancient (Gen 35:19) but the “ancient of
days” is obviously Jesus Christ and whom the Apostle John wrote in John 1:14.

7.3.4. The Empty Tomb

The tomb wasn’t left open so that Jesus could get out; it was left open so that eye witnesses
could get in and see that it was empty. He was not there because He had been raised from the
dead and this important event ties into our own bodily resurrection someday. Apostle Paul
writes of the crucial importance of the resurrection by asking, “Now if Christ is proclaimed
as… then not even Christ has been raised” (I Cor. 15:12-13) and even worse, “if Christ has
not been raised,… faith is in vain” (I Cor. 15:14). This is very bad news because “if Christ has
not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (I Cor. 15:17) but it’s called
the good news because “in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those
who have fallen asleep” (I Cor. 15:20). Christians can look at funerals much differently than
those without the hope found in Christ because for us, it’s not burial ground, but resurrection
ground! 11

7.4. Stories about Nature:

The Bible has a lot to say about the natural world, from the famous opening chapters of
Genesis, to the final words promising a new heaven and a new earth in Revelation. The Bible
makes it clear that God created the world, and that His intentions were:
o to provide for all his creation, people and animals
o for human beings to populate and use the earth fully
o to give human beings control (responsibility)

This is demonstrated in Genesis 1:26-28. God creates human beings in his own image; both
male and female. There is a unique relationship with God. To these human beings, God
delegates responsibility to care for the natural world: environment and animal kingdom.

In times of warfare, instructions were given to conserve fruit trees in Deuteronomy 20.19,
‘When … the war drags on, do not destroy the trees... They are not enemies that need to be
attacked!’. And it was especially emphasized that animals should be cared for. Proverbs 12:10
says that ‘the Godly are concerned for the welfare of their animals’: a clear indication that
honoring God extends to how people treat animals as well as people.12

In order to keep the Temple in working order, all Jewish males had to pay a Temple tax. Even
though Jesus and Peter weren’t bound to this requirement, Jesus says in Matthew 17.24-27,
However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the
mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax
for both of us.”13

In John 4:13-14, Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but
whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will
become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Water is an important thing that
both plants and humans need is illustrated throughout the Bible to demonstrate God’s pleasure

11
Jack Wellman, 7 Important Places or Locations of Bible Events, Accessed 17 September 2021,
https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/7-important-places-or-locations-of-bible-events/.
12
Environment: Biblical Teaching on Caring for the World, Accessed 17 September 2021,
https://request.org.uk/issues/the-natural-world/nature-and-the-bible/#.
13
Molly Parker, 10 Weird Animal Stories of the Bible, Accessed 18 September 2021,
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/10-weird-animal-stories-of-the-bible.html.

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or displeasure with His people. Without water, plants will wither and die. Without the Living
Water, humans will, as well.14

7.5. Stories about Symbols:

7.5.1. Olive Leaf / Olive Branch (Nehemiah 8:15, Genesis 8.11):
In the Bible the olive tree, branch, or leaf is a symbol of peace, prosperity, beauty, and victory
and, of course, a relationship between God and man. This symbol is mentioned frequently in
the bible. In Nehemiah, it is for hope and in Genesis, it is used for the new beginning for
humanity, reconciliation with God, and revival.

7.5.2. Rock (Deuteronomy 32:4, Matthew 7.24-27):

Rock is a very bold and blunt symbol. Rock is a strong and stable foundation on which the
whole empire can be built. It is related to God, who is an immovable force that anchors us. It
also stands for firmness and faithfulness. The One who is genuine is like a rock. It is also
symbolic of strength and permanence.

7.5.3. Stairway (Genesis 28:12-13, John 1:51):

A stairway or stairs is actually the way to follow the path of God and enter into his kingdom.
It’s a way of connection between two spaces – heaven and earth. We can think of Jesus waiting
up at the staircase and paved the way for us. It is also symbolic of the life experiences and the
stages we climb towards virtues. It is also the spiritual journey of mankind.

7.5.4. Ring (Genesis 41.42 & Esther 3.10):

The ring stands for authority. The transfer of the ring from one finger to the others is actually
the changing or declaration of authority. It also stands for the favor, withdrawal of favor and
beauty.15

7.5.5. Anointing with Oil (1 Samuel 16.13, Luke 4.18):

The ceremony of anointing and the oils used symbolize further connection to God. As David
was anointed king by the prophet Samuel, we too are empowered by the Holy Spirit through
our sacramental rites.16

7.5.6. Symbols in the Book of Revelation:

Alpha & Omega = Jesus, “The First & the Last” and “the Beginning & the End”
Burning Sulfur = Eternal Punishment
666 = Tripled (the most) imperfection; anyone who viciously persecutes Christians
7 = Fullness, complete amount
7 Churches = All the churches of all the world of all times
10 Days = A short time
Three-and-a-half = A very short time
1260 days or 3&1/2 years or 42 months = Period of persecutions of God’s people. 17

14
Sue, The Symbolism of Plants in the Bible, Accessed 18 September 2021,
https://www.womanofnoblecharacter.com/plant-in-the-bible/
15
Examples of Symbolism in the Bible, Accessed 16 September 2021, https://literarydevices.net/examples-of-
symbolism-in-the-bible/.
16
Matt Charbonneau, Seven Examples of Symbolism in the Bible, Accessed 16 September 2021,
https://media.ascensionpress.com/2019/02/15/seven-examples-of-symbolism-in-the-bible/.
17
Terry A. Modica, The Meaning of Symbols in the Book of Revelation, Accessed 18 September 2021,
https://wordbytes.org/bible-study/revelation-glossary/.

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 7.6. Stories about Icons:
7.6.1. Face of God:
In Exodus 33:11, we read: “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with
his friend.” (cf. Deuteronomy 5:4, 34:10) This speaks of God’s nearness to us, the possibility
of our being able to enter into a personal relationship with God. And yet at the end of the same
chapter we see God emphasizing his utter transcendence. In Exodus 33:20, God tells Moses:
“But you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live”; and in Exodus 33:23, God tells
Moses: “Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

In Genesis 32:30, we read of Jacob’s night of struggle with God in which a breakthrough was
made and Jacob received the blessing of God. Jacob memorialized this event by naming the
place “Peniel” (face of God) saying: “It is because I saw God face to face and yet my life was
spared.” The word “face” (panim) can be used not just to denote God’s personal presence but
also his personal blessing.

7.6.2. Curtains before Most Holy Place:

For the Most Holy Place Solomon had two sculptured cherubim built (I Kings 6:23-28, II
Chronicles 3:10-13). Cherubim were worked into the curtain that covered the entrance to the
Most Holy Place (II Chronicles 3:14). Cherubim were also carved onto the two wooden doors
for the entrance to the Most Holy Place and on the walls all around the temple (I Kings 6:31-
35, 29-30). What is interesting to note is the added details of palm trees and open flowers on
the walls and inner entrance. The lavish visual details here stands in sharp contrast to the stark
austerity of many Protestant churches.18

7.7. Stories about Building:

Building is both an effort and a result. If we build well, the product will be a structure we call
a building. The Bible is full of people building altars, cities, houses, roads, towers, walls, and
more. Quite a few significant buildings are mentioned: the Tower of Babel, the walled city of
Jerusalem, the temple of Solomon. The greatest builder of all time is God, the builder of
creation from the foundation up (Ps 102:25; 104:3; Isa 48:13). He described in great detail the
construction plans for the traveling worship center (tabernacle) that moved with the people of
Israel as they wandered in the wilderness for forty years and also the plans for its permanent
replacement, the temple. One of the regular cycles of life mentioned in Ecclesiastes 3 is “a time
to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build up” (v. 3).

7.7.1. Building a Foundation for Life:

The drive to construct is a symbol for the way we shape our lives and the impact we can have
on other people. We can tear them down or build them up (Eph 4:29). And while we are living,
we are also constructing a life that has a certain structure, just like a building. God’s role in that
project is crucial: “If the LORD does not build the house, It is useless for the builders to work
on it. If the LORD does not protect a city, it is useless for the guard to stay alert” (Ps 127:1).
Jesus concluded his famous Sermon on the Mount with the following application challenge to
his listeners in Matthew 7:24-27, Therefore, everyone who hears what I say and obeys… built
a house on rock… did not collapse, because its foundation was on rock…Everyone who hears
what I say but doesn’t obey … built a house on sand… collapsed, and the result was a total
disaster (Matt 7:24-27).

18
Robert Arakaki, The Biblical Basis for Icons, Accessed 18 September 2021,
https://orthodoxbridge.com/2011/07/12/is-there-a-biblical-basis-for-icons/.

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 7.7.2. Individual Lives as Buildings:
You are God’s building. As a skilled and experienced builder… like going through a fire (1
Cor 3:9-15), is the symbol of a building representing a person’s spiritual life is carried over to
the corporate relationship between believers. The church is a building of human lives. “You
are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Christ Jesus himself is the cornerstone.
In him all the parts of the building fit together and grow into a holy temple in the Lord. Through
him you, also, are being built in the Spirit together with others into a place where God Lives”
(Eph 2:20-22). Colossians 2:7, 1 Timothy 3:15, and 2 Timothy 2:19 all echo this idea of
believers bonded into a building.19

Evaluation and Conclusion:

The purpose of narratives contained in the Bible is to teach the readers the happenings in the
past and so we need to become conscious of the fact that we should not allegorize the narratives
looking for hidden meanings in it. The reason is that these events are recorded just as it took
place in the history. These narratives should not be viewed as fables that teach moral lessons.
We should never forget that these characters are real historical figures with many flaws and
they sometimes make poor decisions. The description of their life events are what actually
happened and not necessarily what should have happened. The narratives purpose is to inform
the reader of how God has orchestrated events throughout history to achieve his desired
outcome.

A truth is not taught in the narrative, but the narrative may be used to further support or illustrate
a truth from another section of scripture. To make us understand this, the author uses the
narration in different genres. Hence, both the Old Testament and New Testament narratives are
a vital resource for Christians. We may easily read how God, the biblical hero, has orchestrated
events through history, independent of those who follow him, to guide history to where we are
today. Narratives are precious to us because they intensely demonstrate God’s involvement in
the world and illustrate his principles and calling. The narratives offer great insight into the
past, but we should never abuse them to try and teach directives they do not contain. To teach
us His purpose, God uses stories about people, places, nature, buildings, icons and symbols.
Though Bible has many human authors, but there is one divine Author, and God never
contradicts Himself. The narration of the history of the world uncovers and articulates the unity
of all the biblical texts taken together. Considerably, narration speaks to us strongly because it
is about us. We want to know what happened to others, not simply because we’re curious, but
because their experiences shed light on the nature of our own lives. Hence interpretation of
this narrative history should not be subjective but be Christ centric to fulfill the purpose for
which the Bible is narrated to us.

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Signs & Symbols of the Bible (Building), Accessed 16 September 2021,
https://jesusway4you.com/2018/11/28/signs-symbols-of-the-bible-building/.

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Bibliography:

1. Stein, Robert H. A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible. Michigan: Baker Academic,
2011.

Webliography:

1. Allen B. Wolfe, Balancing the Sword, Accessed 19 August 2021,

http://www.balancingthesword.com/study_support/glossaryword.asp?ID=27&_Word
=biblical+narrative.

2. Bible Mesh, How Should We Interpret Biblical Narratives? Accessed 17 September,

https://biblemesh.com/blog/how-should-we-interpret-biblical-narratives/.

3. Biblical Literary Genres, Accessed 29 August 2021, https://www.fbcdurham.org/wp-

content/uploads/2015/08/Learning-How-to-Teach-Scripture-More-Effectively-4-
Biblical-Literary-Genres.pdf.

4. David Kim, How to Understand the Bible for Beginners? Accessed 15 September 2021,
https://pursuitbible.com/how-to-understand-the-bible-for-beginners/#3_Get_Familiar_
with_the_Main_Storyline.

5. Dennis Bratcher, Guidelines for Interpreting Biblical Narrative, Accessed 17

September 2021, http://www.crivoice.org/narrguide.html.

6. Environment: Biblical Teaching on Caring for the World, Accessed 17 September

2021, https://request.org.uk/issues/the-natural-world/nature-and-the-bible/#.

7. Examples of Symbolism in the Bible, Accessed 16 September 2021,

https://literarydevices.net/examples-of-symbolism-in-the-bible/.

8. Jack Wellman, 7 Important Places or Locations of Bible Events, Accessed 17

September 2021, https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/7-important-places-or-
locations-of-bible-events/.

9. Jeffrey Geoghegan, 11 Important People in the Bible, Accessed 16 September 2021,

https://www.dummies.com/religion/christianity/the-bible/11-important-people-in-the-
bible/.

10. Matt Charbonneau, Seven Examples of Symbolism in the Bible, Accessed 16 September
2021, https://media.ascensionpress.com/2019/02/15/seven-examples-of-symbolism-
in-the-bible/.

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11. Molly Parker, 10 Weird Animal Stories of the Bible, Accessed 18 September 2021,
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/10-weird-animal-stories-of-the-
bible.html.

12. Robert Arakaki, The Biblical Basis for Icons, Accessed 18 September 2021,
https://orthodoxbridge.com/2011/07/12/is-there-a-biblical-basis-for-icons/.

13. Robert Sang, 6 Literary Genres in the Bible, Accessed 29 August 2021,
https://drawingontheword.com/literary-genres-in-the-bible-how-to-read-them/.

14. Signs & Symbols of the Bible (Building), Accessed 16 September 2021,
https://jesusway4you.com/2018/11/28/signs-symbols-of-the-bible-building/.

15. Steve Johnson, Biblical Narrative, Accessed 19 August 2021,

https://www.insightforliving.ca/read/articles/ biblical-narrative.

16. Sue, The Symbolism of Plants in the Bible, Accessed 18 September 2021,
https://www.womanofnoblecharacter.com/plant-in-the-bible/

17. Terry A. Modica, The Meaning of Symbols in the Book of Revelation, Accessed 18
September 2021, https://wordbytes.org/bible-study/revelation-glossary/.

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