Bible Stories: Fully written stories or fragments?

 

The big idea: Since stories make up 43% of literary styles in the Bible, we can assume stories of Bible characters are important, and that our own story is important to God too.

The question asked recently by a friend: Churches tell stories about the Bible. How are they in the Bible? Are they written there as stories, or has the church put these ideas together from fragments?

“Ask Anything About the Bible” is the newest blog series

The Power of Story

We are a story culture.

• Reality TV shows and talk shows
• Ghost stories around the campfire
• Bedtime stories for kids
• Rant blogging and video blogging

Most cultures around the globe value storytelling. It’s especially important in non-literary societies. In ancient days this is how history was kept alive. Oral historians took their role seriously to get it right as they passed the information on.

Genres of Literature in the Bible

The library and bookstore provide different books depending on need. There are genres like mysteries, history, instructive how-to books, and so on.

The Bible is made up of several genres of literature too. There are narrative stories, legal literature such as laws and genealogies, poetry (think the Psalms), instruction like a sermon or letter or advice, and even a genre almost Sci-fi-ish called Apocalyptic literature about dreams, cosmic battles, etc.

The narrative story-telling style makes up the largest percentage. 43%! The ancient periods of the Bible were predominately non-literate, so it is not surprising that storytelling was used so much in the Bible.

Bible Characters

There are many key figures in the Bible. Key figures may use numerous chapters to tell the story.

For example, the life of Abraham covers thirteen chapters from his calling to his death (Genesis 12-25). It is a long narrative. Smaller stories within the big storyline include other characters woven in.

The four Gospel accounts tell the life of Jesus. Each Gospel has a slightly different approach and includes some different details. They each had a different audience in mind.

The Gospel according to Luke was written by a non-Jewish physician. He wrote especially for non-Jewish people. He included more healing stories descriptive of aches and pains than the other three Gospels.

The Bible on the importance of stories

Here are two examples, one from the Old Testament, and one from the New Testament, about the power of stories in the Bible.

Old Testament Example

1 O my people, listen to my instructions.
       Open your ears to what I am saying,
2 for I will speak to you in a parable.
    I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
3 stories we have heard and known,
    stories our ancestors handed down to us.
4 We will not hide these truths from our children;
    we will tell the next generation
    about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
    about his power and his mighty wonders. 

                                    Psalm 78:1-4 NLT

New Testament Example

Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. Matthew 13:34 NLT

Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand. Mark 4:33 NLT

Real stories of real people

The Bible is full of stories. They are honest real life portrayals with people who were full of emotion, made mistakes, and ultimately made a choice whether to trust God or go their own way.

I think the raw reality of these Bible characters is a confirmation that these were stories of real people, not fragments doctored up for literary purpose to make a point.

Find an easy-to-read Bible Translation

If you are new to reading the Bible you will find it interesting to read.  Don't start in Genesis with the attempt to read it all the way through. Instead start with the Gospel of Luke or the Gospel of John. It is mostly a storytelling style.

Most people are familiar with the King James Version of the Bible, but it reads like Shakespeare. Most of the big old family Bibles are the King James Version

The Bible is now available in so many accurate easy to read versions. The one I often quote from is the New Living Translation (NLT).

Some think the NLT is someone trying to put it in their own words to make it sound modern, but is not accurate to the original writings. That is not the case. 

Some equate it with the very popular and helpful Bible of the 60s and 70s, the Living Bible. But the New Living Translation was published 25 years after the Living Bible. 

Ninety Bible Scholars worked as a team over six years time (1989-1996) to faithfully study the earliest manuscripts of the Bible and render them in readable English. That is known now as the New Living Translation. 

Some translations easy-to-read for storytelling are: New Living Translation (NLT), The Contemporary English Version (CEV), New English Translation (NET), the Message (MES) and more.

Read it for yourself!   

You do not need to own one of these Bibles to read it. Go to Bible.com. You can then download the app, or click on the word Bible, next to the title YouVersion on the left to read it on the computer.

 

https://www.bible.com/

Try the Bible in a modern version and allow yourself to be surprised!

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Previous: The DaVinci Code: Why were numerous books not included in the Bible?
Up next: What makes one sin greater than the other?
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Reflection:

What do you like about what you know of Jesus? What don’t you like about Him?

Would you consider reading one of the Gospel accounts in a modern Bible translation? You can find these free online at Bible.com. Start with the Gospel of Luke or John. The New Living Translation is my favorite for reading the stories of Jesus.

The DaVinci Code: Why were numerous books not accepted in the Bible?

 

Big Idea: The Bible differs from The DaVinci Code in that the Bible claims to be inspired by God and books included need to reflect that premise.

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“Ask Anything About the Bible” is our newest blog series. A friend recently presented this question to me.

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How Do the Assertions of the DaVinci Code stack up with the Bible?

The Bible, a tome of sixty-six books, is in sync within itself with God’s core purpose.

The popular book and movie of the early 2000s, The DaVinci Code, strongly asserts that many more books should have been included in the Bible but church leaders have wanted writings to confirm their own agenda.

It is not a new concept as the question has been asked as early as Bible times before Christ.

The DaVinci Code vs. the historical Bible

The Bible and The DaVinci Code start with very different premises.

 

The DaVinci Code claims the Bible is a man made historical record, totally fragmented by gross tweaking and rewriting through the centuries.

Dan Brown’s DaVinci Code character, the historian Sir Leigh Teabing, says in the book:

“The Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not of God. The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds. Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times, and it has evolved through countless translations, additions, and revisions. History has never had a definitive version of the book...” The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown

The Bible claims all books in it were written by human beings inspired by God to write in their own style the words of God Himself.

Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. 2 Peter 1:20-21 NLT

The DaVinci Code vs. Bible History

1. The DaVinci Code: The book repeatedly says the church through the years has dominated and re-written the Bible to control their belief structure.

Bible History: The Old Testament was a cohesive body of work chosen by holy men hundreds of years before the New Testament. The New Testament was decided by Christians within a couple hundred years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Both Testaments had numerous books debated about for inclusion or exclusion.

Book approval was based on cohesiveness to the rest of the Bible. Synchronization was most important to the Torah, to Jesus’ life and teachings, and that of the Apostles. The process was called Canonization and the final product was called the canon.



2. The DaVinci Code: The book claims the Nicean Council in 325 A.D. narrowly voted that Jesus is God. Before that everyone knew He was only a man. Emperor Constantine considered this an agenda for military dominance so he destroyed these conflicting books.

Bible History: The Nicean Council of 325 A.D. narrowly voted on one aspect of Jesus’ deity. Even Arius, who believed Jesus was created by God the Father and not of the same substance of God the Father, still believed Jesus was holy and divine sent from God. Council attendee records we still have today verify this. Constantine is not recorded to have ordered and carried out a mass destruction of religious books.

 

3. The DaVinci Code: The book claims that the Bible has been changed continually to suit the church’s agenda.

Bible History: The Bible has changed very little even in the early first and second century there was predominantly agreement. The final the New Testament Canon, and therefore the entire Bible, was considered complete and closed to additions by the end of the 300s A.D.

The rules to copy had strict codes in both the Old Testament and New Testament period and well beyond.

The Qumran scrolls which The DaVinci Code referred to verified miniscule changes in the Old Testament books. The writings found were written in the pre-New Testament period so stories of Jesus were not in those writings.

New Testament handwritten scrolls were in monumental number until the advent of the Guttenberg printing press. They are incredibly accurate comparing one text to the other. Examples of existing mistakes are on par with a number with an extra zero or a misspelling.

 

4. The DaVinci Code: The book asserts that many gospels were not allowed because Emperor Constantine and the church intentionally silenced them because of conflict with their desire for power and their desired rhetoric.

Bible History: Many extra gospels were scrutinized by early church leaders. Those that did not get added were not added for various reasons.

Some were not in sync with things Jesus and the Apostles taught. A unified message from God was considered important. Gnosticism was a sect in early church history with a lot of writing that was not in sync with the Bible’s view of Jesus (Arian, referred to earlier at the Nicean Council, was a Gnostic).

Some writings were obviously fraudulent. Other gospels showed up in the second and third century claiming to be from eyewitnesses, but were obviously written in a later period.

Some writings provided good background to life in Jesus’ day in the first century but were not considered on par as God’s divine message.

Emperor Constantine had no influence over the Old Testament inclusion. That was decided before the time of Christ. Constantine did initiate the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. for the purpose of a resolution of discord in the church regarding Aryanism. That council did not choose Biblical texts for the Bible. None of those original records and eyewitness writings mention Biblical texts being questioned.

The gamut from many other gods to no God at all

People have come up with their own variation of God since the beginning of the Bible.

In more modern times, people have asked if there even is a God. 

Is this God of the Bible a sham or made up to make weak minded people feel good?

Did He really influence human beings to write the Bible? 

Throughout the Bible there have been many, many gods, powers, and angels, often in conflict with the one referred to as the Lord God Almighty. These have also dominated ancient lore.

They have gone toe to toe with God in various stories of the Bible.  These stories have defined for us that God is much greater is much better than any other powers and deities.

There have always been doubters

The Gospel of John indicated that Jesus said several times there would be doubters. Here is an example.

If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. But since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?” John 5:46-47 NLT

For many, the journey to understanding the truth and benefits of the Bible has been a process of sincere seeking and serious study of the Bible itself.

Consider spending some time reading the source directly. If you would like to start reading, I would suggest beginning with the Gospel of John, reading in a more modern Bible translation such as the New Living Translation. Consider downloading this free Bible app from Bible.com.

Have a question to submit for a future Blog (or any other questions for Diane)? Email dianewido@scripturespy.com or post it on the Scripture Spy Facebook page. 

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Previous: What is the Purpose of the Bible
Up next: Bible Stories: In the Bible or fragments pieced together?
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Reflect:

What has influenced you most about your opinion of the Bible? Is it what you watch or read from various sources or have you gone to the Bible itself? 

Would you consider reading it for yourself?

What is the Purpose of the Bible?

 

Big Idea: The Bible is written to communicate that God seeks human partnership with those who trust Him, and these are like sign posts toward Jesus. 

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“Ask Anything About the Bible” is our newest blog series. Normally questions are solicited from people I meet. This first question is one I hear sometimes and thought would be a good first question. 

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The Bible is a large, amazing book

The Bible is a huge tome of writings designed to communicate who God is and His desire to partner with human beings who trust Him.

This remarkable book has over 30 different writers of various nationalities and backgrounds covering about a 1000 year period.

As a total work it is mind boggling that its themes and subthemes are in sync with each other in spite of the wide variety of authors covering a wide time frame.

Each book has sign posts that point to Jesus who is in the Old Testament as part of God’s activity, but specifically as God’s Son born into humanity in the New Testament.

The Bible itself claims it was written by human beings inspired by God.

20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. 2 Peter 1:20-21 NLT

In the Beginning

Genesis, the name of the first book of the Bible, means beginnings. It introduces God as the creator of the universe.

Man and woman were created, introduced to God, and invited to partner with Him in naming the animals and taking care of the world.

Man and woman walked and talked with God. It set the ideal precedent.

Genesis shows numerous beginnings. 

Those who spurned trusting God and working with Him found themselves free to do as they wish. But that lifestyle led to a lot of heartache and pain. Many became mean and evil without any guardrails of morality.

It became obvious that human beings are stubborn and bent toward badness. We see God’s sadness at how bad things got so quickly after Creation.

The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. 6 So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.  Genesis 6:5-6 NLT

Partnering with People

Throughout the book of Genesis, God reached out to human beings, inviting them to trust Him and work with Him. For example, Adam and Eve, Noah and Abraham.

The people whose stories are featured have real flaws and issues. We see faith as a work in progress, like Abraham for example.

The Bible shows God revealing Himself progressively, coming alongside those who trust Him, and guiding them.

The purpose of the Bible is to show us how to find and appreciate God's love for us.

The purpose plainly stated

This Bible verse tells us plainly how the Bible helps us in this Bible verse.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT

To follow the list in the verse with a simile:

• It teaches us what is true.
• It makes us realize what is wrong. Like looking in a mirror and seeing the smudge on our face.
• It corrects us when we are wrong. Like looking in a mirror and verifying we are removing it.
• It teaches us to do what is right. Like following a YouTube video how to remove a stain.

The benefit

The benefit of reading the Bible provides great comfort as we bring our problems to God and find all we need for a fulfilled life from reading the Bible.

Joyful are people of integrity,
who follow the instructions of the Lord.
Joyful are those who obey his laws
and search for him with all their hearts. Psalm 119: 1-2 NLT

Have a questions to submit? email DianeWido@scripturespy.com or post it on https://www.facebook.com/scripturespy

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Up next: The DaVinci Code: Why were numerous books not included in the Bible?
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Reflect: 

This blog asserts that the Creator of the Universe wants to partner with human beings. It may seem preposterous, but consider this an exercise.  If God came to you and told you that, how would you respond? 

New Blog Series Starting Next Thursday, September 12!

 

Very excited about my new series starting next week!  Ask anything about the Bible!

I have a few great questions I have received to get started....

Questions like: 

• What is the purpose of the Bible?
• The DaVinci Code claimed numerous books were not accepted in the Bible. Why not?
• What about the dinosaurs?
• Why was the Old Testament so violent?

Stay tuned for interesting questions