The Bible As Literature

"The Bible As Literature" is a class often seen at universities.

The Bible contains poetry, storytelling, fact recounting, insight sharing, and other 'categories' that man labels things that are written in order to keep track of and make comparisons of.

But very simply: the Bible is a message to mankind.

This message is told from a variety of points of view, several perspectives, yet all are derived from a Single Source... and no contradiction is found.

The obvious point of view is from a Holy God.

The rest of the perspectives are through men and women who speak from several places in society.

The Bible is the history of mankind as God has stated it and kept track of it... and for some, the history of God as certain men have stated it and kept track of Him.

Their voices, speaking either in quotation of a Holy God, or in reflecting Him, or in responding to Him, and several other ways, are recorded for posterity to recognize something.

This something is, unfortunately for the literal only crowd, based upon the gift of faith.

It takes faith to actually believe not only the miracles mentioned in the Bible, but the thousands upon thousands of miracle testimonies since the was concluded as a timepiece... yet the Word of God is living and active.

This is why not every religious person is a faithful person.

This is why some religious people fail to love others, but are focused on religious things and when left to their own devices are quite destructive and irreligious when the term 'religion' is considered.

The literal (literature) approach to the Bible is the safest start because logic is the basis before any mention of allegory, metaphor, allusion, and the mention of metaphysical realities (miracles).

If students in a classroom cannot agree on the literal message that is conveyed in any particular passage, to mention things that move beyond the literal would be futile.

I am not speaking about the arguing over words, or which word should be used in translating the archaic lingual texts.

I am speaking to agreeing on what the literal message is regardless of the many synonyms available to convey a sentiment.

To at least start with the literal is like opening with "once upon a time" and going from there.

To run into things mysterious is to start reading from the middle or the end of the story, and more questions than answers would be the result due to missing what first happened.

The approach through literature's means is the approach to appreciate the work of art the Bible is.

Art in the sense that not every verse, or chapter, or sentiment is literal on its own, but speaks of things beyond human words.

This is why Christ is vitally important when speaking of God and His message (the Bible).

How else can an invisible God be talked about unless a man be taught about things visible.

This is the why of Christ.

To 'see' God in all ways it is possible for a human to understand is to see Christ.

How does God love?

Look at how Christ loved.

How does God forgive and have compassion over people?

Look at how Christ forgave and had compassion.

How does God want you to handle people who hate you, want to hurt you, and speak evil about you?

Look at how Christ responded to those who hated, hurt, and accused Him.

This is why any given parable, although spoken using a singular sentiment and a rudimentary choice of words and subject matter, speaks on several levels to different people... according to where they are on their journey in this life.

This isn't a matter of a better or clearer interpretation than another interpretation.

It is rather that each individual's fate (or inability) to actually 'hear' the Word of God in the first place (or not) is determined by God, not man's effort.

Sure, a man can learn all the words that ever existed... but can that man also speak love to someone... or show it by his actions?

This is why even Satan quoted verses of Scripture in attempting to trap and tempt Christ... so any individual who 'knows' the Bible doesn't mean they automatically 'know' God or follow Christ.

And if any individual is blessed in this most wonderful allowance, the deeper mysteries and mystical revelations are not given in one go... but are given over time.

Like the peeling back of an onion.

Also similar to the enjoyment of a meal.

A meal cannot be consumed nor enjoyed in one bite, but rather over time in one sitting.

One bite at a time... one portion at a time... one choice morsel at a time.

There is also time to chew.

There is then time to swallow.

Then to breathe, absorb the tastes into one's conscience and consider how the food begins to settle and satisfy.

This is a repetitive process... not done by much 'thinking' but rather automatic.

All people alive today have continued to live because they have continued to eat (literally).

So it is for those weened on the Word of God... and this is something a literature class cannot specifically teach but perhaps encourage.

What more about the spiritual food that gives true life eternal?

Lastly, the digestion.

How can one tell the meal did them good was meant to be eaten by any given individual?

The individual is made healthy.

If they throw up, in the case of the Word of God... the meal was not 'bad' per say, but rather there may have been a forced feeding [bad religion - the teaching of the hired hand].

There may have also been a lack of patience or poor chewing methods or insincerity [the parable of the seeds].

When John the Baptist responded to a very human, and very banal notion of competition among the righteous, or about legitimacy, consider the message from God mentioned through his lips.

To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.” 

- John 3: 27

Consider how many great literature minds have not been gifted faith enough to understand the simple things of God... how much less the gifts of wisdom bestowed upon whomever God chooses, educated or not?

It is less 'knowing' the Bible and being able to 'wow' others, but rather 'living out' the message of the Bible... and God utilizing you to serve His purpose.

It is simple to highlight the moral foundation of God's Word... but it takes faith to actually resist temptation when it is all around you and make moral choices.

It is easy to point at the very basic ethos of being honest and not stealing... but it takes faith to continue to be ethical when no one is looking or your best interest depends on it.

It is thus no great effort to copy and past Bible verses and expounding on their literal terms... but it takes having been given the gift of faith to actually reflect God's light in one's life... and that reflection is the reason why the message was given among men.

Living stones.

Plenty of Bible scholars that actually know little to nothing about Christ.

How so?

They fail to reflect Christ.

They are only trying to compete with one another... they are the likes of those who asked the Baptist that contentious question.

But notice how John the Baptist was not a 'learned man', but was instead a man living in the outskirts of town - the wilderness... not among the ranks of the teachers and religious of his time.

Although some PhD's surely may know Christ, it doesn't take a PhD in the Bible to be gifted faith.

A doctorate is received through the work of schooling, while faith is gifted by God's will... and that gift is something that beckons the faithful to get to work.

Being good doctors in feeding and healing others with His Word is a way beyond literal medicine... and God hands out this kind of PhD.