The Genres of Scripture Flashcards
Referential Language
Descriptive Informational Scientific Stenographic Non-Emotional
Commissive Language
Emotional
Decision-Evoking
Feeling-eliciting
Affective
Poetry
Job through Malachi Commissive Language Rhythm and rhyme (Hebrew has no Rhyme) Main feature parallelism
Synonymous Parallelism
Sub: Incomplete Parallelism
Second line expresses a thought that is similar to the first with little or no added meaning
One element of the synonymous line is omitted from the second line
Antithetical Parallelism
Sub: Chiastic Parallelism
The second line contrasts with the first
Two lines are contrasted with two others through the use of a chiasm
Synthetic Parallelism
Sub: Climactic Parallelism
The second line adds ideas to the first line; there is development of thought from the first line to the second
The lines build to a climax
Proverbs
Subtype of wisdom literature (OT Job, Prov, and Ecc) 1. Short 2. Pithy (forceful/brief) 3. Often Metaphorical 4. General Truths
Four characteristics of wisdom literature
- Practical Orientation
- Dependence on God
- Indirect Authority
- Creation Theology
Unit Proverb
short, pithy sayings (distinct from context)
Cluster Proverb
Aggregate of unit proverbs that come together to form extended wisdom discourses
The Nature of prophetic ministry
- Divine call of a prophet
- Role of a prophet (call back to covenant)
- The marks of a false prophet
The Nature of the prophetic message
a. Reception of the message
(dreams or revelation)
b. Forms of the message
(judgement, woe, symbolic, legal, disputation, poetry, wisdom, apocalyptic)
c. Forthtelling more than foretelling
(Forthtelling the word of God, foretelling/predicting the future)
Interpreting Prophecy
- Judgement prophecies always assume repentance prevents judgement
- Prophecy used figurative language
- Prophecy is mainly forthtelling, not foretelling
- Don’t look for a sensus plenoir unless other scriptures guide you to do so
Six categories of figures of speech
- Figures of comparison
- Figures of addition or fullness of expression
- Incomplete figures of speech
- Figures involving contrast of understatement
- Figures centering upon association or relation
- Figures Stressing Personal Dimension
Parables
Idea of comparison
(NT, w/Kingdom Truths)
1. Picture part (fiction)
2. Reality Part (historical)
Osborne’s 10 characteristics of Gospel parables
- Earthiness
- Conciseness
- Major and minor points
- Repetition
- Conclusion at the end
- Listener-relatedness
- reversal of expectation
- Kindom-centered escha.
- Kingdom Ethics
- God and Salvation
Principles for interpreting parables
- Look for the main point
- Seek to understand Jesus’ meaning
- Seek to understand the Evangelist’s meaning
- Seek the implications and significance of the parable
Guidelines for arriving at the main point of parables
- Who are the main characters?
- What occurs at the End? (Rule of end stress)
- What occurs in direct discourse?
- Who or what gets the most space?
Biblical narrative
Def: account of events
telling a story
Principles for interpreting biblical narrative
- Context
- Authorial Comments
- Repetition
- Authoritative Speakers
- Dialogue or Direct Discourse
Form of NT Epistles
- Private Letter (Bib)
- Public Epistle
- The Treatise (Bib)
Structure of the NT Epistle
- Salutation
- Thanksgiving/Prayer
- Body
- Exhortation & instruction
- Conclusion
Authorship of NT Epistles
- The presence of a scribe or amanuensis
2. The question of pseudonymity
Principles for interpreting NT Epistles
- Study the logical development of argument
- Study the situation behind the statement
- Note the different subgenres employed in the Epistles
Steps of Word Study
- Identify a word
- Identify original G/H term
- Identify range of G/H term meaning
- Identify the range of G/H term meaning in the wider writings of the biblical author
- identify range of meaning of the term in particular book
- Identify the specific meaning in the text
