1. Hermeneutics Lesson VII The Interpretive Task: Narrative

2. Before the Enlightenment, the narrative stories were considered factual. Since then that has been denied. But if the stories in the Bible are not fact, then where do we find meaning and significance? Three attempts were made: 1.Rationalism: The authors in their ignorance thought a miracle took place, but they were mistaken. 2. Accomodation: The biblical authors knew the miracle stories were false, but added them to accommodate the ignorant masses so as to teach spiritual principles. 3. The Mythical Approach: The miracle stories rose from the author’s subconscious, which we must plumb to determine his meaning.

3. Lucy found that she had come to the land of Narnia where it’s always winter but never Christmas…Then she met Mr. Tumnus who was like a man from the waist up but had the legs of a goat and goat’s hoofs. …The White Witch called herself the Queen of Narnia but all the Fauns and Dryads and Naiads and dwarfs hated her. And she could turn people to stone!... Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, in the priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. Myth vs. Narrative

4. As you are reading through a text, imagine the author saying: “I Mark (or Ezra, or the anonymous author of I Kings) am telling you this (subject matter) because…(meaning).”

5. "Truth" in John 14:6 John 14:6 Gospel of John John's other writings (I, II, III John, Revelation) New Testament Old Testament Greek (LXX) Old Testament Hebrew Early Church Fathers

6. The “Hermeneutical Circle”

7. Principles for Interpreting Narratives 1. God is the ultimate subject and actor in biblical narrative. 2. Don’t assume the narratives are filled with hidden meanings “for me.” 3. Narratives don’t always teach directly. 4. Don’t assume everything in a narrative is directly applicable. 5. Always ask why the author included this story. 6. Keep in mind the context. 7. Take Note of the Author’s Comments. 8. Note Repetition of Key Themes. 9. Don’t forget to follow outline practices.