Lectures by Professor V. Phillips Long
Covenant Theological Seminary
HOW DO YOU CHOOSE A TEXT?
Biblical narrative is scenic or episodic. There are discernable sections of Scripture that should be taken as units so as not to miss the main point.
Scenes are often defined by change in time or place. While each scene is its own unit, it must be understood in the broader context.
It can be challenging to grasp the larger account which is why some preachers don't preach OT narrative. As you read the larger narrative you want to look for connecting links from one scene to the next.
GAPPING: asking a question of the text that engages us and as we continue to read we see that the text answers the question. For example, Jacob is a deceiver and seems to get away with it. Why? Well, a couple chapters later we see that Jacob is himself deceived. He is reaping what he sowed.
HOW DO YOU ESTABLISH A TEXT?
In other words, how do you determine what the original text said? Acknowledge the primacy of the Hebrew text. You always lose something in translations. Translations sometimes have to sacrifice certain things. There are no perfect translations. Use various English translations and know what they are trying to articulate from the Hebrew text.
Pay attention to micro and macro details. Good commentaries can help with this.
READ THE TEXT
Look for literary features; poetics; literary grammatical structure (plot, tension, climax, resolution).
Look for characterization of people. Physical features may point to spiritual features.
Point of view matters. Job's friends spoke from their point of view. Not everything is from the narrator's or God's point of view.
Biblical or special poetics. Biblical narrative is economic, succinct, concise. It doesn't often go into great detail. It's often more concerned with the events than the scenery details. So when it does give details the author is calling us to pay attention to something.
Poetry may be inserted into narrative in order to make a point.
Repetition is sometimes used as flashbacks, sometimes with variations.
Sometimes texts allude to other texts.
Lexical and grammatical analysis: do word studies and look for significant phrases, keywords, repeated words.
Look for structure. Is there an outline in the passage?
Are there special forms in the text? For example, prophetic judgment speeches have a form, often starting with a statement of benevolence from God, then moving to an accusation, and ending with a pronouncement of judgment. Don't force a form on the text if it's not there.
Look for evidence of composition. How has the text come to be? For example, 1 Chronicles 17 and 1 Samuel 7 are described in different ways. The Chronicler is making use of source material (writing of Samuel, Gad, etc.). Knowing that his hearers were aware of the source material he seems to take a little liberty with the wording as he draws out its meaning. This is sometimes referred to as Redaction Criticism. Negatively used, Redaction Criticism is used to undermine the credibility of Scripture by calling into question the trustworthiness of the author or events or the accuracy of the date of the writing.
Look for contextual significance, biblical/theological analysis, or Canonical Criticism. The account of Gibeah finds itself in the broader context of "everyone doing right in their own eyes." There is no king. God has been cast off. We shouldn't expect to see God-honoring people.
REFLECT ON THE TEXT
These historical books that are making truth claims. There is a difference between truth value and truth claims. We may know that the Word of God is true (truth value), but we may not know what truth claims it is making. We believe with another that the Word of God is true but we may differ on the truth claims, so discussion is often warranted.
Assess the truth value. There's apologetic value in trying to demonstrate the truth value of the truth claims. We can't force unbelievers to believe, but we can press them and show that there's validity to what we believe and their denial of truth value and claims are not well-founded. This might come through connecting archaeology to the narrative.
Assess the truth value. In doing so we might find that we have been misreading a text. The four corners of the earth doesn't mean the earth is square. The rising and setting of the sun is not a scientific claim, although it is a true statement in regards to how we use language to convey ideas.
RESPOND TO THE TEXT
How did the text challenge or encourage the original hearers? Look for the fallen condition focus. This bridges the text to us.
What do we learn about God or our relation to Him? Our condition?
What is the redemptive message that the text conveys?
How does the text foreshadow the work of Christ? Don't be mystical or allegorical.
How does it prepare for the work of Christ? Does it focus on our fallenness? If so, this shows us our need for redemption.
The OT is pressing towards Christ.
Does the passage result from the work of Christ? More of a NT focus.
