8 Common Mistakes When Reading Biblical Narratives

I came across these points in an old copy of "How to Read the Bible for all its worth" by Gordon Fee and Douglass Stuart that I had borrowed.

I think I've probably been guilty of every point on this list at some time or another. Not neccarserinly deliberately but sometimes due to lack of knowledge.

(Editor note: I've adapted the titles to help the knowledge stick)

Searching for hidden, secret meaning

While there are implicit teaching in a text that do require us to pay attention, as well as cultural/historical points we may miss with our modern eyes, there isn't some secret code that once we crack we will gain "true knowledge". That's modern gnosticism.

Allegorizing

The most common danger is when we see the narrative as an allegory to a deeper meaning. The only issue is that some texts like revelation are allegorical.

Taking out of context

Context is really important for meaning and if we take verses or sections out of context, we may end up with completely the wrong impression. If we read the tale of David and Bathsheba but stop before Nathan speaks with David, we might assume what he did was fine. As we often read the bible in smaller chunks, this tendency is increased, but we can still do it even when we read larger sections. Some people do it deliberately (even if they claim not to) as a way to skirt challenging and difficult parts.

Picking and choosing

Similar to taking out of context, we can end up picking and choosing the parts of a narrative that we like and feel comfortable with. If there's a part we don't like, we might skip past it or ignore the clear message.

Making chimera

Chimera was a mythical beast that was part lion, part goat and part snake. Basically, it was a messed up jumble of different parts. That's can happen when we read the Bible and join parts that shouldn't go together. The example in the book is combining David saying he will dwell in the Lords house forever with him saying the Lord prepares a banquet in the front of his enemies so his enemies must be in the Lord's house! I suspect this mistake also involves ignoring the context and other verses which refute these parts.

The "true" authority

This is the common method of cults. They claim they have some special extra-canonical authority that overrides all meaning of this text and allows you to learn the hidden meaning. While extra canonical sources can help us understand the historical and cultural context of a passage, we need to be wary of those which make us read the text in strange ways.

Life-coaching

Instead of searching for some hidden, deeper meaning, we may also reduce the text to some moral messages for today. While Bible narratives can point to moral message (explicitly and implicitly) we need to be danger of reducing them to a simple moral that a life coach could give.

Redefining

I can't think of a better way to call this than the author's choice. Redefining is just that. Deciding that what something means or shows isn't what it means or shows because we don't like it. This can happen when we are convicted by God's word. Instead of humble submitting, we push back. I'm not saying that you shouldn't use your common sense or intellect (you might have missed the context, or have found a narrative that shows what NOT to do) but we still need to be submissive enough to accept that God knows best.

How can we avoid these mistakes

Honestly, this is a question I still have and am looking for more answers to. But I'm sure that both knowing the potential pitfalls and having a desire to do proper exegesis is a crucial first step. If you'd like to grab your own copy of How to Read the Bible for all its worth, click the button.