Biblical Genres, Essay Example

This paper begins with a strong quote that reminds readers that “no Bible narrative was written specifically for you.” This message helps establish the idea that understanding the Bible often requires understanding the genres of Biblical narratives, and this paper provides a discussion of four Biblical genres. The writer uses the examples of the Book of Acts, the Epistle to Timothy, the Gospel of John, and the parable of the seed and the sower. The four different genres represented by these examples are narrative, epistle, gospel, and parable, and the author of this paper offers information about how to understand and interpret each of these genres.

The narrative genre requires readers to examine the plot, the characters, and the dialog to understand the point of the story. An epistle is a letter, making it necessary to know who wrote it and the audience for which it was intended. The Gospel genre contains a mix of literal and metaphorical content, making it necessary to consider the context in which it was written. The parable genre contains messages encased in a metaphor, and the reader must interpret the message without extending that message beyond the intent of the parable.