Literary Style of the Bible

MEMORY VERSE: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” —II Timothy 2:15

EXODUS 15:1,2

MANY literary styles are found in the Bible; one of them likens God’s message to music or, as in this passage (Exod. 15:2), a song. The two verses cited are part of a song of deliverance, denoting the marvelous manner in which the Israelites, through the providences of the Lord, had triumphed over their enemies, the Egyptians. This is called the song of Moses.

In Revelation 15:3,4 the Lord’s people at the end of the present age in the plan of God are represented as singing a song of triumph which is referred to as “the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear [reverence] thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee: for thy judgments are made manifest.”

LUKE 15:3-10

In this passage of Scripture we have a message presented in the form of two parables. This is another of the literary styles found in the Bible, particularly in the teachings of Jesus, although not confined exclusively to him. In this passage we have his Parable of the Lost Sheep.

The first parable speaks of a person having a hundred sheep, one of which had gone astray. A good shepherd, Jesus indicates, would leave the ninety-nine sheep and “go after that which is lost, until he find it.” ‘When he returns with the lost sheep there is great rejoicing, not only on the part of the owner of the sheep, but by his friends and neighbors as well.

Jesus explained some of his parables, but not this one. In keeping with God’s plan of salvation it has been suggested that the hundred sheep could represent all God’s creations of beings on various planes of life, some being designated in the Scriptures as “angels, principalities, and powers.” The lost sheep of the parable could represent God’s human creation, who became lost and estranged from God through the disobedience of father Adam.

We know that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, did come to earth to die as man’s Redeemer, and thus to rescue the human race from death. It is reasonable to conclude that ultimately there will be great rejoicing, not only by the Lord, but by all his faithful creatures, when it becomes known throughout the universe that man has been recovered from death.

LUKE 24:44

In this scripture we find the resurrected Jesus reminding the disciples of things he had said to them before his crucifixion. There was a great deal of this style of teaching in the case of those early disciples, especially after the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost, for Jesus had promised that the Holy Spirit would call to their remembrance the things which he had said unto them, and it did.

PHILEMON 1-3

Here the style is in the nature of a personal appeal by the Apostle Paul to his beloved friend, Philemon, to accept Onesimus back into his household, and to treat him as a brother in Christ. Onesimus bad been a slave in Philemon’s home, but had run away. Reaching Rome, he sought out Paul in prison, probably having made his acquaintance in Philemon’s home. Onesimus accepted the truth of the Gospel as presented to him by Paul, and became a brother in Christ. It presented a problem for Paul, for Onesimus, and for Philemon, and Paul endeavored to solve this problem by means of this personal appeal to Philemon.

II TIMOTHY 2:15

Our lesson gives but a few examples of the literary styles of the Bible. There are others. In this passage we are admonished to rightly divide the Word of truth. Regardless of the style of presentation, all scriptures given by inspiration of God together present his great plan of salvation, and it is our privilege as students of the Bible to “rightly divide” them and thus discover their united and harmonious testimony and be guided thereby. Thus we show ourselves approved unto God.

QUESTIONS

What literary style of presentation is found in Exodus 15:1,2? In Luke 15:3-10; Luke 24:44; Philemon 1-3?

Outline briefly the lessons taught in these passages.

What does it mean to rightly divide the Word of truth?

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