Archive for the ‘Narrative’ Category

  • The structure and organisation of the book of Jonah

    Jul 18, 12 • Jonah, Narrative, StructureComments Off on The structure and organisation of the book of Jonah
    The structure and organisation of the book of Jonah

    Jonah is carefully and neatly structured into four acts (the chapters): Act one: Jon 1:1-16 Pagan sailors converted Scene one: Jonah’s commission 1:1-3 Scene two: On a ship in a storm Jon 1:4-16 Jon 1:17 (MT & LXX 2:1) bridge Act two: Jon 2:1-10 Jonah talks to God Scene three: in the belly of the [&hellip...

  • Bridges in Biblical Narrative

    Jul 17, 12 • Jonah, Narrative, RuthComments Off on Bridges in Biblical Narrative
    Bridges in Biblical Narrative

    Like soap-operas, and other serials, biblical narratives with several episodes often seek to bridge between two parts. These bridges are often verses that serve to link one episode to another. We’ll look at examples from Ruth, Jonah and Genesis 2-...

  • Clumsiness in biblical narrative: Jonah 1:10 (Be afraid, be very afraid)

    Jun 1, 12 • Jonah, NarrativeComments Off on Clumsiness in biblical narrative: Jonah 1:10 (Be afraid, be very afraid)
    Clumsiness in biblical narrative: Jonah 1:10 (Be afraid, be very afraid)

    Biblical narrative is seldom clumsy and not often more complicated than it needs to be. So apparent clumsiness is usually intended to show us something. As I hope to convince you it does in Jonah 1:10.  ...

  • Jonah 1:9 and the things Jonah says!

    Apr 1, 11 • Jonah, Narrative1 Comment
    Jonah 1:9 and the things Jonah says!

    I’ve already a podcast on Jonah 1:7-8 Direct speech in biblical narratives if you want a fill in between the last podcast and this one. Had you noticed? We were eight verses into the book and Jonah had not said one word. In Jonah 1:1-8 not a peep out of Jonah the prophet, so 1:9 [&hellip...

  • Jonah 1:4-5 : Big!

    Mar 31, 11 • characterisation, Jonah, Narrative1 Comment
    Jonah 1:4-5 : Big!

    In these two verses we get some more clues about how to read the book of Jonah, we’ll notice how everything is big, and how the ship has personality. I’ll suggest that Jonah is in some ways like a children’s story, larger than life and painted in bright primary colours. I’ll even suggest that there [&hellip...

  • E100-76: Acts 9:1 – 9:31: The Road to Damascus

    Aug 2, 10 • Acts, E100, NarrativeComments Off on E100-76: Acts 9:1 – 9:31: The Road to Damascus
    E100-76: Acts 9:1 – 9:31: The Road to Damascus

    “The Road” or “The Way” common Biblical picture language for a way of life or the direction we are “going”, but it is also used several times in Acts (almost, or probably, only in Acts) as a name for being a Christian. It is a good name because metanoia, repentance, is about turning round and [&hellip...

  • E100-59: Luke 10:25 – 10:37: The Good Samaritan, or is it?

    E100-59: Luke 10:25 – 10:37: The Good Samaritan, or is it?

    OK this story must be one of the best-known that Jesus ever told, everyone has heard it! And if not (at least if they speak English or French or just about any other European language) they know the main character’s name – The Good Samaritan. Except that, what we know if we know this, is [&hellip...

  • E100-37: 1 Kings 2:1 – 3:28: The great and wise king Solomon

    Jun 8, 10 • 1 Kings, E100, Narrative2 Comments
    E100-37: 1 Kings 2:1 – 3:28: The great and wise king Solomon

    In just two chapters we get some of the most beautiful and inspiring, and some of the grubbiest and most bloodthirsty stories in the Bible. It is no wonder that telling the stories of David (with Saul and Solomon and perhaps the rest) as a serial, like a soap opera has the audience panting for [&hellip...

  • E100-36: 2 Samuel 11:1 – 12:25: David and Bathsheba?

    Jun 7, 10 • 2 Samuel, E100, Narrative1 Comment
    E100-36: 2 Samuel 11:1 – 12:25: David and Bathsheba?

    These two chapters mark the turning point in David’s story. They offer vital clues also to how we “read” biblical narratives. Nathan’s story within a story provides hints, abouit the nature of narrative meaning David’s strange behaviour  during his child’s illness and on his death provides both a clue to an interpretative rule, and some [&hellip...

  • E100-35: 2 Samuel 5:1 – 7:29: Bible stories have depth!

    Jun 4, 10 • 2 Samuel, E100, Narrative, Reading2 Comments
    E100-35: 2 Samuel 5:1 – 7:29: Bible stories have depth!

    Bible stories, with a few exceptions (maybe some parables for example) do NOT have nice neat “morals”. If you want to say “and the moral of the story is…” don’t read the Bible. But by contrast if you want people with real depth, who make it difficult for us to work out what their motives [&hellip...