Articles
God Spoke In Many Ways
God can communicate TRUTH in many different ways. Notice how it’s put in Hebrews 1:1, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways...” What are some examples of this? Obviously, one way God communicates truth is through plain commandments. His displeasure is clear when it comes to stealing, lying, adultery, etc. because He has plainly stated that we are not to do evil things. But God can also communicate truth in other literary modes.
History told through narrative, such as First and Second Samuel, Nehemiah, Acts of the Apostles, and many more. These are true stories of historical events. They teach us truths about good and bad behavior, or how God saves His people, or the way that He keeps His promises.
But there are also fictional stories that teach truth. Take the parables, for example. When Jesus spoke of the prodigal son in Luke 15, was He recounting an actual tale about a real family? Almost certainly not, and yet the TRUTH conveyed in the story remains. Maybe “fictional” is a word that we bristle at because we do not want to give the impression that any part of the Bible is questionable or fails the test of scrutiny. But when understood properly, even fiction teaches.
Remember the powerful truth that David needed to learn when the prophet Nathan came to tell him about a poor man whose lone ewe lamb was taken away to be unceremoniously slaughtered in the house of a rich man. Nathan states: “You are the man!” His story was specially crafted to serve as a vehicle for a true message.
Beyond storytelling, God also teaches truth in poetry, which utilizes all manner of figurative literary devices. In Psalm 23, can we literally say that God has led any of us to pastureland or water? Has He ever literally prepared a table for you in the presence of enemies? Does He literally have a rod or a staff? Of course not, yet the poetry drives home a series of very poignant truths about God’s love, patience, provision, and protection.
Symbolic language, such as we find in Revelation or Ezekiel, is another element of the Bible that warrants attention (and proper handling). When we take symbols too literally - or literal things too symbolically, for that matter - we might end up missing the TRUTH that God is trying to teach.
Last, but certainly not least, God communicates truth through what we might call “instructional literature”. A homily, for example, teaches about moral behavior and encourages the reader or audience. Similarly, didactic literature is educational. The book of Romans contains elements of both. It provides a systematic explanation of doctrinal, moral, and spiritual TRUTHS.
