Rules for Interpreting Historical Narratives, Part 4 | Rapp Report Daily 0060 | Striving for Eternity

Welcome to The Rapid Pull, daily edition, where we provide a quick biblical interpretations and applications. This is a ministry of striving for eternity.

Historical Narratives Do Not Directly Teach Doctrine

As we continue to look at the methods of interpreting God's Word, we are spending this week looking at historical narratives. And we've been addressing this one because of so much abuse that happens with it.

One of the things we were going over is the rules specifically for this style of literature. We said that when we look at historical narratives, we must remember that they don't directly teach doctrine.

They could sometimes, but that is not always their purpose. We saw that historical narratives record what did actually happen, not what should happen. We saw that historical narratives don't always include a statement of whether something is good or bad, whether it should be practiced or avoided.

Historical Narratives Are Not Allegories With Hidden Meanings

We also must understand that historical narratives are not allegories with hidden meanings. And this is something you see people doing often. They try to look for some secret meaning within the historical narrative, as if it had to have some special spiritual purpose that has special meaning to people.

So you'll have someone like Joseph Smith seeing reference to two sticks, that the scriptures tell us that these two branches are the two branches of the Israelites. And yet they will take that and say, well, that's the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

They give it a hidden meaning that had no understanding for thousands of years. This is something that you'll see them do. And so we must realize that it doesn't have some secret meaning. It also to be understood that these stories are about God first and foremost.

Historical Narratives Are About God First and Foremost

And that's the purpose of a historical narrative.

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