Having determined that narrative was the primary communicative form employed by the apostles for the proclamation of the gospel as evidenced in the Book of Acts (see "The Apostolic Gospel: Narrative (1)"), a few more comments regarding the importance of narrative are worth consideration.
Narrative is the most natural way by which to communicate history. The fact that the Bible anchors God's revelation in historical persons and events, with the apex of revelation being an historical person (Jesus Christ) experiencing an historical event (the crucifixion and resurrection), automatically necessitates the communication of divinely interpreted history in order to properly understand God's revelation. Indeed, a basic understanding and belief in the divinely interpreted story concerning Jesus constitutes the basis for the reception of God's gracious salvation in its inceptive stage. Thus, it is no surprise that the apostles employed narrative in the communication of the good news.
Too often the Bible itself is inadequately understood in terms of its narrative coherence. Creation, the Fall, the providential formation and history of Israel, the incarnation, crucifixion, and ascension of the Son of God, the outpouring of God's Spirit, the expansion of the church, Jesus' promised return, the resurrection, the renewal of creation, and the final judgment--all of these together constitute the major elements of a coherent metanarrative. The various particulars of scripture are not a random collection of disparate revelations. Rather, they individually and collectively fit into the grand story of God's purposes vis-a-vis humanity and the cosmos in which we live. This is significant and underscores the importance of presenting the good news of reconciliation with God into its broader storied context.
Furthermore, from a sociological perspective narrative is fundamental to the formation of worldview, which is "the overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world." Joel B. Green's comments in his article, "Narrative Theology," in the Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible (2005), are helpful.
A proper presentation of the apostolic gospel with its salvific aim should challenge the worldview of its recipients and call for a decision. If the overall story of Jesus Christ is true, it demands not merely the abandonment of personal sin and the embrace of faith in a "personal" savior, but also implicitly the abandonment (or perhaps radical modification) of one's worldview and the embrace of the divinely revealed metanarrative found in scripture and embodied in Jesus. In other words, Christian conversion should involve the supplanting of a person's former worldview with the biblical metanarrative of creation, fall, and redemption, whose apex is the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, this change of worldview occurs as a process.
Popular gospel presentations which focus on propositional truths devoid of narrative typically contain the following vital biblical truths: (1) God is loving, yet holy and just. (2) Humanity is sinful, guilty, and unable to extricate itself from its sinfulness. Consequently, humanity is subject to death and eternal separation from God. (3) Jesus, God's Son incarnate, died for our sins and rose again. Consequently, we can be forgiven and reconciled to God, and receive eternal life. (4) To benefit from what Jesus has done, we must receive him as Lord and Savior by faith.
All of these truths are necessary and sufficient for inceptive salvation; that is, to initially experience reconciliation with God. But apart from their storied context, they fail to convey an adequate understanding of God's grand purposes for humanity in this world. On the other hand, the conveyance of these truths in storied form begs the important existential question, "Where do I fit in this story?" Story embedded with propositional truths begets richer meaning than merely the truths themselves.
This completes a preliminary consideration of the mood and form of the apostolic gospel, along with the presuppositions of monotheism and human sinfulness. The core content of that gospel will be considered next.
Narrative is the most natural way by which to communicate history. The fact that the Bible anchors God's revelation in historical persons and events, with the apex of revelation being an historical person (Jesus Christ) experiencing an historical event (the crucifixion and resurrection), automatically necessitates the communication of divinely interpreted history in order to properly understand God's revelation. Indeed, a basic understanding and belief in the divinely interpreted story concerning Jesus constitutes the basis for the reception of God's gracious salvation in its inceptive stage. Thus, it is no surprise that the apostles employed narrative in the communication of the good news.
Too often the Bible itself is inadequately understood in terms of its narrative coherence. Creation, the Fall, the providential formation and history of Israel, the incarnation, crucifixion, and ascension of the Son of God, the outpouring of God's Spirit, the expansion of the church, Jesus' promised return, the resurrection, the renewal of creation, and the final judgment--all of these together constitute the major elements of a coherent metanarrative. The various particulars of scripture are not a random collection of disparate revelations. Rather, they individually and collectively fit into the grand story of God's purposes vis-a-vis humanity and the cosmos in which we live. This is significant and underscores the importance of presenting the good news of reconciliation with God into its broader storied context.
Furthermore, from a sociological perspective narrative is fundamental to the formation of worldview, which is "the overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world." Joel B. Green's comments in his article, "Narrative Theology," in the Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible (2005), are helpful.
- (N)arrative is central to identity formation; indeed recent work in neurobiology emphasizes the capacity for and drive toward making storied sense of our experienced world as a distinguishing characteristic of the human family. We typically explain our behaviors through the historical narratives by which we collaborate to create a sense of ourselves as persons and as a people. The story we embrace serves as an interpretive scheme that is at once conceptual (a way of seeing things), conative (a set of beliefs and values to which a group and its members are deeply attached), and action-guiding (we seek to live according to its terms)...
A proper presentation of the apostolic gospel with its salvific aim should challenge the worldview of its recipients and call for a decision. If the overall story of Jesus Christ is true, it demands not merely the abandonment of personal sin and the embrace of faith in a "personal" savior, but also implicitly the abandonment (or perhaps radical modification) of one's worldview and the embrace of the divinely revealed metanarrative found in scripture and embodied in Jesus. In other words, Christian conversion should involve the supplanting of a person's former worldview with the biblical metanarrative of creation, fall, and redemption, whose apex is the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, this change of worldview occurs as a process.
Popular gospel presentations which focus on propositional truths devoid of narrative typically contain the following vital biblical truths: (1) God is loving, yet holy and just. (2) Humanity is sinful, guilty, and unable to extricate itself from its sinfulness. Consequently, humanity is subject to death and eternal separation from God. (3) Jesus, God's Son incarnate, died for our sins and rose again. Consequently, we can be forgiven and reconciled to God, and receive eternal life. (4) To benefit from what Jesus has done, we must receive him as Lord and Savior by faith.
All of these truths are necessary and sufficient for inceptive salvation; that is, to initially experience reconciliation with God. But apart from their storied context, they fail to convey an adequate understanding of God's grand purposes for humanity in this world. On the other hand, the conveyance of these truths in storied form begs the important existential question, "Where do I fit in this story?" Story embedded with propositional truths begets richer meaning than merely the truths themselves.
This completes a preliminary consideration of the mood and form of the apostolic gospel, along with the presuppositions of monotheism and human sinfulness. The core content of that gospel will be considered next.
1 comment:
your clarity of thought is a God send.
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