NJ Institute of Theology

The How to Read the Bible series walks through each literary style found in the Bible, and how each uniquely contributes to the overall whole. While the Bible is one unified story, it cannot all be read in the same way, as each literary style lives by its own rules and structure; this we will explore in detail in each video.

The Bible can be broken into several categories of writing. Approximately 43% of the Bible is made up of narrative, from historical narrative to parables. Roughly 33% of the Bible is poetry, including songs; reflective poetry; and passionate, politically resistant poetry of the prophets. The remaining 24% of the Bible is prose discourse, including laws, sermons, letters, and even one essay.

The Bible is an ancient Jewish collection of sacred literature made up of many different literary styles. Each biblical book uses, to a varying degree, a combination of all the literary styles to make its unique contribution to the story of the Bible.

This series should help you understand what the Bible is, and the story it tells. But, perhaps even more importantly, it will teach you how to read it for yourself in light of the various literary styles that make each section of the Bible unique in its own way.

By the end of this series, you will be familiar with every part of the Bible and how it uses language to communicate who God is, who we are, and the big, redemptive story that we are all living.