Introduction
The Bible is a collection of literature written by an author whom the Holy Spirit inspired. The standard Bible comprises sixty-six books, including both the Old and New Testaments. Although the authors wrote through divine inspiration, each had a different writing style to give a particular message effectively. The Bible was also written over different periods, which influenced the literary styles of the books. Thus, biblical books are classified into genres that explain their structure, content, and literary components, allowing for an understanding of various writing styles and the intended messages.
The Old Testament includes poetry, wisdom books, historical books, prophecy, and laws, while the New Testament includes epistles, gospels, and apocalyptic books. The genres help biblical scholars interpret scripture appropriately by providing hermeneutic tools. This essay examines the characteristics of the Old Testament poetic and New Testament gospel genres to gain an in-depth understanding of the literary works, facilitating a practical interpretation of biblical scriptures and the Gospel of Mark 8:27-38.
Poetry in the Old Testament
Poetry is a powerful and moving literary work that gives an imaginative picture of one’s emotions and thoughts. Biblical authors used poetry to praise God, lament their sufferings, and provide wisdom and prayers for various needs and occasions. However, poetic works can be challenging to interpret when one fails to understand the numerous poetic devices and figurative language, leading to miscommunication and a lack of understanding of the text’s precise meaning. Therefore, it is essential to understand the characteristics of poetic works in the Bible to correctly interpret biblical verses and gain insight into the meaning of God’s word.
Characteristics of Poetic Works
Parallelism
The most common characteristic of Hebrew poetry is parallelism. The poetic device echoes a previous parallel line or stanza of a poem to emphasize a particular message (Brown, 2021). Parallelism encompasses various categories with subtle differences in how parallel lines or stanzas complement and reinforce each other. Synonymous parallelism involves the second line supporting the initial parallel line by restating the same statement (Vayntrub, 2019). For example, in the Song of Solomon 2:1, the first line states, ‘I am the rose of Sharon’ and is emphasized by the next line, ‘and the lily of the valleys’ (Klein et al., 2017).
Anti-ethnic parallelism creates a contrasting effect in the poem by generating opposite meanings, allowing the reader to derive meaning from both perspectives (Klein et al., 2017). Proverbs 10:12 provides an excellent example of antiethnic parallelism. Lastly, synthetic parallelism occurs when the second line expands or synthesizes the theme of the initial line (Vayntrub, 2019). Despite the slight difference among the three categories of parallelism, all of them emphasize a point by using two parallel statements.
Terseness
Terseness refers to the compactness of the poet’s meaning, presented in a few words. Brown (2021) states that poetic language has a deeper meaning than ordinary language, and one must be keen to comprehend the message while interpreting. Song of Solomon 1:4 illustrates terseness when the speaker states, “Draw me after you, let us run.” The verse is brief, but interpreting it can lead to a more comprehensive explanation.
Figurative Language
Hebrew poetry employs figurative language that evokes the audience’s imagination. Primary features of figurative language include metaphors, personification, and similes. Like literary devices in English poetry, metaphors refer to the direct comparison of two subjects (Brown, 2021).
A metaphor compels one’s imagination by equating one thing with another directly. For example, Proverbs 12:4 compares a virtuous woman to a crown, showing her power, wisdom, and significance. Similes compare one subject to another using a connecting verb. The final figurative language commonly used in Hebrew poetry is personification, which refers to the act of personifying objects (Vayntrub, 2019). Figurative language effectively provides an image that expresses the magnitude of the author’s message.
Acrostic
An acrostic is a Greek-derived word meaning the beginning of a line. In Hebrew poetry, an acrostic occurs when the first letters in a series of lines form an alphabetical pattern or word. For instance, Psalms 119 features an acrostic structure, where the first letter of each line corresponds to a Hebrew alphabet (Tate, 2008). Due to the numerous Bible translations and prints, the pattern may not be identifiable in most English versions.
Illustrated Impact on the Interpretation
Parallelism emphasizes the theme of the verses, which impacts their interpretation by combining the information presented in both lines. Understanding parallelism helps in interpreting poetic verses that complement each other’s meaning. For example, King Solomon declares, “I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley” (Song of Solomon 2:1 ESV Bible).
A rose is a magnificent flower and easily evokes one’s imagination of beauty. However, the author emphasizes the beauty of the lily by complementing it with a rose, which is more exotic and distinct from other flowers. Figurative language conveys an imaginative vision that aids in interpreting the text (Klein et al., 2017).
For example, in Psalm 1:3, the author states that a righteous person is like a tree planted by the riverside, providing a vivid picture of a productive tree (Esv.org, 2022). Symbolically, the tree depicts a Christian while the river is Jesus Christ, suggesting that Christians should live righteous lives and depend on Christ for their spiritual growth and productivity.
Terseness provides a compact phrase with a broader meaning that impacts the text’s interpretation. The poet states, “draw me after you, let us run,” showing a non-negotiable demand that needs urgent action (Song of Solomon 2:1; Esv.org, 2022). Although the verse involves a lover’s conversation, the terseness gives it a more comprehensive biblical interpretation. Biblically, believers should request God’s companionship with the same urgency and claim him protectively through their actions (Vayntrub, 2019). Using acrostics in poetry varies according to different poets and their intended message.
In Proverbs 31:10-31, knowing acrostics helps understand the poet’s message, where the alphabetical illustrations show an all-encompassing strength of a woman from beginning to end (Kaiser & Moisés, 2007). Biblical scholars use poetic characteristics to interpret the significance of women from a biblical viewpoint that connects to other themes, such as the preciousness of having wisdom and the difficulties of being wise.
The Gospel Genre
The gospel genre consists of biblical scriptures that contain the account of Jesus’ life and ministry from an eyewitness’s point of view. In ancient Greek, the gospel refers to bringing good news, as in many texts, to imply victory or the birth of nobility and good. Isaiah 61:1 illustrates the meaning of the gospels as an indication of good news when the prophet proclaims that the Lord has given him the divine power to deliver good news to the destitute (Garland, 1966). The synoptic gospels fulfill the prophecy when Jesus teaches salvation and his crucifixion to save man from sin. Thus, a contemporary definition of the gospel suggests that it is the good news of the Lord to his people through Jesus Christ.
The books focus wholly on Jesus but have different authors, each with a particular account of Jesus’s life. Most of the author’s narratives relate to all books; in a few instances, the events overlap in setting and period. The first three books are synoptic gospels due to the similarities in different accounts (Brown, 2021; Moisés, 1994). Although various theological and biblical scholars have controversial descriptions of the gospel genre, the synoptic gospel contains distinctive features separate from other New Testament books.
Characteristics of Gospel Books
Historical Literature
The gospel books are classified as historical literature because they give a detailed plot and setting of Jesus and his work on earth. Biblical scholars use three features to classify the gospel as a historical work. The first feature is the historical composition of the book’s contents. According to Ready (2016), the gospel authors wrote the biblical text from the traditional point of view. Further, the work uses historical resources to provide testimonial accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry (Nel, 2017).
Secondly, the gospel is a historical narrative based on a specific period. All four accounts occur during the first century in the exact geographical location. Thirdly, Strauss (2016) classifies the historical literature based on the accuracy of the information. The time frame for all accounts is similar, and most events happen in a particular order that distinguishes the work as factual and accurate.
Narrative Literature
Gospel books provide an account of Jesus’ life and interaction on earth. A distinctive feature of the narrative form of the gospel is the characterization of Jesus and his Messianic mission. The four synoptic gospels give similar accounts of Jesus’ life but use different presentations according to each author’s viewpoint and source of information (Kaiser & Silva, 2007; Tate, 2008).
For instance, Mathew’s gospel records Jesus as a Jewish Messiah who comes to fulfill the Old Testament prophecy of salvation (Strauss, 2016). Luke portrays Jesus as the people’s savior and the way to salvation (Garland, 1966). Mark characterizes Jesus as a humble messiah, and John’s gospel records Jesus as the son of God who represents God’s kingdom (Brown, 2021). Although the narratives give different versions, the primary character is Jesus, whose mission is to save humankind.
Theological Literature
Gospel books provide essential information for theological services. The four books are characterized by Christian viewpoints of discipleship, ways of evangelizing, and scriptures that show the existence of God’s kingdom through Christ. The texts provide encouraging messages and Jesus’ teaching regarding prayers and ways of spreading the good news to bring non-believers to Christianity (Garland, 1966). Therefore, the books are essential for evangelical works, making them theological literature.
Illustrated Impact on the Interpretation
Narrative and Theological Impact on Interpretation
Reading the gospel according to the different literary characteristics helps in in-depth interpretation and understanding of the life and ministry of Jesus. Strauss (2016) combines the literary forms of the gospel into an interesting definition that suggests that gospel books are narratives that address theological works. This argument makes interpreting the gospel scriptures easier since the narratives are synchronous and have a common theme (Stuart et al., 1994).
Mathew 1:18-2:19 records the birth of Jesus, whereas the same events occur in the other three gospels. The event represents good news and a messianic era interpreted as the beginning of the Church. Thus, narrative illustrations help Christians believe in the scripture and the existence of Jesus, who is the way to salvation.
Historical Impact on Interpretation
Theologically, evangelists can interpret the gospel using the gospels’ narrative or historical nature. The narrative literature of the four books gives an account of various events that changed the world to date (Duke, 2021). Although the accounts vary historically, each version begins with the birth of Jesus, and Jesus’s resurrection ends with proof that Jesus exists; he walked on earth and rose to heaven to give man salvation. When reading the historical events in Mark 8:31, Christians realize the messianic mission, which includes suffering on earth to gain a more significant place in God’s kingdom (Campbell, 2021). Consequently, Luke’s gospel narrates the good deeds of Jesus, illustrating the essentiality of living a righteous life on earth to obtain everlasting life in heaven.
Section 3: Exegetical Analysis of Mark 8:27-38
Mark is among the four gospel books in the New Testament. Mark’s account mainly focuses on Jesus’s messianic suffering that brings humankind salvation. The gospel of Mark emphasizes the power of determination and Jesus’ passion for saving Christians from sin (Klein et al., 2017). Unlike the other gospel books, Mark devotes more chapters to the last events of Jesus’ life, such as betrayal, suffering, death, and resurrection. This section gives an exegetical analysis of Mark’s gospel using hermeneutic arguments with particular reference to Mark 8:27-38 and 9:1.
The Historical Setting of the Passage
Mark records his gospel during the Roman rule between AD 66 and 70. The scripture addresses the primary theme of that period, characterized by the persecution of Christians and the destruction of the early Church. The time frame is similar to St Luke’s gospel, which records the same events during the Roman rule.
The Roman Empire was mighty with military and political power, influencing its brutality and paganism (Kaiser & Moisés, 2007; Breytenbach, 2021). In this period, salvation meant freedom from Roman rule and possessing military influence to fight against enemies (Brown, 2021). Thus, people’s expectation of the Messiah included an influential individual with a vital family lineage (Duvall & Hays, 2020). However, Jesus presents a different kind of salvation by offering his life for man’s salvation and eternal life.
Narrative Characterization and Plot of the Passage
The passage provides a compelling narration of the last events of Jesus’ life. The author carefully records the plot, characters, and events that show the messianic mission of Jesus. Mark’s gospel portrays Jesus as a humble messiah and ‘son of man’ who suffers to save humanity from eternal condemnation. The passage follows Jesus’ inquisition of his identity among the people and his disciples. Jesus understands the people’s ignorance and expectation of the Messiah and turns to the disciples to sound out their understanding of his identity and mission on earth. Although they recognize him as the Messiah, Jesus tells them of his suffering and crucifixion to save humankind.
Mark 8:31 states, “Son of man must undergo many sufferings and rejection….” His followers must be ready to take up their cross and follow him, foreshadowing what would come after his death (Breytenbach, 2021). Peter rebukes Jesus for proclaiming his suffering and death as a messianic mission, leading to teachings about true discipleship and Jesus’ resurrection.
Theological Viewpoint of the Passage
The passage has a primary theme that is significant in theological services. Jesus teaches about true discipleship after realizing the disciples’ blindness to his messianic mission and its implications for their lives (Duvall & Hays, 2020). Jesus states that true discipleship entails sacrifice and willingly bearing the cross for his sake. The teachings of Jesus can help evangelists in their theological work, such as guiding non-believers into Christianity through administering the gospel according to Jesus’s teachings.
Historical Impact on Interpretation
Historically, the passage informs Christians to resist persecution regardless of circumstances and external influences since early Christians went through persecution for the sake of God, but did not give up on waiting for the Messiah. Like the Roman rule, many aspects of today’s world hinder Christianity and faithfulness to God [Strauss 2016]. In Mark 8:36, Christ condemns the desire for worldly power like the people who believed his messianic mission was a political quest involving fighting a military war (The Holy Bible 2014). Using the historical interpretation, believers should embrace salvation to face challenges rather than waging wars and conflicts.
The Narrative Impact on Interpretation
Mark characterizes Jesus as a humble messiah, passionate and determined to save man from sin and offer eternal life. In Mark 8:33, Jesus reprimands Peter, saying, “Get behind me, Satan! Because you think, not God’s thoughts, but thoughts of men” (The Holy Bible 2014). Jesus rebukes Peter as a demonic being with worldly views of the Messianic mission, demonstrating to his followers that he is not worldly and does not entertain worldly thoughts (Duvall & Hays, 2020). The word ‘Satan’ is figurative of things that obstruct the coming of God’s kingdom, such as miraculous expectations and material things (Strauss, 2016). Thus, Jesus wants believers to condemn and leave behind attachments that hinder spiritual growth and spread the good news effectively.
Theological Impact on the Interpretation
The theological context of the passage impacts the interpretation of true discipleship and the kingdom of God. Jesus declares that those willing to follow him must be willing to suffer for his sake and lose their physical lives to obtain spiritual forms in God’s kingdom. Many believers interpret the kingdom of God as eternity after death.
However, Mark 9:1 states that some people in the crowd would not die until they see the manifestation of God’s kingdom on earth (The Holy Bible 2014). Theologically, the kingdom of God is interpreted as the Church, and the verse urges Christians to stay faithful to the Church by spreading the gospel through true discipleship (Duvall & Hays, 2020). Jesus commissions his followers to evangelize and convert more people to the Church, God’s earthly kingdom.
Conclusion
On many occasions, people read and interpret the Bible without understanding the author’s in-depth message. The Bible contains literature from various authors using different writing styles. Almost a third of the Hebrew books are written in a poetic form, including many prophetic books.
The primary poems include psalms, proverbs, lamentations, and songs of Solomon and have distinct features that classify them as poetic books. Literary characteristics of Hebrew poetry include parallelism, figurative language, acrostics, and terseness. The New Testament books also have different genres with distinct features.
The gospel genre includes the first four books of the New Testament: Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. The four books narrate the life of Jesus on earth and are characteristic of historical, theological, and narrative features. Historical characteristics of the gospel refer to the time frame of the gospels, primarily during the Roman rule between AD 40 and 77.
Although each writer had an individual account of Jesus’ life and ministry, the existence of Christianity means that Christ must have existed, bringing about Christianity and religious beliefs. Therefore, the historical context of the gospel proves the existence of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of heaven. Understanding the hermeneutics of the two genres is essential in the practical interpretation of the scripture and aids in having a literal and analogical understanding of God’s message.
The exegetical analysis of Mark 8 27-38 demonstrates the use of hermeneutic tools to interpret the scripture according to Mark’s account of the life of Jesus. Jesus prepares Christians and his disciples to embrace martyrdom since they will be persecuted for his sake and for the sake of spreading the good news. Understanding the genre’s literary forms helps to compare the events of Jesus’ ministry to the contemporary world. Therefore, believers should strive to understand the literary devices and characteristics of various biblical genres to get God’s intended message.
References
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