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The Gospel Is More Than a Story

When we read the Bible through the lens of any single genre, agenda, or need, distortion will result. It is critical to grasp the Scriptures' narrative unity to resist our culture's counterstories, but we need not reduce the Scriptures to a single genre to grasp its One Story. God gave us stories indeed, but he also gave us proverbs, poetry, law, exhortation, prophesy, lament, riddle, letters, visions, genealogies, and prayers. Man lives by every word that proceeds from God's mouth. All Scripture makes us wise unto salvation. We need to say, with the apostle Paul, that "we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word"
Leslie Leyland Fields on the dangers of reading the Bible only as a Story. She notes the new "bible as story" movement has often resorted to imposing their own narrative on the biblical narrative. It is a timely warning. By all means let us get a grasp of the broad outline of the story - but equal place should be given to systematic theology and other forms. I have always found that the more I understand the scriptures the more the need for "balance" become more prominent. 
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