This short post discusses ARTICLE XIII (Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics), which reads:
We affirm that awareness of the literary categories, formal and stylistic, of the various parts of Scripture is essential for proper exegesis, and hence we value genre criticism as one of the many disciplines of biblical study.
The term “genre” means the kind, sort, type or species of literature. Genre analysis involves the study of things like literary forms, figures of speech and style. See R.C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture, Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL (2009). page 54.
In his commentary on the Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics (link Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics (bible-researcher.com), Dr. Normal L. Geisler writes:
The awareness of what kind of literature one is interpreting is essential to a correct understanding of the text. A correct genre judgment should be made to ensure correct understanding. A parable, for example, should not be treated like a chronicle, nor should poetry be interpreted as though it were a straightforward narrative. Each passage has its own genre, and the interpreter should be cognizant of the specific kind of literature it is as he attempts to interpret it. Without genre recognition an interpreter can be misled in his understanding of the passage. For example, when the prophet speaks of “trees clapping their hands” (Isa. 55:12) one could assume a kind of animism unless he recognized that this is poetry and not prose.
This series of posts pertain to New Testament texts of which there are four genres. The first is the “gospels” genre and the second is the “Acts” genre. In A Handbook of New Testament Exegesis (Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, MI (2010)), Blomberg et al. write at page 103:
Gospels and Acts combine historical, theological, and literary features and purposes. In each instance, one should assume that the writers are narrating events they believed really happened, but the writers narrated those events based on the standards of history writing of their time, which do not often necessarily match the greater levels of precision we often demand today. But the accounts were also selected, arranged, and recounted with the author’s overall theological purposes particularly in view and, to varying degrees, with a measure of literary artistry.
This series of posts will exegete Mark 16:16 John 3:5, Acts 2:37-41, Acts. 8:35-39, and Acts 22:16 to determine if any of these texts support the doctrine of baptismal regeneration. Further, this series will examine Acts 10:1-11:18, which describes the conversion of Cornelius et al., to ascertain how this text impacts the validity of the doctrine of baptismal regeneration.
The third New Testament genre is the epistles. Blomberg et al. writes at page 104:
Regarding epistles, perhaps the most important general observation to make is that they are “occasional” literature. They were written in response to specific occasions – questions, settings, life situations of various groups of early Christians – and therefore are not comprehensive, detached theological textbooks. Thus it becomes crucial to reconstruct as much of the original context, purpose, and reception of each letter as the data permit.
This series of posts will exegete Romans 6:3-4, I Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:27, Colossians 2:11-12, and 1 Peter 3:21 to determine if any of these texts support the doctrine of baptismal regeneration.
The fourth genre is apocalypse. My analyses do not include Revelation, so I won’t spend time explaining this genre.
IF YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT YOUR SALVATION
If you are unsure about your salvation, you need to check out my book The Salvation Meter: Biblical Self-Diagnostic Tests to Examine Your Salvation and Spiritual Growth (book link at Xulon Press: https://www.xulonpress.com/bookstore/bookdetail.php?PB_ISBN=9781662828638 ). At Amazon the book link is https://www.amazon.com/Salavation-Meter-Biblical-Self-Diagnostic-Spiritual/dp/1662828632 . I also have website in which I am updating the content in the book. The link to my website for the book is https://thesalvationmeter.com .
IF YOU ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN
… please (1) read through “God’s Plan of Salvation” so you can understand what God did for you through His only unique Son, Jesus Christ, and (2), from the bottom of your heart, pray the “Sinner’s Prayer” meaning every word. If you do, you will be reconciled to God – saved – through Jesus Christ.
God’s Plan of Salvation
In the beginning, God, who is holy, created the entire universe. As a part of His creative actions, He made humans in His image to know Him. For a while, everything was right between God and our ancestors, Adam and Eve. But Adam sinned, and his sin was passed down to all of humankind whereby we became separated from God. Nothing we could do on our own could bridge that separation so that without God’s intervention, hell would be our eternal destination.
Fortunately for us, in His great love and mercy God provided humankind with the only means of salvation, which is through Jesus Christ who is God’s only unique Son. While retaining His deity, God the Son became a man in Jesus, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross, thus fulfilling the law Himself and taking on Himself the punishment for the sins of all those who would ever repent and trust in Him for their salvation. Jesus rose from the dead, showing that God the Father accepted Christ’s sacrifice and that God’s wrath against us has been exhausted. He now calls us to repent of our sins and trust alone in what Christ did to save us.
If we repent of our sins and completely trust in Christ alone that He died for our sins and rose to life from the dead, we are born again into a new life, an eternal life with God.
Scripture References: Genesis 1:1, 27, 31; Habakkuk 1:13; Genesis 2:7, 18, 21-25; Genesis 3:1-7, 23-24; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 3:19-20, 23; 5:17-19; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 John 4:10; John 3:16-18; Mark 1:15; Romans 1:4; 4:25; John 3:5-8; 1 Peter 1:3.
“Sinner’s Prayer”
Lord, Jesus Christ, the only unique Son of God, thank You for Your free gift of eternal life. I know I’m a sinner who cannot save myself no matter what I do, and I deserve to spend eternity in hell. But, I know that because You loved me so much, You voluntarily died on the cross for me taking my sins upon Yourself, and You physically bodily rose from the grave showing that Your sacrificial death was sufficient payment to give me eternal life in Heaven. I now repent of my sins and trust alone in what You did for my eternal salvation. Please take control of my life as I now receive You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You so much for saving me. I am now Yours forever! (Scripture references: John 1:1-4, 11-14; John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:21-26; Isaiah 53:4-6; Mark 1:15; Acts 16:31; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9-10, 13; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; John 10:27-29).
Upon your salvation, you must find a spiritually solid Bible-believing church that (1) teaches that the sixty-six books of the Bible are the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God, (2) believes in the doctrine of the Trinity, which means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and each Person is fully God, and (3) teaches that salvation is by grace through faith and not by works (e.g., water baptism by immersion).
ONE CAUTIONARY POINT. Please do not make the mistake of thinking that once you become a Christian, your life will become easy. Most likely, it will become more difficult. God’s blessing of salvation and life’s difficulties are not mutually exclusive. Jesus told His disciples, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.” John 15:18 (NLT). Always keep in mind that you have an eternal home in heaven waiting for you per John 14:2–4 (NLT):
2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
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