It is quite vital to understand the various literary genres in Scripture and to bear them in mind when studying. It is unfortunately common, however, among those who recognize the genres, to exaggerate their importance and focus on them in such a way that actually disfigures the purpose of certain God-breathed passages.

This happens very often when men study the biblical books which tend to fall under the "apocalyptic" category. It happens in such a way that excessive allegorization takes place in the treatment of Daniel, Ezekiel, or Revelation. 

For many, apocalyptic invariably necessitates the expectation that in reading a passage like Matthew 24-25, for instance, you will be pummeled on every side with imperceptible symbols and wild-eyed and elusive visionary pictures. There is little hope for understanding it at all. 

While no one would deny that apocalyptic books and prophetic passages often contain types and symbols, there is much that should be taken at face value that gets sidelined in the name of allegory, and this often produces a kind of exegetical agnosticism. Such cases produce men who make light of biblical eschatology, for if the scholars count virtually all of it unclear, what hope is there for the man in the pew?

It happens also in the treatment of narrative portions of Scripture, to such a degree that some men posit that there is virtually nothing in terms of application that can be drawn from the books of Genesis, the Kings, Samuel, the Chronicles, or Acts in the New Testament. Virtually nothing therein could be prescriptive for a Christian or for the Church.... after all, these books are in the narrative genre! If only you were a scholar, those books might somehow be of help to you! "I speak as a fool."

To be sure, a lack of understanding genre has led to foolish proof-texting on the other end, but I'm addressing the other side of the pendulum, one which can be just as problematic. 

This is what it looks like when you take otherwise helpful hermeneutical principles, stretch them to the point of breaking, and make them chief and decisive factors in Bible interpretation, without holding them in tension with other vital hermeneutical practices.

The man who does this will invariably end up with a threadbare grasp on the whole of Scripture, and the analogy of the Bible -- it's profound unity and unique glory -- is thereby smeared. One may be able to impress a few friends with lofty language regurgitated from scholars.... but it may also be that in the last analysis he has no true knowledge of God at all. That would be a tragedy.

Let us see to it that we labor to get to the bedrock and heart of authorial intent -- what the biblical human authors really intended their recipients to understand. And let us not forget along the way that "all Scripture is God-breathed," and profitable for salvation, for the knowledge of God, and for an understanding of His holy will. Therefore, whoever has the Spirit of God may be helped greatly (even salvifically!) by it, whatever his level of education may be. And he may be helped yet further by some good hermeneutical practices.

Let us walk the long road of "pressing on to know the Lord" in the manner of our reading, study, and meditation upon His Word. 

Read the whole Book. Read it humbly, hungrily, and hopefully. Couple your reading with much prayer. Learn from able teachers, and "train yourselves for godliness."

The Word of the Lord is precious beyond compare, after all, brothers and sisters.

"More to be desired are they (God's Words) than gold,

even much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey

and dripping of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them is Your servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward." -David (Ps. 19)

-BA Purtle