Why the Genre of Your Text Matters

One of the most important considerations we can have when interpreting Scripture is to consider the genre. Each literary genre shares a number of assumptions by the author and the audience. For example, a story that begins with “Once upon a time” cues the audience into the fictional nature of the story about to be told.  In this example, it would be right for the audience and author to both assume that the tale will be fictional since the phrase “Once upon a time” normally indicates imaginary tales. If one were to interpret a story that began with this phrase as true, then they would not be picking up on the genre being used.
Identifying the different literary genres employed in the Bible are essential to understanding and outlining passages of Scripture. If a genre is misunderstood, the result will be a skewed interpretation of the biblical text. Misunderstanding the genre could also lead one to deny the truthfulness of the text or even to create an excuse to not obey Scripture. Understanding the literary genre also helps one discover the natural divisions within the text. Biblical interpreters could outline psalms according to their stanzas while dividing epistles by their change in topics as the authors addressed different situations in their audiences.

Here are a few encouragements regarding the genre of your text:

• Preach a variety of genres – Rather than sticking to the familiar texts of the epistles or the gospels, we should venture through all the Scripture, embracing even the genres we might find difficult. After all, every portion of Scripture is profitable (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Look at your future preaching series to see if a variety of genres are present on your calendar.
• Learn from various preachers about different genres – Thankfully, there are a number of resources written in recent years that address the challenge of preaching from various genres. Some consider all the genres together while some books are written to address a specific genre. Another way to learn is to listen to various preachers who preach from different genres. Some preachers may be great story-tellers who thrive in narrative passages. Others may prefer the logical arguments of the epistles. Learning from brothers who preach these various genres well can enhance our own preaching.
• Preach the shape of the text – One potential danger of exposition is that we can impose a structure on a text that may not be there. Instead of forcing our own structure on a text of Scripture, we should let the text “breathe” and preach it according to its own shape. For example, this could mean that instead of having “points” or a deductive outline for a narrative sermon, you simply tell the story inductively as it appears in Scripture, leaving the main idea for the end. While our sermons should still have direction, the audience can be taken on the journey of the text according to its own shape rather than one imposed on it.

Brother pastor, various genres in the Bible are God’s idea. Through His creativity and imagination, He has given us stories, letters, and poems to convince us through logical arguments or stir our emotions through vivid images. Our people need both. May our sermons match the variety found in the text rather than imposing our own preferences.