"The REST of the Story"--The Bible

Paul Harvey

I grew up listening to Paul Harvey tell, "the rest of the story." It was an interesting gimmick. He would tease you with a portion of a great, but brief story, and then break for a commercial. Following the commercial he would detail the ending of the story, and end the broadcast by saying..."and that's the REST of the story" (or some variation like that). All those years listening I understood what he was saying but I never thought much about someone not having ALL of the story.

The medium of storytelling has ALWAYS been an important part of the human experience. Anthropologist tell us that truth was often handed down in story form in order to make it easier to remember. Biblical scholars tell us that the earliest Scriptures were first transmitted in an oral tradition (meaning more storytelling than oral teaching). Jesus himself was a master storyteller. Yet, somewhere down the line our notion of how important it was to tell stories was lost. Perhaps it because people were led to believe that "storytellers" were liars?  My grandmother, when I was younger, would always ask me, "are you telling me a story?" What she really wanted to know was... "are you lying to me?" When "tellin' stories" become too closely associated with "making up truth" we, being the enlightened and rational folk that we are, decided that storytelling, was less than honest and it lost its place in our culture.

Today, however, we are rediscovering the power of storytelling. I say "rediscover" but the truth is...it was NEVER lost.  As long as there has been art (in any form or medium) there has been story...we simply chose to ignore that aspect of it (although the shift to "reality TV" makes me wonder if we are more interested in "drama" than "story?"  It seems to me that MUCH of what is on TV today is no longer a narrative but personal drama lived out in the viewers eyes. It is not telling the story of the person, but rather forcing us to intrude on their existence...I loathe it!).

THE POINT...for many years academics downplayed the notion that the entire bible was a narrative (a story)--rather it was "two testaments" or a "book of law and a book of grace." But the truth is that the bible IS a grand story...not the story of origins or of human history of it is the story of what God has done in human history, (and what he is STILL doing and will continue to do), until everything that He began...He finishes. As so many preachers have previously stated, it is HIS-STORY.

When I teach my students about the bible...I teach it as a grand narrative. You cannot understand the end unless you understand the beginning and visa-versa. If you are not seeing the bible as a narrative you are not getting "the rest of the story."  I urge you to read and study the bible as an entire story (not picking and choosing)--at times it does seem like a puzzle but trust me the puzzle goes together MUCH easier when you can see the picture on the box (i.e. when you get the whole picture)!! To that end I want to share some resources that should help you along your way. I have used ALL of these, at various times, and in various ways, in my ministry and recommend them for your benefit (listed in no certain order):

 

The Bible as Narrative

The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story (Craig G. Bartholomew and Michael W. Goheen; Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, MI; ©2014 [2^nd edition]; ISBN #978-0801049569 ).

This may be my favorite of the lot. It is slightly more academic than the others but still very readable for anyone. It really does not employ any "gimmicks" or literary devices that are intended to be helpful. Rather, it is straight forward and well written from beginning to end...this book should be required reading for every believer.

 

Multiply: Disciples Making Disciples (Francis Chan and Mark Beuving; David C. Cook, Colorado Springs, CO; ©2012; ISBN #978-0781408233).

This little book is different than the rest. Its purpose is NOT to focus on the bible as a narrative (so it is odd that it should make the list!). However, in teaching disciples how to "multiply" Chan DOES deal with the bible as a narrative and leads the reader through the narrative of scripture. This book would be GREAT for small groups (the use I believe it was actually written for). It is not academic, it has a lot of helpful "surplus" materials that will facilitate further discussion, and it is intended to "deepen the well" from which discipleship flows. It is a quick and helpful read for anyone interested in making disciples (or getting a grasp on the narrative flow of scripture).

 

God's Big Picture:Tracing the Storyline of the Bible (Vaughn Roberts; IVP Books, Downers Grove, IL; ©2000; ISBN #978-0-8308-5364-9).

I have used this book for my "Introduction to the Bible Class" at the college level. It is a little too simplistic and not in-depth enough to REALLY do the job that it was intended to do (that is where Bartholomew shines over this volume) BUT it does it well enough to recommend it.  Roberts traces the concept of the "kingdom" (the coming kingdom, the lost kingdom, etc...) throughout the biblical story...and it works...but it seems a little elementary to me (however, when combined with Scot McKnight's book on the Kingdom--it would make a WONDERFUL study). It is a quick and easy overview and would be GREAT as a first time introduction to the concept of the narrative of Scripture.

How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth [4^th edition] (Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart; Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI; ©2014; ISBN #978-0310517825).

I was first introduced to this work when I was in college. Now, ??? something years later I find myself going back to it again and again. It is just that good. I also use this as a text for my "Introduction to the Bible" class at the college level. It is academic but not difficult. The fact that it is now in its fourth printing is a testimony to its value and effectiveness. If you have not read this book you MUST before you die. This volume opened my eyes to the bible in the same way that Mortimer Adler's classic "How to Read a Book" opened my eyes to ACTUAL reading (as opposed to what most people THINK that they do). Every believer should own this book and return to it frequently!

The Story (Max Lucado and Randy Frazee; Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI; ©2011; ISBN #978-0310950974).

This is EXACTLY what it claims to be. It is the bible in narrative form. It is a useful tool and it does what one would expect. However, it should NOT be confused with The Holy Bible (regardless of what version of THE bible you choose) it is NOT the bible...it is the bible story...there is a distinction. This is NOT another version of the bible (God's Word) it is the story of the bible in narrative form. It does help the reader see the narrative behind the Scriptures but it fails to BE Scripture itself (even though it is based on Scripture). Do NOT buy this thinking you are buying a bible!!!!! All that being said...this is an enjoyable read...it shows the narrative flow of Scripture and helps to see how all of the parts are tied together in a grand narrative scheme. I know several churches that have used this in small groups or entire congregational studies..and they have been effective.  This is a helpful tool used in conjunction with some of the other works that I have mentioned.

"I'm Baaaaaaccccckkkkkk!"

It has been a LONG time since I have even thought about this blog...much less DOING anything with it!! Before your exasperation sets in...please allow me to explain:

1. I started the blog as a catharsis during a difficult time. "Times" have gotten better but I am still not on "steady ground" by any stretch of the imagination. However, unlike others, I did not want this blog, nor the Internet world, to be my "confessor" so I managed to find other outlets that I hoped would be more productive and allow me to keep what little sanity I have left---to date it has worked out okay.

2. Blogging is HARD! I can imagine being a "good blogger" (perhaps even one who receives compensation for blogging) spends a vast majority of their time trying to stay fresh and have something meaningful to say.  As a preacher I have always struggled with why anyone would want to sit through one of my sermons...I feel the same way about blogging (thank GOD the sermons are His words by the power of the Holy Spirit...and he allows me to share them). After all, I don't want to diminish the "blogosphere" thus making it lose its edge like Facebook (which started out as a unique form of media and now it is just a way to stir the drama in people's lives, rant about your political views (and those opposed to them), and post pictures of cats [which I detest])--so I didn't want to evolve into something that somehow seemed out of my control, and I was finding it difficult to find things to share that seemed meaningful...so I stopped.

3. At first, it came from an overflow, probably of fears that I was feeling, once the fears subsided other things took over. I developed some bad habits (when I should have been improving on what should have already been "good habits") during that period and when the overflow dried up--so did the reasons and the things that I wanted to share about.

My life has been nothing but hectic (and I don't mean that in the same sense that we ALL have hectic lives these days) for the past three years with worry upon worry and a truly chaotic sense of being. For the moment things have settled into more of routine (which is a GOOD thing for me) and I am hopeful that some sense of routine will root out the chaos and allow me to settle into better habits that will allow the overflow to begin flowing once again. To that end I want to try and share some things that I probably should have already been sharing...they are not new or novel or drama-laden but they are a testimony to what God has been doing and will continue to do even when I don't notice...and I suspect we all need some reminders of that. I will not make promises that I know I cannot keep..it won't be daily, maybe even not weekly (though that is what I am shooting for) but I am going to make an earnest effort to "revive" what is left.

"I believe...help my unbelief"