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Q.
How do we know that what is written is what happened?
years before ever being written down. Does this mean that stories may have
changed a little—or even a lot—before they became a part of scripture? That
depends on your understanding of God’s role in getting the Bible recorded.
Pragmatically speaking, it’s most likely that many details got changed, or
that the stories were cultural myths to begin with, not so much based on actual
occurrences but on larger messages or truisms the storytellers wished to share.
Renowned preacher and storyteller Fred Craddock speaks often of his
exasperation at being approached, after sharing a tale, by someone asking
him, “Did that really happen? Was it true?” Craddock’s wise response was
that there was truth in the story. We Western-minded types tend to confuse
fact and truth, but there’s a distinct difference. Rather than worrying quite so
much about what is factual in the Bible, we’re better served to focus on the
truth found within the words.
Scriptural References
Isaiah 40:8; 1 Thessalonians 2:13
Suggested Additional Sources for Reading
- Aish.com: http://www.aish.com (Jewish educational site discussing oral
tradition). - William J. Bausch, In the Beginning, There Were Stories: Thoughts about the
Oral Tradition of the Bible (Twenty-Third Publications, 2004). - Susan Niditch, Oral World and Written Word: Ancient Israelite Literature
(Westminster John Knox Press, 1996).
Suggested Questions for Further Discussion/Thought
- How does knowing about the role of oral tradition affect your confi dence
in the Bible? - Does it matter to you if the stories in the Bible are literal fact? Why or
why not? - Why do you think Jesus often spoke in parables?
- Do you agree with the suggestion that truth is more important than fact?
Can there be truth without facts?