Bible Quote by J. I. Packer
“But to read all Scripture narratives as if they were eye-witness reports in a modern newspaper, and to ignore the poetic and imaginative form in which they are sometimes couched, would be no less a violation of the canons of evangelical literalism than the allegorizing of the Scholastics was.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God by J. I. Packer, 1976
Treating biblical stories as literal news reports ignores their literary genre, violating honest interpretation as much as forced allegory.
In simple terms: Reading Scripture as factual news misrepresents its poetic nature.
Key Takeaway
Respect genre and context when interpreting.
Themes
interpretation
genre
theology
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
theological
interpretive
When to use this quote
- preaching
- Bible study
- academic research
- personal devotion
Key Concepts
literalism
allegory
hermeneutics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does genre shape meaning?
- What risks arise from ignoring literary form?
A Different Perspective
Literal reading can miss deeper theological meaning.
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