Reading and studying the Bible is an integral part of our growth and development as Christ’s followers. Learning how to read and understand the Bible, God’s Word, is an area where we continue to grow. At least, I know I am!
One aspect of reading and studying the Bible I have learned is to understand the specific purpose of a passage and how the original audience would have understood the passage.
The Bible was written for specific purposes to specific audiences.
That is why it is vital to discover and understand a passage’s original message. God moved the writers of the Bible to inform, instruct, correct, and teach the people of their time, which benefits us as believers today.
When we understand what a text means to its original audience, we can bridge the historical/cultural gap and apply that meaning to our own time and culture. We should think about and ask how the people who first heard it would have understood it and how they would have responded or reacted to the message.
So, when we study the Bible, it is essential to determine whether the verse or passage is a prescriptive passage within the context.
Let’s look at each one.
What is a descriptive text?
A descriptive passage describes a situation or event that happened. It may or may not tell us whether it is morally right or wrong. It is not giving a command to follow or instructing us on how to behave. It could be instructing a particular person at a specific time, culture, or place.
For example, The book of Exodus is primarily descriptive. It talks about the Israelites in slavery in Egypt and how God rescues them out of Pharaoh’s hand and brings them to Mt. Sinai.
We also have the gospels. They tell us about Jesus Christ. They are narratives, but they tell us what happened during the life of Christ. They record Jesus’s words for us and they document the people’s response to Jesus.
So, when reading a passage, ask yourself, “Is the passage describing something that is happening?”
What is a prescriptive text?
A prescriptive text is instructive. It has something to teach us, which we should apply to our lives. First, we should understand what the text meant to the original audience that heard it first.
What were they commanded to do or stop doing? Second, we should ask how this passage would apply to our lives when appropriate.
Often, prescriptive passages are repeated in the Bible, so it is essential to cross-reference to understand the commandment or instruction as it relates to the whole Bible.
For example, in Exodus, we have the Ten Commandments. These fall in the prescriptive category because they “prescribe” certain behaviors. Another would be Paul’s letters telling the people what to do or how to behave. During His ministry on the earth, Christ leaves some of his teachings for us to interpret, but he sometimes tells people what to do. Look for passages that start with him saying, “but I tell you . . .” What follows are his instructions on what to do and not do. A good example is “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:44).
Distinguishing Between the Two
It is crucial to make sure these two are clear. Just because something is descriptive does not make it prescriptive.
Because there are a lot of accounts of people in the Bible, as people, we want to be able to relate to them in some way. Many people in the Bible did great things, so we want to emulate them. The question is, how far do we take it?
We know the obvious ones, like not making rash vows like Jephthah (Judges 11:30-31) or sacrificing our children to prove our faith in God like Abraham (Gen. 22). When we model people in the Bible, we want to model their character and faith and bring those ideals into our culture.
So we should attempt to have perseverance and trust in God like Joseph even when his situation didn’t match up, or the boldness of Caleb, who saw big giants but believed that if God was for them, no one could be against them.
We can take the principles for their lives and learn from them without copying their exact behavior. Sometimes we learn to conduct ourselves when the Bible denotes that God adds his commentary to the behavior of biblical characters; we can take his approval of their actions as worthy of emulation and his disapproval as conduct to avoid.
Consider the short account of Jabez and his prayer. The Bible notes that God grants Jabez’s requests (1 Chronicles 4:9-10). This confirms God’s approval of Jabez’s words. Though this passage falls short of a command to obey, it does emerge as an example we can follow. The Bible records Jabez’s prayer for us, but it doesn’t tell us to pray it.
When studying the Bible, the more we can understand the core principle the biblical writer was addressing, the more we can appreciate what the passage is trying to relay to the original audience and us today.
References
How to Understand and Apply the New Testament Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology by Andrew Naselli
How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology by Jason S. DeRouchie
GotQuestions.org What does it mean that a biblical passage is descriptive rather than prescriptive?
Thank you for giving me an understanding about prescriptive or descriptive passages. I was not aware of those those terms. Now , I will read my with these terms in mind.