Season 2: Episode 1 - How Bible Stories Work

In our first episode of Season 2, Institute podcast hosts Malissa and David explore "How Bible Stories Work".

While biblical narratives are memorable, their historical and cultural distance can often make them difficult to interpret. We break down the unique features of the narrative genre—character, plot, and setting—and introduce a helpful interpretive framework called the "Pathway from Text to Life". Tune in to learn how to avoid common pitfalls (like immediately casting yourself as the hero) and discover how every individual story perfectly fits into God's unified, redemptive plan.

Inside this episode:

• The unique power of the narrative genre and why historical and cultural distance can make biblical stories challenging to understand

• A helpful three-step framework called the "Pathway from Text to Life" (moving from exegesis, to theological reflection, to application) for faithfully interpreting the Bible

• Practical practices for reading stories well by paying close attention to character, plot, and setting

• Encouragement and insights on how to avoid the common pitfall of casting ourselves as the hero, and instead read stories to see God's action and Christ's fulfillment