READING THE BIBLE GOD MATTERS XS IB CLE 2013-2014

WORKSHEET 5

Reading the Bible as Literature

ON THE PRINCIPLES OF LITERARY INTERPRETATION

GENERAL DIRECTIONS: Use the three principles of literary interpretation to come up with a full reading of a Biblical passage.

SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS: 1. As a group, agree on which text i.e. passage each of the members is going to read. 2. Individually, research about your passage. Make sure that your sources are valid and legitimate. 3. After gathering enough data, discuss among yourselves the passage you have chosen. Agree on the genre of the text. Cite evidences to support your claim (genre). Then articulate the Author Meaning and Text Meaning of the passage. When you do these, make sure that you employ the big ideas of the three principles on literary interpretation. 4. When your group is done, work individually for the Personal Meaning of the text. Elaborate on it i.e. articulate your context so that any reader would clearly understand your reading. 5. Complete the table on the next page. 6. When you are done, upload your worksheet to Scribd, and embed it to your PLW.

BIBLICAL PASSAGES (CHOOSE ONE):

The Potters Vessel

JEREMIAH 18, 1-12

Promises of Redemption & Restoration

ISAIAH 43, 1-11

The Visit of the Magi

MATTHEW 2, 1-12

The Healing of a Deaf Man

MARK 7, 31-37

The Parable of the Lost Son

LUKE 15, 11-32

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NAME:

Jan Kua
LC NO.: DATE:

2
PASSAGE

August 5, 2013

The Healing of the Deaf Man

LITERARY GENRE
The text is much more closer to fiction than reality because Jesus may not have been able to do this. The text could have just been written by the Apostles to enrich the faith of the disciples; it is also important to note that at this time, the peoples faith in Christ was diminishing. Aside from that, it would also be subject to the eyes of Mark, the apostle who authored this passage, because he may have been affected by his being a follower of Jesus, and therefore, the literary genre is more of a legend than a documentary or a narration of history.

AUTHOR MEANING
Because we were unable to find what the actual author really meant, we found a source that we believed to be authoritative in discussing their arguments. The source found, which was the Church of the Great God, identified several possible meanings for the texts symbolisms, such as the separation, the fingers, and the spit. According to the source, Jesus took the man away from the crowd because he did not want the other peoples presence there, and because he wanted to be considerate to the man as well. Jesus act of laying his fingers on the deaf mans ears is meant to illustrate that the deaf man could not speak not just because he was physically incapable of doing so, but also because he didnt know how to. The laying of fingers is also symbolic of the message that the man had to awaken his faithbefore he could talk, he must first learn to hear because it is only then that the man would hear God. Finally, the saliva represented Christs eminence and spiritual power, as evidenced by the mans eventual healing. Saliva was also believed to have possessed medical properties, and perhaps that is another reason the author decided to incorporate that aspect.

TEXT MEANING
This text is quite simple and easy to interpret. The meaning of it simply lies in whats been written; that Jesus healed a man from being deaf and mute, and that He does not ask for glory or popularity in return. The text meaning is that Jesus went around Jerusalem and other places in order to heal people and perform miracles. If taken literally, then it is what it is at face value: that it is a story of Jesus journey to heal people and to spread the faith in God.

PERSONAL MEANING

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I believe that this text is about how God is trying to show that he is the God of all, not only the rich, but also the poor. Given the fact that hes helped the person who is the lowest in the place, it shows that he has compassion for them.

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