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 Parable of the Rich Fool

LUKE 12, 13-21

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:

Gene Chua
LC NO.: DATE:

2
PASSAGE

08 / 05

The Parable of the Lost Son

LUKE 15, 11-32 LITERARY GENRE

Parable
AUTHOR MEANING The Gospel of Luke primarily targets the gentiles. It has a special emphasis on prayer, the activity of the Holy Spirit, women, and joyfulness. As evident with The Parable of the Lost Son wherein the author, Luke, depicts God as represented with the father and us with the leeway son. Through this event the author wishes to give life to the message of love, family, and forgiveness.

TEXT MEANING The Parable of the Lost Son begins with 2 brothers requesting for their own share of inheritance from their father. One son, after receiving his inheritance, stays with the father, while the other immediately left. The son who has left home wasted all of the inheritance he received in sinful ways, prostitution and gambling. After this the son wishes to go home, apologize and live as a servant, however as soon as the father saw this son, he ran outside with welcoming arms forgiving and had a feast. On the other hand, the son who remained with the father was jealous due to the fact that the father accepted this disobedient son as if nothing happened while he who has never disobeyed the father never received such a celebration. The story ends with the father saying the importance of family, how the son returning is like him returning back to life. PERSONAL MEANING Personally The Parable of the Lost Son is a story I can fully relate with. In my life I have had countless experiences of disobeying my father, going against his will, but, like the story, after all of it he would still accept me for who I am and forgive me for the things I have done. This story further emphasizes the importance of family and how this concept, this understanding, this practice, never changes no matter how much time has long passed. It represents that the foundation of family is unbreakable and overcomes all obstacles.

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