In | Reading Chunks

Although the Bible that most of us read is organized by books with chapters and verses, these actually came later in the history of the Bible’s transmission. They are helpful addresses for finding passages and verses, but they don’t always reflect natural or intended transition points in the original text. We want to make sure that we interpret the Bible in the chunks that are most natural. For example, we often speak of the creation account in Genesis 1, but this account really extends into its climax in Genesis 2:1-3. In fact, Genesis has its own organizing device called toledot (translated, “the generations”) which occurs ten times throughout the book. The Flood story is a four-chapter account that is tightly structured as a literary whole. Cycles of stories around characters (e.g., Abraham, Moses or David) are also chunks. Psalms are grouped in five books. Proverbs come in collections. When you read the New Testament, you will find the Passion account forms a very noticeable chunk in each of the four Gospels. Paul’s letters often have two primary parts, one for doctrine and one for exhortation. So, let’s continue to pay attention to the ways Scripture organizes itself and read it one chunk at a time.