Imagery discussion in final week of this term

Imagery helps us to see old truths in new and different ways and it communicates much using a few words. ("The Lord is my shepherd" sums up so much!) Using imagery involves taking one thing you want to talk about, explore, or reflect upon, and relating it to something which is foreign to it for the most part, but one aspect is alike ("so and so was a `bear' this morning.") How does imagery work?

God chooses to teach us true and accurate yet not exhaustive information regarding Himself through the use of images. When using an image, what is lost in precision is gained in vividness of expression. Remember, precision is different from accuracy. An image can be less precise than a literal statement but still be without error. A lot of ancient cultures taught and learned via imagery, poetry, and music. It has been argued that it is because of illiteracy. This is not entirely true however. Even after literacy was improved in many cultures, imagery still was the more common teaching method.

Of great value in understanding and recognizing imagery in the Bible, is understanding the way that Jesus taught, i.e. the use of parables, stories, and analogies. If we go beyond the surface of many of the teachings of Jesus, we will gain depth of understanding that we didn’t realize before. Our challenge then becomes to continue to learn more about the lessons that are taught by not dissecting the words and facts, but by seeking to absorb what the imagery is conveying. This is an exciting idea, because no matter how much you study the Scriptures, and know “the facts”, there is still much more imagery to extract from even common passages.

Do you think all this sounds really too simple? One of the first uses of this “use of imagery” idea is in Genesis 1: “Let us make man in our image”. You don’t read a precise analytical description of what this means in this passage, but it gives you a mental image of complex proportions! The good news is that the use of imagery cuts across intellectual boundaries, just like the Gospel itself. It is so simple that non-intellectuals can grasp it, and yet so complex that intellectuals cant explain it fully. If there is one thing that I have learned from one semester of seminary study is that there is so much more to learn.

Yes, thats right, the first term in seminary was completed this week! Thanks be to God. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers during this first term. I sure appreciate it. May God bless you as you grow in faith and knowledge of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Blessings!
George