We must be aware of how to rightly read – even the Bible:
The Bible is a special book in that it has divine and human authors. It is unique because it is God-inspired, but it is like other books because it is written by humans. In the reading and study of any book, we need to be aware of basic principles of interpretation. These would include things like reading a passage in its context, and being aware of figures of speech, and so on.
So the Christian, whether reading the Bible or any other book, needs to know a bit about how literature works, and things like literary devices. While I have written on such matters before, it seems that I sometimes need to repeat myself on these matters, as I keep finding believers who seem unaware of some of these basics. Some of my previous articles on this includes this piece: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2024/09/04/on-generalisations-again/
Here I want to focus on just two issues: exaggeration and satire. In each one I will provide a discussion I had with another believer, and how I sought to reply to their concerns.
Exaggeration, hyperbole, generalisation, stereotypical language
The Bible throughout uses language that might seem to be over the top. That is, it does not seem to be very nuanced – it seems to overgeneralise and be hyperbolic. But the truth is, that sort of language has a very real place, especially in the prophetic writings. But Jesus and the disciples were also happy to use this device. It is used for its literary effect, to get people’s attention and make a strong general statement.
One example of a Christian being concerned about this took place a few years ago on this site. I had penned a piece asking why Christians don’t talk about suffering. One friend wrote in with this comment:
Thanks Bill, I agree with the general thrust of your article and loved the quotes from the puritan Thomas Chase. However, I did wonder how you could ascertain how many churches and Christians in the West don’t talk about suffering and affliction? I belong to a church which certainly does and has quite a few members, mostly older people, who have experienced suffering themselves as well as their loved ones. Our pastor certainly doesn’t support the so called “health and wealth” message and is very balanced and compassionate in his preaching. The younger members are most understanding of the issue of suffering and give support where necessary. Maybe you could’ve had a different title to your article?
This is what I said in reply:
Thanks ****. But of course I nowhere said that there are NO churches or Christians that are talking about suffering. And I did not “ascertain” or quantify anything. I simply made some general remarks about the condition of the Western church, based in part on 50 years of experience as a Christian, and having been involved in dozens – even hundreds – of churches in many nations over the years in various ways. It is also my main Christian calling to try to be a careful observer of what is happening in the West, including in Western churches. That understanding is amplified in various ways, including listening to and reading countless others who are also keen observers of what is happening in our culture. That is why this site is called CultureWatch!
My experience is limited, as is yours. It is great that your church is dealing with this. Does that mean they all are? Of course not. But given how many of the largest and most popular churches in the West ARE pushing things like the health and wealth gospel, and given how many millions of believers ARE fully following such things, we can safely and correctly say that far too many believers are certainly being misled here. Indeed, I wrote a 186,000-word PhD thesis on this very issue, so perhaps I know a little bit about such matters! But I think most people fully understood the main point of this article – so there really is no need to change my title thanks.
Again, using powerful and punchy statements for effect and to make a point is found throughout the Bible. And we should recognise these literary devices when they are being used. For example, when the prophets call out all of Israel, and speak of their coming judgment, does that mean there were none righteous at all?
This of course cannot be the case, since the prophets themselves, and others, were standing strongly with the Lord. Simply consider Daniel and his friends. They, like other Israelites, were carried away into Babylonian captivity. But unlike most of their fellows, they were in fact the good guys, faithfully serving Yahweh.
Satire, mockery, humour and insults
These things can be closely aligned with what I discussed above. Satire, found so often in Scripture, often involves things like hyperbole and exaggeration. Once again, it is a literary device to strengthen the message and to press home a point. The prophets certainly made use of this, as did others.
But some Christians seem to have a real issue with it. Part of the problem is they do not seem to know how literature works, and how literary devices can be put to good use. Consider this example from the social media. I had shared a satirical meme about how the woke left complains about indoctrinating children, yet that is exactly what they themselves do.
One Christian however just did not like this, and he made this remark: “According to Australian Family Coalition it’s satire, which I have a great deal of trouble with as it borders on mockery and disinformation. We should declare the truth.”
I responded this way:
Of course it is satire. And the reason good satire is so effective and helpful is the way it helps to express truth and refute error. The Bible features numerous examples of satire, mockery and related literary devices (just consider Elijah, Isaiah, Amos, Jesus and Paul for starters). And they were used to declare truth! So those who dislike these things in fact dislike portions of God’s Word. See more on this here for example: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2007/04/18/rhetoric-the-bible-and-the-believer/
This fellow then replied: “If it’s clearly labelled as satire then that’s fine. But too often I see Christians believe it is truth and then get either distressed or enraged at it and then begin to refute it or share it as news. This makes us look gullible and ridiculous. It’s a two-edged sword that needs to be used very carefully.”
To which I answered: “Admittedly, satire online can sometimes be hard to spot. But I know of no biblical use of satire that is prefaced with the words, ‘BTW folks, the following is satire.’ They must have assumed that folks were wise enough and discerning enough to pick out such literary devices.”
As stated, the examples in Scripture are many. One of the most biting bits of mockery, sarcasm and satire comes from the prophet Elijah as he confronts Ahab and the false prophets. You know the story as recorded in 1 Kings 18. Elijah savagely mocks these guys, saying maybe their god is asleep, or perhaps he is out taking a leak (which is just what the Hebrews says). See more on this episode and related matters in this piece: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2011/05/11/4389/
So many other examples can be mentioned. Consider the prophet Amos and his hyper-strong denunciation of Israelite women:
“Hear this word, you cows of Bashan,
who are on the mountain of Samaria,
who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,
who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’
The Lord God has sworn by his holiness
that, behold, the days are coming upon you,
when they shall take you away with hooks,
even the last of you with fishhooks.
And you shall go out through the breaches,
each one straight ahead;
and you shall be cast out into Harmon,”
declares the Lord.
“Come to Bethel, and transgress;
to Gilgal, and multiply transgression;
bring your sacrifices every morning,
your tithes every three days;
offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened,
and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them;
for so you love to do, O people of Israel!”
declares the Lord God. (Amos 4:1-5)
Talk about not being politically correct! Talk about not being very nice or nuanced. And talk about exaggeration, generalisation and stereotypical language. Amos is breaking every rule in the book – at least for believers who A) have bought into the woke mindset, and B) know nothing about literary devices and figures of speech.
‘But,’ some might object, ‘that is the Old Testament. Things said in the New Testament are kinder, nicer and much more polite.’ Um, really? Just one passage – out of many – from the lips of Jesus can be mentioned. Here is just a part of the seven woes he pronounced on the Pharisees:
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? (Matthew 23:23-33)
That is some pretty strong stuff! And Paul was not much better in this regard. Consider how he spoke of the Judaisers. In Philippians 3:2 he said “Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh”. He did not get any softer in Galatians 5:11-12: “But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!”
Hmm, he did not seem to be trying to win friends and influence people there, a la Dale Carnegie! So we can use such devices. And Christian satire sites like the Babylon Bee have their place. They are following in the tradition of the prophets, Jesus, Paul and others.
Sure, it can be overdone and over-used at times, but it is a perfectly acceptable literary style as found in Scripture. Let me close with this balanced take on satire from one website:
-Satire is an important, though secondary, form of Christian proclamation.
-Satire can be an effective way to get attention, so that people actually hear (and remember) your words.
-Satire can stir sincere seekers to a more diligent search for truth.
-Satire can effectively expose people’s hearts—their false motives and bad thinking.
-The strongest satire (sarcasm) is usually best reserved for false teachers who need to be publicly exposed in order to protect others from their influence.
-Gentle satire is sometimes an expression of familial love and care.
-The humor in satire should invite us to laugh at human folly or at surprising imagery, but not at God himself.
