The Beauty of Biblical Language by Randy Collins

The Bible speaks in pictures. Jesus called Himself the door, the vine, and the good shepherd, and He meant every word.

The Beauty of Biblical Language is a twelve-chapter Bible study by Randy Collins on how the writers of Scripture used figurative language, and how to read it well.

How This Study Helps

Adam called Eve "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh." Jesus told the Pharisees they strained out a gnat and swallowed a camel. Revelation is full of beasts, lampstands, and numbers. Readers who take every figure literally end up confused, and readers who treat everything as symbolic can make the Bible say whatever they like. Cults and false teachers have done both.

Collins shows how to tell when a passage is speaking figuratively and what the figure is meant to say. He starts with the plain sense of Scripture and common-sense rules of interpretation, then works through each major figure of speech and figure of thought with examples from both testaments. He draws on classic works such as D. R. Dungan's Hermeneutics, Milton Terry's Biblical Hermeneutics, E. W. Bullinger's Figures of Speech Used in the Bible, and Wayne Jackson's Biblical Figures of Speech.

What's Inside

• Introduction to Figurative Language
• Identifying Figurative Language
• Mistaking One for Another
• Metaphors
• Prolepsis and Personification
• Metonymy
• Synecdoche and Hyperbole
• Similes, Similitudes and Allegories
• Parables and Proverbs
• Paradox
• Typology
• Symbol
• The Symbolism of the Apocalypse

Format & Features

The chapters are grouped in three parts: an introduction, figures of speech, and figures of thought. Thought questions with space to write follow the lessons. Reference schedules in the back cover Dungan's aids to understanding the Word of God, words and phrases that recur in prophecy, and the use of "seven" in Scripture, followed by endnotes, a resource guide, and a glossary of terms. The 6 x 9 coil binding lies flat for writing. It's also available as a PDF eBook for individual or class use.

Who It's For

Adult Bible classes and their teachers, preachers, and any Christian who wants to read the parables, the prophets, and Revelation with more confidence.

Common Questions

Can I use it to teach a class?
Yes. The introduction and twelve chapters fit a quarter of weekly classes. Order a workbook for each student, or choose the class-use PDF.

Do I need a background in Greek or hermeneutics?
No. Each figure is defined in plain terms, and a glossary in the back explains the technical vocabulary.

About the Author

Randy Collins spent twenty-nine years with IBM in accounting and finance, then fifteen more in small business consulting. He became a Christian in 1958 and served thirteen years as an elder with the church in Greencastle, Indiana. He began writing adult Bible study guides in 2010 and has since written several books, including That Faithful and Wise Steward and Jewish Culture and Customs. A certified Purdue Master Gardener, he lives in Avon, Indiana.

Product Details

• Author: Randy Collins
• Publisher: Spiritbuilding Publishers
• Chapters: 12, plus an introduction
• Pages: 97
• Format: 6 x 9 coil-bound workbook; PDF eBook (individual or class use)