Bible "Stories"?
What’s Wrong With The Word "Story"?
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, April 17, 2025 (Donate)
Introduction
I grew up with Bible “stories.” I was told them in Sunday School and youth
programs. I read books about Bible “stories.” I was taught about Bible “stories”
for years and years. People have compared
Bible stories with other stories and fictional movies like the Matrix, Lord
of the Rings, Aesop’s Fables, or Star Wars. I even talked about Bible
“stories” when I used to do some teaching.
But all that changed.
One day I made a comment about the evolutionary “story.” I
had a man come up to me from the audience, and he was clearly not happy. He was
very upset that I had called evolution a “story,” because to him, it wasn’t a “story”
but the “truth.” He was okay with me calling biblical accounts “stories,”
because, as he put it, “the Bible was full of myths and fictional accounts so
they could rightly be called stories.” But how dare I call evolution “a story” in his view.
The Definition-of-Story History
At that moment, I realized that the word story no longer means what story used to mean in the past. Ken
Ham, apologist and founder of Answers in Genesis, often points out that story
now means fairy tale or fiction.
A story, to the common person on the street, means movies like
Shrek, Cinderella, Lord of the Rings, or your own personal account of
what happened with your own “not-so-true” embellishments! That type of story
doesn’t necessarily recount what actually happened in the past.
So, story no longer means history. Even a top definitional
hit for story reads:
“an account of imaginary or real
people and events told for entertainment.”[1]
Synonyms include tale or spiel, which doesn’t
necessarily convey a truthful recounting. Dictionary.com defines it in four
ways below:
“1. a narrative, either true or
fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the
hearer or reader; tale.
2. a fictitious tale, shorter and
less elaborate than a novel.
3. such narratives or tales as a
branch of literature: song and story.
4. the plot or succession of
incidents of a novel, poem, drama, etc.”[2]
None of these definitions necessarily indicate a truthful
historical account. Definition 1
could, but it would need to be explained. This doesn’t mean that a story
can’t be true, as indicated by
the definition, but in our common vernacular, story doesn’t immediately mean
a true historical event unless it is spelled out.
Webster’s Elementary School Dictionary of 1925, like
many older dictionaries, gives the main definition of story as:
“1. A connected narration of past
events; history,
2. An account of some incident, a
report, or a statement.”[3]
The third definition by Webster’s 1925 is
specifically for literature being a fictitious
tale; and the fourth definition is falsehood.[4]
But notice how these first two definitions in the classic Webster’s dictionary
are essentially lost and now the fictitious definitions dominate our modern
culture. Even the modern Webster Dictionary (Merriam-Webster) has
reduced history to an archaic
(no-longer-used) definition of the word story. See the screenshot[5]
below:
The point is that the word story no longer means a
true historical account, a true narrative, or a record/statement of actual
events of the past. If you want to use the story to mean an actual
historical event, then you need to explain it each time you do which defeats the purpose of even using the
word!
Why Is This Relevant To Sunday School, Christian Textbooks, And Christians?
The relevance of this discussion should be obvious. The
Bible records actual events as true history (e.g., Psalm 119:160, John 17:17).
If we continue using the word story in regard to biblical accounts, then
many listeners or readers will automatically think the Bible is nothing but a
collection of fictional events.
As Christians who stand on the authority of God’s Word as
the absolute truth, we need to make sure we are conveying the proper message
clearly. We want the truth of God’s Word to be taught and preached to listeners
and readers so that they can better grasp the meaning of the text of
Scriptures, which don’t come back void (Isaiah 55:11). So, I suggest we avoid
putting such an obstacle for those we are teaching to grow in the Word of God
(e.g., 2 Corinthians 6:3).
So What Should We Say?
Many have shifted how to talk and write about biblical
accounts. For example, I just used the word account. Did you notice that?
I also use words and phrases like biblical history, true
history, narrative, events of the past, record of events, chronological
account, biblical records, past events, chronicle, history, and so on. If
or when I do use story (yep, sometimes it slips out!), I caveat it and
make sure the reader or audience knows what I mean each and every time.
Conclusion
In the Old Testament, the sons of Issachar had understanding
of the times to know what Israel needed to do. In a like fashion, we too need
to understand our own times (1 Chronicles 12:32). In our current times, the definition
of the word story has changed. This happens—definitions sometimes change
over time (e.g., English looked a lot like German about 1,000 years ago). We
need to be able to recognize these definitional changes and adjust if
necessary.
Although this may seem trivial to some, the importance of
this cannot be overstated. The last
thing we want to do is be a stumbling block to someone who says “why should I
believe the Bible, when you Christians just think it is stories (i.e.,
“fiction”, “untruths”)? Such a solution
is easy to deal with using better terminology.
To Christians who are teaching or witnessing, I humbly
suggest being mindful of this when speaking in Sunday Schools, youth programs, out
one the street, seminars, or the even the pulpit. And when drawing analogies
from stories (I really do mean stories
this time!), like fictional movies, be sure to clarify the difference. Writers of VBS, Sunday School curriculum,
Christian school textbooks, Christian newsletters and books, and so on, please
be mindful of this as well.
Uniting as Christians together, we want people to understand
that the historical accounts in the Bible are true, and therefore the message
of the Gospel, founded in that same history, is also true.
[1] https://www.bing.com/search?q=story+definition,
Accessed August 13, 2019.
[2] https://www.dictionary.com/browse/story,
Accessed August 13, 2019.
[3] Webster’s
Elementary-School Dictionary, American Book Company, G. & C. Merriam
Co., Springfield, Massachusetts, 1925, p. 567.
[4]
Ibid; “3. In literature, a narrative in prose or verse, a tale especially
fictitious.; 4. A fib; falsehood.”
[5] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/story,
Accessed August 13, 2019.
