Inspiration, Truth, and History in 1 Kings 22:1–28: A Narrative Hermeneutics Perspective

Abstract

Inspiration can be approached from a formal perspective by attempting to use texts of the Bible to justify what has been defined at the level of doctrine. However, one may also try to start with the biblical text itself and, instead of looking to it to confirm the presence of inspiration, examine the manner in which inspiration is portrayed in that text. There is one type of biblical narrative that offers a special insight into the complex nature of inspiration—a nature that defies easy explanation. Here, the figure of the prophet, often acting as a starting point for a theological development of the question of inspiration, becomes part of the narrative structure and plays a specific role within it. The purpose of such prophetic stories is to convey a public message that carries some sort of argument and, at the same time, responds to specific contextual needs and employs specific rhetorical strategies. This approach is exemplified by the narrative in 1 Kings 22:1–28, where a group of prophets led by Zedekiah confronts Micaiah, and the two parties deliver two conflicting oracles about the war for Ramoth-gilead. The juxtaposition of the two prophetic discourses reveals the complexity of the problem of inspiration and truth within a specific historical context. Analyzed from the perspective of narrative hermeneutics, the story establishes a common ground for a constructive dialogue between Scripture and its reader, placing on the latter the burden of a responsible interpretation that takes into account the presence of the word of God in human history and the ambiguity of the religious language that attempts to describe it.