In any piece of literature and every conversation, including any Bible study, we encounter many types of information. It is very important that we train ourselves to comprehend the absolute reliability of the data we are receiving. For instance, some people take everything they hear on the nightly news as concrete fact, however, upon deeper consideration we realize that much media content is actually the "interpretation of the information" by the news-anchor, the station or any guest they invite to give commentary. The following is a short list that will help you recognize and evaluate the content of our studies here at Strength and Courage and, of course, this understanding will also assist in categorizing the viability of the information we all see and hear continuously as we go about our daily lives. As I noted in the beginning of our Genesis and Exodus studies, for clarity purposes, I try to remember to add an asterisk before each paragraph where I give my commentary/interpretation.
Fact: Facts are clear, proven, site-able information. In the case of Bible-study, facts are details which are shown clearly and succinctly in scripture and/or revealed in the natural processes.
From the Oxford Dictionary Online,
"a thing that is known to be true, especially when it can be proved"
Link -Word Definition - Oxford Dictionary - Fact:
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/fact?q=fact
Hypothesis:
Opinion:
Fiction: Is a type of made-up literature or character. Fictional stories and characters describe invented (though often inspired by real life) details.
From the Oxford Dictionary Online,
"a type of literature that describes imaginary people and events, not real ones"
Link -Word Definition - Oxford Dictionary - Fact:
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/fiction?q=fiction
Non-fiction:
Word of Mouth/testimonials:
Six keys to processing Information