3 Guidelines for Keeping Biblical Fiction Biblically Accurate

By Joy C. Woodbury

“I have a Biblical fiction novel idea, but I’m scared to write it. What if I mess up Scripture and lead people astray?” As a Biblical fiction writer, I can’t tell you how many times fellow writers have approached me with this fear. They feel called to write a Biblical fiction novel, but they’re afraid to because they don’t want to make a mistake with God’s Holy Word.

If you’re worried about misusing Scripture in your fiction, you’re right to be concerned - and the fact you are concerned shows that your heart is in the right place. Unfortunately, there are many Biblical fiction writers out there who freely misuse Scripture without any concern for what they’re doing. The sad reality is that misusing Scripture in Biblical fiction makes the author look ridiculous at best, and at worst, it will distort a reader’s view of Christ and the Bible.

I know there are a number of you out there on Kingdom Pen who want to write Biblical fiction, but may be feeling apprehensive. That’s why I’m here today to help you out!

I’m sad to admit that when I first began writing my St. Paul fiction series, I disregarded Scripture and made some serious mistakes. When I realized what I had done, I prayed for my heart to be molded into the right shape for writing about the Holy Word. I’m happy to say that He has been gracious to me and taught me so much, making my writing into something that honors Him. I count it as a blessing that now I’m able to teach others not to make the same mistakes I made!

In this post, I’ll be showing you three important guidelines for keeping your Biblical fiction Biblically accurate. Without further ado, let’s get started! 

Guideline #1: 

Be careful where you research

Ah, research. I have a love-hate relationship with it. I know it’s important, but often I just want to get to the actual writing part!

In all seriousness, research - that is, Bible research - is vitally important to a Biblical fiction project. Notice that I said Bible research. Basically, that means all your research should be taken from the Bible, not from outside (extrabiblical) sources. 

Know the Bible story you're retelling like the back of your hand before you attempt to write. Devour it until you're able to teach it perfectly to another person.

Study the Law of Moses and make sure you know the Old Testament (even if you're writing New Testament fiction). If you're writing OT fiction, you still need to know the NT.

The Bible is your ultimate research guide. Never turn to anything else.

You might wonder the reason for this. It's because you are what you read, and what you read will creep into your writing whether you're aware of it or not. Extrabiblical sources often contain mockeries and falsehoods about God and the Bible. They’re not trustworthy, so they won’t give you what you need.

However, there will be times you’ll need to know historical details that aren’t mentioned in Scripture. For example, in my St. Paul fiction, the Roman emperor line is a crucial part of the history I’m covering, but there isn’t much information about the Caesars in the New Testament. I needed to know more, since my characters would certainly be aware of what was going on in Rome at the time. And it affects the plot, since Paul appeals to Caesar (Acts 25:11) and eventually comes face-to-face with the emperor.

What should you do in the event Scripture doesn’t give you enough information about something? You turn to other sources - but not to Wikipedia or PBS. You find reputable sources.

If you’re not sure what’s reputable, you can ask a pastor, chaplain, or other teachers to point you in the right direction. Visit your local Christian bookstore or library and ask for recommendations. I also recommend subscribing to Logos Bible Software, as they have great book recommendations from theologians and other church leaders, and sometimes they even give out free books.

Also, you’re in luck, because I have some awesome recommendations for you!

I can get carried away with research recommendations, so I’ll stop here, but if you ever need anything more, don’t hesitate to reach out to me and ask!

The bottom line about research? Use the Bible as your first source, and always conduct research wisely.

Guideline #2:

 Never speculate without a Scriptural basis

My favorite part of writing is imagining what Paul's life with his family would have been like and thinking, "What if it happened like this?" This is so much fun, and it helps me to see him as a real flesh-and-blood person.

However, I always make sure my speculations are built on a Scriptural foundation. If my speculation doesn't fit with Scripture, it isn't Biblically accurate to Paul's life, character, and what he taught.

If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, I’ll give you an example.

You’ve likely heard the famous saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). And you probably know the context in which Paul was writing; he was writing about his struggle with his “thorn in the flesh” which was sent to humble him after he visited heaven. (See 2 Cor. 12:1-10.)

There are abundant theories concerning the identity of Paul’s thorn in the flesh, since he never directly says himself what it was. Some theories include recurrent migraines, guilt over his former life, malaria, loss of eyesight as a result of the Damascus Road vision, and more.

Naturally, since the thorn in the flesh was an ever-present part of Paul’s life, I would definitely have to choose how to portray it in my series. So which was the Biblically accurate option?

I wondered about that until I had a realization that changed everything, clearing up all the confusion for me. The realization actually came from reading the D.A. Carson exposition I mentioned earlier - that’s the biggest reason I highly recommend that exposition!

Carson writes, “Paul’s thorn in the flesh… came to him after his ‘surpassingly great revelations,’ and in consequence of them…. It was not a birth defect or an impediment of character that had afflicted him long before” (Carson 150).

Reading that passage stunned me! It ruled out many of the human-concocted theories about the thorn in the flesh that had been confusing me so much. (For one example, the thorn couldn’t be Paul’s guilt over his former life, because that would have existed long before the visions.) From reading Carson’s exposition, I learned to dig deep into the truth of Scripture instead of listening to the theories around me, and I chose to portray the thorn in the flesh in a way I’m confident is Biblically accurate.

The most important thing to keep in mind about speculation in Biblical fiction is that this is Scripture we’re dealing with. Yes, speculation is a lot of fun, and I always encourage Biblical fiction writers to be creative with it! But with that, there’s a word of warning to be included: Don’t confuse creativity with distortion. It’s completely fine to be creative, but it isn’t fine to bend Scripture or choose to ignore parts of it because it makes your plot more “exciting.”

Scripture is already exciting the way it is! We can’t improve God’s story.

If you take one thing away from this article, it would be this: Don’t aim to sensationalize Scripture. As Biblical fiction writers, our mission is to encourage readers to delve into the Bible, not take our story as the gospel.

Basically? As long as you stick with Scripture, you’ll be more than okay!

Guideline #3:

Prepare your heart daily

Last but not least, we’ve reached the final guideline: Preparing your heart on a daily basis. This is something we writers may neglect at times, because it seems so simple. But it makes a big difference!

A Biblical fiction writer must be:

So how do we prepare our hearts for all this?

By never neglecting spiritual growth. 

Don't skip prayer, devotional time, and reading your Bible time. Confide in loving, wise mentors about your walk with God. Open up to your family in Christ. In other words, nurture your relationship with the Lord. When you continually grow in your own faith, you’ll be able to write a mature story that helps others grow in theirs.

That’s a wrap!

I hope this article helped you! Now, I want to hear what YOU have to say about this topic! 

Blessings!