How much of the bible do you have to take literally to be considered a Christian?

Question

There are many denominations of Christianity that differ in their interpretation of the bible. How much of the bible is open to interpretaion anyway? What if you take half of it literally and subject the other have to your own personal interests? Would you still be a Christian? What if you only took 10% of it literally? How do you know which parts are open to interpretation? How do you know the whole thing isn't just a bunch of suggestions and ideas instead of doctrine and law?

If it matters, I am an atheist and I have read a great deal of the bible including all of the NT. I'm not looking to accuse anybody of anything, I'm just curious.

Answer 1

You need to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on the cross in your place for the punishment that you deserved since you are a sinner, that He rose from the dead and is now in heaven at the right hand of the Father. If you (confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.).

Answer 2

If you're an atheist change God to Good. Jesus to Counselor or guide and you'll have a nice guide for atheists! You just need to understand the bible subject by subject. Remember also each writer has different viewpoints and that may seem like there are contradictions in the bible. Each book of the bible is titled by a writer except for Genesis and Revelation those two words mean the Begining and the End with relevance!
If you take the whole bible literally there is no interpretation it says what it says always consider the subject matter when reading the bible chapter by chapter. A true Christian takes the whole bible literally. Christians aren't dumb they can notice translation errors. Brenda and I compared 2 bibles that were suppose to be exactly the same but wasn't one had some "is" while the other had some
with "are" in some places that difference didn't change a thing in mean but in some spots it did lead to confusion! Confusion is what the Devil
or negativity entity (badluck) wants for us.
The bible is a good book whether you are a Christian or an atheist. Atheists can just ignore the parts where it talks about Christians doing things!

Answer 3

Someone once said something interesting about "interpretation" and it really stuck with me. With regard to the bible: "if the most obvious sense makes sense, seek no other sense". It think it's more about being a good student of the bible, and being able to see what is metaphor, what is symbolism, what is, yes, literal. There are parables in the bible...there is hyperbole (exaggeration for the purpose of making a certain point). It's been my experience that the more you read, the more you study, the more you seek and contemplate, the clearer God makes His word to you.

Do I think I have it all right? No....but I have found this instruction to make very good sense. With regard to how much do you have to believe to be a Christian....people are often at various places on the path when it comes to the bible. Some Christians don't read the bible much at all. Some do. Most important is knowing who Jesus Christ is...and why you would need to repent of sin and accept Him as your savior.

Cordially,

Answer 4

Jesus said to search the scriptures (Old Testament or Thora) to FIND! the truth. He did not say to take each word literally.

I have doubts about some of the things being done in the name of "Christianity". But those ”things” happened because of deviations and wrong interpretations of Christ's basic message, i. e. because of the failure to LOVE, and "allowances" made because of our selfish nature.

Jesus made it very clear that the 2 first and foremost commandments are:
to love God with ALL our being and above ALL "things", and to love ALL our fellow men & women, even if the may be our enemy. Any laws or "interpretations" deviating from those two are invalid according to Jesus.

I have no doubt that Jesus taught the right way. By the way, He was not the only one who taught compassion AND forgiveness as rules for life. But I believe He did it most clearly.

Just imagine! If all humans would willingly (not because they have been told) act out of compassion and forgiveness toward the "others" there truly would be peace on Earth! - (No, I'm not perfect either!)

Islam:
"If any show patience and forgive, that truly would be an exercise of courageous will and resolution in the conduct of affairs." Qur'an: Sura 42:43 (Counsel)

Answer 5

It isn't how you interpret the bible that makes one a Christian. Of all the sins we commit, the only one that damns us is in not accepting Jesus as our Savior. The bible was never meant for man to interpret through his wisdom, but through salvation we receive the interpretation through the Holy Spirit. You being an atheist means you have a mind that cannot understand the things of God. How can you understand something you don't believe exists? Open up your mind to the possibility that God does exist and ask him to reveal the truth to you. The world is much bigger than your closed mind.

Answer 6

I grew up with a mother who took me to church and made me read the bible, but I never really did, and church well I hated it! I stopped going to church when I was ten.
However, I am now an adult who recently entered back into faith and the bible. I have only been reading the bible for about 6 months now. I don't go to church much because church has now become a business. However, I gain a lot of understanding from the bible, mainly around Jesus teachings. He taught how corrupt the church and religion would be (or at least that is what I get out of it).
To answer your question I'm not of any denomination. I believe we perceive the bible in accordance to what God wants us to understand. It is mostly symbolic to me.
It is not the message, it is what the message leaves us with. Our minds are so complex and different. You see red, i see blue. I see God, you see nature.
I have changed so much since I entered into my faith,and I see God all around me. God knows I'm not the typical, conventional believer, and he knows what I need to know and gives me that. Sure I get criticized for some of beliefs that are not congruent with traditional Christians beliefs, but I just follow the path Jesus gave me. I can't judge you because I have a board in my eye. I don't follow after $, and I love all my fellow men. I get everything God wants me to understand in order to live the way God planned me to live.
Does that make sense? Hope so.

Answer 7

a million) it truly is a shaggy dogs tale to declare the total Bible replaced into once taken honestly, by using very reality Jesus spoke truly a lot maximum powerful in parables, making it wonderful to take really. also the common a million/2 of Genesis change into taken more desirable proper symbolically, something it truly is in spite of the reality that achieved diverse than with the help of means of means of evangelicals. 2) the surely time that you've gotten the means to declare the Bible replaced into once edited in any recognize: The era of Ezra. earlier than then, persons did no longer have an total Torah. you're in a position to make a controversy for that. the form new testomony as each person understand them have not been tampered with in any recognize from the time they have been very a lot dispensed. We do understand the interpretation of a few words is also fought about, besides the undeniable fact that the KJV Bible went back to the commonly used manuscripts in spite of the reality that accessible and then to the Septuagint. 3) As Christians, we do not kill others. (The Roman Catholic (commonly used) Church did do this, besides the very undeniable reality that Protestants (and their forerunners) were killed en masse with the help of means of creating use of the RCC. 4) Jesus did no longer stated the Roman Catholic Church. The church did no longer even exist diverse than Constantine (do no longer grant me that Bishop of Rome crap please,i'm experienced on the area). 5) Jesus suggested each human being will enter hell era. the surely means out of it truly is to God with the help of means of means of him. BTW, if Christian historic previous, you does no longer argue the aspect of Roman Catholicism.

Answer 8

You have to interpret everything you experience for yourself.

If you believe that following cryptic writings in a book, going to church every Sunday, and wearing a cross around your neck gets you into the Christian club... then so be it.

If you believe in a true understanding of Jesus's message, and letting it guide you... and that alone makes you a Christian... that's more than good enough for me.

One thing I must say.... No REAL Christian has any right to judge you on your relationship with your creator... his word... and the messenger who sacrificed himself to make sure you heard it.

Answer 9

how much of the Bible is not the issue in being a Christian. We all differ so much about interpretation. What IS the issue is admitting you have sinned and ask for God's forgiveness thru His son Jesus, believe in Him in your heart and commit yourself to living for Him.

Answer 10

When the Bible was being put together, many parts that the priests didn't like they didn't let them remain. Many books of the bible you can find on the net or in the bookstore.

http://www.ywam.org/books/booksearch.asp?BkID=0785212949