A literal interpretation seems ludricous to me. Some of my Christian friends say you must interpret it literally or you can't be a Christian. Others say some is literal and some is symbolic. Others say it doesn't matter. This makes no sense either. How can you pick and choose? I asked a minister and he said if you have Jesus in your heart, it doesn't matter. There's a dodge for you.
2007-01-13 07:21:03 · 19 answers · asked by robert m 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It's the 21st century. I would hope no one takes it literally.
2007-01-13 07:24:29 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The Bible's symbols have a key. For instance an airplane on a map represents an airport. The Bible also has words used as symbols. They can be seen in parables and prophecies. I would say that the creation account is neither of those. For instance there is a whole genealogy that comes after adam and eve. Cain Able Seth and so on for the rest of Genesis. If Adam and Eve somehow represented early humanity, then there would not be specific people that came from them. Those symbols are also not seen later in other prophecies. Later in the Bible in the New Testament it talks about how sin entered the world through one man Adam. It makes him out to be just as real as Jesus.
Bible symbols would include some of the following. Water= Multitudes or people Oil=Holy Spirit Beasts=Nations Lamb=Jesus Woman=God's followers. So like I said before, symbols represent something very specific and can then be plugged into scriptural prophecy. I haven't listed them all, but it gives you the idea. If someone is claiming something to be symbolic make sure they are using Biblical symbols backed by other scripture in their interpretation that makes sense in that context otherwise it may be a cop out to explain away supernatural events.
2007-01-13 07:48:48 · answer #2 · answered by The GMC 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The story of Adam & Eve is true & the serpent, I am a Christian & I am not afraid to explain, Adam & Eve was Son & Daughter of God, with a soul, The creature in the garden was a upright creature that could talk, he was the highest form of the animal kingdom, But did not have a soul nor was he a son of God, & I believe the serpent had a mate also, because the bible says let every seed after it's kind be multiply, Now many Christian, & Preachers, thinks that serpent was a snake, How silly, Then they say he was the devil, how silly, He was an upright creature that could talk & walk on 2 legs. This is all BEFORE the curse. Now let's see where this serpent became a snake, In Gen.3:14 God is cursing the serpent here, & NOT BEFORE THIS TIME, Upon thy belly shall thou go, what happened, God cursed that upright creature & put him into the reptile family with his mate also., Then God puts the curse on the woman, what did he curse, The womans reproductive organs, & to this day no woman can tell when she can conceive, that knowledge was taken away from her. But it was never taken away from the animal Kingdom, Now God turns to Adam, & since God curses Adam's worker, Adam no longer has a worker, therefore God said to Adam thou shall earn thy living from the sweat of thy face. See I was not afraid to talk about it, because I have studied it for over 36 yrs. & I am not a Preacher, Just a Christian that can see something in the bible that many Christians overlook.
2007-01-13 07:36:56 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I take the story literally. I take it as such, because this is the point in God's creation when sin was first introduced into the world. At first God's world was perfect. He created a paradise for His creation to live in. He only gave them one rule. That rule was do not eat from this certian tree. They disobeyed Him. They were tempted by the serpent. The way that I take that is that satan had taken on the form of the serpent. In the bible it says serpent, so do we even know if the serpent looked like what a modern day snake looks like now, or was it some different kind? We do not know. There are a lot of questions that cannot be answered. I do not think that we are supposed to have every single question answered for us. If that were the case then that would not leave any room for faith.
2007-01-13 07:28:50 · answer #4 · answered by Kat 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I believe that it is literal. However, there are many different religious groups and depending on who you ask their answer will be different. There are religious groups that believe that most of the bible is symbolic but they are not typically part of mainstream religious sources and by most groups they are concidered cults or quacks. There are several parts of the bible that are symbolic and there is no debate on the fact that they are. An example are the pariables and much of the book of revelations. The book of revelations is because it is talking about future events and to be honest how would you discribe future events when you have never seen a helocopter or a missle before??? My point is you should take the scripture literally unless there are other reasons such as the one I pointed out in revelations not to. I dont believe that god is trying to make things more difficult for us.
2007-01-13 07:35:53 · answer #5 · answered by Kathy A 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think there is WAY more symbolic things in the bible than literal...Christ himself always taught in parables.
I think the 'serpent' is just a symbol, I do not think there was an actual talking snake telling Eve what to do.
In a way, it doesn't matter if it was symbolic or literal, I think using symbols is just easier than trying to explain...it's just using a comparison.
Don't worry too much.
2007-01-13 08:12:32 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i imagine you're speaking about Lilith. not Lillian. She is a delusion. Adam and Eve were created suitable bodily. They were created to stay continuously. Their little ones did marry one yet another. Adam and Eve had fifty six little ones. on account that they were suitable they did not pass on any genetic abnormalities. 2500 years after the flood human beings had had a good commence in populating the earth. God then gave the regulation that they could not marry close kinfolk individuals any more. on account that God is the author of each thing, in effortless words he has the right to elect what's incest and what's not.
2016-11-23 16:16:23 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's symbolic.
http://slydog1960.tripod.com/GEN3.html
It's important to know what the original Hebrew was talking about in the scriptures, which is why a Strong's Bible Concordance is invaluable for bible study.
And yes, it indeed does matter very much to know what exactly happened in the Garden of Eden that caused Man's fall.
Fairy tales of eating a "bad apple" (although as one gets more into God's word, that is something of an apt description), and speech capable snakes is not the right way to go about trying to understand God's word.
2007-01-13 08:41:41 · answer #8 · answered by Try To T 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Serpent was just a title of satan..one of many titles
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2007-01-13 07:25:40 · answer #9 · answered by Royal Racer Hell=Grave © 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it's a parable, myself. After all, parables are sort of the Lord's m.o., when He's trying to get an important point across.
Still, I don't think anyone knows for sure. It may seem like a dodge to you, but, quite honestly...does it truly matter??
2007-01-13 07:41:08 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Read the Words of Lord Enki (written in Sumerian some 6000 years ago) and you'll find out the truth.
2007-01-13 07:25:43 · answer #11 · answered by Love_my_Cornish_Knight❤️ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋