Do you take the Bible literally?

Question

Honest question for Christians say the bible is meant to be completely literal: What do you think of these commandments from Jesus?

Matthew:5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30.And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Luke 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."


Do you think we should literally gouge out our eyes if we see a sexy person with them? Should we really sell everything we have? If so, why do none of the literalists I've ever met or heard of do these things? Shouldn't we have a bunch of Christians with empty eye cavaties wandering the streets homeless and possesionless?

The reason I ask is that literalists say the bible is all literal, that's why they believe the Earth was really created in 6 days. If you are someone who takes some as metaphor you aren't one of those people.

Answer 1

Literalists are insane and illogical. The Bible is one big metaphor and packed with symbolism. A Day in the Bible is hardly Ever a 24 hour day.

Answer 2

I was covering this with a friend just today. I was reading a book in my son's school called "Noah and the Flood"... it was in the Core Knowledge section of the class library because they covered a section on World Religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam in February.

Anyway, this book told the story of Noah, which I know pretty well from teaching it in Sunday School and VBS many moons ago. Here is what this book said, some of which I don't remember from my days of bible-reading:

* Noah is over 600 years old, as many are in the Old Testament... were they really? Hmmm... I know there are differences in calendars used then and now (or it's just plain made up), but honestly, we present the bible as fact to kids and they read this??

* Noah lived in the land of giants... yes, actual giants.

* Noah was the only pious man on the face of the Earth in God's eyes. Out of the thousands of people on the planet, Noah was the only one who was behaving?

* When Noah told God he didn't know how to build an ark, the ark BUILT ITSELF. And the author used illustrations of the hammer hammering a nail and a saw sawing a board while Noah and his family looked on, amazed.

* God told Noah to gather up a male and a female of every clean animal for the ark, Noah asked God how he could do that... and voila, animals started appearing, even many animals that Noah had never seen before. Um... if God was going to bring all the animals TO him, why did he task Noah with gathering them?

* Two big animals that couldn't fit in the ark (I forget the name of them) were kept on the roof and Noah fed them through a hole in the roof.

* An angel gave the dove the olive branch as a good will token from God that Noah could now find land.

* The rainbow is a symbol of God's promise that he wouldn't ever punish man again... with a flood, anyway.

Some of these things I'd heard before... but most of them, I hadn't. The author of the book states that the book is written for children directly from the bible. Anyone have a bible with these details?

This is only one story... and there is so little of it that can be taken literally. And yet, believers will state this is fact and yet, they don't believe in magic or the non-religious supernatural?

Answer 3

The Bible is the Word of God. It is written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It contains the writings of the Prophets, the Psalmist, the Evangelists, the Apostles. And they wrote these books that make up the Bible as they are directed by the Holy Spirit. When we read the Bible we have to consider the time and culture of the people at the time it was written. That's why there is the necessity to know its Exegesis (critical explanation or analysis; especially, exposition of the Scriptures).

When we read the Bible or Scriptures, we also ought to pray first for enlightenment from the Holy Spirit - so that we will understand the Word of God rightly and apply it practically in our lives. It is not to be taken literally. For Example in Lk 18:22 /Mk 10:21ff/Mt 19: 16 - Jesus was challenging the rich young man that in order to follow Him (disciples or christians), he has to practice poverty, not to the point of living an empoverished life (miserable life), but to be detached from his riches. There are many ways of detaching oneself from ones riches: he can share it to the poor, the less fortunate, donate to charitable org. Money is good in the sense that it enhances our better living but we should not centre our lives in money alone ...that it becomes our possession! The same thing with 'if my hand causes me to sin...to cut it off'. I rather reflect prayerfully what it really means to me. Perhaps it is my constant visit to somebody, whom I visit in the guise of charity that causes me to sin! In such a case, I have to cut off that relationship or 'charity visit' if it causes me to sin. Dear friend, this answer can't be exhausted here. Wishing you well in your Bible reading!

Answer 4

First, the bible is a spiritual book and spiritual things are spiritually discerned. If you read it to criticize, there is plenty to criticize. Eve sinned, Adam follows her, Noah got drunk, Abraham lied, Moses killed a man, David killed a man and stole his wife. Solomon has many wives, James and John were violent, Peter was a racist, and Paul murdered Christians. At least the Bible is honest....guess what? Jesus died for them all to save them and us and you!

Second, the Bible is to be taken literal unless a figure, symbol, or parable is in use. Symbols are often used to impress upon the mind the truth of something.

What does an eye do? It sees. If the things you see causes you to sin then stop looking at it.

What does a foot do? It allows you to walk so you can go places. If the places you go (bars, nightclubs, etc) cause you to sin then stop going there.

Get it? Its better to stop looking at something or going somewhere than to lose your soul over it.What is the value of your eye to you? Im sure its priceless.. Just like your hand or foot...so of course your entire body is priceless and of course your entire being is of infinite value.

If you need help, pray for guidance and God will manifest himself if you truly desire to learn what the truth is in his Word.

Answer 5

I do not know one Christian who is a student of scripture and reads and studies the word of God that takes the entire bible literally. God communicates in many ways through His word. Much is literal, yes. Some is symbolism, some is parable, some is hyperbole (exaggeration to underscore a point, such as the cutting off your hand/gouging out your eye verse you quoted), etc. I heard a good "rule of thumb" for biblical interpretation once, "if the most logical sense makes sense, seek no other sense". It doesn't make sense for people to actually cut off their hands if they sin...therefore we need to see that particular example as hyperbole...exaggeration.

The things of God...the bible tells us....can be discerned only by those with the spirit of God. And that....is literal.

Answer 6

i am not strictly literalist when it comes to interpreting the Bible. but...

luke 18:22 is to be taken literally. i've done it, in direction of the Lord.
and God blessed me back with a job that i really needed at that time.

you have your ideas because you dont know other scriptures that promise return rewards of likewise blessings to the believer.

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as for matthew 5:29 Jesus didnt intend it literally at that time. but strickly a [imo] i think its possible that some in future might see the value of doing without a hand in life when doing that means denouncing something they first agreed to that required a stamp of ownership on them that could not be gotten rid of any other way when at some point they changed their mind. see revelation: the mark of the beast.
...

Answer 7

Many things in bible we have to ask God to help us out than to understand it as per our understanding. Thats y Jesus said He will send Holy Spirit to help us in every way. I received Him after contantly asking God for many years and He is the true treasure I have.
The first verses u quoted from Math 5:29 really means that sin is so bad that it is really worth cutting away the part that sins because the torment and punishment in hell which be far worse. It is difficult to know the agony in hell, but it is really bad than cutting away the sin and living a life that pleases God.
And the next one Luke 18:22 - When the Lord calls, we will leave everything and follow Him, cause of our love for Him. And so once you start loving the Lord, your relationship will grow and then u cannot say "no" to God. eg. disciples of Jesus.

I know that though Jesus teachings are simple to understand, there is so much expected from our side, cause God is so Holy, He wants us pure. And it is very difficult for us, so I always ask for Him to help me out. I am kind of lazy person. Though I know about God, I need Him to take me out of all my laziness. I am asking Him to help me out and He surely will :)

Answer 8

Whew....you've got to be kidding me. Splitting hairs, are you?

You can take Christs examples as He presented them, and apply the principals He was teaching.

Matthew 5:29- He's giving examples of how sin separates us
from the Father. And He uses an extreme example of how much less the loss of limbs would be, than the cost of being cast into hell for eternity.

Luke 18:22- Christ speaks of those who place wealth and personal gain over belief in Him. He tells them to place Him above all earthly possessions, and the reward will be eternal.

It doesn't take much intelligence to figure out what Christ is saying. I think you're trying way too hard to be argumentative. The scriptures are quite clear as to the meaning.

Answer 9

Fundamentalists--like all other Christians "pick & choose" the verses that match their agenda--& disregard the rest--No Christian in recorded history has plucked their eye out rather than perv on some hot chick--Listen--they refuse to obey Christ on giving up seeing sin in others--which involves no physical pain or hardship--so why should they obey him on something that would actually hurt them.?

Answer 10

The Bible is actually 66 books of various genres. You need to know what you are reading before you know how to interpret it. It isn't difficult, but you can no more blindly stab at it than you can a random book in the library.