"Christians, how do you interpret the bible, literally, or allegorically? and what sect do you belong to?

Question

just wondering which use their own reasoning to understand and which believe it word for word.

Answer 1

I believe it is an allegory, like "Pilgrim's Progress", but I am not an Orthodox Christian, but rather a Metaphysician. Technically, I am a member of the Church of Christ sect at this time, and they are pretty much literalist, except for the Book of Revelations. I guess that is a paradox, or maybe just hypocrisy. But anyways, that is where I am at.

All of the Fundamentalists take the Bible as absolutely literal - six 24 hour days of creation, worldwide flood, everyone descended from just two people, virgin birth, walking on water, water into wine, etc.

Answer 2

Literally, except those parts which the Bible identifies as metaphor or simile.
Allegory I think is only used by the Catholic church, maybe Anglicans?
Ones particular theological persuasion will determine how some passages are interpreted. But, most will come out the same to any honest Bible reader. There is "Covenant Theology and Dispensational Theology", maybe more. One thing for sure-its all deep stuff. Too deep for me.
I am kind of a dispensationalist. I believe that God treats people differently in different era's or dispensations or times. I believe He treats the Jews differently than anyone else. I believe in the rapture of the church and severe tribulation on this earth for the Jews and unbelievers. I believe the Bible is the inerrant, inspired, infallible Word of the living God.
I am a Missionary Baptist in a Southern city.

Answer 3

Some parts of it were meant to be interpreted allegorically, and some literally. It has to be read and understood within the context that it was written. It is a complex document, written by the hand of humans, but divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit.

We do not use our own reasoning to understand it -

see 2 Peter 1:20-21 -

"Yet first you must understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of any personal or private or special interpretation (loosening, solving)."

"For no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it to do so--it never came by human impulse, but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled) by the Holy Spirit."

Answer 4

The bible needs to be interpreted first and formost as it is written. What does it say?

However what each passage says must be taken in the context of the whole book. If not it can lead to erroneous doctrine. This is the main problem of many christians and definatly most atheist who pull passages out to establish false doctrine or to try and club christians with passages taken out of context or the whole.

Secondly it must be taken in historical context with a understanding of the culture of the times. Without a clear understanding of Hebraic thought and or Jewish thought often times you will have no idea of what a passage says or will twist it to you own destruction.

Thirdly it must be taken in the context of the paragraph or section of scripture the passage comes from. One can pull a passage out of say a chapter and say it means that you can keep any day of the week as a day of worship and yet ignore the fact that the whole section is talking of eating and that passage is in the middle of a discussion on eating and because they have no historical context fail to realize that on what day you fast was of extreme importance to the Jewish community especially the pharisees and that people were judging each other over with day to fast and Paul was saying no, don't do that.

Fourth is the context of what does the passage actually says.

Until you understand the literal meaning, one should not even attempt to seek out the deeper meanings God has buried in his word. There are three levels of deeper meaning but if you don't have the basics down first your going to get yourself in trouble.

Most christians never master the first level of understanding. How can they when they dismiss the old testiment as non relevent even though every place the new testiment that talks about the scriptures its referring to the old testiment because the new did not yet exist.

Hebraic roots of the Christian faith believer in Yahshua.
Non denominatial

Answer 5

Why do Evangelical Christians interpret the Bible so actually? Answer: The Holy Bible says what it supposed and supposed what it stated. two Peter one million:20 Knowing this primary, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any individual interpretation. The "individual interpretation" is commanding us no longer to check out to interpret however take actually phrase for phrase. Only the Holy Ghost can lead a person to have an understanding of the Truth of the Holy Scriptures. I'm in poor health of radicals determining what constitutes righteousness, after which seeking to inflict their reviews upon the relaxation of society for the reason that they're ignorant ample to consider that they're serving to us with their scare systems. Answer: Romans one million:22 Professing themselves to be intelligent, they grew to become fools, Romans one million:21-23 (King James Version) 21Because that, once they knew God, they glorified him no longer as God, neither have been grateful; however grew to become useless of their imaginations, and their silly middle used to be darkened. 22Professing themselves to be intelligent, they grew to become fools, 23And transformed the respect of the uncorruptible God into an photo made similar to to corruptible guy, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping matters.

Answer 6

All Christians, regardless of their sect or denomination, interpret the bible literally or allegorically depending on which suits them better at the moment.

Answer 7

When I was a protestant (charismatic, fundamentalist) I took it literally. If you take the bible as an allegory, then you can reinterpret it to mean all sorts of things that it "probably" was never meant to.

Now I take it as a interesting semi-historical book with some good advice.

Answer 8

Not all of it is meant to be taken literally, some of it is.
I am not a fundamentalist by technical definition but I would probably be considered such by most people.

I am part of the Presbyterian Church in America.

Answer 9

Interpreted according to the meaning meant by the author. Works for me.

Answer 10

I consider myself a Christian, but I don't interpret the Bible, it is only of minimal value
Jesus told His followers to visit people in their homes and minister to those who were in need, and if they were not welcomed in a home, they were to leave and go to the next home, etc, with nothing but the clothes on their back...
NO bibles in hand
Jesus did not tell His followers to worship Him, He told them to worship God, their Father, and His Father, in Heaven
(Jesus taught us to address God as "Abba", which is the equivalent to "Daddy" or "Papa")
Jesus never told a single person to build a single church
nor did He tell anyone to write anything down and make people read it
so, yes, I am a Christian, but not the kind you think of when you hear the term