Why does the Bible have to be interpreted literally? Which Bible?

Question

Christians, why is it important to you (if it is) that you interpret the Bible literally? This may seem like an odd question but think about it. Different sects of Christians can quote different words when reading the same passage, because no one is reading the original translation. If you can read Hebrew and Greek that's great, but for everyone else, how can you claim to understand the literal meaning of the text if you can't read it?

This isn't meant to be a jab at Christianity. I don't see why Christians can't take the spirit of the words instead of arguing over literal meaning. Does God only speak in literal truth? Is there no value in symbol and story? It doesn't seem like it takes anymore of a leap of faith than belief itself. And if you don't read the original language, how can you tell another Christian his meaning is wrong?

I could apply this to Muslims and the Qur'an as well but they seem to be reading Arabic more often.

To the "apparent" argument: How do you know what's apparent when you don't know what you're reading? What if you're taking something literally from a literal passage and someone else's translation literally reads something else?

Let me clarify. Suppose you're looking at a Gospel or some other literal (as opposed to prose) work. You quote a passage using English words. Someone else quotes the same passage using different words. The meaning in each is slightly different.

So how do you take your passage literally? Why not the other guys' passage literally? Believing Jesus was ressurected would be the spirit behind the text. Arguing points with another Christian would be a more literal interpretation of your own text. So why is literal important?

Answer 1

I agree with Drake.

I would add that the only way to interpret is through the guidance of God’s Spirit.

And I have a theory about this.

God’s Spirit uses scripture to guide each one of us who seek understanding. The guidance is for each of us in our individual life. But sometimes we are so overwhelmed with what we have been shown that we want to impose this view on everybody else. Just as there are a thousand different ways to ask the same question, the Spirit is always guiding us toward individual understanding for our individual life.

The sure test for any Christian is simply this: Is my understanding in harmony with the teachings of Christ?

For example, if you believe that the Spirit is using a verse to justify treating a group of people badly or killing people, you better take a second look at the teachings of Christ. If your interpretation is outside of the central teaching, Love your God and love your neighbor as yourself, then you have misunderstood.

Answer 2

I basically take the Bible as literal. It is obvious when you are reading a parable that a parable isn't literal, etc. So I do use some common sense with that. But when the Bible says God sent a flood, I believe that means a huge body of water and that "flood" doesn't mean something else. It's when you try to be symbolic that people could all come up with their own ideas. If you are discussing scripture with someone then you should both be using the same translations so you are discussing just the scripture and not the differences in translations. Personally, I hear a lot of people say that the King James Bible has a lot of errors, but have yet to see any proof. As a matter of fact it is the best version to use as it comes from the earliest manuscripts. NIV and so forth are not actually copied as the KJV was, but are changed into "today's language" and that could lose a lot.

Isn't that funny, some of the same people who don't believe in God because there's no proof of Him want me to disbelieve in the Bible without proof that it's wrong! :-)

Answer 3

Most serious Bible readers (who can not read Greek/Hebrew) use several translations, and also dictionaries and concordances. They can get to the original intent.
Unfortunately with any document (including the Bible) some meaning is lost in translation to other languages. A passage can lose emphasis and flavor easily. This is why the Bible should be studied "systematically". The reader must understand what type of literature he is reading. If he is reading a 'parable' then he should know that it is a "made up story" designed to make a point or to teach a certain truth. If he is reading a historical narrative, then he must understand that the passage is meant to be taken as a true historical event.
Now, the Bible has only one ( 1 ) correct interpretation. There is no room for error here-none at all. The application of that interpretation can fit many things.

Answer 4

There is not anything wrong with the King James Version. It was translated out of the original tongues and with previous translations diligently compared and revised.

It has to be taken literal. Like an answer I just seen you can't spirituals the flood. What happened was real and truth. It was written where we could understand.

Now like the Book of Revelation it is spiritual. But the most part of the scripture is literal.

The spirit of the words is what the words says. They are Gods words. If everybody tried to spiritualize them it would just come out wrong.

This is a tough question to answer because some of the Bible is spiritual some is literal. To know the difference you have to be led by the Holy Ghost.

You saying I don't see why Christians can't take the spirit of the words instead of arguing over the literal meaning. I not trying to be rude but you seem a little confused about the Bible.

Answer 5

Actually the bible is a layered book. The first layer is and the first thing we need to understand is What does it literally say.

That is not to say their isn't allegory in the bible but the allegories are always spelled out as such in the text.

It is when you have a basic understanding of the scripture that you should start delving into the Greek Hebrew and Aramaic (some of it is written in Aramaic). You can find deeper meanings hidden meaning allegorical metaphorical etc. This is where so many people slip up and begin to interpret the bible incorrectly. They do not understand the basics first and so when they try to look at the deeper meaning they apply false values to them that do not match what the scripture literally says. All interpretations and deeper meanings need to agree with the basics or it is not true.

It is then when you've mastered the deeper meanings that you can go even deeper. This is why we keep reading our bibles over and over each time we read through we gain more understanding and more is revealed to us.

Pr 25:2 - It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

Answer 6

Great question...one I wonder about myself all the time.

As far as translations go, I would imagine that the none of the translations from the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts that the creation of so many sects would be justifiable. As strange as the wording seems to be from some translations to the next, there isn't a great deal of variety between one translation in the next with respect to meaning.

I believe that most of the trouble with interpretation lies in the inability to understand that the Bible is a document like any other in nature. The information contained in it isn't completely free of historical or cultural context. This can be seen throughout the Bible, particularly in the New Testament, where more interpretation is required.

-- Why was Jesus baptized? The church today recognizes baptism as an outward sign of the inward acceptance of Christ, beginning a new life by being "born again." But Jesus' baptism wasn't about becoming a Christian; it was a matter of fulfilling the law of being baptized before performing ministry (Matthew 3:15, NIV). How does that justify that all Christians must be "baptized into the faith"?

-- Why weren't women allowed to speak in church? In 1 Corinthians 14, women were told to be silent in church. But why? Not just because they're women. The history of the church at Corinth showed that the church in general wasn't a mature one: Paul even calls them "spiritual babes" in the beginning of 1 Corinthians. Women were misbehaving in the church at Corinth, and in order for them to begin behaving correctly, Paul gives them a simple directive: keep silent. So should women be preaching, teaching, and leading today? Absolutely! God can use both men and women, and the genealogy of Jesus is good proof of that.

These are a couple examples of how not paying attention to history and culture can really throw off the meaning of the Bible. I think it has contributed to most of the segregation we see in churches today.

Answer 7

Adamantly each. Obviously we aren't salt. Or no less than, I do not suppose so...?(hmmm, mayhaps study must be performed at the field- lol) But there have been parables and different types of metaphors. I suppose that a few of the new testomony is literal. At least, say, the letters from Paul to the churchs, however Revelations and the parables can also be interpreted in a huge kind. I suppose the resolution to take it as literal or metaphorical is situated man or woman-to-man or woman. I've recognized a few men and women who idea the whole historic testomony was once parables, however I don't suppose that... Reflectively, I suppose this is a topic of your intellectual belief and your status with God as to the way you interpret literal verses metaphorical. Hope this helped?

Answer 8

I agree there are many reasons we should be cautious about interpreting the Bible literally. Besides translation errors, the culture of the prophets who wrote the books in the Bible valued the use of symbolism. As you say, there should be more emphasis on the spirit of the words without the contention.

It's easy to misunderstand even modern writers today. The only way to completely avoid misunderstanding the written word is to be in the mind of the writer. My point is even reading in the original doesn't eliminate differences in interpretation.

Fortunately there are some great helps available in understanding the truths of the Bible. One is another book of scripture called the Book of Mormon, which is a record of God's dealings with a different group of people. It's teachings help clarify many Biblical passages that have caused confusion and is a 2nd testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ, and the importance of His mission.

In addition, prayer and having access to the teachings of living prophets of God help a great deal.

Answer 9

With all due respect to Drake, when people say, "Most Christian scholars . . . " what they mean is the scholars that they happen to agree with.

The Bible is the original manuscripts.

What we use most often today are translations. Some translations are better than others.

Most modern translations are pretty good. The one major exception to that is the New World Translation, which was translated by five uneducated members of the Jehovah's Witnesses. They put the weird teachings of the JW's right into the text, often altering it from the original.

The Bible is intended to be taken as literally true, word for word.

There are times when a literal reading tells you, this passage here is a parable or a metaphor.

The biggest problem people have understanding the bible is when they view things God intended to be taken literally as a metaphor or as figurative language, or they take figurative language as something literal.

God tell us by the context which is which.

You can't tell the context by reading the Bible one verse at a time. You need to read the whole chapter at least and often the chapter before and after and occasionlly the entire book to understand the context.

Sometimes you need training in the customs which existed in Biblical times.

The rules for figuring out the context of what is written in the Bible are exactly the same for figuring out the context of an article you read in your daily newspaper.

See the links befow for names of lots of translation in lots of different languages.

Pastor Art

PS to correct something summer said:

One of the big debates is choosing which Greek and Hebrew manuscripts to use when making a new translation. One reason why modern translations, done in last 50 years, are better than older translations is that they are based on manuscripts which are much older than say the ones available to the KJV translating team.

NIV and NASB and ESV are based on manuscripts which are at least 1,000 years older than the manuscripts available to the translators of the KJV.

Answer 10

It's quite difficult to understand all of the symbols and historical contexts in order to understand what the author was trying to say. Literal translation is more straightforward and they think they can't go wrong that way. However, If they were to take the above mentioned factors into account they would find the true meaning of the bible conflicting with what they believe. I think, therefore, there is a bit of denial involved. Its unfortunate. When you think about it, there can only be one truth, as truth is not subjective. Consequently, Jesus would have intended to only have one church (unified). Because of erroneous translation we now have thousands of different churches.