Christians. Is everything in the bible meant to be taken literally?

Question

Don't just answer "yes" or "no". Explain your postition.

Saphire 4 - in other versions it says "insects" in that verse but says "winged creatures" instead of "fowl". Could that be referring to creatures that lived then but may no longer be in existence today rather than fowl or birds as we know them today?

Answer 1

Of course not. Jesus gave the following illustration that is NOT to be taken literally.

How can an individual avoid committing adultery? Using illustrative language, Jesus stated: “If, now, that right eye of yours is making you stumble, tear it out and throw it away from you. For it is more beneficial to you for one of your members to be lost to you than for your whole body to be pitched into Gehenna.” Also, if your right hand is making you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you. For it is more beneficial for one of your members to be lost to you than for your whole body to land in Gehenna.”—Matt. 5:29, 30.

The Scriptures describe a righteous course of action as ‘walking with God.’ (Gen. 5:22; 6:9) What if the “right eye” (here representing one’s power of visual concentration) or the “right hand” (meaning what one does, as with one’s hands) were to cause a person to “stumble,” that is, to fall from the path of obedience to God? In such a case, one must take action similar to tearing the eye out or cutting off the hand. How so?

Since the eye is an important channel of communication to the mind, strongly influencing emotions and actions, a person must restrain his eyes from concentrating on improper sights. (Prov. 4:25; Luke 11:34) Job expressed the proper viewpoint when he stated: “A covenant I have concluded with my eyes. So how could I show myself attentive to a virgin?”—Job 31:1.

Similarly, there is need to beware that what one does with the hands or other body members does not violate Biblical standards of morality. In this regard, the apostle Paul writes: “Deaden, therefore, your body members that are upon the earth as respects fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite, hurtful desire, and covetousness.”—Col. 3:5.

It is common for people to be willing to lose a limb literally in order to preserve their lives. Even more vital, according to Jesus, is the figurative ‘throwing away’ of eyes and hands so as to avoid immoral thinking and actions, for only in this way can persons escape the eternal destruction symbolized by the fiery Gehenna, “the rubbish-heap” near Jerusalem that burned day and night to consume its foul contents.—Matt. 5:29, 30, J. B. Phillips.

In the books of Daniel and Revelation, there are accounts of monsters with many heads and horns. These are not literal monsters. They picture animalistic governments. For instance, at Dan. 7:4-8, Daniel the prophet was given a vision of 4 frightful beasts. Later in the same chapter, at verse 17, he was told that those beasts represented governments. Revelation also talks about beastlike rulerships.

So, not everything is to be taken literally in the Bible. The context dictates whether something is to be taken literally or not.

Answer 2

Do you take the following verses literally?

1) According to the Bible, Book of Genesis,

chapter 1, verses 11-13,

Vegetation was created on the third day along with seed-bearing grasses, plants and trees; and further on as per verses 14-19, the sun was created on the fourth day. How is it scientifically possible for the vegetation to have appeared without the presence of the sun, as it has been stated in the Bible?

It also says light is created on the first day where as the source of light 'The Sun' is created on the fourth day. How is this scientifically possible?

If Bible is the word of Divine God He should not make mistakes while describing evolution. So I guess it means literally.


2)Measurement problem in the Bible according to
Kings 7:23 "He made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about." Circumference = Pi() x Diameter, which means the line would have to have been over 31 cubits. In order for this to be rounding, it would have had to overstate the amount to ensure that the line did "compass it round about." So literally the value of pi is 3.

3) The Bible suggests the Earth is flat according to Matt 4:8: " Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them." Unless the world is flat, altitude simply will not help you see all the kingdoms of the earth. So literally the earth is flat.

4) According to Bible Fowl has four legs.

Lev 11:20-21: "All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you." Fowl do not go upon all four.

So you say literally the fowl has four legs.

Answer 3

Well, the answer is both yes and no, to tell the truth, but this is only my opinion. Christians are varied in their beliefs.

Most of us agree that except the parts of the Bible which employ literary devices (parables, metaphors, figurative speech, et cetera), the entire thing should be taken literally.

What we disagree on is Genesis. I don't believe Genesis is all literal. For example, I believe that God formed Adam (and ALL life) from matter, not dirt. I also believe that the "rib" that Eve was formed from was actually DNA. I don't believe that the Earth was created in six days, but that it might have been over thousands of years. Perhaps when God handed down the words to Moses He put it into terms that the people then could understand.

Usually if a person has discernment granted to them by the Holy Spirit they can figure out which parts of the Bible can be taken literally, and which cannot.

What it all boils down to, really, is faith. Some of the events in the Bible (Balaam and his donkey, Noah's ark, the parting of the Red Sea, et cetera) seem almost impossible. Honestly, I'm a Christian, yet I'm not sure if those things actually happened or not. In all truth, there is not evidence to prove one way or another.

However, to accept that there is a God means to accept that if He has anything to do with humans at all, that miracles CAN be performed.

Honestly, I don't think we'll EVER know whether that stuff ever happened or not until we die. If it was all a "fairy tale," as so many atheists like to say, then we'll die and that's it. If we're right, then God will reveal everything when we get to heaven. I'm more inclined to believe in the latter, because God has proven Himself to me.

I hope this answers your question, even if I did go off on a bit of a tangent.

Answer 4

The Bible is true in the sense claimed. If by literal you mean 'in the sense of the literature' as a speaker probably intended and as listeners probably would take it... then yes

there are different styles of writing. A proverb is something that is generally true... a truism. A parable is a story with a point. Some laws are case laws meant to show by example but don't cover all possibilities one has to consider the cases shown...

there are also prose, poetry and apocalytic literature... The Bible is true but in the intended and claimed sense

One clue is how Jesus looked at it.. and Jesus, Moses and apostles would believe in Adam and Eve, Jonah, Noah, Balaam, Lot's wife turning to salt, Sodom being burnt... erc... so they would take the scriptures historically and on face value but one need to be careful to consider a passage in the sense claimed.

Answer 5

Literally or spiritually. Paul said the Old Testament is to be used for our examples, and there is Torah teaching in the parables Yahshua taught. He taught Torah as well as the prophets and the whole of the Old testament. All the apostles taught the spirit of the Law. It was never 'done away with'.
Mal 3:6 For I the LORD change not; therefore ye, O sons of Jacob(Israel), are not consumed.

Answer 6

No of course not! Jesus spoke in parables take the mustard seed for example:

He said therefore, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches."

That doesn't mean we are all going to end up covered in bird poop in a tree that smells of Coleman's. I believe that Jesus spoke in parables because He wanted people to THINK, and I think that the rest of the Bible is like that too. It is a book which is a tool for the Holy Spirit, so that sometimes one passage will speak more clearly to you than another because it has a message that is relevant to your current situation.

Answer 7

some phrases are too figurative to be taken literally.... but other figurative passages provide descriptive images to help explain a parable, proverbs, or prophetic passages

many phrases are Jewish tradition and idioms

which the english language also has... people hear them, pick up on what they mean and apply them to their lives

understanding english figurative speech helps to understand the usage in the Bible of Jewish figurative speech and how they can be literally applied

for instance, "if your eye offends you, cut it out"

that scripture is not calling for someone to poke their eye out..... but in the english language..... when something someone is doing is detrimental to them.... we say that they should "cut it out".
we mean of course that they should quit what they are doing.
.

Answer 8

No. You need to determine what type of literature you are reading. For example, Ezekiel and Revelation contain figurative language.

Answer 9

Bible is true book from God and about stories of his prophets. Now we do not find it in its original shape. Because it was destroyed by the cruel kings many times. And it was written by scholrs again. but one thing you must be sure that the message of the prophets is very clear. And for leaned men there are secrets also.

Answer 10

Yes,it is literal,however you need discernment and understanding of The Word.