2007-09-16 13:43:30 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The bits that go against morality or common sense or astronomy, biology, geography, history and the bits that contradict the OTHER bits were meant as parables. The rest are literal.
Silly! Do you need a new decoder ring?
2007-09-16 13:48:20 · answer #1 · answered by Laptop Jesus 3.9 7 · 5⤊ 3⤋
The doctrine, history and ethics are taken literally, parables are stories Jesus told to make a spiritual point. He explained the meaning behind His parables to His apostles afterwards.
Mat 13:10 And coming near, the disciples said to Him, Why do You speak to them in parables?
Mat 13:11 And answering, He said to them, Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but it has not been given to those.
Mat 13:12 For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have overabundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
Mat 13:13 Because of this, I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
Mat 13:14 And the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled on them, which says, "In hearing you will hear and in no way understand, and seeing you will see yet in no way perceive.
2007-09-16 20:56:43 · answer #2 · answered by BrotherMichael 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you can understand it, it's literal. If you can't understand it, it's a parable.
Or maybe this: if it contradicts other parts of the bible, it's a parable (so the meaning can be "interpreted" to mean something else). If it doesn't, it's literal.
2007-09-16 20:49:20 · answer #3 · answered by squidboy1976 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I think that a person should research as much as they can. Because, if you do like I have, you will find many different opions but i have found that if keep looking many of the links lead to the same place, do not let those that do not want you to question the bible get in the way.
2007-09-16 20:50:23 · answer #4 · answered by lilbit 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The Bible is all good Jesus word,s are very important,so is God,s word,Literal is telling,parable is describing.
2007-09-16 20:50:24 · answer #5 · answered by elaine 30705 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The criteria employed by modern science. I read up on current academic opinions based on textual and redaction criticism, paleography, archaelogy, etc. That and I look at parallels in other examples of ancient literature and see whether or not that was taken literally.
2007-09-16 20:47:42 · answer #6 · answered by NONAME 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Literal? You mean like how God loves the smell of burning flesh? Or like how He causes earthquakes by shaking the pillars of the flat earth? Or how He rides cherubs and flies on the wind? Or how He "moons" Moses?
Why, of course I take it literally. Who wouldn't? The whole Bible is to be taken literally. Sheesh.
2007-09-16 20:58:29 · answer #7 · answered by bandycat5 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It ALL gets interpreted. The question is at what level are you able to interpret it and draw truth out of it. (It's not limited to literal and figurative either. Some rabbis and church fathers have maintained that scripture has 3, 4, even 7 senses in which any given text should be interpreted).
Peace to you.
2007-09-16 20:50:06 · answer #8 · answered by Orpheus Rising 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Determine what type of literature the part of the Bible is. Is the style literal or figuerative?
2007-09-16 20:47:49 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Common sense!
2007-09-16 20:48:52 · answer #10 · answered by George 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋