The Bible Stories- Do you believe them?

Question

If you are religious and believe in the bible do you believe that this happened literaly?,

1. Jonah was swallowed by a giant fish and lived in his stomach for 3 days?
2. Angels watched the women of earth and came down and had sex with them that created giants?

Just wondering. I have heard it is all true, end of discussion but I have also heard they are teaching stories, not to be taken literal. But how do you know then? There are many stories and lessons in the Bible, who decides when it is a teaching tale or truth?

Genesis 6
1When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with [a] man forever, for he is mortal [b] ; his days will be a hundred and twenty years."
4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.

There has been much speculation about who these "sons of God" mentioned in the sixth chapter of Genesis were. Three basic interpretations of this passage have been advanced.

The first, and oldest, belief is that "the sons of God" were fallen angels who consorted with human women, producing giant offspring called nephilim. This view was widely held in the Judaic world of the first century, and was supported by many of the "Ante-Nicene Fathers," including Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Irenaeus, and Eusebius.

Answer 1

I believe every thing in the Bible from front to back. I believe the whole Bible is a teaching tool. But I also believe the stories did happen and were true, all of them. Even the one where they threw the three in the fire for not worshiping a pagan god.

Answer 2

1. could be allegory, or could be literal. i'm not sure. whatever the case, it serves its purpose. it's prophetic. just bare in mind that noone usually bothers to write about everyday, run of the mill events too much, and when they do, those writings aren't preserved in the way that the bible has been.

2. that's literal, though there are marginal translations for the word ''giant,'' including ''heroes of old.'' these particular angels are referred to as nephilim- sons of God- but they're the created sons of God, and not the only begotten Son. and to whoever it was that was asking about this giant business, it's in the book of genesis. i can't remember the verse and chapter though. there's really not much information given. i'm not sure what the purpose of that is either, but i'm almost sure i'm missing something.

as far as what should be taken literally and what should not, i don't think we'll ever completely know the answer to that. there are so many things in there... the ''serpent'' in the garden of eden wasn't actually a talking snake... the hebrew word there is a metaphor meaning ''being of light'' or ''wizard,'' so when so many people make fun of that part of the story of adam and eve, i just kinda keep quiet and giggle to myself. it's all useful in some way or another. it can all be preached on to prove some kind of point. but yes, deciding what is literal and what is figurative can be an exceedingly difficult task.

Answer 3

Why not ask if the stories about Zeus are true? The Greeks had this same argument over their myths. No one wonders if they could be true. Why not?
The Lord Of the Rings is a mythology based upon the stories you go on to mention in your details. Tolkien was very interested in developing and shaping the "English" mythology which was based upon Bible stories like the ones you mention.

Answer 4

There are also many rabbincal speculations that much of what is written in the Tanakh (or the OT) has yet to take place. They have noticed that the concept of 'time' in the Scriptures is relative, and apparently reversed..ie: What is written in the past tense had yet to occur, and what was written in the preterite tense had apparently already happened. That being the case, God seems to have left Himself much leeway in fulfilling prophecies written long ago.
I have noted, with amusement, that God seems to have a large sense of humor...and a great desire for mercy on His creations!
This should make for some modern surprises, to be sure...but only if we can recognize them for what they are!

Answer 5

yup. I believe it all. swallowed by a fish and vomited up onto sand. Where do you think Goliath came from, he was 9 ft. tall!

Though I wouldn't call my self religious, I'm a believer. I personally take some of the numbers in the old testament with a grain of salt ( I don't read for number generally) because they seem pretty big. but the stories are the word of God.

Answer 6

Since the events in these stories happened through modern and advanced acts of science by the God Yahweh, modern science will over time prove these stories happened just the way the God Yahweh records them in ancient scripture.

Answer 7

God said that He is TRUTH. Jesus referred to the story of Jonah.
If God can part a sea, let many thousands of Israelites walk through it, then close the sea and kill Pharoah and his many chariot soldiers, then God can handle every story in the Bible.

Peter went down to the sea, caught a fish, took enough money out of the mouth of the fish to pay taxes. Jesus told him to go down to the sea and catch that fish.

God literally created everything that you know in 6 days. Yes,
I believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible because God cannot be limited in doing good.

Answer 8

The Joanh one I believed happened, the second one isn't true. Look up around the Bible or go here: http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/ Put in something like EX: Jonah fish into the box & a few results will come up in the Bible. Try it!

Answer 9

The Bible is someone's interpretation. There are lessons to be learned.( It was written before electricity, and when people still thought the world was flat. ) We read it in English...and it was not compiled by Englishmen. People back then were "learning" .....A burning bush may very well have been the result of lightning. etc... etc....

Answer 10

The Bible stories are same with the history books you are reading.

But the bible is being translated and explained differently, same with the history books on who is telling the story.

You have to read the Bible with faith, because reading it will open your minds to questions and answers.