Should i take the Bible literally?

Question

if not,why?
Just curious to know

Answer 1

It's just a book. The language of English is not the Original language it was written in. It has been passed down through so many generations, it's hard to honestly know what they are talking about.

Cases in the court are constantly won or lost just on samantics...

Answer 2

Some parts are meant literally, and some not. The reason why some things are spoken in parables, metaphors, etc, is:

1) Parables hide deep truths from those who are not yet ready to hear them, eg. the parable of the sower - see Matthew 13:9-16 - http://scriptures.lds.org/en/matt/13/9-16#9. Also other deep "mysteries" such as are hidden within prophesies. These are only understood through revelation from the Holy Spirit, either to an individual, or to a prophet who then expounds to initiated hearers, etc.

2) Parables explain concepts in such a way that will reach people's hearts... ie, they need to think about it deeply, in order to understand.

If they don't wish to think about it, then they are free to ignore it, and the teachings have no impact on their minds. This is a merciful way to teach, because to give a person truth is to give them responsibility and accountability to live by that truth (their consciences will hold them responsible, if they don't).

When Jesus spoke in parables, he protected the ignorance of people who were not interested in performing righteous works, by teaching in ways they could not comprehend. It seems, by this, that Jesus respected both people's free will, and also their right to happiness, even though they may choose a lesser form of happiness (eg. "ignorance is bliss").

His teachings were less likely to cause feelings of guilt.

3) Also, some things in the Bible were given by prophesy to guide people who had not advanced far in knowledge. For instance, the concepts of heaven and hell. These serve to teach people that there are rewards and consequences for their actions, but, while these concepts are basically true, they are metaphorical in the sense that they do not explain fully the breadth and depth of the actual rewards/punishments process.

Like I speak more simply to my four year old child, God also speaks to us simply, until we have sufficient faith, knowledge and self-control to accept more beautiful and complex truths.

"Line upon line, precept upon precept."

Answer 3

yes and no, some books or parts of books in the Bible (e.g. Revelation) are symbolic. Prophecies like Daniels prophecy are also symbolic. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are accounts of the life of Jesus Christ and are literal so it depends on the book you are reading. But the fact remains the accurate translation of the Bible is in complete harmony

Answer 4

If you have accepted Jesus Christ into your life, you will begin to understand it more, But I tell you for a fact, everything God wrote is the truth, Everything that was supposed to happen so far has, and everything prophesized yet, will, guaranteed. we are in those end times, look at revelation, all that is going to happen, when this book was written how could these people know of something as a cosmocide, destroying flesh, or transportation running to and fro, they didn't God did, now look we have nuclear weapons that can kill a majority of flesh all at once, and we have massive knowledge, transportation all over the skies into space, vehicles running to and fro, all these things are predicted, that Bible was here before they invented the Nuclear bomb, even we know that, and many can today attest to it, Israel became independent in 1948, that was predicted, all of this.

Answer 5

A book is written for it to be taken literally. Of course you would have to take into consideration the dialect of the period it was written in, but only poetry is not to be taken literally. And poetry is fictional.

So yes, you should take the bible literally, if it is at all what it claims to be.

Answer 6

Nobody could say it better than St. Thomas Aquinas:

"I answer that, The author of Holy Scripture is God, in whose power it is to signify His meaning, not by words only (as man also can do), but also by things themselves. So, whereas in every other science things are signified by words, this science has the property, that the things signified by the words have themselves also a signification. Therefore that first signification whereby words signify things belongs to the first sense, the historical or literal.

That signification whereby things signified by words have themselves also a signification is called the spiritual sense, which is based on the literal, and presupposes it.

Now this spiritual sense has a threefold division. For as the Apostle says [Hebrews 10:1] the Old Law is a figure of the New Law, and Dionysius says [Coel. Hier. i] "the New Law itself is a figure of future glory." Again, in the New Law, whatever our Head has done is a type of what we ought to do.

Therefore, so far as the things of the Old Law signify the things of the New Law, there is the allegorical sense; so far as the things done in Christ, or so far as the things which signify Christ, are types of what we ought to do, there is the moral sense. But so far as they signify what relates to eternal glory, there is the anagogical sense.

Since the literal sense is that which the author intends, and since the author of Holy Writ is God, Who by one act comprehends all things by His intellect, it is not unfitting, as Augustine says [Confess. xii], if, even according to the literal sense, one word in Holy Writ should have several senses."

Answer 7

Most of the Bible can be taken literally, except when it talks about parable visions dreams and signs.
Study of the scriptures will reveal the true understanding of the latter ones.
The scriptures are inspired by GOD and they are there to set things straight and they are beneficial for the man or woman of GOD to be fully qualified and ready for good works.

Answer 8

Yes, you should because trying to interpret the Bible allegorically is a proof of your doubt in the word of God. That means you should believe everything it says, including the story with a talking donkey!

Answer 9

More importantly you need to make sure it is in context and understand what that context means. For example : Jesus said to eat His flesh and drink His blood. That does not mean cannibalism. It means to remember Him by sharing bread and the fruit of the vine.

Answer 10

Of course you should!!! Those who took part in writing the Bible took it literally ....and it is GOD'S LAWS!! ( :

God Bless!