Is there a scripture in the bible that says that the bible should or should not be taken literally?

Question

Is there a scripture in the bible that says that the bible should or should not be taken literally?( literal here doesn't mean symbols and figures of speech employed by the author are not recognized. I am refering to interpreting the scriptures word for word.)

1. If your answer is yes. Please write down the scripture and explain it to me. Thank you! Before you answer please take a look at this http://www.fallwell.com/ignored%20verses.html

2. If the answer is no. There is nothing wrong wether you choose to interpret the bible liteally or not. Agree or Disagree? Explain.

3. If nonexistence of a scripture does not mean that we should or we should not interpret the bible literally, then why should we or should we not interpret the bible literally.

Answer 1

1. No
2. There are many "controversial" sections that justify slavery and murder. So if taken literally as a whole, it can be dangerous.
3. It can be dangerous to take it seriously.

Answer 2

This is one of those questions which people always ask without explaining very much what they mean by it. Good example-- was the Book of Jonah written as an account of things that happened (his time in the belly of a fish, his mission to Nineveh), or was it written down from older traditional sources (folklore if you will) because it makes points about faith and obedience: and, as such, is a teaching tool? Did God create the living things in the order that we read in the six-day creation account, or is this also tradition written down as a teaching tool? My take on this kind of questioning is that Christians must take statements about who Jesus was, and what he expects from us, very, very seriously. They represent the witness of people not far removed from him in time, whose sincerity we have no reason to question. Matters that seem to reasonable people today to be merely ancient attempts at making sense of science or history ought not to be taken literally. Where people go astray here is when they interpret "all Scripture is inspired by God" to mean that all Scripture was dictated by God to people who just took it down like good recording secretaries. Surely inspiration occurred through the filter of normal intelligent human minds. Isn't it likely that the fear that something in any part of the Bible might not be "true" is just the fear of the timid, uneducated, unsure of his faith type of individual?

Answer 3

Why would there be? The Bible isn't a single book, it's several books selected out of several more books, then bound together as one. So anything which was written would have been written long before there was ever the existence of the idea of a Bible. So how could any passage reference something that wouldn't exist for centuries?

Answer 4

It depends upon what is being talked about. That's why there are no scriptures that say one way or the other- take it literal, all of it. Or do not take all of it literal.

People who try to classify all of the Bible a certain way are only going to frustrate themselves. They will not know the truth. But unless you have the Counselor to help you understand, there will be no edification in trusting God to guide you to the truth.

"Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned." ( John 16 )

Answer 5

Here is something pretty close. II of St. Peter, chapter 1, verse 20: "Understanding this first, that no prophecy of scripture is made by private interpretation."

Answer 6

GOD SPOKE THROUGH OUT THE BIBLE

God said, Let us make man. Gen.1:26;
John 17:3,5,24[Jesus there]; Col.1:15-17; Rev.3:12,14;
Job.38:4-7[Angels there to see age old earth prepared];
The LORD God talked with Adam and Eve.
The LORD talked to Noah.
The LORD talked to Abraham.
The LORD talked to Moses Exo.6:3;
The LORD talked with Satan Job.2:1-4;
The LORD talked to Job at 38th to 42nd chapters.
The LORD talked with Isaiah 6:8-10;
The LORD talked with Jeremiah 1:12;
The LORD talked to Ezekiel 6:1,2;
The LORD talked to Jonah 4:4;
Jesus is Saying that the LORD is talking. Psm.110:1;
Acts 2:27-31-36; How it was understood.
Matt.22:42-44; Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?
They say unto him, The son of David.
Matt.22:43 He saith unto them,How then doth David in spirit
call him Lord, saying,
Matt.22:44 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
Matt.22:45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
God's voice: The voice from heaven, when Jesus is baptized
Matt.3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized,went up straightway
out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him,
and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove,
and lighting upon him:
Mat.3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Isa.9:6,7[The LORD God of Host has performed this];
Heb.1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne,
O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the
sceptre of thy kingdom.
Heb.1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity;
therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of
gladness above thy fellows.
Heb.1:10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation
of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: God gave Jesus
the Revelations 1:1; "I am," 91 times Ezekiel, 67 times in Psalms,63 in John,
49 in Isaiah, 49 in Leviticus, 33 in Jeremiah, 30 in Genesis, 29 in Exodus, 28 in Job, 25 in Acts, 24 times the Matthew, 12 in Revelations, 20 in Luke, 16 in 1 Corinthians, 16 in 1 Kings, 15 in 2 Samuel,14 in 1 Samuel, 12 in 2 Cor.,
10 in Song of Solomon, 10 in Mark, 10 in Romans, 9 in Judges, 8 in Deuteronomy, 8 in Zechariah, 6 in Lamentations, 6 in Philippians, 5 in 2 Chr., 5 in 2 KI,. 5 in Dan., 5 in Gal., 5 in Joshua, 5 in Ruth, 4 in 2 Timothy,4 in Hosea, 4 in Joel, 3 in Proverbs, 2 in 1Tim., 2 in 2 Pet., 2 in Col.,2 in Haggai,
2 in Jonah, 2 in Micah, 2 in Nahum, 1 in 1 Pet., 1 in Amos, 1 in Habakkuk, 1 in Ezra, 1 in James, 1 in Zephaniah.