What does the Bible say about...the Bible?

What does the Bible say about...the Bible?

Some people in my family are so deceived and are making me so upset. They don't think you should take the whole Bible literally, and verbatim. Just need to know what the Bible says about the Bible. Thanks.
 
Hebrews 4:12
Matthew 5:18


This is, once again, strange...because this was part of my morning meditation. I like it when my day connects with my meditations. It can't always be coincidence.:)

God really is wonderful to us, isn't He? Whoo-hoo!;)
 
Some people in my family are so deceived and are making me so upset. They don't think you should take the whole Bible literally, and verbatim. Just need to know what the Bible says about the Bible. Thanks.

I don't think we should take the Bible literally either. Literalism is a school of thought that in my opinion is often in error. The Bible is loaded with Hyperbole, similies, allegories, sarcasm, symbology, and parables. If you take these literally you will not have an accurate perception of the message of the Bible. I know it's tough determining them sometimes, but we need to be aware that they are there. Jesus spoke in such riddles that the disciples were often perturbed and finally ask him why one day. You know what he said already. They were also amazed that for once in Matthew when he spoke to them plainly - it was unusual for him to do so. I don't think we can take everything literally.
 
I am of the belief that the parts of the bible that are not literal are explained elsewhere in that same bible. An example might be the book of Daniel shedding light on the book of Revelations.
 
That's the thing...how do you read the Bible? I mean, the verse where Jesus says something like if your right arm causes you to sin, cut it off is definitely not supposed to be taken literally and you know that through common sense. But other things are not as obvious I'm sure. I guess it's just devoting time to Bible studies. I just don't understand why the Bible isn't more blunt. I want nothing more to understand the Bible but I just can't focus if it's not written in black and white. (Even though it actually is written in black and white, you get my point.:))
 
That's the thing...how do you read the Bible? I mean, the verse where Jesus says something like if your right arm causes you to sin, cut it off is definitely not supposed to be taken literally and you know that through common sense. But other things are not as obvious I'm sure. I guess it's just devoting time to Bible studies. I just don't understand why the Bible isn't more blunt. I want nothing more to understand the Bible but I just can't focus if it's not written in black and white. (Even though it actually is written in black and white, you get my point.:))

Right - that's a good example of hyperbole and there are many like that. It's exaggeration to make a point. One writer said that if all the works of Jesus were written down the whole world could not contain the books.
 
Jasher-

Look at the vision God gives Ezekiel of "Valley of Dry Bones". Clearly this is to be taken spiritually, and God provides after that, the interpretation of it.

Another tho is, how are we to take God's Word "spiritually", where He tells us literal physical related Truths as avoiding eating blood products?

Or where God declares that witches, sorcerers, nechromancers and those in connection with familiar spirits are an abomination to God and condemned to Hell.

God clearly shows in the Scripture where He tells us to take His Word precept upon precept, line upon line, as literal, unless God provides another meaning for It.

The problem people hav with spiritualizing all of God's Word is two main points-

1- Either they have to change all the rest of the literal meanings over to some outlandish ones, or

2- In Prophetic Scriptures, they have to be jossled around and misinterpreted in order to make them fit where they do not literally.

All aspects of this physical world had its root beginnings in the spirit realm, tranmitted into the physical, only to eventually return again at some point to the spiritual again.

This is why all Scripture has both a physical and spiritual meaning- examples-

Man's creation-

God delares He knew us before concieved in the belly- (spirit-soul God "created of each person before they were physically concieved). (spiritual)

"The life of the flesh is in the blood."

Physical- Without blood flowing thru a physical body, it would not live in this physical world, but die.

Spiritual- Without the Blood of Christ sacrificed for man, man could not be regenerated by the Spirit to once again be able to commune with his creator in person.

Jesus- "The way, the Truth and the Life"-

God decares Jesus was from old, from everlasting. That God created all things thru Christ. (spiritual)

Physical- Jesus as "God in the flesh" came to earth to be among God's Children- In the beginning God's Word was with Him and in Him and was God made manifest in the flesh.

Spiritual- After God raised Jesus from the grave to overcome death by sin, Jesus was among man a short time, then was taken back to Heaven to sit at the Right Hand of God the Father once more.

Both physical ad spiritual meanings. So lets stick to that Truth of God.

God Bless!!
 
The Bible is loaded with Hyperbole, similies, allegories, sarcasm, symbology, and parables.
Many people (me included before understanding the reference) thought that it was a figure of speech about the rich man entering into the kingdom of Heaven is "like a camel going through the eye of a needle"...
well, we may think it is referring to a literal sewing needle...but it isn't...It is actually referring to a PACKED camel (much like the rich man; loaded with material goods) going through "THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE" which is an actual place somewhere in Israel or Jerusalem...so if we think literally with our wisdom and logic we can be seriously wrong.

I am sorry but I have to disagree with you brother on this point, I am just wanting to warn that what we think to be an allegory may be a literal description of a spiritual truth...I think we should seek God in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to tell us whether we should "take the bible literally or not". That is a bit of a "paint brush" statement to "not take the bible literally"...It is better to trust God, right???;)
 
I know I am about to ruffle a few feathers, but please don't get me wrong. That is NOT my intention. I am not attacking the Bible. I don't doubt God's Word. I doubt man's interpretation of God's Word.

Someone on another forum asked, "How do you know which part to believe and which part to leave out?" Well, everything I believe I believe by faith. And, I don't leave any part out, but I also don't necessarily take every part literally.

Examples of what I am referring to are found in the book of Matthew and Mark . . .

Matthew 5:29 & 30 "And if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell."

Matthew 18:8 & 9 "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."

Mark 9:43 & 45 & 47 "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched . . . And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched . . . And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire—"

I don't really believe in my heart that God intends for us to mutilate ourselves every time we sin. From my understanding that's what Jesus came to do in our place. He allowed Himself to be crucified and mutilated so we wouldn't have to be. I do understand the spiritual meaning to the above scriptures, but the literal meaning says we have to mutilate ourselves every time we sin or else we are cast into the everlasting fire.

So, if we are to take ALL of the Bible literal why are we not ALL blind, lamed, maimed and mutilated? That's the kind of stuff I am referring to when I say, "Everything I believe I believe by faith", and I choose not to have too much faith in man's interpretation of God's word for my own personal life. That doesn't mean I am attacking God's word. It just means I want the Holy Spirit (not man) to guide me into what is God's true for my life."

I DO LOVE and HIGHLY RESPECT the Bible as God's word. I do not dismiss the scripture as just another book of good stories. I have great REVERENCE for the things of God, and I do my best to live by the scripture as I am lead by the Holy Spirit. However, just because I don't believe like others believe doesn't mean I am doubting. It just means that I am seeking and searching out my own salvation with fear and trembling.

Throughout time, as we know it, man has been translating the Word of God into easier reading material. Yes, I do believe it was originally written by men as they were inspired by God, but they were still humans who were capable of making mistakes. And, the Bible has been translated so many times that I just can't believe there are no translation errors. It has been translated into other languages, and it has been paraphrased so many times that I am very thankful for the Holy Spirit who leads me and witnesses to my spirit as to what God wants for my life.

When in doubt about anything :pray: :pray: :pray: then wait faithfully for God's answer.
 
No problem Worshipper.

But the understanding you shared about the "richman and eye of the needle" is not correct according to Early Church Leaders usage.

The "eye of the needle" Christ was refering to, is the human sized walk ways thru the great walls around major cities. They were much smaller and narrower than the big arch ways where major roads passed into and out of those cities.

A camel would have to drop on its knees and crawl thru one of them, packed or unpacked. It had nothing to do with any location in the Middle East of that time. Thats why Jesus refered to that as being very difficult.

InHisLove-

Thats the whole idea behind understanding God's message in His Word. Jesus declared- "I am the door, by Me if any man enters in..."

Fact is Jesus was a man standing before the crowd speaking such things. So, we don't take the Scripture that Jesus is a literal door, but that "literally", He is the Way, the Truth and the Life".

God uses spiritual, symbolic and figurative examples for expressing His "Literal" Truths and thats what needs to be understood. People who try to claim God's Word cannot be taken "literally", are clearly not understanding God correctly, therefore claim fundamental approaches are wrong.

If I stated- "I just saw a young kid go flying down the driveway here." What would people think? They had real wings and actually flew thru the air down the driveway? Of course not. They were either running real fast, rode a bike real fast or some other physical way down the driveway.

God teaches us to use good Godly sense He gave us to understand His Word correctly. As I stated in another thread on this site, God Teaches us a balance of how to take His Word. While standing firm and bold on His Word- (Fundamental), we are still to show love, forgiveness, loving those who hate us etc- (liberal).

Assuch, when we read God's Word, one of the main Principles for nderstanding His Word clearly, is to take His Word as literallyspoken, to mean what It says, in thecontext of applying spiritual, symbolic, and figurative meanings where God applies this.

as for the removing and casting out of an evil eye, or cutting off of a hand that does evil. Is it not Jesus showing us how contradictory evil is to good and the symbolic understanding of how we are to keep ourselves seperate and how it taints us when we sin?

Don't say sin can't taint us after recieving Salvation. For if it didn't, what need is there to repent and seek forgiveness when we sin? Thats why Jesus gave us those examples of how bad it is to allow ourselves to allow sin to stay with us, that its better to remove the part of the body that causes us to, than to allow it to stay, tainting us to do so again.

Thats why as well, Jesus spoke of sin starting as evil thoughts first- (Sermon on the Mount). If a man lusteth after a woman, he has comitted adultery with her already in his heart. It hasn't even reached the physical act stage as yet.

So, if sin starts with an evil thought that lingers to a wrongful level, we can know it will soon be tried to be carried out physically also if held on to too long.

God Bless!!
 
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