How can anyone really know what the Bible means if it is not to be taken literally?
548496
in answer to your question i dont believe in the bible full stop purely because it is a story nothing more, but if people want a crutch then thats fine as long as they are happy and not forcing it on others which is way goes on on here everyday
742993
I think that this is the biggest problem with Christianity.  If you take the whole bible literally, than you aren’t making any logical sense, but it you take parts of it metaphorically than you have to pick and chose which parts to take seriously.\n\nIt’s all pretty self-serving if you ask me.
79152
Greetings,\n\nThe Bible is both literal and metaphorical. There is not always a clear line between the two. God uses a literary devise that no other author can use. I call it the "literal metaphore". \n\nFor example the story of Abraham and Isaac is both a literal story, and a figurative one. That is to say that it is a picture of the sacrifice of Christ, while at the same time is a true story.\n\nThe same is true of story of Jonah. His three days in the belly was a metaphore of the death and ressurection of Christ.\n\nThere are a number of places where the language seems strictly metaphorical, but it is probably rather a simplification. That is to say for instance John in Revelations did not understand all that he saw. His discriptions were no doubt literal to him, and he described them in the simplest terms he could relate to others with. \n\nGod Bless,\n\nRobert
1012340
the bible isnt flawless period. alot was lost in translation, misquoted and alort of politics were involved with its writing, thats why people shouldnt go by the bible word for word but just get the main message of Jesus which is to love one another and be peaceful
171160
That's why it's called "faith"; you never know conclusively. To truly understand the bible, one would have to be an expert in Hebrew and Aramaic of the ancient times for the old testament, and then master 1st and 2nd century Greek to understand the new testament. To top it all off, you would have to have a thorough understanding of the cultures and traditions of the times that the various books were written in. Then you might actually approach what the original authors intended.\n\nOur understanding of the bible is dependent on our society and culture, the faith community we grow up in, and our own backgrounds and habits. Nobody lives in a vacuum, so all these things have an effect. A good example is the constant exhortations against the rich and the wealthy in the bible, but how little that is discussed in our country, because our nation likes material prosperity, and doesn't want it questioned. \n\nIn the end, however, one makes the choice to believe. One decides to believe that God will work our our salvation as we read this ancient and imprefectly translated book, and make our way through a life that has more mystery than most are willing to concede. And that's what faith is about.
967679
It does seem suspicious, doesn't it...perhaps they don't want to prove the Bible to be correct?
296673
For those who believe, the Bible is a living book.  Which means that the words today are as true as they were yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  When you find new understanding of the scripture it is a little of both going on.  God knows that no one can understand everything all at one time, and he knows that we all learn in different ways.  When scripture messages are "revealed" to you, that is a revelation that God sent to you in a way that you needed to understand it at a time you needed to understand it. Now if you interpret, and it is not God's will, he will find a way to "reveal" that too.  Because if you believe and are truly faithful, God will always provide you with the tools and the information you need.  So, even if you interpret (yourself) and it is a wrong interpretation because you got in the way of your own understanding, God will reveal it to you when you need it.  That is why being a Christian is a journey.  If we all had the ability to read, understand, and apply absolutely everything, then the journey would be over. So, sometimes you will be confused, sometimes you will stumble...but if you are a believer and you ask...he will pick you up when you fall. Just be open and accepting of your revelations as they come and keep studying. Good luck and God Bless.
1148389
All Christians do this. They insist that the Bible is true, accurate, and completely error-free, yet in the next breath they will explain why Jesus didn't mean what he said or say what he meant. \n\nFor example, Jesus said that in order to be perfect, one must sell all of one's possessions, give the money to the poor, and then follow him. Christians say that he didn't REALLY mean this, he was only talking to one particular person, he only meant that his 12 disciples should do this, yada yada yada. But when Jesus said to love thy neighbor as thyself, THEN he was talking about everyone. When something is easy, they say it is literal; when something is difficult or undesirable, they say it is metaphor, symbolism, or not meant for everyone.\n\nAnother example: Jesus gave a list of signs that would accompany those who believe in him--they would cast out demons, heal the sick, raise the dead, handle venomous snakes without harm, drink poison without dying, and be able to do all the miracles that he did, all with the faith of a mustard seed. Do Christians do these things? Well, they can't, because it's all nonsense and make-believe. But rather than admit that it's all make-believe, they insist that what Jesus REALLY meant was that only his 12 disciples would be able to do these miracles, in spite of the fact that Jesus' words clearly say "THEM THAT BELIEVE." Thus, they don't actually believe what Jesus said, only what they wish he had said. [Of course, Jesus didn't actually say any of it, since he didn't exist--but that will be our little secret. Sshhhh! :o)  ] \n\nOne last thing to remember--different Christians have different ideas about what Jesus said, what he meant, which parts of the Bible are literal, and which parts are not...yet they all claim to be guided by the same Holy Spirit!  Does it seem logical that a supposed all-powerful, perfect deity would deliberately give contradictory information to his followers...or that they are all simply making it all up and imagining that it came from a higher power?
681704
Easy!  They just "interpret" the Bible to mean whatever they want it to mean.
1122301
People who claim to believe the bible have either never read it, or totally lack the ability to objectively analyze what they read or hear.\n\nThe bible is a book of mythology, has nothing to support it's accuracy from a historical view, is contradictory and for the most part incomprehensible gibberish.\n\nCan you believe some people assert that because Jerusalem or other places that existed (Egypt, Babylon, Syria, etc) are  mentioned in the bible, the bible must be true? Hard to believe how gullible some people are.
532799
well, don't read the bible word for word. the person who wrote it probably exaggerated a bit.
1125087
much of the bible is exaggerated and not meant to be taken literally
275460
The bible is a book of stories passed down thro generations. Don't take it seriously
637233
When it comes to reading the Bible, there is any number of ways to study the scriptures.  Depending on the legitimacy of scriptures scholars have used them for support of either their lifestyles or their ideologies for millennia.  When the scriptures are contrary to these lifestyles or ideologies, some scholars have de-legitimized the scriptures rather than adjust their illegitimate action or philosophy to the edicts of the scriptures.  You can recognize them easily when you hear arguments like, “The (entire) Bible is written in metaphor.” Or  “You can’t apply instructions written 2-3 thousand years ago to the issues of today.”\n\nIn fact, the Bible is timeless.  There are very few passages that are agreed upon to be applied only for a specific generation.  An example can be found in the New Testament at 1Corinthians 14:34.  This describes the cultural habits of the day in which women were required to be silent in the service.  This arose because under the Law of Moses women were not allowed to study the Law or to sit in study of the prophets.  They received all of their instruction through the men in their families.  Plus during a public meeting the men and women would separate having men on one side of the building and women on the other side.  Since women were encouraged to attend Christian services if the speaker referred to the Prophets for support of a specific message a woman might, having no familiarity with the passage and being in the habit of asking her husband or brother, and having not learned etiquette for this new form of service, ask her man across the room what the speaker is referring to even though they were in the middle of a public service.  This would be disruptive to the speaker and likely the entire service.\n\nThe Bible was not intended to be a confusing, convoluted tome of laws and rules by which God can condemn us to hell, but a simple set of guidelines for living and for relating to God and each other.  Matthew 11:25  It is only the prejudices  of men that confuse and attempt to convolute the scriptures to make them fit their own desires. \n\nHere are some guidelines for understanding the love letter God wrote for His children.\n\n\nELEVEN PRINCIPLES OF A LITERAL METHOD OF INTERPRETING THE SCRIPTURES\n\n1.FOLLOW THE CUSTOMARY USAGES OF THE LANGUAGE.  Accepting what the words literally mean is a vital part of this first rule.  Unless the passage says otherwise, or is clearly using metaphorical language begin by giving Scripture a literal meaning.  The rule is well stated, “If the literal sense makes sense, seek no other sense.”\n2.COMMIT NO HISTORICAL OR CULTURAL BLUNDERS.  The Bible was written over a period of about 1400 years.  During that time many historical and cultural changes have taken place.  To arrive at the correct meaning of a passage you must consider when the statement was made and the historical and cultural situation surrounding the passage.  \n3.MAKE CHRIST CENTRAL IN ALL INTERPRETATIONS.  In John 5:39, Jesus said, “Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life:   and they are they that speak of Me.”  The whole Bible is about the Lord Jesus Christ, and Christ is central in all Scripture.  \n4.BE CONSCIOUS OF CONTEXT.  The context of a text or verse refers to its setting within a larger portion of Scripture.  It refers to the verses that occur before and after the text.  This would include the paragraph, chapter and book.  The situation surrounding the text is relevant in understanding its meaning.\n5.INTERPRET BY THE ANALOGY OF THE FAITH.  The Bible does not contradict itself.  God did not make the Bible to be contradictory.  If a passage of Scripture seems to contradict other Scriptures the problem is not in the Bible but with the interpreter.\n6.RECOGNIZE THE PROGRESS OF REVELATION.  In the proper interpretation of Scripture it must be understood that God gave His revelation, the Bible, to man over a long period of years.  This is the doctrine o
324902
In one answer you say you "Take the Bible literally".\nThen you answer lots of questions with the nice phrase "You are an idiot".\nDoes the Bible tell you to do that?
1075317
You may have noticed that when people 'quote' the scriptures, they tend to take them out of context. The preachers are there to help 'teach' the things of God more accurately. However, personal study is important.\n People will always quote the bible because they want to be right. Unfortunately many miss the mark of proper scriptural handling.
978997
The best way you can find out what the bible says in "real terms" is to read it in Hebrew. That is the original language  it was written in. I find it useful when reading to have The Exhaustive concorance of the Bible near by.