Question #1 - The Bible

Do I have to take EVERYTHING in the Bible as completely literal? I find certain parts hard to believe but can usually find a valuable figurative message in all of it.

[Disclaimer: I want to dignify all of your questions with a full answer. I know that they may be a little lengthy, but if you are like me, I’ve grown tired of simple, one-word answers for questions that are very complex. For all of the questions I will approach, I believe that I have come to rational and biblical conclusions, but I encourage you to examine them for yourself and test them in prayer and in the reading of Scripture. Also, these answers are not necessarily the views of Community Lutheran Church, Las Vegas.]

This is a great question that centers on how we should interpret the Bible. For some conservative groups, if you don’t read the Bible “literally” then you are a hippie, relativist who doesn’t believe in truth. For some liberal groups, if you read the Bible “literally” then you are considered a close-minded, bigoted fundamentalist. Battle lines have been drawn around this issue of Biblical interpretation. I hope to move between the extremes to articulate some thoughts on biblical interpretation. I will state a basic belief, give some explanation as to its bearing on our question of interpretation, and then state the main point I’m trying to make.

1) The Bible is a diverse “book.”

The Bible is a collection of 66 books, written in three languages, over 1,500 years by various authors to various audiences. Almost every genre of literature is covered in the pages of Scripture: narrative (Genesis, Exodus, 1 & 2 Samuel, the Gospels, Acts, etc.), short story (Ruth, Esther), legal document (Leviticus), lyrical poetry (Psalms, Lamentations), erotic love poetry (The Song of Songs), letters (Romans, etc.), apocalyptic prophesy (Revelation), and many more. Think back to English class…did you interpret a poem the same way you interpreted a short story? No, understanding the genre of writing is key to understanding what the author is trying to tell us. After all, how does one read poetry “literally” when it is filled with metaphor and simile? Likewise, Genesis 3:8 says that God walked in the garden, but we know that God is spirit (John 4:24) and hence could not be literally walking. The author is using a human analogy of walking to tell us that God was present in the garden. On the other hand, the narrative text of the Gospels tells us that Jesus literally rose from the dead. He had his disciples touch his literally resurrected body (Luke 24: 40). I would interpret this as historically accurate and hence read this “literally.”

The Point: The Bible contains a variety of genres that must be interpreted within their own context. This means that some times you will read something literally and sometimes you will not.

2) The Bible is inspired and is to be taken seriously, even if not literally.

Before I ever read the Bible, I thought it was a bunch of man-made myths, and I really could not read more than a page of the Bible without falling asleep. Then, when God gave me a new heart with new desires for him, I had a desire to read the Scriptures. I now believe, as 2 Timothy 3:16 states, that “all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” I believe the Bible to be inspired not only because it testifies to it, but also because I find it improbable that human beings came up with it out of thin air. I would have come up with salvation through eating chicken wings and drinking beer, rather than salvation through a crucified and risen Messiah because of the separation from God caused by my sin. The Bible is inspired; therefore, we should take it seriously, even when we don’t read it “literally.” The classic example for me is Matthew 5:29-30 where Jesus teaches that if our hand causes us to sin then we should cut it off. When I teach this passage, people always respond, “Well, obviously no one can follow this literally” and then move on to the next passage. Yes, Jesus doesn’t want you to literally cut off your hand, but what he does want is to convey the seriousness of sin and the grace possible in repentance.

The Point: Just because the passage cannot be taken literally, does not mean that it should not be taken seriously.

3) Historically, church fathers have read the Bible in literal and non-literal ways.

Irenaeus (130-200) read certain passages literally, but read others like “treasure hidden in a field” (Matthew 13:44). Clement of Alexandria (150-215) and Origen (185-254) both read many passages allegorically. Augustine (354-430) used mainly literal interpretations, but also utilized allegorical ones. In the Middle Ages, interpreters developed a fourfold approach to reading the Bible: 1) literal – showing what God did; 2) allegorical – showing what at surface level God hid; 3) moral – revealing what believers should do; 4) mystical – showing the future heavenly life. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) and the Protestant Reformers placed more emphasis on the literal interpretations.

The Point: A bunch of people smarter than me have read the Scriptures in a variety of ways. There is some freedom in how we interpret as long as our interpretations are based on the text.

4) The hard to believe parts are sometimes to be taken literally and sometimes not.

There are many instances in the Scriptures that are hard to believe. For instance, the Bible teaches that God came to earth, born of a virgin, and lived a sinless life to rise from the dead. That’s tough to believe, but the Bible presents it in literal terms, and I believe it in literal terms. Jesus was a historical person who is literally God (not metaphorically, not just a divine teacher, etc.). Now, other parts that are hard to believe do not necessarily have to be taken literally. One can comprehend the meaning of the grace of God as it is portrayed in the book of Jonah without believing Jonah was literally swallowed by a fish. This is not to say Jonah was not swallowed by a fish, but rather that this is relatively unimportant for us to grasp the overall thrust of this short story. Likewise, the Bible invites us through analogy, metaphor, and simile to take non-literal approaches when they are warranted.

The Point: No, you do not have to take EVERYTHING in the Bible as completely literal. We read, pray, and discuss to interpret the hard to believe parts to know whether or not it is essential to read them literally.

Personally, I read the Bible...
1) Contextually – Every verse of Scripture appears in a particular context. We often get in trouble when we read verses out of context. What is the literary context, the historical context, and the context of the passage in terms of the entire book? Also, I allow Scripture to interpret Scripture; thus, I interpret difficult passages in light of clearer passages.
2) Christologically – The Bible is a story centered around Jesus Christ. The Old Testament prophesies and anticipates Jesus (Luke 24:27) and the New Testament testifies to the revelation of Jesus as the Messiah and his life, death, and resurrection. Thus, I read the Bible as a unified meta-narrative about God’s rescue mission in Jesus for a fallen humanity to save us and shower his love and grace upon us.
3) Communally – As we interpret Scripture, it is advantageous to be discussing it in community with other Christians. This can be a check against way-out-there interpretations and also helps clarify the real life application of a biblical text. Additionally, we can be in conversation with the community of all the saints throughout the generations. How did Jerome, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and Stoops read this passage?

For another framework for reading the Bible, pick up Dr. Mark Wickstrom’s book The Gospel of Grace either on Amazon or in the Community Lutheran Church bookstore.

I hope and pray that as we read the Scriptures together, God will reveal Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit to each one of us.

Stoops