Bible Interpretation- The Flow of Thought

To understand the Bible correctly we must realize that the “meaning” of a passage flows from the larger groups to the smaller groups, from the larger context to the smaller specifics. And so, if you’re reading a Bible verse and a certain word doesn't make sense then you need to understand that word in light of the verse and the surrounding verses. And if a certain verse doesn't seem to make sense then you need to read the whole paragraph and context of the passage. If you read the entire context of a passage you are likely to discover the “flow of thought” being developed by the author. By understanding the flow of thought you should be able to figure out what certain verses and words mean.

The “flow of thought” has priority over the fine details. If your understanding of the details does not support the whole flow of thought of a particular passage then you are misunderstanding the meaning and the reason for the specific details. The details of a passage are there to point to the flow of thought not take away from it. The details color the main point, they don't change it.

Through carefully reading a passage and outlining the "flow of thought" you will find that all kinds of problems or difficulties begin to disappear. You must correctly understand the whole context if you are to correctly understand a verse, word or thought.

And remember, just because someone can quote the Bible correctly does not mean they are going to interpret or apply it correctly. The devil quoted the Bible to Jesus perfectly in Luke chapter 4. But he misinterpreted and misapplied the very passages he quoted. And if we're not careful, we too can be deceived or deceive others by taking a cavalier approach to interpreting the Bible.

So, the next time you read your Bible and you get confused about a certain word or verse or passage, just take a moment to read and consider the entire context and the "flow of thought" being developed by the author in a book, chapter or paragraph. Always interpret the verse or word in light of the larger context. And never interpret or reinterpret the larger context and flow of thought within a passage by a single verse or word.  We should be careful to allow the Bible to explain itself to us. And it will if we pay attention to the flow of thought.

May God continue to bless your understanding of Him, yourself and others as you faithfully study His word!

"The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." Psalm 119:130


Below are some links to a few other related blogs I've written:

Developing a Better Biblical Interpretation

Do you take the Bible literally?

F.A.C.E.S.M.A.P. "Evidence the Bible is Trustworthy"

The Dishonest Skeptic

The Gospel

Developing better Biblical Interpretation

No one starts out a skilled and mature interpreter of the Bible just like no one starts out a great driver, or cook or skilled craftsman. Skill is developed over time and practice. Even so, a person grows in being better at interpreting the Bible. If they mature, they'll approach interpreting the Bible more contextually and seriously. They will be less likely to throw verses around flippantly or apply a personal or private interpretation to the text or passage.

Those who correctly interpret the Bible have given more thought and time and study to the Scriptures than those who don't interpret the Bible correctly. Just like any skill can be taught, correct Bible interpretation is also a skill that can be taught to others to help them mature in this area faster.

In the Book of Acts, chapter 17:11 it says that the Thessalonians were considered "more noble or fair-minded" than others because they took the time to really study the Scriptures and test the things that they were hearing by the Word of God. The implication here is that there are also those who are "less noble" and "less fair-minded" because they do not take the Bible seriously.

Just as people can be trained to interpret the Bible honestly and contextually, people can also be trained to misinterpret the Bible and handle God's Word loosely. We've all worked with people who "cut corners" or do a sloppy job, and we've seen the damage that can be done. Whether its with the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986 or the 2010 BP oil spill, great damage can be caused when corners are cut. It is no different with interpreting the Bible. You can interpret it correctly and help people or interpret it incorrectly and cause great harm. The choice is yours, but remember we will all give an account to God for how we read, interpret and apply God's word. It is so important that we not just repeat what someone tells us just because it sounds good, but because we've tested it to be true according to sound Biblical interpretation and not the passing religious fads of the day.

And so when it comes to learning the Bible it is so important to sit under good Bible teaching because not only does it feed you a healthy meal of truth as opposed to spiritual junk food, hearing good Bible teaching also teaches you how to interpret the Bible correctly and prepare a healthy meal for yourself and others.

I must conclude in saying that honest, mature biblical interpretation never discounts the role of the Holy Spirit in illuminating, clarifying and even correctly applying God's Word.

Ultimately the power behind the teaching, hearing and applying of God's Word rests in God Himself. Nevertheless those who know us and hear us ought to be able to observe a maturing in how we interpret and apply the Word of God as any craftsman ought to progress in their skills.

May God help us to be humble enough to change our perspective should we receive greater light regarding sound Biblical interpretation. May we always be teachable and willing to hear and understand views other than our own. May we be discerning enough to know when we must remain resolved and unwavering having discovered through much study the very best interpretation of any passage or topic in the Bible. And finally, may we be gracious towards those who have come to different conclusions than our own.

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." -2 Timothy 2:15


Some other related blogs I've written that may be of interest:
Do you take the Bible literally?

F.A.C.E.S.M.A.P. "Evidence the Bible is Trustworthy"

Bibliolatry and Dogma

G.P.S. "God's Positioning System"

The Dishonest Skeptic

The Gospel

The Dishonest Skeptic

"Professing to be wise, they became fools..." -Romans 1:22

"Skepticism" seems to be pretty trendy these days.
Currently in our culture its cool to be an atheist or a sarcastic agnostic.

As I talk with people about God, the Bible and spiritual things I must confess that lately I've found myself skeptical about the "dishonest skeptic." 

Here are some of my thoughts about the "DISHONEST SKEPTIC."

A dishonest skeptic is skeptical about everything except his own skepticism.

A dishonest skeptic claims that you can't "know" if God is real, and if Jesus and the Bible are true, but in the same breath they're claiming that they "know" for certain you can't know if God, Jesus or the Bible is true.

A dishonest skeptic will read anything and everything about the Bible and against the Bible but they won't read the Bible itself.

Whenever a dishonest skeptic does read the Bible it’s only to find fault with it. They won't read the Bible like any other piece of literature, from beginning to end, chapter by chapter. No, they read the Bible totally different, hopping around, and jumping from book to book, one verse here, one verse there, taking verses completely out of context, refusing to understand the culture or actual meaning. They pick through and hunt for things in the Bible they totally disagree with just to have ammunition to throw at people who actually read and study the Bible. In reality the dishonest skeptic uses the Bible he hates out of context to attack those who love the Bible. He misuses the Bible to disprove the Bible.

A dishonest skeptic will often just parrot and repeat what he hears from others rather than really studying the issues themselves or doing honest fact finding.

Whenever you challenge a dishonest skeptic about their claims, they retreat back into their "I don't want to talk about this right now" or "the Bible's been translated so many times we can never really know what actually happened" or "what about all the other religions out there" or "what about those who never heard about Jesus or the Bible" or the famous "science and evolution have proven the Bible's wrong."
It’s easier for them to bring up new questions than process your answers.

A dishonest skeptic will ask a question and as you answer will interrupt with another question and then another until they've led you completely off topic. They're more interested in blasting you with questions than actually listening to your answers.

A dishonest skeptic claims to be reasonable, rational, logical and intelligent, and yet when you really challenge their "reasons" for not believing in Jesus or the Bible you find their excuses are almost always "emotional." Either some Christian or church let them down, or they're upset with certain things in their life and consciously or subconsciously blame God.
For the dishonest skeptic the words "skeptical", "reasonable" and "rational" are really a cloak to hide their EMOTIONAL insecurities with the Bible and what it stands for. 

A dishonest skeptic accuses you of having "faith" while they claim to have "reason." Yet they fail to acknowledge that most, if not all of what they believe about the history of the world is based solely on "faith" in the writings of historians and scientists. As a matter of fact, everything that a skeptic believes that they did not personally experience or personally test by the scientific method they believe by faith. They "trust" what historians and scientists claim, and they put "faith" in their writings because they want to "trust" them.

A dishonest skeptic does not "trust" the historical claims of the Bible because they do not "want" to trust them. It is a matter of the "will." They "will" not believe, not they "cannot" believe.
Ultimately a dishonest skeptic doesn't believe the Bible is true because they don’t want it to be true. They will side-step the vast amounts of evidence for the Bible and stand firmly on their emotional dislike of the Bible.

A dishonest skeptic refuses to admit that his problem with the Bible is that the Bible has a problem with his behavior. His unbelief is often not due to "science" but rather "sin." The Bible clearly challenges their behavior, and the dishonest skeptic doesn't want anyone telling them what to do or not to do. The dishonest skeptic wants only his so called "skepticism" to be the ultimate authority in his life.
They reject the Bible out of "fear", not FACTS. 

A dishonest skeptic never really wants to be "taught" the Bible. They autonomously want to determine what the Bible says and means. They want to tell the Bible what it means, not listen to what it means. Any attempt to correct or clarify their misunderstanding about the Bible is quickly rejected with the thought or words, "Don't preach at me." Trying to educate a dishonest skeptic on what the Bible actually means in context according to the author's original intent is like trying to get a stubborn 3 year old to eat their peas. Even if you feed it to them they'll spit it right out despite you.
They'd rather starve to death than eat those disgusting peas.

A dishonest skeptic would rather die in his disbelief, priding himself in his skepticism than to be humbled and challenged to change his perspective.

And even when a dishonest skeptic miraculously changes their view on something they refuse to acknowledge those who challenged them or helped them change their view, but instead claim they figured it out all on their own as a result of their own intellectual "skepticism."

A dishonest skeptic can't find God and truth for the same reason a criminal can't find a policeman. It’s a matter of convenience, not availability. They're not really looking.

A dishonest skeptic wants to determine their own truth, not discover real truth.

A dishonest skeptic will believe just about anything as long as it’s not Christianity.

A dishonest skeptic will use totally bogus examples to not believe Christianity, like Crusades and people who blow-up abortion clinics, or money hungry TV evangelists, or catholic ministers who molest kids, or even hypocritical Christians. All of these examples are totally against the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible and are therefore UN-Christian. You cannot use unchristian behavior as an example of Christianity. You cannot hold TRUE Christianity responsible for the terrible acts of its hypocrites and heretics.

And a dishonest skeptic will seldom or never go directly to the teachings of Jesus Christ to learn about what true Christianity is. They'd rather spend their time arguing and fighting against the wrong thing. They set up a "false Christianity" and spend all their time disproving it while they accuse you of believing it.
If you were to ask a dishonest skeptic "What is Christianity?" You would most likely hear about a religion you wouldn't even believe in yourself. Because a dishonest skeptic refuses to do their homework about the very things they're trying disprove.

A dishonest skeptic has their favorite "anti-christian," "anti-bible" websites, blogs, books and speakers that they constantly consult to try to overthrow any challenges they might be presented with from a thoughtful Christian. And the dishonest skeptic is clueless to the fact that even those websites and resources present a false or distorted view of Christianity. It’s easier for a dishonest skeptic to be bitterly against their own opinion about what Christianity is than to give you an opportunity to explain what genuine biblical Christianity really is.

A dishonest skeptic assumes Christians agree on everything and refuses to let individual Christians speak for themselves about why they believe in Jesus or the Bible. A dishonest skeptic doesn't understand that Christians can disagree on non-essentials while agreeing on the essentials. And they can't comprehend that Christianity can have unity and diversity, even in harmony.

Dishonest skeptics look at all the different denominations in Christianity as proof that it’s not true because there are so many differences. They overlook the fact that the Christian faith was Divinely designed to allow flexibility, differences and distinctions among believers to accommodate a variety of cultures and preferences in worship style and ministry methods, but nevertheless, the Christian Church is united on the essentials, The Person and Work of Jesus Christ.

A dishonest skeptic always remembers the "bad things" caused by religion but conveniently forgets all the good things inspired by true religion. For example: Peace, love, forgiveness, good works, mercy and compassion, helping the poor, handicapped, widows and orphans, starting schools, universities, hospitals, rescue missions, freeing slaves, human rights, disaster relief, counseling, strong marriage and family values, just and moral laws and leaders, and on and on.

A dishonest skeptic says they don't believe in "organized religion" but they do want "organized" everything else, like organized government, politics, laws, schools, hospitals, restaurants, work places, sports, etc. Isn't it interesting that the only thing they won't allow to be "organized" is religion, as though "disorganized religion" would be far better. A dishonest skeptic refuses to see that organized thoughts, ideas and beliefs within religion give it substance, clarity and direction as opposed to just believing a bunch of random chaotic ideas about God. Disorganized religion is what the dishonest skeptic really wants so that they can believe whatever they want whether it’s true or not, and so that they can avoid any accountability for their own beliefs or behaviors. Disorganized religion dismantles religion, and that’s what the dishonest skeptic is really pushing for.

A dishonest skeptic assumes all "institutionalized religion" is corrupt to the core as though the word "institutionalized" brings some kind of corrupting curse with it. A dishonest skeptic will allow anything and everything to become "organized" and "institutionalized" except for religion. Religion cannot have that freedom. It can't start institutionalized and organized schools or universities or hospitals or anything. A dishonest skeptic will only allow religion to be an unorganized blob of non-institutionalized people who don't really agree about anything except the existence God and doing nice things. 

If you ask a dishonest skeptic, "If Christianity were true, would you become a Christian?" they would most likely say, "NO!"

And finally, a dishonest skeptic is willfully ignorant to the fact that Christianity has already powerfully answered all of the major objections, criticisms and concerns of skeptics for centuries. Multitudes of Christian philosophers, scholars, pastor, teachers and apologists throughout the world and history have been thoughtfully tackling the hard questions about God and the Christian faith. The honest skeptic has no shortage of answers to any objection. Should they follow the evidence where it leads I am fully convinced they will discover the Christian faith provides superior answers to life’s hardest questions and best explains the reality we all share.

Dear Dishonest Skeptic. Come to Jesus.......and bring all your questions!

And a word to the Christian: 

Certainly we have all had our own experience with the "dishonest skeptic," and perhaps we have even been one ourselves. As followers of Jesus we should strive to be as honest and understanding as possible lest the critics call us "dishonest saints."

And dear Christian, don't let anyone convince you the Christian faith is "blind." Jesus said one of the greatest commandments is to love God with all of your mind! If I don't use my mind to love God then I am sinning against one of the greatest commandments of God. God created our minds to be used in knowing and loving Him.

As the hostility against the Christian faith begins to rise in our culture, let us rise to the challenge by not neglecting to use our minds. Let us cultivate the life of the Christian mind that God might be glorified in saints that are actually equipped to handle the challenges of the current critics. Jesus was never afraid of a question. Neither should we be.

Please consider the following verses as strong biblical support for us to be equipping our minds.

“The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.” –Proverbs 15:28

“So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her.” -2 Chronicles 9:2

“Jesus said to him, “You shall love the LORD your God will all your heart, with all your soul and with ALL YOUR MIND.” –Matthew 22:37

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." -2 Timothy 2:15

“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” -Colossians 4:6

“But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” -2 Timothy 2:23-26

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” -1 Peter 3:15

“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

 -Jude 3


Other blogs I've written that may be of interest to you:

Do you take the Bible literally?
G.P.S.
F.A.C.E.S.M.A.P. "Evidence the Bible is Trustworthy"
The Gospel
Why did God order the killing of the Canaanites?

Bibliolatry and Dogma

"A Bible that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't."    
                                                                                         -Charles H. Spurgeon

When it comes to the Bible, the so-called “WORD OF GOD”, let’s be completely honest, either God has spoken or He hasn’t. The Bible is either God’s inspired Word or man’s invented word. If the Bible is not God’s Word then it has no real ultimate authority over our lives and all of its claims or demands are negotiable at best. It may be a valuable book with historical significance but nothing more. However, if the Bible is God’s Word then it claims to contain God’s thoughts or His stance on particular issues and subjects. If there is a God and that God has given His Word on any particular topic then that word must obviously have ultimate authority and cannot be negotiable. You can disagree and argue with His view on anything, but you have no real authority to oppose Him, seeing that He alone has created all things, thus making Him the final Authority over the Universe. Doesn’t a creator or designer of a product know best how that product is to be used? Aren’t they the final authority on the very thing they themselves designed? I would say “yes.” And so, if God has spoken directly regarding Himself, man and the nature of the world then His word is, and must be the standard by which we should interpret reality. Since God has created reality then His word is the true interpretation of reality, and we can take His word “dogmatically.” When I say "dogmatically" I mean that we can hold God's view unapologetically as the final word and authority. I recognize it is not politically or culturally correct to be "dogmatic" about anything these days. But if God, the Creator of everything has spoken about anything, then He is making a dogmatic and authoritative claim about truth and reality. As I said, we can disagree, but we are disagreeing with the One who made all things, including us, and the very minds we’re using to disagree with Him. Now, if God has not spoken or given us His word about something then certainly we are free to reason through the issues and come to the best conclusions given the information we acquire. But I suggest that we interpret the “grey” areas in light of the black and white areas, or the “dogmatic” areas in which God has already spoken clearly.

I would never say that we should strive to be rigidly dogmatic about every aspect of our lives, but we should be thoughtfully dogmatic about the things that are most important in life, and God has spoken directly and clearly about the things that He considers to be most important. These are “non-negotiables.” I actually have God’s authority to agree with Him. And if agreeing with God and His Word revealed in the Bible puts me at odds with others or even the whole world, then I still have God’s favor, blessing and approval. I think Noah in the Old Testament is a perfect example of a man who dogmatically agreed with God while the rest of the world dogmatically disagreed with God.

Now some people say that those who consult what the Bible says about every little thing and obey its teachings meticulously are guilty of "bibliolatry," or worshipping the Bible. They say that you're setting up the Bible as an “idol” to be worshiped, because you're so over-zealously committed to its teachings and you just won't compromise. They’ll say things like, “You’re too dogmatic!” or “You don’t have to take everything in the Bible so seriously” or “God’s bigger than a book and you don’t have to be so close minded and strict about following the Bible,” or “You’re a slave to that Book because you’re not free to believe something outside of the Bible,” and on and on... But to take the Bible seriously as God’s Word and hold fast to His clear teaching on particular subjects is not “bibliolatry” or the worship of the Bible, but rather it is taking God at His word, believing His word and trusting in His word. This is what the Bible and Jesus Himself called us to. As Christians, disciples and seekers we are to pursue God’s truth and live it no matter what the cost. We are called to know and trust and obey God’s Word, not merely “know it” or “know about it.” In our culture anymore it’s an intellectual crime just to simply trust God and take Him at His word. It can’t be that easy. He can’t be that trustworthy...can He?

Jesus was dogmatic. He was dogmatic about the character and nature of God, the sinful condition of mankind and God’s divine plan of salvation. Jesus was unapologetically dogmatic. He calls everyone to be dogmatic regarding those things, and we do ourselves and others good to follow His lead in regard to doctrine and duty. When tempted by the devil Jesus used God’s Word to overcome him. When Jesus was tested by Pharisees and Scribes and skeptics He referred to God’s Word as the final authority. When questioned about everything from marriage to divorce, the afterlife or Sabbath day Jesus Christ often quoted Scripture as the final authority on all matters. Jesus knew the Word of God, studied the Word of God, believed the Word of God, lived the Word of God, shared the Word of God, taught the Word of God and finally He commanded His disciples to follow His example. It couldn’t be clearer; Jesus’ followers are to live like Jesus did. And we see this in the rest of the New Testament. After the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, His followers, the Apostles and disciples are recorded as those who believed the entire Old Testament Scriptures as the Word of God, and Jesus’ teachings as the Word of God. They not only lived out their faith in the Bible, but they quoted it often and taught others to believe it, read it, teach it, preach it, live it and grow in it.

The prophets of the Old Testament knew the power in believing, living and teaching the word of God. Jesus and the Apostles knew that an essential component to being an effective minister of God and a real threat to the devil, sin and evil of this world was to be immersed in a full understanding of God’s Word and intentionally live it out.

It is then no surprise that from the Garden until glory the greatest assault on God, the Kingdom of God, the ministry of the saints, and the personal lives of individual Christians has been and will always be to attack the Word of God. These attacks come in a variety of forms; reject the Bible, resist the Bible, or reduce the Bible to something less than the authoritative Word of God.

How do we confront these attacks? Very simple. Read the Bible, believe the Bible, live the Bible, teach the Bible, preach the Bible and pass on to the next generation a belief and behavior that reflects the power of a Bible that is the Authoritative Word of God. It just might be time to sick the dogma on Satan’s lies and compromise.

“The entirety of Your Word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”      -Psalm 119:160

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; BUT his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in his law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous but the way of the ungodly will perish.”            -Psalm 1

Bibliolatry and Dogma?

G.P.S.

Recently my mom purchased me a GPS for my vehicle.

Not only have I found it incredibly helpful when it comes to driving around a new city, but I find in it an amazing illustration for God's Word, the Bible.

Think through this with me.

My GPS is portable. I can take it with me wherever I want to go.

It's reliable and dependable. Much time and effort have gone in to ensuring it's trustworthiness and accuracy.

My GPS tells me exactly where I am, where I've been, and where I'm going. It even tells me how fast I'm going whenever I'm moving.

If I want to get from where I am to where I want to be, then all I have to do is tell it where I want to go and then do what it says. It can tell me all day long what direction I'm suppose to go, but if I don't eventually put my vehicle into drive I'll go nowhere.

My GPS is in the language I speak. The words are in English and the person speaking the directions also is speaking in English. It's great to actually have a GPS translation in my own language. And the translation is accurate!

You see, all I have to do is put FAITH in my GPS and it will take me exactly where I want to go!

It doesn't even take a lot of faith. Just enough faith to get me to put the vehicle in drive and step by step, road by road, turn by turn obey the voice and commands given by my GPS. It's actually very simple and takes very little faith. The GPS does most of the work for me.

And if I make a wrong turn or miss my turn, its ok, because it will re-calculate my situation and get me on the right track in no time at all. It's wonderfully forgiving!

If only I would put that kind of FAITH in the Word of God, the Bible.

The Bible is God's Positioning System for us. God's Plan of Salvation, God's Powerful Solution!

The GPS has only been out for a few years now, and yet God's Word has been around for thousands of years steering, guiding and directing millions of people into forgiveness, joy, peace, eternal life and heaven.

All you have to do is read the Words and obey them. It's simple.

God's Word will tell you exactly where you are, where you've been and where you're going.

God's Word will tell you if you've taken a wrong turn and even how to get back on the right road.

God's Word will tell you if you're going too fast or too slow, and it will also give you a heads up if you need to turn right.

God spent over 1600 years programming/writing the Bible and ensuring its accuracy, reliability, precision and trustworthiness. He had over 40 authors involved in its development.

God's Word is conveniently available in most languages.

My GPS was over $100, but God's Word is free!

And God's Word is also wonderfully portable!

All you have to do is take it with you, open it up, read it...and it will tell you exactly where you are and where you need to be going.

Then you have to actually exercise FAITH and trust it, put your life into drive and go exactly where it tells you to go.

If you do this my friend, you avoid many accidents, much confusion and you'll enjoy the ride a whole lot more!

I've had my GPS for only a month now and it has never let me down. And I use it all day, every day for work.

Well, G.P.S. (God's Perfect Son) saved my soul and changed my life 10 years ago!

I've been reading the Bible ever since and God's Word has never let me down.

I know where I've been, where I'm at, and where I'm going.

I'm enjoying the ride, staying in the right lane, and listening for the next command.

Jesus, take me home!

B.I.B.L.E= Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth

"Trust in the LORD with all of your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." -Proverbs 3:5-6

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

-Psalm 119:105

"All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is beneficial for teaching, reproof, correction and for instruction in righteousness, so that the man (or woman) of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." -2 Timothy 3:16-17

"Obey God's Word! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it."

-James 1:22

Do you take the Bible literally?

If someone asks me, "Do you take the Bible literally?"

Then I simply reply, "I don't take that question literally."

If you're really asking if I "take" a Bible literally then I would ask, "Is someone literally handing me a Bible to take? Am I literally taking a Bible that belongs to someone else? Or are you asking if I literally take the Bible, my Bible, "literally" everywhere I go?" And I would say "Yes, I try to."

You see, I interpret (or take) the Bible the same way I interpret (or take) that question. I take it at face value in the context of the conversation. Because of the context of that question I understand what you mean.

You were really asking if I "interpret" everything in the Bible literally, and yet you worded your question, "Do I take the Bible literally." You meant do I take what it says literally, not do I take actual physical Bibles literally. There is a big difference between the word “take” and the word “interpret” and yet within the context of your question and our conversation I understand your usage of the word “take” as meaning “interpret or understand.” And so what is literally said and what is literally interpreted are different and yet understood.

And the same deep profound interpretive skills I just used to interpret your question, I also use when reading my literal Bible.

I take the Bible at face value as I would any writing or book or article. When it is meant to be taken literally, I take it literally, and when it is meant to be understood figuratively (like your question) I take it figuratively, and when the passage is debatable among honest scholarly interpretation, then I am open to discuss it. It's pretty simple.

I read my Bible the way each genre or book is meant to be read.

I read the poetry and psalms different than the history and narratives.

History and narratives have much that is meant to be taken literally, and the poetry and psalms have much that is to be understood figuratively. It all depends on the context of what is being said.

Where most of the debate lies is regarding the issues of the supernatural and miraculous. People question whether the Bible should be taken literally or not because they have a predisposition against the supernatural and miraculous. They might agree that Jesus was born in a "literal" Bethlehem but question whether He was "literally" born from a virgin. They might agree that He was "literally" crucified outside of a "literal" Jerusalem, but they would question whether He "literally" rose from the grave three days later. When it comes to the miraculous and supernatural many people feel that those portions of the Bible should not be interpreted "literally" but rather "figuratively." And this is because they have a personal bias against the miraculous, not because that particular passage of the Bible is really meant to be interpreted figuratively.

And so, if you are someone who interprets the miraculous events in the Bible "literally" then your intelligence is under question and you are considered by many as gullible. The Bible has many passages that are to be interpreted figuratively, but it also has many miraculous events that are to be interpreted literally. And this is a very intelligent and rational way to approach the interpretation of the Bible.

I accept literal miracles in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

And I literally believe in the Person, work and miracles of Jesus Christ.

The ministry and miracles, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are written in the context of historical narratives, not poetry.

However, there are many places in the Bible that I do interpret figuratively and not literally.

Let's talk for a minute about how someone could reason through this.

Taking the Bible literally or figuratively?

I currently live in the state of Nevada and in the USA. Now if I were reading online or in the newspaper about China how would I read the laws and news related to China? Would I read them "literally" or "figuratively"? Literally of coarse! Even though they do not specifically apply to me, I would still read they're laws and news as literal law and literal news applying to the Chinese people and those who live in China. Just because I live in Nevada and in America, under different laws and speak a different language does not mean that I would interpret figuratively writings from another country, about another people and culture who speak a different language. I would take what I read about China at face value, in context, understanding cultural differences and interpreting everything literally unless something is specifically meant to be taken figuratively.

This is how a Christian reads the Old Testament: Literal Laws and literal News applying to the Jewish People, living in the Nation of Israel, before the time of the Messiah. There is no reason someone should read the entire Old Testament as "figurative" writings when it deals with literal people, in literal locations and at a literal time in history. We can approach the New Testament the same way. Writings about real people, in real places, at a real time in history.

But what about those areas that are figurative?

First you consider the genre of the passage you're reading. Is it law, history, poetry, proverb, prophecy or narrative?

That helps determine how you read the passage.

For example:

If I was reading on the internet or in a newspaper, and I turned to the sports section and it reads:

"The Cowboys slaughtered the Broncos 36 to 7."

First of all because I'm reading the sports section (genre) I can assume it is not talking of "literal" cowboys killing and slaughtering "literal" broncos. It's speaking of football teams. And knowing this I can also assume the Dallas Cowboys did not "literally" slaughter the Denver Broncos football team. That word "slaughter" is not to be taken literally, it is a descriptive word describing that the Cowboys won the game by many points, and so I take that word “slaughter” figuratively. And yet, the numbers 37 and 7 I will interpret literally as representing real points scored, not as some figurative numbers representing something else.

Now, if I was reading an article in the newspaper or in a magazine on Early Texas Culture titled: "Cowboys slaughtered broncos" and it spoke about some starving cowboys who slaughtered their broncos, then I would interpret that to mean, literal cowboys, literally slaughtered literal broncos. Because this is an article describing a real historical event and not sports teams that use "figurative" team names I am logically forced to interpret the words: "cowboys", "broncos" and "slaughtered" differently.

And so we see that the genre and context determine how we interpret things, whether literally or figuratively.

It is the same when we interpret the Bible.

When the Bible says that David was a shepherd over sheep it is saying he was a literal shepherd over literal sheep. But when the Bible says the Lord is our "Shepherd" and we are His "sheep" it is obviously speaking figuratively, and communicating that the LORD is like a shepherd in how He cares for us, and we are like sheep in how we wander and need His protection. No one would interpret that as meaning "God is a literal shepherd in heaven" and "we are all literally and genetically sheep." This kind of irrational approach to biblical interpretation helps to fuel skepticism, ridicule and arguments that those who believe the Bible are not being logical or scientific. It is essential that we not only "believe" the Bible, but that we "interpret" the Bible responsibly.

So the next time someone asks you, "Do you take the Bible literally?" Tell them, "Where the Bible is speaking literally I take it literally, and where it is speaking figuratively, I take it figuratively, and where it is unclear I am open to discuss what the best interpretation would be."

Then ask them, "Do you interpret my answer literally or figuratively?"