Should We Take the Bible Literally or Figuratively?

CatholicExchange.com ^ | April 17, 2007 | Mary Harwell Sayler

[Salvation]

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Should We Take the Bible Literally or Figuratively?

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April 17, 2007

Question: I started going to a Bible study in our parish and usually enjoy it but am thinking about dropping out. Several people in our group said we should never take the Bible literally, but what's the point of reading the Bible if it doesn't mean what it says?

Discussion: The Bible does mean what it says. However, God's ways can be so mysterious that people do not always understand what's said or why, especially on first reading. Some may write off the whole Bible as being merely symbolic or allegorical, while others take every word as the kind of literal truth you get when you say something like, "The fire is hot." Symbolically, that same fire represents the power, warmth, and enthusiastic fervor poured into Christians by the Holy Spirit. You can approach the flame literally or figuratively, but either way, the fire is "true." 

As the living word of God, the Bible is also true to itself and the spiritual truths expressed in a variety of tones, formats, and literary styles. Many themes and purposes arise in its pages, but the overall goal shows the salvation and redemption of man by the Almighty God, beginning in Genesis and going all the way through the final Amen in Revelation. So as you study the Bible, don't worry about whether you should take the words literally or figuratively. Just take them. Read them. Study them, and get to know what the Biblical record shows about the ongoing relationship between human beings and the God of love.

You might also take another tack in your Bible study. For instance, try thinking of yourself as an investigator or a Christian reporter looking for the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your Judeo-Christian heritage and the life-giving truth of God's loving mercy and forgiveness. As you do this, consider:

the Who of God — i.e., the character and power of the One to Whom you speak;

the what of the conditions, circumstances, or context surrounding the larger spiritual truth that a book or chapter presents;

the when of the past, present, and future as well as the timelessness of eternity in which a Biblical truth or statement affects God's people, including you;

the where of the place and culture from which the text arises;

the why of the law recorded, the wisdom taught, or the prophecy spoken;

the how of the literal, figurative, or poetic words that the inspired writer utilized to tell a story and present a spiritual truth in the most effective way.

Generally speaking, the Who, what, when, where, and why of the Bible will express our Judeo-Christian background and beliefs, whereas the how has more to do with the means by which the Bible presents a spiritual truth. Unlike modern libraries that separate fiction from nonfiction and both genres from poetry, a single book of the Bible may contain an eclectic mix of Godly commands, historical events, poetic lines, and allegorical tales. Between genres, thin lines may overlap, but don't let them trip you up. For instance, if you read something that troubles you or that you don't understand, just do a little research by looking up the verse or passage in a reputable commentary. Better yet, see if the Catechism of the Catholic Church covers that specific topic. To ease the search, just look for a key word on a website that contains the complete Catechism.

Most importantly, begin and end each Bible study session or independent reading with prayer for God to guide the discussion and increase your understanding. Then trust that He will. The same Holy Spirit who scripted the story of God's love into the Holy Scriptures knows how to write His word into your spirit today.

 

© Copyright 2007 Catholic ExchangeMary Sayler has studied the Bible since early childhood and leads discussion groups in her local parish. In addition to being a poet, freelancer, and assignment writer for the religious markets, she works with other writers and poets through her website http://www.catholicpoetsandwriters.com/.

[pgyanke]

Colossians 2: 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

Romans 14:5 Some consider one day more sacred than another; others consider every day alike. Everyone should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Those who regard one day as special do so to the Lord. Those who eat meat do so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and those who abstain do so to the Lord and give thanks to God. 7 For we do not live to ourselves alone and we do not die to ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.

[Frank Sheed]

Why not just read post 28 and keep busy, FRiend?

[kerryusama04]

Well said! For someone who is not interested in “hijacking Salvation’s thread,” he is doing a superb job of “hijacking Salvation’s thread!”

Because you guys are pushing the issue. Ping me next time you take a shot at me, eh?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1795015/posts?page=2177#2177

[kerryusama04]

Why not stop pinging about something you don’t wish discussed, FRiend?

[wideawake]

Cardinal Gibbons is not "head" of the Catholic Church in America any more than his successor as Cardinal Archbishop of Baltimore Bill Keeler is.

The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church.

Acts 20:7, of course, shows that Christians gathered on the first day of the week for the breaking of the bread and to hear the Word preached.

And, of course, the Resurrection itself is Scriptural ground enough to keep the first day of the week holy.

[pgyanke]

For someone not spoiling for a fight, you have a mighty big chip on your shoulder!

[Frank Sheed]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1819452/posts?page=22#22

I didn’t post this, bub. You did.

[dan1123]

People who have serious issues with the Bible taken literally or figuratively most often don’t understand what the Bible is. It was not written exclusively to the 21st century western culture. It is not exclusively a rulebook. It is not exclusively history, prophecy, or moral teachings. It is essentially the most relevant true story to our existence. It is timeless truth for humanity throughout our time here on Earth.

What the Bible says is entirely true, but has to be understood through the cultures which it was given. We must not make the error that we completely understand the Bible. Its core message is clear, but it touches on the deepest concepts in creation. Some concepts the Bible covers are complex to the point of being unknowable. Some things are mysteries now, but will be understood at a later point in human existence.

One thing is clear though: Jesus us the point of the Bible, and the reason for the Bible. The simple message of salvation through His sacrifice is its core message. Whatever else God may reveal to us through the Bible is secondary to Jesus.

[wideawake]

Why not just take my question at face value and assume I'm not out for a fight?

(1)Because posting something in supersize font plus bold letters is the online equivalent of shouting at the top of your lungs.

(2) Because you provided a fraudulent quote as your leadoff argument.

At face value your "question" was a provocation.

Had your question been sincere it would probably have been written in words like:

"The Catholic Church holds it worship services on Sundays and calls that day the Lord's Day. What Scriptural reasoning is behind this practice?" And it would probably ahve been written in regular font and unaccompanied by faked quotes.

[MarkBsnr]

Hi Kerry; thanks for the question.

Well, continuing along the lines of what was discussed in other threads, maybe we should step back and see exactly what the Bible is and where it came from.

The Catholic Church produced the Bible. The Bible didn’t produce the Catholic Church. It is a document of and by the Church. The Bible is the most important document that it has produced, obviously, but, again, the Church alone is responsible for its content. And, unlike all other earthly entities, it alone has the authority to interpret it. Now who is it responsible to? To the One who gave it the authority to produce the Bible in the first place.

Now where did the Church get its authority? Jesus Christ. Protestants and all other non Catholics don’t have the authority because it was never given to them. Rather, they had - and have - the ability to join or rejoin the organization that has it. The Church is open to all who would follow Jesus. By His rules, not yours. The Church got its marching orders from Him and Him alone. Predating the Bible and definitely predating the mutilated versions that non Catholics often prefer.

The only reason that we can believe that the Bible is the Word of God is because the Church tells you. Not because of your inner feelings or whims or what a televangist tells you.

And this little article is suspect because of the language used. The Catholic Church does not say things like: The Catholic Church says: ‘No. By my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week.’ And lo! The entire civilized world bows down in a reverent obedience to the command of the holy Catholic Church.

Don’t think so.

However, the Church never abolished the Jewish Sabbath Day. It had no authority to do so. The Church, although we acknowledge our Jewish roots and reverence the Jewish people as the first chosen to hear the Word of God, has no authority over Judaism. She DID, however have the authority to create a new Christian Holy Day. The First day of the week, in weekly memory of the Risen Lord. And she did so. I see nothing wrong with it and everything right with it.

And, to neatly wrap up the post so as to comply with the rules concerning topic drift, the Church, over the millennia has delved deeply into which parts of the Bible are to be taken literally and what are to be taken figurately. The Catechism, on line and freely available to all who would access it, can address each of your questions as they arise. The knowledge, of which I am sometimes woefully lacking, is there for anyone to see.

[kerryusama04]

I sense a need for conflict here. If you guys don’t want me on the thread, stop pinging me. If you challenge me, I am going to respond. I have explsined that I posted the quotation to illustrate a completely different point than Sabbath keeping, but you folks keep pinging me about the sabbath. Perhaps you missed the other 8 million postings by me and my FRiends on this topic? Maybe a search is in order?

[Frank Sheed]

The text linked to Post 28 is shown here. The hyperlinks are not included. One would have to go to the site to access them. Much obliged, wideawake!

This article presents the arguments of the Seventh Day Adventists for celebrating the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week. Following this are eight reasons explaining that the Sabbath has been replaced with the eighth day- that is the first day - of the week, the Lord’s Day - and how the early church understood this to be so. Click on the underlined words to go to that section.

1. JESUS’S AUTHORITY: Jesus has complete authority over the Sabbath and the right to change it in any way He wishes to.
2. PURPOSE AND MEANING: The purpose and the meaning of the Sabbath are better and more perfectly fulfilled by the first day of the week.
3. BETTER SABBATH PREFIGURED: and TYPES: The better Sabbath of the New Covenant, the first day, was prefigured in the Old Testament.
4. TWO ASPECTS: The Sabbath of the Old Covenant had two aspects. Only the ritual aspect of the seventh day has changed. The spiritual aspect of celebrating our covenant relationship with God every seven days is the only permanent binding aspect.
5. COVENANT: The Sabbath was a sign of the Old Covenant which is no longer binding.
6. FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK: The Sabbath has been replaced by the First Day of the week, the Lord’s Day.
7. CHRIST HONORS THE FIRST DAY: Christ honored the first day of the week which is our new seventh day.
8. NEW CREATION: God rested on the seventh day and the Old Covenant focused on His Creation of the world. Christians are a new creation in Christ and He has given us a new and better seventh day.
9. EARLY WRITERS: The early writers of the Church show that the followers of the Apostles and Christ understood that the Sabbath had been replaced by the First Day.

QUESTION

Why do Catholics work on Saturday ? Exodus 20:8-10 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work…” RSV And the Sabbath has been established as a “perpetual covenant.” Exodus 31:16-18 “Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the sabbath, observing the sabbath throughout their generations, as a perpetual covenant. …And he gave to Moses… the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” With the dramatic event of God writing these commandments with His own finger “in stone” He shows that the Sabbath would last forever. After all, we Seventh Day Adventists claim that Jesus honored the Sabbath by resting in the tomb on the seventh day and waited until the first day to work His miracle of the Resurrection.

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.”

Matthew 5:17-18 “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” RSV

Click below for the Answer

1. JESUS’S AUTHORITY:
2. PURPOSE AND MEANING:
3. BETTER SABBATH PREFIGURED: and TYPES:
4. TWO ASPECTS:
5. COVENANT:
6. FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK:
7. CHRIST HONORS THE FIRST DAY:
8. NEW CREATION:
9. EARLY WRITERS of the Church

[kerryusama04]

Start your own thread and we’ll talk. I’m not hijacking this one.

[MarkBsnr]

If I have taken a shot at you and not pinged you, please accept my apologies. Do you have an example at hand?

[kerryusama04]

No, you did not do this. I pinged you because I linked to one of your posts.

[MarkBsnr]

Ah. Well and good, then.

[kerryusama04]

The Bible didn’t produce the Catholic Church.

Truer words were never written!

[Between the Lines]

Why not just take my question at face value and assume I'm not out for a fight?

The tone of your fist post to this thread was very hostile.

Also your Thomas Enright quote comes from a book called History of the Sabbath. Your quote is part of an argument being made that the Pope is the Antichrist and 666 is attributed to his name.

History of the Sabbath pp801-802

[kerryusama04]

The tone of your fist post to this thread was very hostile.

Try resding without the rosary colored glasses.

Also your Thomas Enright quote comes from a book called History of the Sabbath. Your quote is part of an argument being made that the Pope is the Antichrist and 666 is attributed to his name.

I don't know this book or the author. I got the quote from a Sabbatarian web site a couple years ago. That site is gone now.

[MarkBsnr]

They are as equally true as:

There is the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and then there are all the man-made imitations.