Bible Question:
Dear Forum Members, An interesting question has arisen on the forum recently in multiple posts, which I would like to address directly. We would all agree that it is possible to interpret one part of scripture figuratively and another literally. The question is, "What are the criteria that can be consistently applied to tell the difference?" This is something that creeps into many different threads. It impacts how we interpret the creation story in Genesis, and the end of the world in Revelation. It even affects whether we believe that there was a certain number of soldiers, years, etc, or whether those numbers are figurative to mean something else. |
Bible Answer: Summary of Previous Posts....................... From a search of previous threads, I have found only limited answers. The most common are: 1. The Holy Spirit will tell you. 2. Church leaders will tell you. Neither of these are very objective 3. Decide based on the type of literature. 4. Figures of Speech are obviously figurative. These can lead to problems. For example, the Creation story is written in the form of ancient poetry, and figures of speech vary between cultures. 5. Descriptions use "Phenomenal" language. (ie. the sun rises) 6. Parables, symbols, and "picture stories" are figurative. The problem here is, who decides whether something is one of these things. |