Should the Bible be Taken Literally?



Posted: Friday, April 24, 2009

by Dennis Wilhoit
Sonrise Bible Studies

Yes? No? Sometimes? Depends? These are other forms of the question: Is the Bible literally true? Should the Bible be interpreted literally? Is the whole Bible literally true? Is every word of the Bible to be interpreted literally? Are historical events in the Bible to be taken literally? Is the Bible scientifically accurate?

What does literal mean?

Literal is sometimes used as hyperbole: "I literally lost my head." Literal is sometimes used as a contrast to hyperbole: "That's the literal truth." Therefore, the question can only be answered after the definition of the word literal is provided.

Begin with the local library. Each book is classified as fiction or non-fiction. Is the Bible fiction or non-fiction? If the Bible is shelved among the non-fiction books, it indicates a contrast to the fable, myth, comic book, novel, fairy tale and the legend genres of literature.

What book in your library do you understand to be literally true? To be interpreted literally? Every word understood as literally true?

Should the Bible be taken literally? Yes, if literal means the common, usual way people communicate with one another, using figures of speech (metaphor, hyperbole, simile, personification, anthropomorphism, figurative language, euphemism, allegory, parable, irony, proverb, and ad. infinitum.

Should the Bible be taken literally? No, not if literal excludes the common, usual way people communicate with one another...

"Wooden literalism" is often used to describe absurdities that result from a distortion of meanings for literal.

Your local meteorologist does not believe that the sun revolves around a stationary earth, yet, he will report the time of sunrise and sunset. Should the weatherman be taken literally? No. He does not intend to claim that the sun revolves around a stationary earth. Yes. He does want to report the duration of sunlight available for outdoor activities for the next day. No one is confused.

Did Jesus believe Herod had four feet and a bushy tail or that Herod was hiding evil intentions (Luke 13:32)? No one should be confused. But, perhaps, some are.

Literal is a loaded word when discussing the Bible, but does not appear to be as difficult to understand in other contexts. To most Christians the Bible is unique. But, literal should not have a singular meaning applied only to the Bible (to be accepted or rejected) that is not consistent with the traditional standards given to other forms of literature.

  Dennis Wilhoit is a member of the Sunrise Church of Christ in San Diego, CA.  The Sunrise church is going through a period of transition: Questioning Church of Christ traditions, Christian traditions, vision casting, the emerging church, modernity, post modernity, etc.  The Sunrise church is searching for “old answers to new questions,” but ever determined to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

 The SonriseBibleStudy web site contains several articles written by Dennis and links to other material the church is thinking about.

 Dennis holds the Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible from Lubbock Christian University and served as a minister with the Churches of Christ for 16 years in New Mexico, Illinois, Kansas and Arizona.

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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)
» left by Avis Ward
 3 years 22 days ago.
132 fans.
Dennis, I can't wait to read the comments on this one. Normally, I answer a question, particularly when it's asked in the title of an article. This time I won't because I am not confused or conflicted by what I do not know or believe. My faith is about God and I believe if there were no Bible, it would still be about God.

I appreciate the comparisons and definitions. I especially liked your last paragraph yet have found nothing in literature like the Written Word in the Gospels. I enjoy reading a wide range of subjects and will expand my interests just to discover how much I do not know. Life is grand!

Enjoy a lovely weekend.
» left by Connor Davidson
 3 years 22 days ago.
95 fans. Follow Connor Davidson on twitter!
Great article. Well done.
 
It is a mater of belief- If you belief in god you take it literally but if you don't you criticize it.
» left by Joel Hendon 2 years 357 days ago.
Connor, I have to disagree with you there friend. It is either literal or it is not and what we believe has nothing to do with it. It may be fiction in someone's mind but that does make it true.
 
I knew a man a few years ago, now deceased. He refused to accept that anyone had ever landed on the moon. According to your explanation, he was right?
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