When I was younger I used to insist that we take the Bible literally. I said those words without really thinking about what they meant. There are many passages that cannot be taken literally.
- Mark 9:47 If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out.
- John 6:54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life
- Deuteronomy 21:18-21 A rebellious son is to be put to death.
- 1 Peter 2:18 Slaves obey your masters...
- Ex 21:24 an eye for an eye...
- Deut 28:53 We are to eat our children during a siege... [look it up if you don't believe me]
People that insist that the Bible be taken literally would not take any of the above passages literally. And there are more that I could list that they would not take literally if I wanted to take the time to look them up.
What most folks are saying when they insist that we take the Bible literally is that we should respect the Bible and not challenge their interpretation of it.
I am all for respecting the Bible. We should read it for it's insights, its wisdom, its inspiration, and its direction. But the Bible is not God. There are only three parts to the trinity, Father, Son and Spirit. The Bible does not point us toward itself. It is not the goal of our faith. God is the end and the goal. The Bible is one of the means to that end.
The Bible should not be used to separate people from each other, but to draw us all together. May we fight about the Bible less, lean on it more as we are able, and keep pressing our way towards the God of grace and love.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
Send replies and death threats to jsbrink57@gmail.com
Send replies and death threats to jsbrink57@gmail.com
I am leading some trips in 2018. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....
Holy Land via Jordan
March 5-14 2018
Wesley's Ireland
October 8-17, 2018
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