What is the correct way to interpret the Bible?

[Justin108]

those that interpret the bible correctly will never find any of its statements contradict proven scientific fact.

What is the "correct" way to interpret the Bible? Is there an objective "correct" way to interpret the Bible? If so, what methods should one employ to interpret the Bible "correctly"?

Let's use Genesis 1 as an example. What is the correct interpretation of Genesis 1 and what method did you employ to conclude your interpretation?

Specifically...

1. Is Genesis 1 literal or metaphorical? (what method did you use to reach this conclusion?)

2. If it is metaphorical, what is it a metaphor for? (what method did you use to reach this conclusion?)

3. What is your explanation for the Genesis 1 claim that God created plants before he created the sun? (and again, what method did you use to reach this conclusion?)

[Justin108]

[Replying to post 22 by rikuoamero]

1 Corinthians 2:
14But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.

Suppose the Quran had a verse like that. How would you respond?

I really do not care what the Quran has to say.

Why not? What if Allah is the one, true god?

Dead issue. Not worth a debate. Do not care about allah.

I hope at least you appreciate the point I'm making in that everything you can say in support of Christianity can also be used in support of Islam. You understand that, right?

[Benoni]

[Replying to post 30 by Benoni]

The difference between Islam and Christianity is Christianity believes we come out of darkness into the light. Christianity has had many a dark age and many believes are still there but that is the exception not the rule. All religion restrict people that is why I am so anti religion christian or what ever. BONDAGE. I agree there are many religions in christianity this is not the case but this my walk in God is a spiritual walk always progressive.

Islam still has its women as slaves or second class citizens and are required to wear a complete covering. Islam still has slavery, still beheads people and homosexuals. That is darkness. They are living in the dark ages and refuse to leave.

[Justin108]

Islam still has its women as slaves or second class citizens and are required to wear a complete covering. Islam still has slavery, still beheads people and homosexuals.

But your God used to behave in the exact same way. Does the fact that he changed excuse what he did? Why did God change in the first place if he was meant to be perfect all along?

Did God once command the death of homosexuals? Yes or no?
Did God once condone slavery? Yes or no?

[Benoni]

Islam still has its women as slaves or second class citizens and are required to wear a complete covering. Islam still has slavery, still beheads people and homosexuals.

But your God used to behave in the exact same way. Does the fact that he changed excuse what he did? Why did God change in the first place if he was meant to be perfect all along?

Did God once command the death of homosexuals? Yes or no?
Did God once condone slavery? Yes or no?

In the end Homosexuals as well as all mankind will see who God really is not what religion tells us who he is. That is why I love debating here.

God is the first cause the last cause and all the causes in between. He is the Alpha and Omega and I will add all the Greek letters in between. I have been expressing this from the get go. to put it simple this world is a testing place of trial and tribulation, death and sin so we as his sons will go though the spiritual fires of God and be refined as silver and gold. What good is a son who will rule and reign with Christ in the ages to come if that son has not experience any negative. God sees this realm as temporary; but we humans see it as all there is. Its not.

[Justin108]

Islam still has its women as slaves or second class citizens and are required to wear a complete covering. Islam still has slavery, still beheads people and homosexuals.

But your God used to behave in the exact same way. Does the fact that he changed excuse what he did? Why did God change in the first place if he was meant to be perfect all along?

Did God once command the death of homosexuals? Yes or no?
Did God once condone slavery? Yes or no?

In the end Homosexuals as well as all mankind will see who God really is not what religion tells us who he is. That is why I love debating here.

God is the first cause the last cause and all the causes in between. He is the Alpha and Omega and I will add all the Greek letters in between. I have been expressing this from the get go. to put it simple this world is a testing place of trial and tribulation, death and sin so we as his sons will go though the spiritual fires of God and be refined as silver and gold. What good is a son who will rule and reign with Christ in the ages to come if that son has not experience any negative. God sees this realm as temporary; but we humans see it as all there is. Its not.

Ok what does any of this have to do with what I said? I asked several specific questions. Care to answer them?

[Benoni]

Islam still has its women as slaves or second class citizens and are required to wear a complete covering. Islam still has slavery, still beheads people and homosexuals.

But your God used to behave in the exact same way. Does the fact that he changed excuse what he did? Why did God change in the first place if he was meant to be perfect all along?

Did God once command the death of homosexuals? Yes or no?

Yes.
Did God once condone slavery? Yes or no?

Yes

What you do not get is God shows us darkness first. Without no darkness what good is someone if all they see is the light. Its called growth and maturity but on an eternal scale. You measure God's dealings with man as if that is all there is.

[Justin108]

Islam still has its women as slaves or second class citizens and are required to wear a complete covering. Islam still has slavery, still beheads people and homosexuals.

But your God used to behave in the exact same way. Does the fact that he changed excuse what he did? Why did God change in the first place if he was meant to be perfect all along?

Did God once command the death of homosexuals? Yes or no?

Yes.
Did God once condone slavery? Yes or no?

Yes

What you do not get is God shows us darkness first.

Firstly, God did not show us darkness, he showed our ancestors darkness. So now we have several generations of Jews who know the darkness of slavery and being killed for homosexuality, whereas today, we (in the west) experience no such darkness. So what was the purpose?

Secondly, as history has shown us, we don't need God to show us darkness. We create our own darkness. Why would God add to that darkness by outright instructing us to commit evil? Are you seriously telling me God told us to do evil just so we can experience darkness? That's like a parent telling his child to murder the family dog just so they can see the dark side of the world. What kind of psychotic parent would do this?

Without no darkness what good is someone if all they see is the light. Its called growth and maturity but on an eternal scale.

Was it necessary for God to instruct us to commit evil in order for us to experience evil? Would we not have experienced evil regardless? This must be the worst apologist argument I have ever heard.

[RightReason]

[Replying to Justin108]

Saying all that is necessary to read the Bible is with the help of the Holy Spirit is incomplete. Every sincere Christian claims to be reading the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and yet there are thousands of different Christian denominations all teaching different things. Being open to the Holy Spirit is necessary when reading the Bible, but that refers more to allowing the Holy Spirit to personally speak to you and help you see how what is written in the Bible can be applied to your life. But FIRST, it is necessary to follow the good advice presented in the following article http://www.catholicbible101.com/howtoreadthebible.htm

Here are some excerpts from that article:


The Bible is meant to be read in its entirety, and never to be taken out of context.

You must read the bible with a sense of Tradition, what the original author meant to say, not what you think it means.

The third rule to follow is that no interpretation of the bible can contradict Church teaching, since the Bible is a product of the Church.

An important point to remember in reading the Bible is that our salvation is nothing more than Divine sonship with Jesus.

In a lot of cases, the New Testament reading is prefigured in the Old Testament. For instance, when one reads that Jesus’ face shone like the sun in Matthew 17, you can flip way back in the Old Testament and see that Moses’ face also shone (Exodus 34). The deeper meaning here is that Moses was a biblical “type�, or foreshadowing of Jesus - Moses was the lawgiver in the Old Testament; Jesus is the lawgiver of the New Testament.

There are 4 basic levels of scripture to understand: The literal sense, the allegorical sense, the moral sense, and the anagogical sense.

And last, we should never put our own personal interpretation on scripture, unless it agrees with the Tradition of the Catholic Church. St. Peter himself warns against this practice in 2 Peter 1 and 2 Peter 3.

The Church is the Worldwide Kingdom of God on earth!

So get a good Catholic Bible with great indexed footnotes. Read the Bible like Jesus is talking to you personally. Look for Biblical types of Jesus in the Old Testament like Adam, Moses, and Joseph. Don’t take scripture verses out of context. And if studying the Bible doesn’t make you a more loving, kind, and gentle person, then you are doing something wrong. The end result of your scripture study should not make you into a know-it-all arrogant person. It should make you more like Jesus.

http://www.catholicbible101.com/howtoreadthebible.htm

[Justin108]

The third rule to follow is that no interpretation of the bible can contradict Church teaching, since the Bible is a product of the Church.

...And last, we should never put our own personal interpretation on scripture, unless it agrees with the Tradition of the Catholic Church. St. Peter himself warns against this practice in 2 Peter 1 and 2 Peter 3.

The Church is the Worldwide Kingdom of God on earth!

So get a good Catholic Bible with great indexed footnotes.

So you're saying Catholicism is right and all other Christian denominations are wrong. Am I understanding you correctly?

[RightReason]

[Replying to post 39 by Justin108]

So you're saying Catholicism is right and all other Christian denominations are wrong. Am I understanding you correctly?

Yes, of course. There can’t be two truths. Christ established One, Holy, Catholic, And Apostolic Church, who we were instructed to listen to.

I’m sure other religions believe their church is the one true church – otherwise I don’t understand why they would be a member?

So, of course I believe the Catholic Church is Christ’s Church on earth. We can go into detail – though probably a topic for another thread – as to how we can know this.

And even if you don’t believe it is the Catholic Church which is the one true faith, you have to acknowledge the necessity of having one, universal, authoritative earthly voice, right? For one thing, it would solve the question of your original post of this thread. Nothing else makes sense.