How to interpret the Holy Bible?

[DiscipleOfTruth]

How should a person determine if the intended interpretation of a scripture should be literal or figurative?

[ttruscott]

The golden rule of biblical interpretation is that usually the plainest sense or interpretation most closely resembles what GOD wants us to do or know.

peace

[Darias]

The golden rule of biblical interpretation is that usually the plainest sense or interpretation most closely resembles what GOD wants us to do or know.

peace

Do you define "plain" as "literal"? That certainly wouldn't be the case when reading about the teachings of Jesus, which were so often metaphorical.

[Peg]

The golden rule of biblical interpretation is that usually the plainest sense or interpretation most closely resembles what GOD wants us to do or know.

peace

Do you define "plain" as "literal"? That certainly wouldn't be the case when reading about the teachings of Jesus, which were so often metaphorical.

some things are literal and others are metaphorical or symbolic... when reading the text you can determine which is which by the context of the passage you are reading. You are probably better off asking about specific verses and looking at them individually.

[JehovahsWitness]

How should a person determine if the intended interpretation of a scripture should be literal or figurative?

QUESTION: How can the reader know which scriptures are literal and which are to be taken symbollically?

Context and logic would be the key to this. For example Jesus refered to his disciples as his "sheep". He often did so with in the context of a illustration or a story. Also, logically, we know that Jesus came to teach humans and not animals since sheep do not have the intellectual capacity to grasp Jesus words. It is illogical to conclude that Jesus followers actually changed into four legged animals covered in wool, thus both context and logic help us to reason and come to the conclusion that Jesus was not speaking literally but was in fact using a metaphor.


FURTHER


Few books, writings or pieces of literature (short perhaps of the telephone book or an technical manual of some sorts) are wholely literal or wholely figurative. Most things you will read are a mixture of both and the bible is not exception. Within the pages of the bible you will indeed find examples of allegory.

• Allegory is defined as
  1 : the expression by means of SYMBOLIC FICTIONAL FIGURES and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence; also : an instance (as in a story or painting) of such expression
  2 : a symbolic representation.

QUESTION: Is EVERYTHING in the bible allegory or "fictional"?

No, far from it. Many of the individuals and events are historically factual. However much of the language and many of the prophecies are conveyed in symbols, stories and illustrations.

For example There is a passage in the bible where the israelites are instructed to go outside their camp, dig a hole and when they have passed excrement to cover it over. They took that passage literally, these passages were sanitory laws to be taken literally, not as an allegory.

However, Jesus (himself a historical figure) often used allegory or stories to teach a point. One of his most popular stories was of the "good samaritan". This Samaritan, never really existed, he was in fact a fictional character but Jesus told this story to teach that people should treat each other with kindness and compassion (see Luke chapter 10).

There you have two passages. Both in the bible. The first literal and the second figurative or allegorical; in short the bible contains both literal, factual information and passages that are to be understood as an allegory or illustrations teaching a basic truth.

QUESTION: How can the reader know which scriptures are literal and which are to be taken symbollically?

Context and logic would be the key to this. For example Jesus refered to his disciples as his "sheep". He often did so with in the context of a illustration or a story. Also, logically, we know that Jesus came to teach humans and not animals since sheep do not have the intellectual capacity to grasp Jesus words. It is illogical to conclude that Jesus followers actually changed into four legged animals covered in wool, thus both context and logic help us to reason and come to the conclusion that Jesus was not speaking literally but was in fact using a metaphor.


Why do believers 'pick and chose' what should be taken literally? Who gets to decide?

Discerning between the literal and the idomatic, figurative or symbolic is part of how language works. This is not problamatic. That the bible requires the reader to use intelligence and take context into account when reading should not be problamatic for the discerning reader.

The "requirement" that a written work be either 100% literal or 100% symbolic is something that is not imposed on any other written work outside of instructional manuals and is often used as an attempt to make nonsense of the bible or imply those that follow its principles are not intellectually honest.

[DiscipleOfTruth]

Thank you for the responses. However, I was thinking about something more difficult such as Revelation, and the following things that some people say are figurative:

1.The 7 days of creation(heard an interpretation that each day represented a thousand years because of a scripture where it says '' a thousand years are the same as one day to God''.

2.The story of Adam and Eve

3.The story of Noah and the flood.

Then there are scriptures that are vague which either lead a person to believe that consumption of alcohol( without getting drunk) is and isn't a sin.

I'm sure in time I could present alot more but these are some good examples for now. I'm trying to understand how people reach these conclusions and learn what is the right procedure in finding the correct interpretation.

[bluethread]

Thank you for the responses. However, I was thinking about something more difficult such as Revelation, and the following things that some people say are figurative:

1.The 7 days of creation(heard an interpretation that each day represented a thousand years because of a scripture where it says '' a thousand years are the same as one day to God''.

2.The story of Adam and Eve

3.The story of Noah and the flood.

Then there are scriptures that are vague which either lead a person to believe that consumption of alcohol( without getting drunk) is and isn't a sin.

I'm sure in time I could present alot more but these are some good examples for now. I'm trying to understand how people reach these conclusions and learn what is the right procedure in finding the correct interpretation.

Looking at the examples you are giving, a good way to start is to ask yourself, what does it matter. Does it really matter to you whether the earth was created in a literal 7 days or not? If it does, then you might begin by looking at what was going on when it was written. You could also look at what words were used, in what order and in what language. Finally, with that understanding, you can step back, take a look at the passage as a whole and see what looks reasonable. The revelation requires this approach. I really do not see how a NT only person could make heads or tails out of it. It is full of cultural and Scriptural imagery from the time before Yeshua start to finish.

[faith]

How should a person determine if the intended interpretation of a scripture should be literal or figurative?

Not sure what you are basing your question upon.

For the believer they receive the word of God through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. So determining the literal or figurative would be hit and miss for non-believers.

I think you have to see Gods word as truth.
Then progress from that stance onwards.

[DiscipleOfTruth]

So you're saying it's impossible to have a correct understanding of the Bible without faith?

[McCulloch]

So you're saying it's impossible to have a correct understanding of the Bible without faith?

It would seem that way. The Bible was written, apparently somewhat cryptically and the magic secret decoder is the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit of God to guide you, the deeper meanings of the words will be impossible for you to decipher.
Right?