Do I have to take the Bible literally?
Kieran Robertson
I take the Bible naturally. Let me explain:
Like any form of literature that you read, it is essential that you understand what the author is trying to tell you. So it helps if you know who wrote it and when , in what style and for what purpose.
As you may know the Bible is actually a collection of books written over a period of 1500 years by over 40 different authors including a King of Israel, a fisherman, a doctor and others.
The authors also differed in the literary types of their writing. Some of it is meant to be taken literally- for example the books from 1 Samuel to 2 Chronicles cover five centuries worth of the history of Israel.
Other books or parts of books include poetry which tend to describe the authors hopes and fears Or express their thanks and praise or even disappointment with God. Most of this type of literature, as in English is not meant to be taken literally, for instance you wouldn't take the following verse from Psalm 98 literally would you?
Let the rivers clap their hands, let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord
Psalm 98:8
Rivers don't have hands and hills don't have voices! It is clearly meant to be a literary device to express the emotions of the author about the majesty of God.
The Old Testament prophets and Christ himself were particularly fond of using parables, which are designed to make you think and respond to a simple story.
As you flick to the back of the Bible you may notice that some of the books are personal letters to the first Christians. Some are letters of encouragement and some are written to put the readers back on the right track or to clear up matters of confusion within the early church. Often these letters can be applied to our lives but sometimes various instructions were for a particular context and time, which we do not find ourselves in.
Then there are the ancient forms of literature called apocalyptic, prophecy and wisdom literature. These take the most work to interpret correctly.
Apocalyptic is a form of literature which appears in the books of Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Revelation to John. It is a carefully constructed type of literature that uses cryptic language and rich symbolism of fantasy and numbers.
These images and numbers are not meant to be taken literally but figuratively. The whole package is meant to inspire the readers and give them confidence in the supremacy of God despite the terrible persecution they find themselves in.
Prophets are often called covenant enforcers because they use figurative language to call the people back to God and to stick to their part of the deal - the covenant - made with God.
Wisdom literature can be found in the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon and the book of Job. These books are all about making godly choices in life and include figurative rather than literal phrases that suggestively point to the truth.
Despite all this diversity of literature type and there are even more I have not mentioned; despite the differences of location and time of authorship, the Bible holds together and has one big theme; bringing the people back to God.
Ultimately, I would suggest that the only way you are going to come to terms with the Bible as it is intended to be taken is if you accept that there is such a thing as the absolute truth. (See our article on relativism).
Once that is straight in your head you need to see that the absolute truth is embodied in the literal crucifixion and the literal resurrection of the historical Jesus of Nazareth.
Once you can see and accept these events as history the other seemingly impossible events in the Bible may be come to terms with. You will then be able to read the Bible naturally, as it is intended.
So when it comes to taking the Bible literally I would say take it naturally; appreciate that some of the detail is meant to be taken literally but some of it is not meant to be.
But above all appreciate the overall theme that the Bible is God's message to us that our relationship with him has been restored through the cross of Christ.