Why every Christian should have a literal view of scripture.

[Akita Suggagaki]

It goes also for Genesis 1. Problem solved. Sorry, too easy?

In fact, the further back we go in history as portrayed in the Bible, the more we must take into account the non-literal nature.

For those who insist upon literal genesis. When do you believe it was written and by whom?

 

[trophy33]

It doesn't - Sorry

It does. Dont be sorry.

 

[Apple Sky]

As someone who does not take Genesis 1 or 2 literally I can tell you why.
The author of the text was not alive at the time of creation. We would have to infer that God revealed that narrative much much later. That is not so hard to believe.

Which he did, to Moses, as I reckon Moses (just like Elijah & Enoch) was translated to heaven more that once.

 

[Apple Sky]

In fact, the further back we go in history as portrayed in the Bible, the more we must take into account the non-literal nature.

For those who insist upon literal genesis. When do you believe it was written and by whom?

By Moses, during the time of Exodus, when he was on mount Sinia, dont forget he was gone a while, 40 days in all.

 

[Carl Emerson]

A rational view of both scripture and contemporary science compels us to LOOK DEEPER.

But will this lead to a fruitful pursuit, given that He can reverse the shadow on the stairs and turn water into vintage wine with age in an instant. Must we demand He operates within our sacrosanct 'rationality' ???

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

But will this lead to a fruitful pursuit, given that He can reverse the shadow on the stairs and turn water into vintage wine with age in an instant. Must we demand He operates within our sacrosanct 'rationality' ???

Must we anticipate that he will operate irrationally?

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

Certainly God can do things that transcend our limited rational capacity. But I do not think that He deceives those who study natural sciences into thinking the earth is much older than it actually is.

 

[Apple Sky]

Certainly God can do things that transcend our limited rational capacity. But I do not think that He deceives those who study natural sciences into thinking the earth is much older than it actually is.

This certainly makes me laugh when they say the earth is millions of years old, where do they get their figures from ?

 

[Strong in Him]

By Moses, during the time of Exodus, when he was on mount Sinia, dont forget he was gone a while, 40 days in all.

Because you take Scripture literally - or at least, most of it - you probably won't agree with this; but I read in a commentary once that, for the Jews, 40 days was an expression meaning "an undetermined length of time."
So whereas we might say "he was gone for ages", or, "he seemed to have vanished into space" or "disappeared from the face of the earth" - all figures of speech meaning that he was gone a long time and no one had heard from him - the Jews would have said "he was gone for 40 days". Or maybe "it rained for 40 days".
Moses might not have been on Mt Sinai for exactly 40 days - it could have been 38, 42 or maybe 29. He was gone a long time.
And the text does not even hint that he went up to heaven during that time, so why read that into it? In fact Moses later said to God "now show me your glory"; leading him to be hidden in a rock so that when the Lord passed by Moses only saw his back.
Would Moses have prayed "show me your glory" if he had previously spent several weeks in heaven with God?

 

[Strong in Him]

This certainly makes me laugh when they say the earth is millions of years old, where do they get their figures from ?

No idea.
But I imagine the scientists who study such things, know exactly where they get their figures, and data, from.

 

[Apple Sky]

so why read that into it?

By reading 'The Legend of the Jews' by Louis Ginzberg.

 

[Strong in Him]

By reading 'The Legend of the Jews' by Louis Ginzberg.

It's still reading into Scripture and seeing something that isn't there.

 

[Apple Sky]

It's still reading into Scripture and seeing something that isn't there.

True........

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

No idea.
But I imagine the scientists who study such things, know exactly where they get their figures, and data, from.

Yes, thank you. The answers to such questions are there for those willing to look.

 

[Niels]

4. It's foolishness to take the word of God symbolically because it undermines the authority of God and the very center of the Christian faith. The very center of the Christian faith is the words that Jesus said and his commandments and when we take his words symbolically we twist the very words that Jesus spoke and the Apostles thought were very important and recorded down.

Language is inherently symbolic. Including every letter of this reply and every line of code that comprises this website. As language is symbolic, we should strive to interpret how it is intended to be understood.

When reading the Bible, for instance, it can help to be aware of whether the parts we're reading are structurally poetry or prose. The creation story, for instance, takes a poetic chorus-verse-chorus structure indicative of poetry. Setting the stage for the Bible by defining God as the creator and telling the reader who the title of "God" refers to. Not a Zeus or Aphrodite type character, who even in their pagan narratives were understood to be created beings, but rather God is the creator of the heavens and the earth. Instead of getting hung up on whether the 6 days to God were identical to our 24 hour Earth days, we should ask ourselves why the creation story is there in the first place. Focusing instead on the purpose that it serves. This is the deeper meaning, but it isn't a hidden meaning. It's one that we can share regardless of whether we believe in Young Earth Creation or Theistic Evolution.

Jesus of Nazareth, the Son, the Word of God, is a historical figure who lived among us for a while during the period of Classical Antiquity. The civilization that he interacted with was rather advanced for the time. For context, the first Olympic games were hosted in 776 BC. Many hundreds of years before Jesus' birth. The Romans, Jews, and their neighbors had things like literature, art, theater, and perhaps in some cases indoor plumbing. The Gospel accounts are from this era and written in the form of prose. Jesus often taught using parables, intended to teach us deeper meanings, but his life and ultimate sacrifice for our sins should be interpreted as historical events.

 

[trophy33]

This certainly makes me laugh when they say the earth is millions of years old, where do they get their figures from ?

Billions, not millions.

I suppose you are able to google "how do we know the age of the earth", so its rather about your disbelief than not knowing and therefore your question is rhetorical.

 

[Apple Sky]

Billions, not millions.

I suppose you are able to google "how do we know the age of the earth", so its rather about your disbelief than not knowing and therefore your question is rhetorical.

True I don't know, but scripture tells me different.

A day for God is a thousand years for us.

 

[Strong in Him]

True I don't know, but scripture tells me different.

A day for God is a thousand years for us.

No.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

LIKE. "As" and "like" are similes.
God is outside time; what may seem a long time to us, 1,000 years, will be LIKE a day to him; a short period of time. Revelation ends with the words, "behold, I am coming soon". When we use the word "soon" we mean this afternoon, the next few days, next month. 2,000 years, for us, is not soon. But if we waited another 2,000 years for Christ's second coming; for him it would still be "soon".

Peter doesn't say "a day is the same as, or equal to, 1,000 years."

 

[FaithT]

It goes also for Genesis 1. Problem solved. Sorry, too easy?

LOL!

 

[FaithT]

As someone who does not take Genesis 1 or 2 literally I can tell you why.
The author of the text was not alive at the time of creation. We would have to infer that God revealed that narrative much much later. That is not so hard to believe. But we must also consider the fact that almost all cultures around the world have their won creation accounts. And, they all sound at odds with our current understanding of the universe. For example, the six day creation some six thousand years ago. A rational view of both scripture and contemporary science compels us to LOOK DEEPER. This takes us to the important realm of Hermeneutics, the study of the general principles of biblical interpretation. Hermeneutics | Definition, History, Principles, Examples, & Types


God gave us brains to observe and try to figure things out. We have come a long way. We do not know everything, of course. We are still learning. It is indeed possible that Genesis 1 is literal historical truth but it is not likely. That in no way undermines it's importance, meaning and impact. It invites us to look at it from other angles, other dimensions of and to not be satisfied our current interpretation , whether literal or allegorical or anagogical. It is always best to keep an open mind, continue to reflect and dwell with scripture. That means starting with the narrative AS IF it is literally historically true. Then, pondering themes, characters, dynamics, who wrote it and under what circumstances and motives. Then the important question: What is God saying and doing through all this. What is the real revelation to us about God and ourselves.

I left Catholicism for awhile to go to the LCMS church which takes Genesis as literally true. I couldn’t stay there and returned to the RCC because the LCMS doesn‘t accept evolution and they believe the universe is 6000 years old. I agree with your comment that God gave us brains to try to figure things out.