Hey Andy, some people say to believe the Bible word for word otherwise we would be calling God a liar but, Jesus spoke to the crowds in riddles and metaphors which were explained when the apostles asked him. Could some events in the Bible be allegorical?
Hi, you know, I’ve always said that we should take the Bible literally in everything. But then, as I was reading Isaiah 37 yesterday, I had to question that, because so much of the prophecies made aren’t literal (objects are used in place of people, and they consider some as answered, even when taken out of context from the rest of the passage).
Metaphorically Reading the Bible
For instance, if you read Revelation where John talks about a dragon with several horns, he’s not saying that a real dragon like what we see in Game of Thrones or Godzilla will come out of the ocean and have several horns on it. Horns represent power, and the dragon represents something or someone.
Also, when John was describing something he’d never seen before, which we know today as resembling apache helicopters, to say that giant locusts with faces of humans and iron breastplates would be flying around taking out non-Christians because we have to read the Bible literally, would be absurd.
Literally vs. Metaphorically
The problem, I think, arises where people will argue which parts to take literally and which to take metaphorically. For instance, if Jesus tells us not to sin, then that should be taken literally. If Jesus tells us what sins not to commit and what to do instead, then that too should be taken literally. When Jesus spoke in parables, we should take the message/meaning literally, but the parable is a story, like an analogy, and should not be taken literally, but for the sake of the message.
When Jesus said that it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle (some rabbis later changed it to an elephant to keep up with the known large creatures), He’s not suggesting trying to squeeze a large animal through something that’s so tiny that it’s hard to see with the naked eye (for some needles), but that it’s difficult for a rich man to make it into the Kingdom because his focus is often to fixated on his wealth, riches, material items, power from all that, standards, rights, image, etc. that he’ll never even be able to (nor consider) putting God first, which is needed if you’re to even see the Kingdom of Heaven. So again, the words that Jesus spoke to get the message across should be taken metaphorically, but the meaning behind His message, literally.
Do you see what I mean?
So keep everything in context when reading it (context of the letter, context of the passage and/or section, context of the culture, context of the target audience, context of the whole Bible, etc.). Context is key, and needs to be considered when reading the Bible if you’re to understand it correctly.
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