Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
The Truth in Gods word
The Bible is not all literal and it is not all symbolic. Some is literal and some is symbolic. It is not always one way.
This has to be the most obvious and logical statement anyone can make on the Bible, right? I mean, "Duh!" If anyone was to say it is always literal or always symbolic, they would practically be begging for people to tell them how ridiculous they are.
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Revelation 1:14-16 NASB
14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15 His feet were like burnished bronze when it has been heated to a glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. 16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
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This was John describing Jesus. Can anyone honestly take this completely literal? Do you honestly think Jesus walked around with eyes that were on fire and a sword sticking out of his mouth? Seriously? Of course this is not literal. It is absolutely obvious this is symbolic. Hair that is white like woll or snow is speaking of His purity. White is often symbolic for being pure. Same with fire. Things are cleansed by fire. Fire purifies things and kills the germs. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace is not talking about the color of his skin. WHen Bronze is heated in a furnace to the point of glowing, it becomes a very bright white. Which again is speaking of purity. The sword for a tongue is saying He has a sharp tongue. His words are always truthful and sometimes the truth cuts deep.
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Mark 1:40-42 NASB
40 And a man with leprosy *came to Jesus, imploring Him and kneeling down, and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, and *said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
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Do you think this is symbolic? Do you not believe that Jesus literally healed people? Do you honestly believe that this is all a metaphor for something? No! We know this is real. We know Jesus healed people.
Clearly, there are some areas of God's word that need to be seen as literal and some areas that are symbolic. The real problem is in recognizing when it is literal and when it is symbolic.
The simplest rule to follow is to always look to take it literal unless there is actually a logical reason to see it as symbolic. But keep in mind that to make it fit what you want to believe is not considered a logical reason to make it symbolic.
The biggest mistake many make in interpreting scripture is to pick and choose at their liking to make scriptures symbolic. Too often Christians make verses symbolic when there is no logical reason to see them in such a way.
If we have artistic license to just pick and choose scriptures to make symbolic for no other reason than to fit what we want to believe, Gods word no longer can be trusted. Who is the authority then on what is symbolic and what is literal? At that point how do we know the scriptures telling us how we are saved are even true? How can we know that salvation is even real anymore? Maybe Jesus didnt actually die for us and the crucifixion is all just symbolism? Who's to say?
Do you think you have the authority to decide what is symbolic and what is literal? Do I have that kind of authority? Who does? Nobody!
The moment we give mankind the license to choose when it is symbolic and when it is literal, we give mankind the authority to make Gods word mean anything his imagination wants to. And there is no limit to how perverted man's imagination will twist God's word!
There must be rules in place for knowing when it is symbolic and when it is literal. Rules that keep our imaginations in check. Otherwise we are saying God didn't have anything real to say. Everything in the Bible is according to our imagination and it was basically completely senseless for God to ever have His word written down.
The fact that we have hundreds and to some estimates thousands of denominations in Christianity today, is proof of what man's imagination will do. This church interprets scripture to say we are saved by works. Another church interprets it to say we are saved through faith in Jesus alone. So which is right? How can you know? They cannot possibly both be right, but since both churches have the authority to interpret Gods word as they see fit, then neither can be told they are wrong.
If you have the right to choose what is symbolic, it becomes impossible to know what the truth is!
If there is one thing I can absolutely guarantee, it is that God was specific in what He wanted in His word. The Bible was written by men, but the Holy Spirit inside them made certain the truth was written down. We as flawed human beings do not have the right to pick and choose what God's word means.
The only logical way to find God's truth is to look for scriptures that are so plainly stated that they only have one interpretation. Then we absolutely "must" take those scriptures as literal. Logically, we should be looking at God's word as literal as much as we can. The only time we should make anything symbolic is when there is a logical reason to say it is symbolic.
I tell you plainly, the ONLY reason anyone would argue that we have the right to make whatever we wish symbolic, is if they are teaching lies and they know the only way they can keep their beliefs is if they twist Gods word. And you twist Gods word by making scripture symbolic.
I will say it a third time. We should see Gods word as being literal unless there is a logical reason to say something is symbolic. For if we can pick and choose when Gods word is symbolic, we literally render Gods word useless.
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Now there is also a problem with some claiming some prophecies are fulfilled spiritually. This is literally impossible to be true. The entire purpose of God giving us prophecy to begin with is so that when it is fulfilled, we can know it was God. If a prophecy could be fulfilled spiritually, it would literally render that prophecy as useless.
"This prophecy was fulfilled spiritually!"
"Really? How do you know it was fulfilled?"
"Well it must have been if what I believe is to be true."
Really? How ridiculous is that?
If you cannot show events that fulfill a prophecy, then that prophecy has likely not been fulfilled.
With each of us, we should all be looking for God's truth and not man's interpretation. You simply cannot do that if you allow man's imagination to control what God's word means.
This has to be the most obvious and logical statement anyone can make on the Bible, right? I mean, "Duh!" If anyone was to say it is always literal or always symbolic, they would practically be begging for people to tell them how ridiculous they are.
-------
Revelation 1:14-16 NASB
14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15 His feet were like burnished bronze when it has been heated to a glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. 16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
-------
This was John describing Jesus. Can anyone honestly take this completely literal? Do you honestly think Jesus walked around with eyes that were on fire and a sword sticking out of his mouth? Seriously? Of course this is not literal. It is absolutely obvious this is symbolic. Hair that is white like woll or snow is speaking of His purity. White is often symbolic for being pure. Same with fire. Things are cleansed by fire. Fire purifies things and kills the germs. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace is not talking about the color of his skin. WHen Bronze is heated in a furnace to the point of glowing, it becomes a very bright white. Which again is speaking of purity. The sword for a tongue is saying He has a sharp tongue. His words are always truthful and sometimes the truth cuts deep.
-------
Mark 1:40-42 NASB
40 And a man with leprosy *came to Jesus, imploring Him and kneeling down, and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, and *said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
-------
Do you think this is symbolic? Do you not believe that Jesus literally healed people? Do you honestly believe that this is all a metaphor for something? No! We know this is real. We know Jesus healed people.
Clearly, there are some areas of God's word that need to be seen as literal and some areas that are symbolic. The real problem is in recognizing when it is literal and when it is symbolic.
The simplest rule to follow is to always look to take it literal unless there is actually a logical reason to see it as symbolic. But keep in mind that to make it fit what you want to believe is not considered a logical reason to make it symbolic.
The biggest mistake many make in interpreting scripture is to pick and choose at their liking to make scriptures symbolic. Too often Christians make verses symbolic when there is no logical reason to see them in such a way.
If we have artistic license to just pick and choose scriptures to make symbolic for no other reason than to fit what we want to believe, Gods word no longer can be trusted. Who is the authority then on what is symbolic and what is literal? At that point how do we know the scriptures telling us how we are saved are even true? How can we know that salvation is even real anymore? Maybe Jesus didnt actually die for us and the crucifixion is all just symbolism? Who's to say?
Do you think you have the authority to decide what is symbolic and what is literal? Do I have that kind of authority? Who does? Nobody!
The moment we give mankind the license to choose when it is symbolic and when it is literal, we give mankind the authority to make Gods word mean anything his imagination wants to. And there is no limit to how perverted man's imagination will twist God's word!
There must be rules in place for knowing when it is symbolic and when it is literal. Rules that keep our imaginations in check. Otherwise we are saying God didn't have anything real to say. Everything in the Bible is according to our imagination and it was basically completely senseless for God to ever have His word written down.
The fact that we have hundreds and to some estimates thousands of denominations in Christianity today, is proof of what man's imagination will do. This church interprets scripture to say we are saved by works. Another church interprets it to say we are saved through faith in Jesus alone. So which is right? How can you know? They cannot possibly both be right, but since both churches have the authority to interpret Gods word as they see fit, then neither can be told they are wrong.
If you have the right to choose what is symbolic, it becomes impossible to know what the truth is!
If there is one thing I can absolutely guarantee, it is that God was specific in what He wanted in His word. The Bible was written by men, but the Holy Spirit inside them made certain the truth was written down. We as flawed human beings do not have the right to pick and choose what God's word means.
The only logical way to find God's truth is to look for scriptures that are so plainly stated that they only have one interpretation. Then we absolutely "must" take those scriptures as literal. Logically, we should be looking at God's word as literal as much as we can. The only time we should make anything symbolic is when there is a logical reason to say it is symbolic.
I tell you plainly, the ONLY reason anyone would argue that we have the right to make whatever we wish symbolic, is if they are teaching lies and they know the only way they can keep their beliefs is if they twist Gods word. And you twist Gods word by making scripture symbolic.
I will say it a third time. We should see Gods word as being literal unless there is a logical reason to say something is symbolic. For if we can pick and choose when Gods word is symbolic, we literally render Gods word useless.
--------
Now there is also a problem with some claiming some prophecies are fulfilled spiritually. This is literally impossible to be true. The entire purpose of God giving us prophecy to begin with is so that when it is fulfilled, we can know it was God. If a prophecy could be fulfilled spiritually, it would literally render that prophecy as useless.
"This prophecy was fulfilled spiritually!"
"Really? How do you know it was fulfilled?"
"Well it must have been if what I believe is to be true."
Really? How ridiculous is that?
If you cannot show events that fulfill a prophecy, then that prophecy has likely not been fulfilled.
With each of us, we should all be looking for God's truth and not man's interpretation. You simply cannot do that if you allow man's imagination to control what God's word means.