Opus 2013-180: Taking the Bible Literally

Allistair Begg was talking about John the Baptist.  As he spoke he quoted something in the passage about John that he called hyperbole, “All of Israel went out to hear him.”  I could not find that exact quote but I did find the following.

(Matthew 3:5 KJV)  Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

His comments got me thinking about how people argue about Biblical inspiration, literal interpretation and what is called inerrancy.  People turn off their brains when these issues come up.  Biblical inspiration and inerrancy do not mean that you take every word in its absolute literal meaning. 

Take the statement above.  I doubt if the city of Jerusalem went out to the Jordan to see John.  I doubt is everyone in Judea heard him preach.  No one who is rational would question that this is a literary device.  No rational person would assume that when it says, “All people” it did not mean “all people.”  The Bible is to be interpreted the way it was intended to be interpreted not the way its critics want to interpret it.

Another good example of figurative language is,

(Psalms 91:4 KJV)  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

In the context this is clearly talking about God.  No one who is in their right mind thinks God is a big chicken with wings we will hide under.  A rational mind understands that this is a figure of speech. 

We can disagree on whether something is to be taken literally.  We can disagree on whether the parables are observed events or composed stories.  We can argue about whether Job was a real person.  That is all in the family.

But don’t take those arguments as a reason to doubt that the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit, preserved by the Holy Spirit and understood through the Holy Spirit. 

It does not follow.

homo unius libri