Should Christians Take The Bible Literally?

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“Do you actually take the Bible literally?” is a common question posed to Christians.  What is the answer?  Is taking the Bible literally backwards thinking?  Is not taking it literally sinful?
Thomas Jefferson's Edited Bible
For example, Jesus says that He is a door (John 10:9).  Are we supposed to take this literally?  Does Jesus have a doorknob, hinges and is made of wood?  Then how can He walk?  How could He even communicate that He was a door?

Clearly we have a problem.


DEFINE THE TERMS
When Christians claim that they take the Bible “literally,” I think they are really trying to assert that they believe the whole Bible to be true.  However, I think our understanding of the term “literally” is where we can get mixed up.  I’m going to use these terms:

“Literally” – meaning that we take the Bible as a collection of literary works, but we believe it to be wholly true in what it teaches.

“Literalistically” – meaning that we take the strict meaning of the words, leaving no room for metaphorical or figurative language.

When people ask about taking the Bible literally, I believe they are assuming the definition of “literalistically.”  Concerning literal interpretation of the Bible, Wikipedia says:

“Literal interpretation does place emphasis upon the referential aspect of the words or terms in the text. It does not, however, mean a complete denial of literary aspects, genre, or figures of speech within the text (e.g., parable, allegory, simile, or metaphor).  Also literalism does not necessarily lead to total and complete agreement upon one single interpretation for any given passage.” –Wikipedia

Christians are to take the Bible literally.  This means that we take the Bible to be wholly true in what it is communicating to us, and also includes considering the literary genre of the book, the cultural and historical background, as well as the grammatical words.  This means that when Jesus says He is a door (John 10:9), we don’t believe that He is an actual door; we instead believe that Jesus is using a metaphor to describe Himself as the only way to heaven.

The Bible speaks:
            -Literally – Jesus died and rose from the dead (Mark 16:9)
            -Poetically – God’s hands made the sky (Psalm 19:1)
            -Metaphorically – Jesus is a door (John 10:9)
            -And many other ways!


CONSIDER THE GENRE
The Bible is a collection of 66 books belonging to many different genres.  When we are reading a particular genre, we know to read it a certain way.  As I heard one professor say, “Genre triggers reading strategy.”  Biblical genres include:

            PENTATEUCH:
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
HISTORICAL / NARRATIVE:
Genesis and the first half of Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Jonah, and Acts
THE LAW:
Last half of Exodus; Leviticus, Deuteronomy
WISDOM:
Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes
PSALMS:
Psalms, Song of Solomon, Lamentations
PROPHECY:
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micha, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
APOCALYPTIC:
Daniel, Revelation
GOSPEL:
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
EPISTLE (LETTER):
Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2 and 3 John, Jude


FINAL THOUGHTS
We’ve seen that Christians are to take the Bible literally; however, we mean that we take the Bible to be wholly true, but also realize there is metaphoric and figurative language.  When we read the Bible, we should be considering the literary genre of the book, the cultural and historical backgrounds, the author’s original intent, as well as the grammatical meaning of the words.

All this being said, it should be noted that as Christians, we do not worship the Bible; we worship the God who is revealed in the Bible.  As you are reading the God's Word, remember that His purpose is that it would guide you through life, and that you would know Him more and love Him deeper! 

“Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”
-Psalm 119:105

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