Is the Bible to be taken literally?

Davinci's Code is a stupid myth. I don't understand why America is so obsessed with it when none of it is verifiable. Just my 2 cents on that...

First, the ten commandments, as well as Jesus' clarifications of them in His sermon on the mount, are certainly intended to be interpretted literally, just as all law is.

The reason that a lot of Christians say that it's merely suggestions, is because they have a misconception of the freedom that the New Testament talks about. Although we are free from the law, the law is still important, and God says that if we love Him, we'll obey His commandments. Although the law no longer has the power to condemn us, this freedom is not intended as a license to break the law. We are instead told to "walk in the Spirit" and to seek after God's will. This is done by keeping the law, among other things.

As for the sabbath thing, that's a huge problem with today's church. There's an interesting article I found on a xanga... http://www.xanga.com/fkiprofessor

Check out what he's got to say about the sabbath -- I think he's right on.

The Bible should be taken literally whenever the context suggests. For example when Jesus is using a parable we should be looking for the principal of the parable instead of the literal details.

The Ten Commandments are to be kept unless they are further interpreted by Jesus’ summation of the law:

Matthew 22:36-40

36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"

37 And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'

38 "This is the great and foremost commandment.

39 "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'

40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

You might be asking how the 10 commandment can be further interpreted by those two commandments. That’s a good question – it happened in Mark 3 (also see Matt 12)

Mark 3:2-5

2 They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.

3 He said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and come forward!"

4 And He said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?" But they kept silent.

5 After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

Jesus understood the true meaning of the law and chose to heal the man. It would seem that he broke the law when he really was staying true to the meaning of the law as a whole.

I think you make a good point – Context or not people want to bend God’s word to their will. Sadly there is nothing we can do about people like that but pray for then and when presented with an invitation share the context with them.

Yes and no. This is why Bible study is important and good to read up on some quality teachings. The Bible can be taken literally in certain parts and not in other parts, as they are figurative and metaphorical. That Jesus died on a cross is a fact, not symbolic. That Jesus rose from the dead is to be taken literally not metaphorically. For the whole faith rests on the historicity of these two events.

With regard to the Sabbath... boy, there's a bit of misunderstanding here. First, the 10 Commandments were given to the Jews. It was part of the covenant made between God and Abraham, and would define God's people in contrast to the other peoples in the ancient near east. The Hebrews would be his people and He would be their God, for God gave them the Law.

Gentile believers are not necessarily subject to the old covenant, although we can observe it if we wish. We are grafted into the family of God, but we are not under the same rules/laws of the old covenant relationship. We are under a new covenant, under different terms, under the new law of love and sacrifice as embodied and taught by Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

So as such, the keeping of the Sabbath can be metaphorical for the Gentile Chrisitan (or any othe Christian), because the law is not in effect - it's been fulfilled. We have the freedom to choose to meet on Sunday morning in celebration of the Resurrection.

The fact is... you have much freedom in Christ, now that the law is fulfilled. Meaning, you don't need to prove you are "good"... YOU ALREADY ARE. Christians merely need to live up to the reality of who they are in God's eyes... as his very good, precious children. The good news is that you dont need to expend any more energy proving yourself to anyone or to God. Christ has set you free. You are without blemish in Christ.

NO

THe bible is an amazing book that was written specifically to each and every one of us, and to take it literally would be to defy the purpose entirely. The reason that prayer and group discussions are so helpful in interpreting the bible is that each of us is capable of getting something entirely different from it, and no one of us can get all of it by ourselves. I am a christian, and I've never considered any commandment a "suggestion." However, the english translation of the bible is just a "suggestion" of what God really meant. Try reading the Bible in the original Hebrew and Greek. It is more humorous, more metaphorical, and easier to understand (other than the fact that it is in another language). God is the only one who can see into our hearts and see us for who we are, so i dont try to say someone is sinning or not sinning, christian or not christian, saved or not saved. Who am i to tell anybody whats right and wrong? I know what's right and wrong for me, and thats it.

This is a personal question to 'cluelessclown' about the response posted in 'mariane's' question about tithing & pastors' salaries.

'Clueless', you stated in that post that the best "teacher of scripture" that you knew didn't take a donation. What then, did this "teacher" do for a living?

NO WAY!

and SLAM DUNK pagan earthgirl.

????circular logic with no real basis in fact????

right and there are more fact in religion than science, ssssuuurrreeee, what ever you say.

You only consider believers to be qualified to respond??? Hmmm..... That's kinda scary.

hmmm and dont unbelivers just make blanket statements about christians and use circular logic with no real basis in fact. silly humans.

good point... maybe you should read DaVinci's code it's a very good book and it kinda' makes you wonder if there really is a God out there

Well, according to the catholic church, you are supposed to take it literally where it benefits them, and figuratively where that benefits them.