You can't take the whole bible literally?

I think what they meant to say was that particular part of the Bible was addressing a specific problem a specific church was having. It is to be taken literally. However, that is what Paul said. Jesus told us we are in charge of the children and the young wives. So we can in fact preach. You have to take into account that these were letters written from Paul to the church in Corinth and not all of his letters to Corinth were in the Bible. There were 6 letters in total we are only seeing 2 of them.

Secondly, there are parts of the Bible to be taken literally and those that shouldn't. I know that some cannot tell the difference but that is their own fault for not paying attention in 3rd grade English when the teacher went over literal and allegory.

I think you can take it literally, everywhere it intends you to take it literally. Let me try to explain.

Some people start by assuming that the Bible is all a bunch of lies, or that the supernatural is impossible. Then it's easy not to take it literally. It's not really a proof of anything, but that is where some people start - with these assumptions.

Others hear someone else claim there's a contradiction in the Bible, so there's no use listening to any of it, and they don't take it literally either!

A lot of people read the parts of the Bible where it tells you what is right or wrong, and they don't want to think they are doing wrong, so they reject it (and then look for reasons to support that rejection).

This is no surprise. Throughout the Bible itself it reports where, for example, the children of Israel just went off doing whatever they wanted, and then rejected the Bible of that time, and killed the Prophets of God sent by him to bring them back. Later on it says that people will not tolerate sound teaching and will go find teachers that make them feel good.

Finally, and probably the greatest number, are those people who don't read the Bible at all, and just take someone else's word for it - both those who don't believe, and those who do. That's a shame.

I think you can take the whole thing literally - where it is literal - and where it isn't, it will tell you, or you can tell easily enough. Just like when someone speaks to you, sometimes you have to use wisdom to figure out if they are kidding, or serious, or whatever.

For example, on the question of literal, is "the sun rose" literal? We all use it in general conversation. It has a literal meaning, right? You see the sun rising, ok, it's a new day. But some would criticize that because the sun isn't really rising, it's the earth spinning, and on that basis, would conclude that the Bible is in error. I would say, rather, that it uses language just the same way you and I do, although maybe a bit better! And so common expressions are not an error, they're just common expressions that everybody understands.

Another example: in the Book of the Revelation, there's a section where it says something like "And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up" from the Gospel According to Matthew. Is that literal? Well, a few verses later in the same book, in Matthew 13:18 and following, Jesus explains what the parable means, because it's not literal. It's a parable. But he _tells_ the Apostles, and thereby tells the reader, that this is not literal, so there's where the Bible isn't literal, and it says it isn't.

Can you safely take it literally, wherever it intends you to take it literally? Absolutely. I do it. Many do.

I know it's not fashionable to say this. I know a lot of people mock the Bible and those who believe it. That's no surprise.

My idea is to be kind to them anyhow. In the end we all make some mistakes, and we get some things right. No use being a jerk about it in the meantime. Maybe I was wrong about something, maybe they were, and maybe if we're kind to each other in the meantime it'll make life a bit nicer until we get things all sorted out.

There is not very much, if anything, in the bible that can or should be taken literally. It is not history. It is not science. It comes out of cultures 2000 to 4000 years old, and there is very little of it relevant to our day. Even its descriptions of god and Jesus are pulled from descriptions of gods from other culture. Its stories of edens and floods and resurrections and many other things are all borrowed from other eastern religions. It's interesting as folklore and mythology, but I wouldn't bet the farm on much of it being literally true.

Jesus came not to condemn the world, but to save it! Repent and start believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ now and not the gospel of Paul. Jesus Christ summed up the law and the prophets. Just focus on Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and focus especially on the parables Jesus depicted. Luke is loaded with them. The Bible is a spiritual book and not necessarily a literal one.

Some parts are not meant to be taken as literal words..sometimes there are literary devices: metaphors and such. Many of the prophets have ways of saying their messages to the recipients that are really poetic. Portions of Revelation have messages that are disguised, John of was a prisoner and had to code his message so that he would be able to send it.

Are you asking us to list them all?

Some areas of the bible are parables; parables aren't meant to be taken literally (Job; Jesus' parables).

I know I didn't answer your question, but I don't have the education/authority as a Catholic to give you a 100% correct answer that lines up with the teachings of the church.

If you read the scriptures you have to do research behind what you read to make sure you put everything in the right context. There are some stories that are true and others that are pariables. But you also have to ask God for understanding when you read so that His Holy Spirit will help you understand. If you don't do this then you will never fully understand Him. The bible is not for unbelievers it is for believers.

Matthew 13: 10

10The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

11He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables:

"Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

" 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

15For this people's heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.

The rule of thumb seems to be that the parts of the bible you like and reinforce your particular prejudices are to be taken literally, the ones that are not convenient for you to follow are "allegorical".

btw, I/m a card-carrying presbyterian

Well...there are a few things about the bible you can't take literally anymore since they applied to the society of that time...

asked and answered dozens of times already. When scripture doesn't make literal sense ("if you would follow me, you must hate your parents"), then we must look for alternate, literal meanings. When the Bible says that we must give away ALL our property to follow Jesus, we obviously can't take that literally, either; the apostles and 1st C Christians didn't give away all their property.