Why Do Some People Interpret the Bible Literally?
“Why do some Christians take the Bible literally and others do not?” Here is the question illustrating why there are so many different churches and denominations: it’s because the Bible itself is so widely interpreted. Some individuals and churches seem to have a rather broad view of the Bible (generally, folks dubbed “liberals”) while others claim to interpret scripture quite literally (folks often labeled “conservatives”). The surprising reality is . . . no one interprets the Bible literally. That’s right. No one! The Bible contains metaphors galore. No one takes these literally–no one really claims that Yahweh God is literally “a rock” (2 Samuel 22.32) or that Jesus Christ was actually “a lamb” (1 Corinthians 5.7). Metaphorically, yes. Literally, no. Granted, these are extreme examples, and yet they represent only single grains of sand on a beach. For instance, Paul claims women should besilent in church (1 Corinthians 14.34). Now I’m acquainted with churches that won’t allow women
