Why I Do Not Think the Bible Can be Read Literally

Part I: Religious Truth

I believe that God inspired biblical writers. Writing, translating, and interpreting the Bible has also involved human beings. I believe there is religious truth in the Bible, but it is not found by reading it word-for-word as from God’s mouth.

The Bible as a Book of Books

The word “Bible” does come from the word for “book,” or more specifically, the area on papyrus used for writing. Unlike a book with chapters, the Bible does not begin a story that continues until the end.

One way to think of the Bible is to view it as a book of books, with each book somewhat independent of the others.

I think of the Bible more like an old scrapbook that the People of Israel and the early Christians put together. The scrapbook tells the story of their relationship with God. This scrapbook, however, lacks the variety of a real one: it is all words. There is no ancient parallel to ribbons from athletic events, report cards, or photos of friends and family.

What Types of Writing Are in the Bible?

The variety in the Bible comes from the types of writing in it. The Bible has historical accounts, laws, songs, proverbs,  prophetic texts, and letters.

In everyday life, we use unique skills to read the writing we encounter. If we need a recipe, we find online examples or look in a cookbook. We do not look for recipes in a phone book. If we are looking for historical information, we consult a history book rather than a science book. We expect to find different types of writing in different places.

We need to read writing with that information in mind. For example, Paul wrote actual letters to the Corinthians or Thessalonians, who were early Christian communities. It is possible to misinterpret a passage because it was not written to us but to them.

There is a difference between a private text and one sent to a large group. Paul’s letters resemble private texts. The Evangelists wrote the Gospels to capture the most essential elements of Jesus’ stories, to get the word out about him. The Gospels do not mention Joseph after the first two chapters of Luke and Matthew. Mark and John do not include him at all. His activities might not have seemed relevant to the Gospel authors.

Just as a person would not seek religious truth in a history or science book, people did not create the Bible to convey historical or scientific truths.

Religious Truth

We seek God when we read the Bible and we find God in it. We may choose one book over another depending on our state of mind. If we need a reminder that we are made in God’s image and likeness, we might look to the Creation stories. If we need to make a moral decision involving money, we might look at the prophets or Jesus’ teaching. We also may have favorite passages from the Psalms, Gospels, or Pauline letters.

Given that people throughout the centuries have found the Bible meaningful, I believe it is fair to say that religious truth is not bound by time and place. Religious truth is often found in various places in the Bible such as the command to love God and neighbor or the importance of caring for people who are struggling financially.

While religious truth may apply to people in various eras, taking one line or passage and directly applying it to a modern situation is rarely accurate. Centuries or millenia separate us from the writers. Scholars who study biblical passages, learn about the time in which they were written.

In my next article, I will address the process of translating the Bible.