by Bernie Schnippert
‘Do you take the Bible literally?'
Not long before he died, fundamentalist televangelist Pastor Jerry Falwell, was asked this question by a television interviewer. His answer essentially was, ‘Yes, I take every single word of the Bible literally.'
His answer, amazingly, was not only clearly ‘wrong' from a theological view, but, for reasons I will show, actually impossible to be ‘true' (although I am sure he meant what he said). Don't worry, a ‘No' answer by him would have been equally wrong and untrue, as we shall see.
Regardless of Falwell's answer, the question of whether one takes the Bible literally is often posed by sceptics to Christians. Their motives are to trap their ‘believer-victim.' If the person says, ‘Yes, I take the Bible literally,' the believer is painted as an unscientific kook. If they say ‘No,' then they are mocked as someone who believes whatever he wants with no regard for absolute truth. Jerry Falwell, sadly, fell into their trap.
So, again, do you take the Bible literally? ‘Should' you take it literally?
A false assumption
Although it appears to be a good question, beneath the surface is an underlying false assumption. The assumption is that only two ways exist to understand the Bible – or any other text for that matter – ‘literally,' or ‘not literally.'
To expose this false assumption, let's ask a totally secular version of the question. Let's ask if you should take anything anyone ever says or writes literally? All of a sudden, a quick ‘yes' or ‘no' does not seem appropriate, and for good reason.
Assume that I just bought a very fast new car. Assume I told you, ‘I just ran my new car down the road at 95 miles per hour!' Should you take me literally? The answer is ‘Yes.' Unless you believe I am lying, you should take me literally and believe I drove at 95 miles per hour.
But assume instead that I said I took my new car and ‘went flying down the road' with it? Should you take this statement literally? No, you would not take me literally, because you understand that I did not mean my car actually went aloft and flew like an airplane, since you know cars do not fly. You understand that I meant my car was going really fast, like an airplane which has to go fast to fly. You understand that I was not speaking literally, I was speaking ‘figuratively.'
Figurative speech is non-literal speech which is used for emphasis of some sort and is used constantly in normal speech and writing.
The Bible is no different than common speech. The Bible contains both literal and figurative statements. An example of a literal statement is: ‘Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea…' (Luke 3:1). Now, people may or may not agree that this statement is factually correct, but no one can seriously doubt that the author was using literal speech – that is, he literally meant an area of the Roman Empire was named Judea and its governor was Pontius Pilate.
Literal or figurative?
On the other hand, the Bible also says, ‘if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut it off…' 1. No sane Christian would understand this statement to say Christians should actually cut off their hands or feet. Every serious person knows Jesus means this figuratively in some way. Even those who say they take every single word of the Bible literally do not in fact take every single word literally . They do not take this scripture literally and cut off their hands, nor should they, because Jesus was not speaking literally. This was Pastor Falwell's mistake. I feel confident that, in the resurrection, Jerry Falwell will clarify his answer about taking the Bible literally to allow for a figurative meaning for this, and many other passages.
The correct answer for all who read the Bible is that one should take the Bible literally when the author is being literal, and figuratively when the author is being figurative, just like they would automatically when reading anything else!
Unlearned sceptics will say that it is impossible to discern the difference between when the Bible is being literal or figurative, but they are just showing their anti-biblical bias and general ignorance of language. Everyone – sceptics and believers alike – make such judgments in ordinary speech, and ordinary books, movies, or theatre every single day without any trouble whatsoever and without so much as a second thought. Ironically, it is only when sceptics come to the Bible that they become confused.
Interpretation
In addition to common sense, however, Bible readers (and non-Bible readers) have another tool which most sceptics and many believers do not know about. It is ‘hermeneutics'. Hermeneutics is the science and art of interpreting a text, especially, but not solely, a religious text, to discern the author's intended meaning – including whether he is being literal or figurative. Numerous books about the subject are available, written on both layman and scholarly levels, and believers and sceptics alike are advised to acquaint themselves with the subject via various bookstores. Or, alternatively, ‘ Google' it and apprise yourself.
This is not to say that if everyone uses common sense and hermeneutics they will resolve every disputed interpretation of every Bible verse. But, people have never resolved every disputed meaning of Shakespeare either, or every disputed meaning of what the presidential candidates meant at the last debate, or what the American Constitution means – even though the Constitution, like all laws, was meant to be taken absolutely literally!
Furthermore, no one concludes that failure to agree what a given text in Shakespeare or the Constitution means is a sign we should throw up our hands and discard Shakespeare or the Constitution or that this disagreement makes them worthless. Why conclude otherwise regarding the Bible?
So again, ‘Do you take the Bible literally?' The correct answer is, ‘I take the literal parts literally, the figurative parts figuratively, and I use common sense and rigorous linguistic tools, such as hermeneutics, to know the difference and discern what the author intended.' And, if you want to throw in a final ‘dig' to the sceptics – I mean this literally, not figuratively – add, ‘Just like you do when you read anything else!'
Bernie Schnipert is General Counsel to the Worldwide Church of God. He lives in Bend, Oregon.
1. Matthew 18:8
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