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The BIBLE, LITERAL or METAPHORICAL?
(Should the bible be interpreted literally, word for word, or metaphorically?)
Consider these verses from the bible:
2COR 3:3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ
ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living
God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
2COR 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
2COR 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of
ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
2COR 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the
letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth
life.
2COR 3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their
heart.
2COR 3:16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken
away.
2COR 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord
is, there is liberty.
It is through the Holy Spirit that we can be aware of Divine Reason, The Logos. The Logos resides in our "hearts" which metaphorically refers to the ground of our being which transcends both time and space. We all have the same ground of being: One "Heart", One Logos, common to us all.
We should not try to interpret the bible literally, word for word, but we must learn to depend on the Holy Spirit for guidance when we try to impart the truth to others.
JOHN 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you
into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall
hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
If we take the bible literally, word for word, we then treat it as though it were a law book. We try to justify ourselves by citing verses as though they were laws. But the truth is not in a book. It is spiritual.
GAL 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by
the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we
might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law:
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
GAL 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
JOHN 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit
and in truth.
JOHN 16:25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time
cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you
plainly of the Father.
HEB 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which
are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the
presence of God for us:
ROM 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that
had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the
figure of him that was to come.
Note how, in Rom 5:14, Adam and Moses are used as metaphors for Jesus. Adam died because of sin while Jesus died to save us from sin. Moses leading the Hebrews out of captivity is a metaphor for Jesus releasing man from the captivity of sin.
We can interpret the metaphors because we have direct access to the mind of Christ through the Holy Spirit:
1COR 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged
of no man.
1COR 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?
But we have the mind of Christ.
THE LOGOS
THE HOLY SPIRIT
THE LETTER KILLETH
METAPHOR
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