Q.
How can we begin to take the Bible literally?
98
Gary Peluso-Verdend
A.
Better not to begin to take the Bible literally! Rather, take it seri-
ously and learn to interpret it.
What does it mean to take the Bible literally? Most if not all of
the Bible circulated orally at fi rst, sometimes for generations. The transforma-
tion from oral to written text occurred in different time periods. By way of
various scribes in different places, using varying texts that sometimes contra-
dicted other texts in signifi cant ways, the oral became written.
A variety of literary forms is evident in the Bible: narrative, allegory,
parable, poetry, fi ction, historical records, reports of fantastical ecstatic experi-
ences, metaphor, and myth (which does not mean “untrue,” but is an ahistori-
cal means to express something that is true at the deepest levels). Most of these
poetic and literary forms cannot be interpreted literally.
The Bible should be read only in context. The context for reading the
Bible will include the historical context and our contemporary context.
Responsible readers will seek to be informed by scholarship regarding what
the text meant, and they will read the text today with a community of readers
that will help keep any reading as honest as possible.
Are there contradictions in the Bible? Yes. Many voices are expressed
through the Bible. Think of the Bible as a partial record of the experiences, con-
versations, and debates of the people of God over time. We are privileged to
overhear the conversations and debates embedded in this living document!
It would be a mistake to stifl e, repress, or resolve all of the debates and
contradictions of contemporary Christianity. Shutting down the debates and
resolving the contradictions of the text would diminish the power of the Bible.
God speaks with one voice but humankind listens with many ears!Kathy Escobar
Who is...
?
Kathy Escobar
I birthed all ve of my children with no pain medication.A.
When I became a Christian, I immersed myself in the Bible and in
extremely conservative evangelical churches that elevated the Bible
to the nth degree. I love the Bible. It is a beautiful, challenging, and
supernatural book; its words are “sharper than any two-edged sword”
(Heb. 4:12).