Literal versus metaphorical interpretation of the Bible: Why there's room for both
One of the biggest points of contention between different denominations of Christianity is how we interpret the Bible. Do we interpret it literally, or do we take a metaphorical interpretation of the Bible? Is it fully inerrant, or is there room for errors because the authors are, ultimately, human?
This debate has gone on for centuries and is very much alive today, so we’re not going to pretend we can settle the angst with a great blog post. However, let’s try to shed some light on the debate anyway.
Literal interpretation of the Bible
Many firm traditionalists of various denominations maintain that the Bible is 100% God-breathed and therefore void of errors. Every story is true, except for where explicitly defined as representative stories (for example, the parables of Jesus).
However, with this view, one quickly runs into problems. A literal interpretation of the Bible completely flies in the face of scientific observation. Some are quick to say that such science is faulty yet rely on science and observation for countless other areas of life without any thought.
A literal interpretation also misses the authors’ original intentions in the eyes of many scholars. Theologian John Dominac Crossan puts it rather bluntly:
My point, once again, is not that those ancient people told literal stories and we are now smart enough to take them symbolically, but that they were told to them symbolically and we are now dumb enough to take them literally.
Crossan, “Who Is Jesus? Answers to Your Questions About the Historical Jesus”
In other words, a literal interpretation is a rather new phenomenon in more modern traditions of Christianity rather than the ancient traditions, including those found within the cultures of the biblical authors themselves.
Metaphorical interpretation of the Bible
A metaphorical interpretation of the Bible takes the position that many (if not all) of the stories in the Bible are not meant to be taken literally. Instead, Scripture is meant to teach us lessons about God, humanity and our relationship with God.
This interpretation is safer when it comes to issues like inconsistencies in the Bible with itself, history and science. However, a solely metaphorical interpretation leaves much in the air without any concrete foundation. One might ask, with a solely metaphorical interpretation of the Bible, what’s the point of even reading the Bible at all?
There has to be room for literal and metaphorical interpretations of the Bible
Again, we’re not about to settle everything once and for all, but we think Christians of various backgrounds need to recognize that this isn’t an easy black-and-white decision and there is room for both literal and metaphorical interpretations of biblical text.
People who are diehard literalists should take a moment to understand the metaphorical value of text and how this approach is helpful for some to better understand God and have a relationship with Him. And people who are diehard metaphoricalists need to recognize the same value in the literalists.
Centerpoint Church is ready to walk with you on your faith journey
At Centerpoint, our community believes in wrestling with the Bible and applying its truths to our lives, and we would love to walk with you on your personal faith journey. We hope to meet you at one of our three services on Sunday morning in Valrico, Florida.