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I\u2019m figuratively afraid that many people literally do not know what literally means. Many of those wrong on its meaning think it\u2019s some means of intensifying. \u201cI could drink an ocean\u201d means \u201cI\u2019m thirsty.\u201d \u201cI could literally drink an ocean\u201d is literally false but typically is intended to communicate \u201cI\u2019m very, very thirsty,\u201d which could certainly be true.<\/p>\n
There is, however, a whole other branch of people who don\u2019t understand what the word means- those who, for whatever, reason, want to affirm they believe the Bible but who literally don\u2019t believe the Bible. They say, \u201cI believe the Bible is God\u2019s Word, but you can\u2019t take it literally.\u201d Here literally means, \u201cas if it were true\u201d or, to put it another way, \u201cas if it were God\u2019s Word.\u201d<\/p>\n
Can we take the Bible literally? That depends on what literally literally means. If it means, \u201cas true\u201d not only can we do so but we would be foolish not to. If it means intensifying our belief, so that saying, \u201cI literally believe the Bible is true\u201d once again we\u2019d be foolish not to. What literally literally means, however, is \u201cin the literary form it is intended.\u201d That is, to understand the Bible literally is to understand it as it was written. We treat the differing genres the Bible uses in light of those genres. Metaphors we understand as metaphors. Historical accounts we understand as historical accounts. Commands we understand as commands. To interpret metaphors as history is not to interpret literally but to fail to do so. When Jesus says, \u201cI am the door\u201d (John 10:7) we\u2019d be misunderstanding Him if we thought His body included hinges.<\/p>\n
When, however, God says \u201cFor this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person nor covetous man who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God\u201d (Ephesians 5:5) and someone says we should not take this \u201cliterally\u201d then they are literally guilty of the next verse, \u201cLet no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience\u201d (5:6). The world, and the church is filled with people who are willing to tip their hat to the Word of God, to seek to borrow from its credibility, until it steps on their toes. Suddenly it becomes an old book that\u2019s been translated a million times that shouldn\u2019t be taken literally.<\/p>\n
We must not let people set up camp in this make believe world. With both firmness and gentleness our call is prophetic, to call on such to choose this day what they will believe. Either God\u2019s Word is God\u2019s Word or Baal\u2019s word is God\u2019s word. We must also flee ourselves from such folly. We mustn\u2019t nuance away the parts of the Bible that expose our sins, nor the sins of those we fear might be offended. To do such is literally to be a fool. To stand on God\u2019s Word is figuratively to build your house upon the Rock.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019m figuratively afraid that many people literally do not know what literally means. Many of those wrong on its meaning think it\u2019s some means of intensifying. \u201cI could drink an ocean\u201d means \u201cI\u2019m thirsty.\u201d \u201cI could literally drink an ocean\u201d … Continue reading