A question to those who would promote the idea that some of the bible is figurative and NOT literal

[Starise]

6 minutes ago, missmuffet said:

There is a lot of false teaching on Worthy. 

I would say there are a lot of false opinions about true teaching. 

*ducks and runs*

She's picking on me.

[missmuffet]

11 minutes ago, Starise said:

I would say there are a lot of false opinions about true teaching. 

*ducks and runs*

She's picking on me.

Suit yourself.

[Riverwalker]

21 minutes ago, Starise said:

 

I don't think were going to pull that weed this year, Next year doesn't look good either.

 

In that there is wisdom.  I will think on it

 

[Riverwalker]

45 minutes ago, teddyv said:

But the Word (Logos) is not the same as the Bible.

under what authority do you make that claim?

[Riverwalker]

14 minutes ago, Uber Genius said:

Companion to The Bible E.P. BArrows

"1. When the psalmist says: "The Lord God is a sun and shield" (Psa.84:11), he means that God is to all his creatures the source of life and blessedness, and their almighty protector; but this meaning he conveys under the figure of a sun and a shield. When, again, the apostle James says that Moses is read in the synagogues every Sabbath-day (Acts 15:21), he signifies the writings of Moses under the figure of his name.

In these examples the figure lies in particular words. But it may be embodied in a sentence, thus: "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks" (Acts 26:14), where Saul's conduct in persecuting Christ's disciples is represented under the form of an ox kicking against the ploughman's goad only to make the wounds it inflicts deeper.

Figurative language, then, is that in which one thing is said under the form or figure of another thing. In the case of allegories and parables, it may take the form, as we shall hereafter see, of continuous discourse."

https://www.amazon.com/Figures-Speech-Used-Bible-Bullinger/dp/161640759X

Above is a book that I have used since the mid-1980s to help me understand figurative language. I think there I should an online version at Biblehub.com or Bible gateway.com in the "Study" section. 

It is an exhaustive 125+ year old standard reference guide on use of figurative language in the Bible. My brother and one of my Pastors said that this book was one of the best resources their seminary professors recommended for understanding the thousands of figurative references found in the Bible. 

Walter Keiser, author of Kingdom of the Cults, said this book was essential to proper Biblical understanding. Hope this helps.

Figurative language on a literal spiritual truth.

 

and you lost me when you went off book

[Starise]

1 minute ago, missmuffet said:

Suit yourself.

Ok I'm back then. Horse is tired anyhow.

1 minute ago, Riverwalker said:

In that there is wisdom.  I will think on it

 

If there was wisdom there it was purely accidental. Thanks!

I sometimes wonder what God thinks looking down here at us all looking at the the word and sometimes disagreeing over it. And where do arguments come from?

[Riverwalker]

5 minutes ago, Starise said:

Ok I'm back then. Horse is tired anyhow.

If there was wisdom there it was purely accidental. Thanks!

I sometimes wonder what God thinks looking down here at us all looking at the the word and sometimes disagreeing over it. And where do arguments come from?

Titus 3:9

But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.

 

ummmm

[Starise]

3 minutes ago, Riverwalker said:

Titus 3:9

But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.

 

ummmm

So I guess the key words here are "foolish disputes"? Which disputes are foolish? Which disputes are legitimate? What if one person sees a dispute as legitimate and another person sees it as foolish? 

How did Jesus handle some of this? His responses to the Pharisees are legendary. Don't attempt a verbal spar with Jesus.

[Your closest friendnt]

1 hour ago, teddyv said:

Never heard of copy errors for that reason. I like the 1-4, 2-5, 3-6 days linkages personally (framework hypothesis, I believe). God creates the "container", then fills that "container".

 

In the Gospel of John chapter one from the beginning.

John 1: 7-10 

About the testimony of John the Baptist. 

7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 

[GandalfTheWise]

1 hour ago, Riverwalker said:

we must take the bible literally without any of our own flavoring

I really don't think this use of the word "literally" in some posts on this thread is how most people use it.  It is a non-standard usage few will understand as intended.  Most English speakers understand the two statements "The Bible is literal" and "The Bible is true" as having two different meanings.  

To say "the roof fell in figuratively" means that something unexpected happened or something failed.  To say, ``the roof fell in literally'' means that an actual roof actually collapsed.   To say "the roof fell in at XYZ church when the pastor was caught in a moral sin" is figurative.  To say, "the roof fell in at XYZ church because of a heavy snowfall" is literal.  Both can be completely true statements, but only one is literal.

Truth can be expressed literally via concrete fact and statement.  It can be explained figuratively  via analogy and symbolism.  Virtually all Christians would agree Jesus' direct command to pluck out one's eye if it causes you to sin is figurative.  It is not a command to be physically obeyed.  It is a figurative way of explaining the seriousness of sin.  It is not a literal command of how to eliminate sin.

Anyone is of course free to use any word in a non-standard way.  However, they shouldn't be surprised if people don't understand what they are saying.  I'd also respectfully suggest that arguing with people who don't understand the non-standard usage is not a fruitful way of engaging people.   Saying "we must take the bible literally without any of our own flavoring" basically says the Bible has no figurative passages which virtually all Christians would disagree with.  Saying "we must learn what the bible teaches without any of our own flavoring" is something that most Christians would agree with (at least as an ideal).