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

[Your closest friendnt]

1 minute ago, Josheb said:

Ooooooo (josh's mouth starts watering) can you link me or mention the source?

There is a cooling period 

[Riverwalker]

5 minutes ago, Your closest friendnt said:

1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: 

2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
    says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
    Everything is meaningless.” 

**Do you worshipers of Solomon agree with that statement? And the statements that follow. 

3 What do people gain from all their labors
    at which they toil under the sun?

 

(4 Generations come and generations go,
    but the earth remains forever.)

***(5 The sun rises and the sun sets,
    and hurries back to where it rises.)***

(6 The wind blows to the south
    and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
    ever returning on its course.)

(7 All streams flow into the sea,
    yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
    there they return again.) 

8 All things are wearisome,
    more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
    nor the ear its fill of hearing.
 

(9 What has been will be again,
    what has been done will be done again;)
   ( there is nothing new under the sun.)

10 Is there anything of which one can say,
    “Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
    it was here before our time.
11 No one remembers the former generations,
    and even those yet to come
will not be remembered
    by those who follow them.

And so are the words of a man whose gift of wisdom did not save him from his own foolishness.

There is much to learn there

But I do not worship Solomon I said i bowed to the wisdom God gave him

[Riverwalker]

2 minutes ago, SONshine said:

So now you’re saying that figurative language is okay. hmmmm.... 

If it is expressing a complex Spiritual truth.

I am the Good Shepherd.....a figurative allusion to the actual role of Jesus. Expressing the literal truth of His role in a way that we can understand

[BeyondET]

3 hours ago, Riverwalker said:

By proper religion, do you mean the truth?

 

If I am saying the pagan religion is a false doctrine, am I saying it’s not true.

[Riverwalker]

Pure religion is defined as Helping Widows and children (James 4:1)

[Riverwalker]

1 minute ago, SONshine said:

... the Good Shepherd is a metaphor for JESUS and expresses how He leads us.  A candlestick is a symbol.

Figurative language: metaphor, simile, personification, metonymy, etc.  All these can be found in the Bible.  Our Father’s language is most colorful!

And they are all literal truths.  God did not ever use one, in  which he was not trying to impart a literal spiritual truth by using figurative language

[BeyondET]

4 minutes ago, Riverwalker said:

Pure religion is defined as Helping Widows and children (James 4:1)

Hmm helping widows and children let’s look at what James 4:1 says about widows and children. how did you come up with that statement from James 4:1 ??

James 4

1What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you?

 

 

[GandalfTheWise]

12 minutes ago, Riverwalker said:

The most well known usage of this type of figurative language  to express a literal truth are Jesus' Parables.  Was there a good Samaritan, who knows but the complex spiritual truth that Jesus fought to put over to the Jews, is that it is not how you were born that gives you value, but rather what you do. and that is not a truth we can pass off by being figurative

There's a reason most Bible scholars use the terms figurative and literal to describe the language used in a passage.  There's a reason few of them use the terms as being synonymous with untrue or true with regard to the underlying meaning and lesson.    Here it is.

There are two important questions about various passages that need to be addressed.

1. Is a passage written in metaphorical (figurative) or concrete (literal) language?

2. Does it matter if it was metaphorical (figurative) or concrete (literal) language?

Here are a few examples:

As pointed out, in Luke 10:25-37 (good Samaritan),  the answer to 1 is unknown, and the answer to the 2 is No.   We don't know if the good Samaritan was real or not, but it doesn't matter much because it doesn't affect the lesson Jesus was teaching.

In Mark 9:42-48, Jesus issues a command to maim ourselves to prevent sin.  Virtually all Christians would agree this is metaphorical and that it is extremely important to distinguish figurative from literal language.  In this case, using figurative language is true and literal language is untrue.

John 6:35 (Jesus as bread of life) turns out to be important as to whether it is a metaphor or concrete.  Some denominations take it as a literal description of Jesus in communion.  Those who don't assume it is a figurative description of Jesus.  In this case, Protestants would say the literal language is untrue and the figurative language is true and Catholics would argue the figurative language is untrue and literal language is true.

In the accounts of creation in Genesis, the OP takes point of view that it is important to distinguish concrete from metaphor and that concrete is true and metaphor is untrue.    On the basis of this passage, use of the terms figurative and literal are being defined as "untrue" and "true".   Then, this usage seems to be extended to mean that "literal truth" means truth and "figurative truth" means a lie.

The only reason I'm bothering spending time on this thread is the potential for a new Christian to become confused with this inconsistent usage for two different things, the language and the underlying teaching.  Constantly saying things like the Bible is "Literal Truth" gives the impression that every passage needs to be taken literally.    That's probably why most Christians use phrases such as "this passage teaches A, B, and C" rather than saying "A, B, and C are literal truth."   If it has to be frequently explained what is really meant and it can confuse people unfamiliar with the usage, it suggests that maybe it's not a helpful phrase to be using.

 

 

 

[BeyondET]

here’s another figurative statement is God a literal sun and shield of coarse not but He is the source of life and protection.

Psalm 84

 11For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity

Edited February 22, 2021 by BeyondET

[Your closest friendnt]

11 minutes ago, SONshine said:

Then why have you claimed that there is no figurative language in the Bible?

It was put as a discussion to have the members open their minds to the question as to explore what is a sound understanding in this matter, which is a smart approach not a polarize question rather a question open to discussion. 

Every situation needs to be looked up on in own merits, some maybe and will form groups but they can still be distinguish between one and the other.