Biblical Interpretation!

[Fifty]

So that one thread about those crazy people got me wondering exactly how you christians interpret the bible?

So what's the guiding principle behind your interpretation of the Bible? How do you decide what to believe in the bible and what not to believe in the bible, in terms of drawing conclusions about what Jesus/God wants you to do?

Poll with some popular options coming, but a detailed elaboration of your view would be more appropriate than just a vote.

 

[philippe]

Although atheist, i have to say, if figurrally interpreted you can draw lessons out of the stories. Of course, it is always enjoyed best in moderation and after analysis.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

The bible is one of the greatest philosophy books ever writen. Which is why I greatly respect it and value it highly. The factual truth is however close to zero.

 

[El_Machinae]

I use an 80% weighting of what I learned in church, according to my church's paradigm. From that point, I let people use argumentation to sway my interpretation.

 

[Erik Mesoy]

I believe the best synthesis I can obtain from my own understanding of precedence within the Bible, exegeses by commentators, historical and cultural commentators by researchers in said fields, and regular sermons.

 

[Masquerouge]

WTH? Fifty you voted for option 1?

 

[Theryman]

I think that the writers of the Bible had a very great talent for hyperbole, and that while most of the stories may be rooted in factual events, they have been warped and twisted through numerous editions and rewritings and authors and tellings that they are can hardly be recognized as the original story.

Unfortunately, this poll is extremely one sided, and gives no accurate option for me (or for many people, probably) so I will abstain. It seems to separate people into zealots, idiots, uncaring, or atheists.

 

[MayNilad Man]

What Erik Mesoy said.

 

[classical_hero]

How to interpret the Bible? None of those options represent the true way of interpreting the Bible. The most important thing in interpretation is context is the key. You treat passages o History as Historical, your treat poetry as poetry ans so forth.

 

[RedRalph]

It seems to separate people into zealots, idiots, uncaring, or atheists.

dont know why but that just tickeld me up the right way

 

[Elrohir]

So that one thread about those crazy people got me wondering exactly how you christians interpret the bible?

So what's the guiding principle behind your interpretation of the Bible? How do you decide what to believe in the bible and what not to believe in the bible, in terms of drawing conclusions about what Jesus/God wants you to do?

Poll with some popular options coming, but a detailed elaboration of your view would be more appropriate than just a vote.

None of the above. I don't interpret the entire Bible literally, as not all passages are meant to be interpreted literally. I think the Bible is the divinly inspired Word of God and correctly understood and interpreted, is 100% accurate. But, with that said, I don't think anyone understands it or interprets it 100% correctly, and it can't all be interpreted 100% literally. (For example, just in the New Testament: There's a passage that says that John the Baptist was preaching in the countryside, and it says that "all Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went out to hear him preach", or something to that effect. I don't think that literally every single person in the entire province went to hear John preach, I think that's obviously a literary device meant to show that many people from all over went to hear him preach) This often means looking at the passage in the context of the Scriptures as a whole, and the historical time period in which it was written, as well as the original text in the ancient Greek or Hebrew.

None of your options fit my view, so I didn't vote.

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

I prefer to interpret the bible literally. For instance Jesus said "And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing(Matthew 6:28)"

Obviously, this means that true followers of Christ don't wear clothes.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

No, he just said not to worry about them. So wear them, don't wear them, just don't put any effort into being fashionable.

 

[holy king]

well, i take the ilias literally and use the characters as role models...

 

[Masquerouge]

Mmmh is there something more to that lily analogy?

Because if I were to say "man don't put efforts into being fashionable, look at lilies, they don't work or make their clothes", I would get laughed at.

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

No, he just said not to worry about them. So wear them, don't wear them, just don't put any effort into being fashionable.

a. I have never seen a lily wear clothes.
b. I live in Florida. We don't need clothes to keep warm.
c. I was using sarcasm to show the problems with strictly interpreting the bible.

 

[Masquerouge]

It makes a bit more sense with the next verse:

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

So basically Jesus is telling us "why bother putting on nice clothes, flowers will always be naturally more beautiful".

I still won't wear Crocs, sorry.

 

[JollyRoger]

The same way I interpret Greek or Roman mythology, poetry, drama, and history as written by the Greeks or Romans.

 

[Atlas14]

I do a mixture of literal and metaphorical interpretation. Some of the messages are clear from God's involvement with the Jews and Jesus's disciples, and I interpret the messages rather literally.

 

[EconomistBR]

The bible is one of the greatest philosophy books ever writen. Which is why I greatly respect it and value it highly. The factual truth is however close to zero.

Yes..yes I agree. Everybody should look at the Bible in this way