Do We baptists Believe In A literal Understanding of the Bible?

Two questions:

Which version of the Bible?

Which language?

 

What do you mean by "literal?"

Do you recognize allegorical passages? Are all genres to be read in the same manner? How about hyperbole?

 

Yes with qualification.

e.g. Parables. metaphors, allegories, similes, hyperboles, figures of speech, etc, etc...

All of these figurative tools of communication have a literal, singular meaning behind them. This takes discernment to interpret properly.

e.g. Are the seven days of Genesis 1 literal or figurative?
Are the 1000 years of Revelation literal or figurative?

Did Jesus mean the following in a figurative or literal way?

John 6

53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.​

HankD​

 

Or how about the scripture that says the wicked go astray from the womb and are born speaking lies? I have eight children, and not one of them could speak the day they were born. Should that be taken literally? Should doctrine be based on this obvious hyperbole?

 

I've had 11 (ha - I three-upped you) and each came out of the womb expressing their displeasure when they should have been expressing thankfulness for the life they had been given...

Hebrew dabar to speak, to declare...

So yes, we can take that one literally

HankD

 

My persona favorite (and most "feared)

If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out.

 

Isaiah 55:12 "For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."

Trees don't have hands.

 

I think HanD has it about right. We can have differences over whether which passages should be taken literally or allegorically, but for the most part, how to see them is obvious.

 

Crying is not lying. And if you were forced through a small passageway today, you would cry again.

 

Please stop trying to derail every conversation to a particular subject.

 

I would say that the claim is present, but the actual holding to the claim is not. Very few today in the church believe the bible. What they believe is personal doctrine above the word of God. if you don't believe that here is just one verse that is rejected for personal doctrine and there are many more. Mnay hold a doctrine that a Christian can backslide into the practice of sin which denies this passage.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit (practice) sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot (practice) sin, because he is born of God.

 

FAL

Could you help me understand how YOU see "practice" of sin? Is it once per day, twice per day etc.? What is it?

 

I have been, I've been on a submarine under the Puget Sound and I didn't cry when I used the head (latrine for you Army guys).


HankD

 

It is not about frequency. It is about character. It is out of character for a believer to be sinning. Some sinners are blatant with just about every action and every type of sin. Others are less so and just do it on certain occasions or what is considered small sins, but the sin is them while for the true believer righteousness is them. It is their practice. I think it can be better seen in verse 10 of 1John through contrast.
In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

A true Christian lives a daily life that exhibits righteousness while a non believer lives a life that exhibits unrighteousness. It does not take great shocking sins, or even a great number, just sin in general. For the sinner their heart is not set on living godly.
I use this example to show the contrast. For a believer to sin it shocks those around him/her. In fact it shocks the believer as it is not their practice to sin. For a non believer (sinner) to sin no one is shocked because that is just them. More important they (the sinner) are not shocked. They sin with impunity. It is just the man thing or we are all human or we are all adults or no excuse at all. it is just the way thye are. No shame, no conviction. At their sin God never enters their mind. They do it many times just to get a laugh or to show authority. They justify their sin within and do it many times not even knowing they did it. Sin comes natural to them. It is their nature, but like I said it does not take a constant stream. It is not about how often or how sinful the sin. It is about character.
No one is shocked when the office clown tells a dirty joke or brags about last nights date, uses profanity, tells a lie or what ever because everyone knows this is the character of this person.
However for the true believer to sin everyone is shocked if they see or hear anything contrary to godliness from him/her because it is just not their character (practice) to sin and for the believer their sin immediately brings sorrow towards God as their sin is against their character.

 

Every figure of speech, metaphor, simile, hyperbole, etc., has an underlying literal truth.

Jesus is the "door" to salvation. The only door.

Winman and I have had a debate about Psalm 58:3 for a while.

What is the underling truth of that passage? I believe we are born sinners from the womb. Winman believes we become sinners when we first sin.

No matter, we all eventually sin with the force of our will and need the Savior. That is the literal and ultimate truth.

Jesus is the manna from heaven - similar message. Eat and live forever.
Eat = believe.

And many others to numerous to put in a single post.


HankD

 

You understand a verse based on other texts that make it clearer sometime.

They were conceived in sin...dead in Adam...having sinned in adam.

Until and unless God grants them repentance and faith....they go astray,they go away from God,by nature. There is never a time they are going toward God unless the Spirit begins to draw them savingly.

They go astray.....the result is speaking lies.......chilrden are born sinners and self sinners.....put 20 toys in a room and two little children and they will fight over one toy. They sin before they speak,it is natural.When they speak they speak lies.

 

But we love them anyway.

HankD

 

I like what Adrian Rogers said...something to the effect of when he stood before the Lord he would rather hear Jesus say, "Adrian, you took my Word too literally, rather than, you didn't take it literally enough."