Literal or Symbolic Interpretation Part 1 of 3

BIBLICAL HISTORICAL ACCURACY AND INERRANCY
The historical accuracy of the Bible is rarely in question or doubt within Judaism and Christianity. In fact, within most strains of both religions, anyone who expressed doubt that the Bible is an accurate, detailed account of history would probably be considered a heretic and soon disenfranchised from their religion. For sure, no religious leader who argued about historical accuracy or even expressed a little bit of doubt about the Bible’s complete factuality would soon lose his or her credibility as a Bible teacher.

STUDY TIP: There is much study and dispute among Biblical scholars about its historical accuracy and inerrancy. The volume of such study is way beyond the scope of this website, but we offer the following links for readers who are inclined to do their own research:

Anyone who is familiar with debates about Biblical history knows that there is disagreement about it. What scholars and theologians say about it all is unimportant, however, compared to what God says.

Jeremiah 8:1-9 “At that time, says the LORD, the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its princes, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be brought out of their tombs; 2 and they shall be spread before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and served, which they have gone after, and which they have sought and worshiped; and they shall not be gathered or buried; they shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. 3 Death shall be preferred to life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family in all the places where I have driven them, says the LORD of hosts. 4 “You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD: When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return? 5 Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit, they refuse to return. 6 I have given heed and listened, but they have not spoken aright; no man repents of his wickedness, saying, ‘What have I done?’ Every one turns to his own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle. 7 Even the stork in the heavens knows her times; and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming; but my people know not the ordinance of the LORD. 8 “How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us’? But, behold, the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie. 9 The wise men shall be put to shame, they shall be dismayed and taken; lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD, and what wisdom is in them?

This short passage about the sin and treachery of Judah applies to all of Judaism and Christianity. Essentially, it is an account of the descent into religion from faith. The main points of the scripture are found in verses 8 and 9 where we see the following:

The lesson here for us is that we make a great error when we choose to interpret the Bible literally and/or listen to or read what false prophets write or say. Instead, as New Covenant disciples, we should always listen for God’s voice to speak truth to us and never listen to what others, no matter how wise they may appear to be, write or say about their interpretations of the Bible. They are all liars — not because they intentionally set out to deceive others, but because they, themselves, have been deceived into believing that the literal Bible is the same thing as  God’s spoken word.

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