Understanding Biblical Interpretation
Live from the Mecca of Mormonism SALT LAKE CITY, Utah This is Heart of the Matter –
Where we are working through together how to live the Christian life in the Age of Fulfillment – and I’m your host, Shawn McCraney
Show 32A Actually? Yes. Taped July 21st 2020 Aired July 27th 2020
Literal and Figurative Interpretation
So last week we went through the synoptic Gospels and asked if some of the passages could or should be taken literally. Tonight, I want to carry that theme forward but I want to talk about what I believe is absolutely literal in the Bible and what can be taken figuratively or representationally. Understand, this is how I see things and you do not have to agree or receive my views. In fact, I receive you as someone deserving of my love no matter what you believe – so understand, I am just sharing what I think are important literalisms in the Bible and what things can be seen with a little more fluidity.
Fluid Topics in the Bible
So, let’s talk about what might be called the fluid topics first – ones where some people demand a literal interpretation and where others suggest otherwise. So let’s just talk generally through the Bible – kind of chronologically.
And we begin with the beginning, that says, in the Beginning God.
I say, Yes! Actually, and literally. In the beginning, God. I can’t explain it. I can’t defend it. But I believe that in the beginning God. The One God. The only God. Uncreated and in the beginning. I accept God as one, not as three making one – one. Period.
The narrative goes on and describes God creating all things. Some, like the Mormons, say that God cannot make something out of nothing and so when it reads that God said (or God created) it means he ordered things to come together that already existed, because, “Matter cannot be created nor destroyed.” I suggest that God created everything from nothing, that is what I believe, but I could be wrong somehow on this.
I don’t believe the way God created is the hill to die on. Nor do I believe that God wants us to really understand how he created things – otherwise he would have told us. But bottom line, I personally believe in a God who created all things and when I say all I mean all. Did he create evil. By virtue of being good and creating Good sure but not as an entity to do harm.
Interpretation of Creation
Did God create all things in six literal days? Could have. Could have created all things in six literal seconds or six billion literal decades. Not a hill. Not worthy of the fight. Love. Allow, and step down from you mighty boxes. We do not know, we cannot say.
How long ago did God create the Heavens and the earth? We have our staunch young earthers. We have our Old earthers. We have conservative science. We have liberal atheism. I say who gives a rats twisted tail. He created it in the past and again – not worthy making it a hill to die on. Why? We want unity. We want love in Jesus name. And we want and give all people the right to His freedom. How long ago God created everything has nothing to do with that.
So, the Flood (including) World-wide? Most say yes. I’m not convinced – but I may be very wrong. My saving faith is not on whether the flood was world-wide – nobody’s is. I tend to think the flood was contained in a giant basin that surrounded that region. We could do a whole show on it. But no reason. Some will insist that it was worldwide no matter what. And so I will love and receive them. Will you love and receive me?
How about all the animals in the Ark? We come to a really important issue here if the flood was world wide verses geographical. I tend to think that the animals of that region were what came into the ark – in the numbers demanded. I am not suggesting that God could not somehow put all the species on the ark in some method but I tend to think that he put the animals from the basis – which is still an amazing feat. Not a hill. No matter what the dogmatists demand.
Abraham’s Sacrifice Abraham was a man of amazing
Faith in Action
He had been promised by God that through Isaac he would father a great nation. But he was told to take him up and sacrifice him – which he, being a man of great faith, was willing to do. What is often missed in the story is what Abraham says before going up the mount with Isaac. They had traveled with some other men and when Abraham saw the place that they were to ascend, we see in Genesis 22:5:
And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
Abraham believed God would make him a great nation and Abraham says so when he says, “I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come AGAIN to you.” Perhaps he believed God would raise Isaac from the dead but whatever his faith was, he believed that he would come back down that mount with his son. By the way, the scripture says, the LAD but his age is believed by reasonable minds to have been at the young end 18 and at the old end in his thirties – so I reject the notion that this was a form of child abuse.
Biblical Narratives and Their Significance
Polygamy was practiced. I suppose it can still be practiced by consenting adults. I don’t agree with it, and I do not believe that we can use the Bible to justify it, but we have to admit that God permitted it.
The Exodus: I take it literally as it pictures some amazing types for all people today. The parting of the Red Sea? Sure. A wind blew all night and pushed the water out of the way. Could God part the sea like it shows in Cecil B. DeMille's Greatest Story Ever Told? Sure. But did He? No idea. Don’t care. My faith is in Jesus, not the parting of the Red Sea.
Sodom and Gomorrah: Actual? I think so. Is it just a morality tale? Could be. But I tend to take it at face value. Was God horrible in what he did? God cannot be horrible – but he can be just. So I lean toward God was acting justly – and that would be justly according to His ways and not ours.
Understanding Miraculous Events
Balaam’s Donkey: The story goes in short that God sent an angel with a flaming sword to block Balaam’s path and Balaam couldn’t see it, but the donkey could. So, the donkey tries to circumvent the angel, and Balaam got mad and beat her. Three times to be exact, the third time after the donkey laid down in the road and in the process crushed Balaam’s foot. So, the donkey turns to Balaam and asks him, Why are you beating me? The fascinating thing about this is Balaam carries on a debate with the donkey afterward! Did the donkey speak? Why not? Was the donkey articulating her hee-haws into human language or was it God speaking through the donkey? I don’t know. Don’t care. But I do accept the story as valid.
Daniel in the Lion’s Den: Why not. Jonah being swallowed by the fish – sure. The she-bear story and the bald men, Elijah and the priests of Baal and fire coming down from heaven, the cruz of oil and handful of meal lasting months? As a matter of faith, yes. Could there be factors that are not understood clearly by us today? Yes. But in the end, whether we embrace the stories or reject them as suspect, we unite in faith and love by Christ and move along.
Beliefs on Jesus and Miracles
What about the Apostolic Record? Jesus' conception: I fully accept what the record says: That Mary was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and conceived of it. I believe that Mary was a virgin. Do you want to believe she remained a virgin for her entire life – feel free? You want to pray to her? Have at it. Because it is your faith in Jesus, and mine, that ultimately matters.
What about the miracles? Water into Wine – I believe it. Feeding the thousands – absolutely. Walking on water – no doubt in my mind. Healings – every one of them. Lazarus raised – like a loaf of bread. The fish with the golden coin? You bet. But I could be wrong. Or you might be wrong. But I side with sure on all such things.
And then we come to the essentials of faith.
The Essentials for Children of God
– the things that appear to matter when it comes to children of God.
No, not confession. Not water baptism. Not speaking in tongues. Not going to church. Not paying tithes or offerings. Not reading your Bible.
Generally speaking, the essentials, from what I can tell, speak to Jesus paying for the sins of the world, of being the Savior that God sent.
There is debate by some as to where this all took place. For instance, the LDS say it happened in the Garden of Gethsemane and the cross, Evangelicals say the cross alone, but I tend to see it as happening the minute he allowed the temple guards to take him into wrongful custody.
The Crucifixion and Resurrection
For example, Isaiah says that with his stripes we are healed. Where and when did he receive those? When he was scourged, right? That was before the crucifixion, BUT all the differences aside, the point in fact is –
Do you believe he paid for the sins of the world and place your faith and trust in Him instead of yourself?
And what about the Resurrection?
I accept it as told in the Gospels and in Acts. No problem. Is it indispensable to saving grace? I think that those who know of Jesus and receive him would receive and believe in Him as having overcome the grave.
I say it this way because I am convinced that there are souls who do not KNOW Jesus or the facts about his life, but they LIVE by the fruit of the Spirit and someday will. And when they do they will know of his miraculous birth, life, works, death, and resurrection.
This is all possible by and through the finished work of Our Lord and King.
Other Essential Events
The Ascension – yes. Into the heavens to the right hand of God.
Pentecost – as promised to the Jews.
The Gospel to Gentiles – as prophesied.
And the destruction of Jerusalem – as he promised, with him returning to His own and saving his bride, as he promised, within a generation, as he promised, which would introduce His total victory over everything them – as promised.
Living by Faith and Love
And we live today with God writing on your hearts and mine, in an age when we are driven to walk by faith and love.
These are truly the ONLY absolutes, folks – FAITH and LOVE. And if you are struggling with them, that is the place to put all of your attention.
(beat)
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