Christians: How do you decide what in the Bible is literal and what isn't?

Your inner spirit knows.

By feeling, trust the LORD.

"Not to believe in vain" - Nostradamus

Everything is both, literal and spiritual.

these are the typical mysterious answers Christians give

Mysterious for the dark force like you.. yea.

did your inner spirit tell you that?

this person is right, everything has two meanings. One in the spiritual world and one in the flesh world... you have to ask God for understanding...


There is a difference between Knowledge and wisdom...


Knowledge comes from reading, wisdom on what you read comes from the spirit of God!

Yes, also to tell you to stop fapping on porn altogether and get in the classical light by praying for a start.

If this were true, all Christians would believe the same things about what the Bible says but instead there are thousands of denominations/types of Christianity (at least).

Personally I've come to the conclusion that no two Christians actually believe in the exact same religion and one of the key reasons is what you just said. And that proves that your belief about this is totally bogus.

They just like making shit up to suit their mood.

Let the Holy Bible decide.





2 Peter 1:18-21

King James Version (KJV)


"And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount."

"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:"

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation."

"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."







Stuff to chew on.







Job 1:6-11

King James Version (KJV)


"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them."

"And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."

"And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?"

"Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?"

"Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land."

"But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face."







Revelation 12:9-11

King James Version (KJV)


"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."





John 5:44-46

King James Version (KJV)


"How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?"

"Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust."

"For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me."





2 Corinthians 11:13-15

King James Version (KJV)


"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ."

"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."

"Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."

Of coarse you would think that, so would I, looking from the outside in... But if you have ever read the bible... It talks about false teachers leading people away from the truth of what is in the book... It also warns people that they dont need to be taught by another man... that they need to study it themselves... He calls them wolves in sheeps clothing...

In fact it is why america is being destroyed... Very corrupt people like the Catholic church dont want people to know the truth about what is in the bible so they lie too them...

Yeah, it's like when god is cought telling a lie to Adam and Eve that they will die if they eat the fruit, then you are not to read it literally, but metaphorically ( they will die in spirit )

The less people that know this stuff the better:

Top Ten People The Bible Tells You To Kill

10) Anyone who doesn't believe a priest

9) Fortunetellers

8) Witches

7) Those who work on the Sabbath

6) Non-virgins

5) Homosexuals

4) Followers of other religions

3) Sons of sinners

2) Atheists like me

1) Rape victims

Quoted from:

[link to 957chatterton.blogspot.ca]

Aha.. now that where you laps it all up by stereotyping Christian as a whole. I don't think I had ever seen anyone like me as a Christian, as for every person had they're own personas and that my spirit experience as an old soul acknowledge within itself is different than other.

I know there is some old spirits out there with an ability to sniffed out false word that had been twisted by the Vatican so called Venetian Connection over the past hundred years of persecution.

But then again, they said I was baptist in a pub, it doesn't make me a downright Christian does it?.

The best answer to that one is:

A day with the Lord is a thousand years so they did die within one day of eating from the tree.

BTW, that's also why the last two thousand years since Christ died can be referred to as the "last days" with no problem. Two days = two thousand years, we could go on for a few thousand more years with no problem.

Like with any cult, they simply interpret things to suit themselves.
The bible has its uses...

Yeah, but if everyone just lived "one day" then it's redundant to say that you will only live for a day.. Or did they live forever before the apple thingy?

"God" says specifically “for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die."

With so much emphasis "in that day" then the interpretation makes sense if you must make it make sense.

you guys are sure doing a lot of speculating about what a "day" means.

and if DAY means a THOUSAND YEARS then what other words in the bible mean something completely different.

THINK guys THINK!

I didn't make that up:

But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9).

but with the Lord wouldn't be the physical realm we live in today would it?

Every thread addressed to Christians seems to attract all its enemies and pretenders like moths to a flame. Just an observation.

Anyway, OP, the first thing people need to understand is that the Bible was not written in a vacuum or as a mystery book. It contains many different genre and many more figures of speech. The example of Satan roaming around LIKE a roaring lion is a good one:

FACT: Satan roams around looking for prey

FIGURE OF SPEECH: To draw an analogy to things people are familiar with, Jesus uses the lion stalking its prey.

Good reading comprehension and basic grasp of logic would go a long way toward dispelling silly theories on both sides.

Doesn't the following scripture refute that?

“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not hear” (Luke 8:10)

Good question for someone who believes in stuff.

Nope.

This was stated before the cross, so that the cross would happen:


The mystery was the church itself, the inclusion of the Gentiles for salvation without first becoming Jews.

And we have Jesus' own explanations for some of the parables as well. But in hindsight, everything is now known, if we just apply basic reading skills.

I think the closest answer to a general, broad truth is that we don't decide at all because to us it is a non-issue.

What do we care what is literal and what is allegory? What difference does it make? The only requirement, generally, is that something be *spiritually* true because it is this realm that concerns us.

The only time we bother with it is when outsiders start asking us questions and demand our beliefs cater to their personal need for materialistic or mental satisfaction.

If this is your approach to matters of the spirit, you will rightly be dissatisfied.

That's ridiculous. According to the following verse, the crucification would have occurred no matter what:

Ephesians 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

I find this article that should help you understand your own (apparent) religion:

[link to www.fundamentalforums.com]

You use the right-side of your brain, meaning you decide what "feels" to be correct.

Generally speaking, people who believe the Bible are predominantly right-brained. People who are predominantly left-brained see the flaw in the logic of reading something for guidance that you would interpret based on instinct.

I think some people who have been killed over time because of the following scriptures would certainly care about whether the pertinent scriptures were being taken literally or not.

Top Ten People The Bible Tells You To Kill
10) Anyone who doesn't believe a priest
9) Fortunetellers
8) Witches
7) Those who work on the Sabbath
6) Non-virgins
5) Homosexuals
4) Followers of other religions
3) Sons of sinners
2) Atheists like me
1) Rape victims
Quoted from:
[link to 957chatterton.blogspot.ca]

So this is apparently just another bait thread. What an arrogant attitude!

Anyway, the verse I quoted backs up what I said; the verse you quoted says nothing against it. That one just says that God does what he wants; I don't know why you think it means something else. See what's being predestinated? That we who believe would have an inheritance. It does NOT say we are predestined to believe.

Last Edited by Keep2theCode on 06/24/2013 01:30 PM