Trusting Your Bible Part 2

Trusting Your Bible Part 2

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LITERAL BIBLE STUDY

“And they were all amazed, and were in doubt,

saying one to another, What meaneth this?”

~ Acts 2:12

1. Starting Bible Study

·        It should begin knowing our place: we are the sinner, God is the truth teller

·        Bible study isn’t textual criticism: trust his book to be right, believe His words

·        Believe God means what he says – avoid: “it doesn’t mean what it says”

·        Literal Bible study is portrayed as the tool of the ignorant, simple, and uneducated

·        Do not be fooled into thinking you have an holy imagination. Read it plainly.

2. Take it Literally

·        It is the natural reading of the text; “plain sense”, historical-grammatical approach

·        Literal means according to the letter. Limit your interpretation to the text.

·        Consider the time in which it was spoken and by whom… (dispensational?)

·        Gen 6 says God created the world in 6 days, is it literal? Exo 20:9-11

·        They argue that a “literal” reading makes no sense ex. Gen 1:3, but Rev 21:23

·        A non-literal interpretation challenges God’s power and important doctrines

·        Was Adam literal or just a metaphor? He’s in the genealogy of Luke 3:38!

·        Paul mentions him in Rom 5, 1 Cor 15:22 for doctrine. As does the Lord Matt 19:4

·        Jonah was swallowed by a whale or great fish, right? Or is it just a story? Matt 12:39

·        A lot of people do not believe a literal Jesus did literal miracles and literally raised

·        Do not make excuses for God, he is supernatural, the Bible is supernatural

·        Skeptics hate this. They won’t believe it without an explanation, literary or scientific

3. Figures of Speech

·        Psa 65:13 - You may be laughed at because Psalms mentions singing corn

·        Figures of speech are natural uses of grammar, they have rules and form

·        You must use the text of the Bible to define the figure, not your imagination.

·        Sword spitting Jesus? Could it be real? Not likely. Rev 1:16, Heb 4:12, Eph 6:17

·        Do words kill? Yes, but not just words. Jer 23:29, 5:14, and Rev 11:5, 16:8

·        There are similes and metaphors all over Rev 1:12-17, but the event was real

·        Speaking of stars… Rev 1:20. Stars are angels, the star of Bethlehem? Matt 2:2,2:9

·        Eat Jesus? John 6:51-58, the context gives the meaning - John 6:63, 6:34-35

·        What’s the point? To discern the literal meaning, even if it is a figure

·        Jesus said sell all that you have - Luke 12:33, 18:22, literally Matt 19:27, Acts 4:34

4. Conclusion

·        Beware of commentaries and “scholars” who doubt God means what he says

·        You can read the Bible and understand its letters and words (literal reading)

·        It requires you understand English, there are figures of speech.

·        Literal Bible study forces you to study the doctrine, and not spiritualize the Bible

t The unedited version of this outline can be found at graceambassadors.com.

t The use of the material found at graceambassadors.com and thegracelifeplace.blogspot.com is not only allowed, but is encouraged!