Literal and Contextual Approaches to the Bible

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Literal and Contextual Approaches to the Bible

• How to Interpret the Bible

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Literal Approach

• Word for word
• Exactly as written
• No interpreting

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Contextual Approach

• Read within its context
• Who wrote it and why
• What was going on in society to influence the
  writer
• What is the religious truth?

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Contextual Approach

• Read in between the lines to understand the main
  message.
• Catholics read the Bible within its context to
  understand its deeper meaning

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Types of Truth in the Bible

• Not all facts and ideas that we believe are
  provable beyond a shadow of a doubt.

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• At some point we must simply believe, and have
  faith that what we are told is true.
• e.g., The glass floor in the C.N. Tower will hold
  you up.

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Religion and Truth

• Some truths in religion are historical, some are
  moral and some are religious.

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Religious Truth

• Religion is concerned with human relationships
  with God
• The deeper meaning that God intends to reveal to
  people through historical events.

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Moral Truth

• A lesson is being taught of what is right and
  what is wrong.
• Example Thou shalt not kill

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Symbolic Truth

• A teaching in which we must read between the
  lines in order to understand the truth being
  presented.
• Example If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it
  out.

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Proverbial Truth

• A short saying, used to embody a general truth.
• Example The early bird gets the worm.

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Historical Truth

• The Bible contains the recorded and oral history
  of the Hebrew people and the early Christians
  from 4000yrs ago.

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Scientifc Truth

• The scientific understanding of biblical writers
  was very primitive.
• Example The Bible describes the Earth as flat,
  the Sun as the center of the universe
• We do not look to the Bible for scientific truth.

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Revelation

• Revelation is concerned with religious truth, not
  scientific truth.
• The Hebrew people didnt need to know that the
  world was round in order to be closer to God.

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What type of truth?

1. Water freezes at 0 celsius
2. To know the road ahead, ask those coming back
3. God told Noah that the rainbow would be a sign of
   hope.

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• 4. David replaced Saul as King
• 5. Jesus teaches us that everyone should be
  treated equally
• 6. The Roman empire began to crumble after Jesus
  birth
• 7. It takes 365 days to complete one circle of
  the sun
• 8. Be faithful to your spouse