Is The Bible open to interpretation?

[Twalli]

I was under the impression that The Bible is the literal word of God and therefore should be taken literally? Is this incorrect?

[ManOnFire]

So personally I do believe the Bible is the literal word of God and should be taken literally. That's me and my faith. I don't believe there is any other way to interpret it, if there is then that means God wants confusion, what he already said is from the Evil One. Why should one person interpret the Bible one way and someone else interprets another and both would get to heaven?

One Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:5-6)

[Twalli]

What do you say about it condoning slavery? I'm not trying to dis you or Christianity. I just want to understand how something we now see as uncategorically wrong is "right" in The Bible.

[Ariesman81]

youtube.com/shorts/MgYbyXZcFhk?si=DGw-sWqPdD8vEnVm

[ManOnFire]

Exactly what @ariesman81 posted. That was pretty much going to be my answer. The figures in the Bible did a lot of things we wouldn't do today. But then, they too wouldn't do some of the things we do today either.

[Effably]

Most of the teachings and stories are anecdotal and analogies. Even the literal stories often serve to exemplify something less literal.

So yes. Absolutely, much of it is.

Obviously some parts are not, assuming we are religious. Like when an Archangel descends from Heaven and announces that Sodom and Gomorrah were punished for their lack of hospitality. That means, to many people's shock, we should probably trust the absolute statement of one of God's closest.

[Agape93]

Nope. Yet people make their own interpretations all the time and claim it's still gods word. Funny how that works huh?

[douride2]

Like most books religious or not. They are all open to interpretation.

[Hardon-Collider]

It is not a historical document to be read literally. It is a book of initiation, a guide to finding the spirit within. The 'words' are the 'letters' of a spiritual formula. The 'I AM' is the instruction for finding the eternal spark in your own soul. It's a key, not a textbook. You have to find the lock in your own being.

[andreasderjuengere]

The Bible is a collection of texts written by people.

The Bible is subject to manipulation, falsification, censorship, incomplete, misinterpreted.

But it's all we have.

[BCRanger10]

No. The Bible itself condemns personal and private interpretation in 2 Peter 1.20, which says "Yet always you must remember this, that no prophecy in scripture is the subject of private interpretation."

[Chazmatazz269]

The Bible is known to be the work of men inspired by God. Nobody who has studied any religion or practiced in faith believes that God wrote the Bible. What kind of nonsense are trying to get at now?

[Twalli]

I honestly don't know. My colleague wouldn't teach theology and I was raised atheist.

[Twalli]

*college

[Chazmatazz269]

Atheism is every bit as closed-minded as strict theism. I don’t recommend or abide either as graciously as i probably should.

[Twalli]

I'm a polytheist now

[Chazmatazz269]

🤣🤣🤣

[Hellraiser1984]

The bible was created by man. At one time it didn't exist. The Sumerians had no belief in Yahweh /Jehovah or Jesus and they functioned for a very long time. Go onto wikipedia and look up the council of nicea.

[Sal_Monella]

The Bible was put to the scrolls by men. Look at Matthew and mark and you can see different recollections. But the fundamental truths are always present. Like John 10:30.

[Jennz6]

Nothing can be added or deleted

[jahaims]

The bible is very edited