The Word of God vs. Bible Literalism
Greeting, brothers and sisters in Christ.
Many, maybe most, people who were raised in a churchy environment believe that the words printed on paper, and bound into the book we call the Bible, is the Word of God. It’s commonly believed that God dictated some of the Bible, and the rest was inspired by the whisperings of God into the ears of the writers. Is that really how it happened?
Before I continue, I need to mention that many of the points I’ll be touching on briefly here will later be expanded into detailed posts. Some of the context I’ll be expounding on in the future will be unclear here, but please bear with me; I’m trying to keep this post to a reasonable length.
Pre-Biblical
The earliest writing systems are known to date as long as 5400 years ago, by the Sumerians and Egyptians. Once invented, cultures across the world began developing their own writing systems. Scribes quickly began writing everything they could. They recorded their oral histories (much of which was mythological), detailed the battles and wars their cultures engaged in, recorded the reigns and deeds of their kings, listed all their laws, documented celestial events and natural disasters, and so much more. In fact, one way archaeologists can date specific events is to note when certain natural events were recorded. For example, if a planetary alignment or eclipse is described, the exact date can be astronomically calculated, and from that point, researchers can count months and years backwards and forwards to determine the approximate dates that human-instigated events occurred.
The Israelites first emerged as a distinct group in the late Bronze Age, around the 13th century BC (3300 years ago). That’s hundreds of years before they are known to have written anything at all about God. Since we can surmise they had to know God first before writing about Him, it follows that they encountered the Word before they ever scratched characters into stone or clay, or set quill to papyrus scrolls.
Archaeologists have found fragments of text dated as far as 2600 or so years ago, which would later be incorporated in similar form into what we call the Bible. These earliest writings were short prayers, benedictions and instructions. It was during the Babylonian occupation that Hebrew scholars began compiling their written records, history and oral traditions into some kind of order. It was then that they integrated those short prayers and benedictions into longer stories, which eventually became chapters and books*. From then and for the next few hundred years, they maintained collections of scrolls, and added to them, until about 100 BC. This collection eventually became the Hebrew Bible, and the Christian Old Testament (no, the two are not exactly the same).
(*It’s of interest to note that many of the early inscriptions found were not originally written by Hebrew scholars, but are found as passages in writings by other cultures. Some of the wording and events are so similar to passages found in the Hebrew Bible, that historians believe the Hebrew scholars incorporated them into their own scriptures).
The Scriptural Beginnings
And here I need to explain that when the Israelites began assembling their stories into a coherent order, they followed the same pattern as other literate cultures: they recorded their oral histories (much of which was mythological), detailed the battles and wars their culture engaged in, recorded the reigns and deeds of their kings, listed all their laws &etc.
From the time the Sumerians and Egyptians rose in power, and for the next few thousand years as empires, kingdoms and cultures rose, then fell or evolved, all the major players in Mesopotamia, north Africa and around the Mediterranean had ships and had much contact with each other as they engaged in trade. They didn’t trade just in goods; they also traded myths, ideologies and knowledge, and they even copied one another’s laws to an extent.
The Hebrews were late comers in this mix, so by the time of the occupation, Babylonian literature was meshed together with a few millennia of ideas, lore and stories that had originated with numerous other cultures. The Hebrew scholars freely borrowed from these sources. Many stories, especially in the Pentateuch, is partly derived from Babylonian myths (which in turn came from the Sumerians and Akkadians), and partly “inspired by” true events. Many laws, including some of the 10 Commandments, are suspiciously similar to those found in the writings of other cultures, many of which existed long before the Israelites arrived on the scene. Yes, I know some of you believe in the literalness of Genesis, but keep in mind that the Old Testament itself continually chides the Israelites for mingling with other cultures and adopting their ways. This most certainly would have been true during the Babylonian occupation when the Hebrew scholars were busy writing everything down.
Getting past the Pentateuch, though, most of the remainder of the Old Testament is all original to the Hebrews. A great many of the people and places they name, as well as the accounts of their battles they describe, have been verified archaeologically, and more is being confirmed periodically.
To summarize, the Hebrew Bible is a conglomeration of myth, history, prophecy and wisdom.
The Hebrew Scriptures are Distinctive
Having said all that, there are some profound differences between the writings of the Israelites and those of other cultures.
Although other cultures wrote about their gods, only the Israelites acknowledged the One True God and assimilated Him into every aspect of their life.
Other cultures maintained libraries, where everything was organized into multiple categories. They didn’t have any “holy” writings that they kept grouped together. They did, however, describe some of their religious practices. But as civilizations fell, their own writings were forgotten, until archaeologists began digging up cuneiform tablets and stelae and papyrus fragments in the collapsed debris of long abandoned cities.
The Israelites carefully maintained their collection of writings, which they deemed holy. Incredibly, from the Babylonian occupation until now, the Jews have continuously preserved their scriptures. No other civilization has accomplished such a feat. (Some ancient myths from other cultures have survived, but those are single stories, not collections of books).
The Same Yet Different
Since the Hebrew scribes were transcribing their scriptures into new copies through the generations, did they always keep the phrasing exact? Apparently not.
The Dead Sea Scrolls have been studied for decades. (Most historians believe the Essenes maintained this archive, so I’ll proceed on that assumption). The scrolls include multiple copies of some of the books which would later become incorporated into the Old Testament. Some of these were transcribed by the Essenes. Some scrolls were apparently imported from other locations near and far. Comparisons of duplicate books in the Dead Sea collection have revealed they’re not really duplicates. They’re mostly the same, but there are noticeable differences.
Why would that be? Keep in mind, by the time of the Essenes, the Jewish diaspora had been scattered throughout the known world for some thousand years or so, meaning the various factions took scrolls with them and had little or no contact with each other. Man is fallible. A copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a scroll is going to reflect the alterations that have crept in.
It’s a similar story with the New Testament. After Jerome first assembled the Bible into a book, scribes at monasteries began copying versions of it. They continued making copies for the next thousand years until the Gutenberg press was invented. An astonishing number of these Bibles in codex form have survived in dusty, carefully maintained archives.
Scholars travel the world seeking out these old codices, some of which are as much as 1500 years old. When they are compared from the oldest to the newest versions, much variance is found. Phrasing and details change. Some passages disappear. New passages appear out of nowhere. The Word of God may be unchanging, but the Bible has changed a lot.
King James instructed his scholars to use the 1568 Bishops’ Bible as a guide for his new Bible, which was a revision of the 1539 Great Bible, which was a revision of the 1537 Matthew’s Bible, which was a revision of the 1535 Coverdale’s first Bible, and so on back to the earlier codex Bibles. The scholars also consulted Latin Vulgate, the Masoretic Text (Old Testament), and the Textus Receptus (New Testament), and Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. But, James had them eliminate all the annotations he didn’t like. He also wanted the translators to paraphrase any passages that sounded too “Catholic” or “Puritan” to make them fit the Church of England dogma. In the first edition of the King James Bible (1611), the translators included a preface in which they freely admitted that the KJV was not infallible, and it was neither more, nor less, accurate than the other Bible versions which were in circulation at the time. They acknowledged that it would be impossible to produce a translation which contained no errors.
A Spiritual Guide
I want to be clear that I am in no way denigrating the Bible. I am not saying that it’s just a fiction book. The Bible is a religiously authoritative spiritual guide. 2 Timothy 3:16 says Scripture is breathed out by God, which is true. Anything God breathes on (metaphorically speaking) is made holy. Man wrote it. God claimed it. God has two primary ways of communicating with us: direct communication via the Holy Spirit and via the written scriptures. God, through the Holy Spirit, uses ALL the written scriptures for teaching.
So, if the Bible can’t be literal, and it’s not the Word of God, how is it different from any other book? Why is it any different than the holy books of the Hindus or Buddhists, for example? To answer that question, I need to add to it.
Regarding the Old Testament, what made the Israelites different from other cultures? I don’t believe they were the first peoples to know about the true God. But they are the first major culture known to proclaim Him and to build temples in His honor. Although God did not dictate to the Israelites what to write, the scribes were divinely guided in their lives, then wrote their understanding of their limited sphere of influence in their own words.
Regarding the New Testament, what made those letter writers different from just anyone else who writes judicious words? The early church apostles had the Holy Spirit. That makes a profound difference.
Both the Old Testament and New Testament authors were writing from a spiritual perspective that emanated from the One True God.
It’s like me, with this blog. As the Holy Spirit has guided me, worked in my life and taught me truths, I want to share those experiences with other Christians to encourage them and uplift them. God does not formulate the sentences for me. They are my own words. Likewise, the inspirational books you find in a Christian book store are written by people who share their own experiences and spiritual lessons to inspire others. In the New Testament, Paul and James and the others wrote their letters in the same way for the same reasons. These people were divinely guided in their lives, then wrote about it in their own way. God did not tell them what to write. They gained spiritual knowledge from the Holy Spirit, then they conveyed that in words that reflected their own frame of reference.
The Bible is set apart from other books because it is rooted in divine inspiration. It contains truths that God wants us to have and to live by. It points to the divine, but it isn’t divine itself. It guides us toward a relationship with Jesus, declaring Him the Word of God (John 1), while it NEVER refers to itself as the Word of God! Take note of that thought!
Isaiah 40:8 says The grass withers, the flower fades; but the Word of God will last for ever. Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. Jesus existed eternally before a printed book did. Jesus will continue to exist eternally after printed books cease to be.
Don’t Misuse the Bible
Proclaiming that words printed on paper is God’s Word is equivalent to idolatry. It’s elevating the Bible to a higher level than Jesus Christ. Jesus is the ultimate authority; not a book. Proclaiming the Bible as THE Word of God turns it into a weapon. This weaponization of a printed book has caused untold suffering; it has caused wars, torturing of unbelievers and forced conversion of conquered cultures. On a smaller scale, individuals and church groups use the Bible as justification to force their theology on others, whether it’s someone who uses it as an excuse to abuse family members, or a congregation marching with “God Hates Fags” signs, or trolls on social media interjecting hate into conversations that don’t agree with their religion.
The dangerous Christian Nationalist movement (see my posts HERE and HERE), is a new way to use the Bible as a weapon. It uses Biblical literalism to change everything our country stands for, dictating what laws we should or shouldn’t enact, and attempting to force society into conforming to a form of puritanism. This not only disregards the 1st Amendment, it also besmirches Jesus Christ by placing the Bible in a position superior to Him.
Far right extremists are using the Bible to demonize anyone who doesn’t recognize their twisted version of the Gospel. No amount of tossing around Bible verses or posting the 10 Commandments in schools will save anyone. Jesus ranted against those who knew the scriptures and used them to oppress others. It’s disheartening to see so many prominent politicians and clergy doing exactly that, and their far right followers blindly falling into line behind them. This malignancy is permeating the Church.
I feel fairly certain that the Christian Nationalist movement would never have gotten started, or at least wouldn’t have gone in the wrong direction, if the founders of NAR didn’t take the Bible as the literal Word of God.
The line between politics and the church has become blurred in this country. Elections have become spiritually militant. The teachings of Jesus are being replaced with authoritarianism. Church leaders are turning their eyes from Jesus, the Word, toward Washington D.C. for the redemption of society. They are praising God for the politicians who are transforming the nation into a perverse form of religion. 2 Timothy 3 tells of men who hold the form of religion but deny the power of it.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 says: For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
Isaiah 9:16 says: For the leaders of the people have misled them. They have led them down the path of destruction.
The Bible is not Anti-Science
Another issue I want to touch on regarding Bible literalism; if you’re one of those people who trolls science topics on social media to tell people how wrong they are, just stop it. You’re not convincing anyone and you just look foolish. Proverbs 18:2 says: A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. Romans 1: 21-22 says: for although they knew God they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools
Flinging Bible verses into the faces of scientists to prove your point just pushes unbelievers away from God; you’re supposed to draw them to Jesus with a sweet spirit, not kick them into Hell. On the other hand, you’re embarrassing the scientists who are Christian, and you’re undermining their own message of faith. How are they going to shine the light of Christ on their unbelieving colleagues, when those unbelieving colleagues have hardened their hearts against God because of people like you?
There is NO conflict between science and the Bible. There IS a conflict between science and Young Earth Creationism. What YECs aka Bible literalists do is try to force a distorted form of science to fit the Bible, and if they can’t make it fit, they just reject it outright. It’s as though they believe something if the Bible said it happened, and if it’s not mentioned then it doesn’t exist.
Instead of demeaning people who don’t agree with you, gently radiate the love of Jesus. If you can’t do that, stay out of science-oriented discussions.
Learn to Follow Jesus
Without obedience to Jesus Himself, there will be no spiritual growth, and thus no fruit. You can faithfully attend church services, belt out hymns, and appear to rejoice, but if you are depending on any person to lead you to righteousness, you are on the wrong path.
How do you get on the right path? Colossians 3:2 says: Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. You must align your life with the teachings examples of Jesus above all else. Acts 5:29 says: We must obey God rather than men.
Are you in a good church or Bible study group? If they are preaching the love of God, they should be practicing love and caring, but not exclusion. Matthew 7:16-20: You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.
The Bible may not be the Word of God, it may not be literal, but it’s a powerful tool when used correctly. Let me repeat that: it’s a powerful tool when used correctly. The Holy Spirit authoritatively uses it to instruct us, because it points us to Jesus Christ, and teaches us how to emulate Him. God absolutely does use the Bible for teaching spiritual truths, but He does so in a way to strengthen our relationship with Himself. We grow spiritually only when we let the Holy Spirit lead and teach us. John 16:13 says When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth.
Instead of taking the Bible literally, take it seriously. Being a Christian does not require you to believe that the Bible is inerrant. Instead, accept it’s overall message and read it like it’s God breathing his Words on the page. Evaluate each truth you see in scripture to discover how to apply it in your life. Those printed words are dynamic like no other collection of writings in the world. You can read the same passage a dozen times, and get a new message out of it each time. A dozen people can read the same passage, and each one will get a different message. It happens that way because each person approaches a passage based on their own circumstances and life experiences. And when your life circumstances change, you’ll see a new message that fits your current situation.
The Personalized Bible
I once had a remarkable experience which illustrated just how wonderfully God can tailor scripture to fit a person’s unique situation.
Anyone who makes a serious study of the Bible will periodically have a verse jump out of the page with personal meaning. It happens to me frequently. Sometimes I’ll read it through several times as I let it sink in. Depending on verse and circumstances, this can be a Holy Spirit teaching moment, or a word of comfort. But rather than an ordinary “jump off the page” moment, I once had a most singular encounter with a scripture.
I was busy with normal household activities when out of the blue, the Holy Spirit told me to pick up my Bible and look at a certain verse. He named the book, chapter and verse. That was mighty specific! Also, it was one of the prophet books. I never read those because they were boring, and sometimes confusing. I didn’t read the Old Testament much anyhow. Sometimes I would turn to Proverbs (which I still like to do), and read a few pages because it has such awesome words of wisdom. Mostly, my study revolved around the New Testament.
So anyhow, I turned to the specified verse and read it. Hmmm. Interesting, but what does it have to do with me?
Over the next few years, I thought of it periodically. Occasionally I would read it again. I felt like it should be very important, but how?
Then came the time, without warning, I experienced a traumatic event that changed the course of my life forever. That verse came back to me forcefully, making it all make sense. Out of +31,000 verses in the Bible, that was THE one that not only matched my situation perfectly, but provided great comfort to soothe my soul.
No other book in the world can be used by the Holy Spirit in a divine manner like the Bible can. No matter what your situation is, there’s a verse or passage that exactly fits it.
So Many Bible Versions…
Much controversy rages about the Bible versions that are available. I’ve noticed that the Bible literalists tend to insist the King James version is the only valid version. Some go so far as to proclaim it’s the only version authorized by God. Seriously. If you never heard that, I am not kidding. If you’re one of the people who believes that, all I can say is, you are equating King James with God.
Make the Bible an aid to worship, not an object of worship, which is what many literalists are doing.
If you like reading the KJV, more power to you. I personally feel it’s not the best for deep study unless you’re familiar with 17th century English and the semantic changes of the last 400 years. The entire point of producing the KJV in the first place was so that the literate Church of England populace could read the Bible in the English they were familiar with (or have it read to them if they were illiterate). Until then, churches usually used the Latin Vulgate, which almost nobody could understand.
Some KJV proponents like to quote Revelations 22:18-19 to prove that the KJV is the only valid version: For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Please, stop and think about that carefully. John was referring to the scroll he had just finished writing. At that time, there was no such thing as a Bible. There were Hebrew scriptures but they weren’t in book form. There was no New Testament. John had no way of knowing that there would ever be a Bible or a New Testament. And of course, by the time the KJV came along, it was preceded by countless Bible versions. John didn’t even know that his scroll would be called the book of Revelations or Apocalypse.
So, if there are so many versions of the Bible, and since every new translation is an alteration of a previous version, which one is best? That’s easy: whichever one you’re most comfortable with. Every version holds on to the same fundamentals, and the Holy Spirit can guide you with any of them. If you don’t believe that, you’re limiting God’s power.
As long as you’re letting the Holy Spirit lead you, every version can be condensed down to one key point, as stated in Mark 12:29-31: Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Matthew 22:37-39 echoes that sentiment.
You will never become a straightforward, direct and purposeful Christian until you learn to walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit.
A Few Specific Verses
Following are some useful Bible verses covering some of the points I’ve made.
Verses about the Word of God.
I’ve bolded the phrases that specifies the Word is spoken from God’s mouth, or otherwise can’t apply to a book. In a couple cases, I added a thought in (parentheses).
Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (A printed book doesn’t know your thoughts; it’s an inanimate object).
Ephesians 6:17: And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
Job 23:12 I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of His [God’s] mouth more than my portion of food.
Deuteronomy 8:3: And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Matthew 7:24: Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Jesus referring to the sentences He had just spoken.)
John 15:1-17:26: I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you.
1 Peter 1:25: But the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
John 12:48: The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
Mark 13:31: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Isaiah 55:10-11: For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Verses about letting the Holy Spirit teach you
John 14:26: But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
1 John 2:27: As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.
1 Corinthians 2:10-14: These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God… We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
Romans 8:14: For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Galatians 5:16: So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
1 Corinthians 2:9-13: But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
1 Corinthians 2:1-16: And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
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