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Bible 101: Figurative Language

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Introduction

  • John 16:25

  • The Bible is 100% true, but not 100% literal.

  • The Bible contains lots of figurative language.

    • I Peter 5:8

    • Deuteronomy 1:28

    • Isaiah 66:1

    • John 6:48

    • John 8:12

    • John 10:9

    • John 15:5

    • Matthew 13:3-8

    • Figurative language in the Bible makes the message more vivid, powerful, and memorable.

      When should we take a word or phrase figuratively?
      When it is said to be figurative
      • John 2:18-21
      • Galatians 4:24
      • Ephesians 6:17 – “sword of the spirit”
      • Isaiah 9:2
        • When a literal understanding contradicts another passage
        • Mark 10:5 – Literally “all” the people? Luke 7:29
          • When it matches a pattern of figurative language in other passages.
          • John 6:27 – “do not work for food”
          • I John 3:18 – “do not love with word or tongue”
            • When a literal understanding contradicts known facts or common sense.
            • John 3:3, 5 – being “born again” (compare I Peter 1:23)
              • When should we NOT take a word or phrase figuratively?
              When a literal understanding simply contradicts our beliefs.
              • This is intellectually dishonest!
                • If we miss a figure, we miss the meaning
                • John 10:11
                • John 11:11-14
                • Matthew 16:6-12
                • Matthew 26:26-29 – Partaking of Jesus’ body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. Missing this figure results in doctrines like transubstantiation.
                  • Conclusion
                  • The Bible means what it means!
                  • There are lots of figures of speech in the Bible, and we need to do our best to accurately and objectively understand them.
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                    ScriptureStreamBy Mark Watson
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