thebible-tobetakenverbatimorasprose?

Regarding the Bible, I take parts of it verbatim and other parts of

it as parable.

That's because I think the Bible itself states which parts are to be

taken verbatim, and which parts as parable.

But I'm careful not to randomly assign my own willy-nilly determination

of which passages are to be taken verbatim and which as

parable.

Instead, I approach it with the premise that where a certain

passage is meant to be taken as parable, the text itself will state

so.

I apply the same literary rule to the Bible that I would to any work

of literature: that the reader must first of all ascertain how a text

was intended to be taken, as stated by its

author within the text itself.

Therefore I take the Bible's historical books, which are written in

prose, literally. Which means I take verbatim the creation story;

the temptation and

fall of man; the subsequent development of history (especially the

histories surrounding Israel); the

virgin birth of Jesus; Christ's miraculous ministry; His crucifixion,

burial and resurrection; the accounts of the witnesses of His

resurrection; His ascencion into heaven; and the Acts of the

Apostles, etc.

I also take the Prophetic books literally, except where the text

itslef states that symbolism is being employed. Wherever symbolism

is used, an explanation of the symbols usually follows - leaving no

room for some private interpretation of the prophecy.

Wherever Jesus told a parables, the text states that it is a parable.

Most of the time an interpretation of the parable follows. Or

atleast, the framework is provided to give the reader enough points

of reference to be able to interpret and apply the parable.

Other books of the Bible are self-pronouncedly poetic, rather than

prose - so these passages may be

approached with an understanding of the poetic methods employed -

"poetic license".

Importantly, however, the two interpretive methods (of taking it

verbatim, or as parable) shouldn't be

mixed, at one's own whim.

I always try to take note of any statements within the passages

themselves which dictate to us how the passage was meant to be

taken.

Its really not rocket-science - I think the Lord is so interested

that we learn the way to obtain eternal salvation, that He made the

Scriptures as understandable as possible.

Even so, there are still some things I don't understand. But I'm

looking into it!