Pastor Joe Bistayi has the joy and privilege of preaching this week. On Sunday morning, he will stand before you and wrestle with this question from the pulpit. In the meantime, I will add my two cents. First things first, scripture is written in order that we might believe. It is written to inspire and instruct and strengthen our faith as well as to reveal the heart and mind of God. Above all, it is meant to be transformative, not simply informative. Point being, facts are great but not central to the best of what the Bible has to offer those on a spiritual journey.
As a general rule, the great Bible stories have multiple layers of meaning that are both literal and metaphorical in nature. The both/and scenario is usually the way to go. Some Biblical texts are meant to be taken literally. Others, it is foolish or even dangerous to do so. Allow me to offer an example.
Before you read any further, grab your Bible or Google Biblegateway.com and check out 2 Kings 2:23-25. Ever heard of this story before in your Sunday school class? Probably not. It's shocking. Appalling. Even humorous in a sick kind of way. Taken literally, the story is inappropriate at best; inexcusable at its worst. On the surface, it's flat out ridiculous. Why include this bizarre story in sacred scripture at all? Using the primary intent of scripture as our guide, we may find some light at the end of this dark tunnel.
How might this obscure story inform our life of faith? A literal approach “bears” no fruit. When we approach this scripture metaphorically, however, we may actually get some use out of it. These verses belong to the larger story of Elisha succeeding Elijah as prophet. Elijah has just been taken up to heaven by God in a chariot of fire and Elisha has just inherited a double share of his spiritual power. Right off the bat, Elisha pulls off two back-to-back miracles with a sizable audience there to witness and affirm his recent rise to greatness. Then comes the embarrassing bald spot. The process of establishing authority and dignity as a world-class prophet gets momentarily side tracked by a bunch of hooligans (Like that word?) that pay for their mockery with their lives. The sinful, dark side of Elisha quickly becomes evident. A literal approach to this text “bears” little or no fruit. It fact, it complicates and distracts from the real heart of the matter. When we approach this scripture metaphorically, however, we may actually get some use out of it. I’ve actually used this text at a retreat for newly ordained men and women to launch an effective discussion on the use and abuse of power.
I’ll close in saying we’re the only nation in the world that equates truth with fact. What’s true about this story isn’t factual. The truth is does offer, however, is deeply important--not only in the faith formation of spiritual leaders, but for all of us learning to use the power we do have responsibly.
Interpreting scripture literally or metaphorically?
Just to make sure I'm following you - you could also use Judges 19 as an example here, right? You can pull all sorts of horrible stuff out of it, but in the larger context of Judges the narrator is using it to show the nadir the Israelites had gotten to and why the monarchy was necessary. Or do you understand that one differently?
Of course collections of fact may not be truthful. To me they seem far more dangerous than the things we call fiction, because they're quite subjective (i.e., some facts were picked out to be conveyed while others weren't) while masquerading behind the supposed "objectivity" of being "facts."
Katie Cummings
Interpreting scripture literally or metaphorically?
Approaching the question of a literal vs. metaphorical reading of scripture brings to mind a quote by Joseph Campbell. "A myth," he said, "is a true story that never happened."
We may or may not be the only nation that equates truth with fact -- reverence for fact is one by-product of the Enlightenment and much of Western thought is informed by that perspective -- but we can certainly claim "guilty as charged" on the count. The door on this swings both ways, too: Just as that which is true may not be factual, collections of facts may not be truthful, either.
Stan Greene