(this was in another post but it would work better as its own topic)

Aren't there various versions of the bible in which there are different translations of meanings? I spoke about this in another post about how the words 'witch' and 'sorceress' are used interchangebly when they are in fact very different things, etc.

My view on the bible is this:

I think that the only two valid ways to take the bible are either as an allegory or to take it completely literally.

1. Literally: When it says Jesus walked on water, he walked on water. When it says eve was created from adam's rib, that is so. When it says specific things about the Devil, witches, homosextuals, etc, then those statements are to be taken completely literally.

2. Allegory: All of the miracles and whatnot aren't meant to be taken literally, but to show the goodness of people. The Devil was created to show the evil in people and together god and the devil were representations of both sides of the spectrum. Things aren't meant to be taken literally, but you're meant to look deeper into the scripture to find more meaning than what is really there.


What I see most commonly is a mixture of the two interpretations. People interpret the bible in different ways, finding different meanings for each sentence. But how can there be any REAL/COMPLETELY RIGHT way to interpret the bible when there are so many ways to look at it?

The bible could be just like Iliad or The Odyssey, speaking of Jesus and his journeys. No one knows if Odysseus was a real person, though there is some evidence of different things that happened in the epic. This is also true of the bible. Jesus may very well have lived, but does that mean he did everything the book said? No. I'll give you an example:

I could write a book about myself as a warrior who could change into a lion, bury the story in the ground and wait for someone to find it thousands of years from now, and once someone did find it, how would they have any evidence that I did those things? They may find evidence of my existance, but does that mean that everything I said I did was true?

And we don't even know who really origionally wrote the bible. Maybe it was meant to be a myth, a story, a fictional tale of 'good' against 'evil'! That would also compensate for the differences in opinion. Many stories speak of things like slavery, hate, etc being right, but we know now that those things AREN'T right! Can't that also be true of the issues on Homosexuality and such?

I'm sorry, I got rather carried away, but I would definately like to know if anyone has answers to my questions/statements.

Thanks

~Becca

I know it is hard to believe that this events from the bible were actually true. I know that some poeple find it hard to believe in an everlasting loving father who sent his soon to die for your sins and who gave his life for you. I guess it all goes back to a very important word "faith." Faith is to believe with out seeing, and it sounds hard. But let me tell you something, if you believe but I mean truly believe you will find so many wonderful blessings. You will find peace in your heart and all of your questions will be answered one by one for the only one who can interpret the bible in its true form is the Holy Spirit and if you ask God with faith to give your His interpretation I guarantee you that all of your questions will get an answer. It is good to have a curious mind, it shows that you have a desire to learn. God bless you and take care.

I saw something online that I would highly recommend-
A version of the new testament in it's origional Greek. For all you out there doubting the validity of the numerous translations- If your serious about trying to understand the bible, buy the greek version and translate it yourself. that way you can be sure no one is trying to put a spin on it ( unless, that is, your trying to decieve yourself) I ralize this will take a lot of time, but if your life is commited to christianity, knowing the actual wording of the bible would be very important. If I weren't such a procrastinator I would be doing it right now.