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Can a mountain move? Can the dead bury the dead?
In the past, I fought with the reading of the Bible, as I didn’t understand some of what was written. Especially if I got what was literally written.
For example, I wondered how I could possibly pick up and move a mountain!
He replied: “Because you have so little faith. I really tell you, if you have faith as small as mustard seeds, you can say to this mountain,” move from here to there “and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20 niv)
Since then I have learned that when reading any writing, it is important to know the framework of the verse. It is important to read not only the Bible verse itself, but also those who lead to it and after it.
In Matthew 17:20, Jesus explains to his disciples that the minimum faith is required to achieve great things. In accordance with Cambridge Bible for schools and colleges Such “expressions are typical of the living images of the eastern speech in general. To” remove the mountains “is to disappear the difficulties.” Jesus does not literally tell the disciples to take and move a mountain. Instead, he uses examples in nature that students are familiar with to show how small their faith may be to do things that seemed impossible.
Jesus probably chose the mustard seed as a proverbial example of a very small quantity. He probably used the saying “to move a mountain” as a figurative expression meaning “completion of emergencies”.
Another example of a verse of the Bible I had difficulty in understanding was John 6:53 (niv) where Jesus said,
I really tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the man’s son and drink his blood, you have no life inside you.
To literally eat the flesh and drink blood it made me get sick and even think. But again, I learned to take it in the frame.
As the Israelites knew the pagan practice to eat blood to win the characteristics of the dead animal, Jesus told them to rely on him instead of consuming blood for their power.
By asking us to eat and drink his blood, he asks us to accept his final sacrifice, to take his life to us and to be part of our lives. Don’t eat it literally and drink it.
I have also discovered some numbers that come back more often in the Bible are symbolically meant, not literally.
For example, the multiples of Ten represent an exaggeration or something without a limit. The Bible often uses round numbers to make a point. The figure of 144,000 in the book of Revelation is possible a virtual number, not an exact amount.
Then I looked, and there was the lamb in front of me, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144;000 who had his name and his father’s name written on their front. (Revelation 14: 1 NIV)
My minister explained that the numbers 6 and 12 in the book of Revelation can be visited by literally.
The number six is less than seven. It implies deficiency, imperfection and imperfection. The number of the beast (or the devil) is represented as residues of perfection. Therefore, 666 is the number that represents the antichrist.
This requires wisdom. Let the person who has insight to calculate the number of beast, because it is the number of a man. This number is 666. (Revelation 13:18 NIV)
Twelve is considered a perfect number as it symbolizes the power and power of God. In the revelation book, there are 12 angels, stars, gates, foundations, pearls, apostles and 12 species of fruit.
It had a large, tall wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels on the gates. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written at the gates. (Revelation 21:12 NIV)
Understanding the symbolism and importance of numbers can help reading a difficult book such as revelation.
There are many other verses in the Bible where it is best to consider the frame and not to take it literally. The Bible study involves examining the lyrics to see if they are to be literally or something else, such as analogy or exaggeration.
For example, in Mark 9: 47 (niv), says Jesus,
And if your eye forces you to stumble, take it out. It is best to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and thrown into hell,
And in Matthew 8:22 (niv), says Jesus,
But Jesus said to him, “Follow me and let the dead bury their dead.”
Other times, when I was difficult to understand a certain verse of the Bible, I found useful to study The Bible Message which is a paraphrase of the Bible in modern English.
For example, the above verse in Matthew reads:
Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. Follow me. Continue life. ”
Much of the Bible is intended to be literally, but not all. The Bible is intended to be read and studied. Ways to do this:
- Pray before reading and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand the Scripture.
- Look at the frame and everything before and after the verse.
- Read different translations, comments and consider the original language.
- Ask questions. What kind of literature are you reading? Is it poetic, historical narrative, prose, proverbs?
Regardless of whether the Scripture is written to be literal, exaggerated, parable or symbolic, it is God-reassured, useful and reliable.
But don’t let it inflate you. Stick with what you learned and believed, definitely for the integrity of your teachers – because, you got the sacred scriptures with your mother’s milk! There is nothing like the written word of God to show you the way to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Every part of the writing is God-reviewed and useful in one way or another by telling us truth, exposing our uprising, correcting our mistakes, educating us to live the way of God. Through the word, we have gathered and shaped for the duties that God has for us. (2 Timothy 3: 16-17 the message)
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