Is the Bible the Literal Word of God?

Are any words not literal ?

It isn't the 'literal' that comes under question, it's the 'of God' ...

Wouldn't literal words of Man also be literal words of God ? Aren't lies and dirty jokes also ? One may find more morality in the Bible than in Madame Bovary, but not less subjective moralising ...

:dry:

This is how the Bible was put together from the Catholic Perspective:

1. The Disciples were given the power to preach and exercise miracles by Jesus because Jesus knew he was gonna die. So, they were also told to go make disciples of all nations.
2. Paul became the first "pope", but that is not too much an important fact.
3. Wayyy later (about 50-60 years after Christ's death, and the end of Paul's reign from his crucifixion), things started to be written down. Paul's letters were recovered, and the various gospels were written.
4. At some point, later, there was a Church "meeting", in layman's terms, and the descendents and students of the "disciples" gathered to decide what would be considered Canon and what wouldn't.

In the end, the Scripture was considered to be God-breathed. "In the beginning was the Word."

The Christian Church decided, in order to convert many people, to tell the story the way that would suit them best, so they put the books together following the Old Testament prophecies, accepting the Old Testament as true but also knowing that Jesus' word overrode some of the older cultural practices.

They also took other religion's practices (this is where all the references to Paganism come from) and inputted them into the scripture and into the Canon Law of the Church.

So.... in short: The Bible was inspired by God, but written to promote the Church's standpoint and also written to encourage conversion for political (and maybe spiritual) reasons.

What does this mean for us? It means whatever you'd like it to... but that the Word of God must be found "inside" the text. Between the lines... rather than in the actual words themselves.

That's why I'm so fond of musical settings of the Bible. You can feel God in the words in the music beyond the word itself.

As I am reading 'dialogue with a christian proselytizer' for my apprentice studies on this very topic, I'm gonna go with a strong 'no'.

Desolous wrote: As I am reading 'dialogue with a christian proselytizer' for my apprentice studies on this very topic, I'm gonna go with a strong 'no'.

I'm not reading that book (nor would I want to), but the "no" was the first answer which came to mind before considering the semantics. Des was wise enough just to stick to a simple "no" ...

... I wasn't.

Desolous wrote: As I am reading 'dialogue with a christian proselytizer' for my apprentice studies on this very topic, I'm gonna go with a strong 'no'.

You make it sound as though there isn't an entire chapter dedicated to Biblical inconsistencies...

well, i Said 'strong'.

Answer: as far as I know, any GOD write books.

the holy bible, its a Best seller, a nice book, but you can believe in that, in the same way you can believe in any other book, but I am sure, that is not GOD's words ( any god)and or any holy book.

looks like is more, human interpretation, of what humans needs, and in my opinion, most of the old religions are a way to control people.

there is only one way to really answer you...

ASK HIM!

No.

But you can learn positive, life-changing stories and teachings with the Bible. Just like you can with the holy books from many religions.

I think it's the wrong question to ask anyway. It shouldn't be, "is the Bible the literal word of God?" but "Does the Bible help find the god in you?"

hard to answer questions not asked

Never said not to ask questions.