Literal vs. Metaphorical

[remoat]

some say the bible should be taken literally, no symbolism, no double-entendre: as is, where is… some say the bible uses symbols to make points not easily understood in other ways… what do you think? should the bible be taken “per se”? or, should it be taken as an allegorical presentation of how man should care for himself, his brothers and his natural world? one of the impressive arguments is revelation… it has been “preached” as the prediction for the end-of-the-world… nowadays, it is being interpreted as a commentary on a previous period in history, within a few hundred years of christ’s death… a documentary on the history channel says the propostion about the “beast’s” number being “666” is a reference to nero caesar… according to the hebrew alphabet, all letters have numerical value… in crurnching names thru the hebrew alphabet, one name has stood out as fitting the configuration, nero’s… much of revelation’s descriptions can be found to fit within the context of nero’s reign…

there are even discussions about whether christ died after crucifixion… some crazy theories say he was in some kind of hibernatory state, or coma, which allowed him time to recover and thereafter “rise”, after never having truly died… of coursed, this is pure rot, but what about other events and description? are they historical or predictive?

 

[NeedImprovement]

… some crazy theories say he was in some kind of hibernatory state, or coma, which allowed him time to recover and thereafter “rise”, after never having truly died… of coursed, this is pure rot, but what about other events and description? are they historical or predictive?

I’d like to see them try telling that one to St. Thomas the apostle (his feast day today).

 

[Joe_Kelley]

. . .

there are even discussions about whether christ died after crucifixion… some crazy theories say he was in some kind of hibernatory state, or coma, which allowed him time to recover and thereafter “rise”, after never having truly died… of coursed, this is pure rot, but what about other events and description? are they historical or predictive?

I think they seriously underestimate the Romans. One thing they were good at was making sure people were dead, Note the final stab to the heart.

 

[NeedImprovement]

…there are even discussions about whether christ died after crucifixion… some crazy theories say he was in some kind of hibernatory state, or coma, which allowed him time to recover and thereafter “rise”, after never having truly died …?

…Although on the third day after “rising” from his “coma”, He still had these gaping wounds in his hands and feet and side - nail wounds large enough for St. Thomas to put his finger in and to put his hand into the wound in the side, but (not allowed to say, “miraculously”) somehow they didn’t bleed anymore. Even today’s doctors wouldn’t have an explanation for that.

It’s society that’s in a hibernatory state regarding Christianity - not Jesus. Let’s pray for a “springtime” in the Church…the world.

 

[thistle]

The senses of Scripture

CCC 115 According to an ancient tradition, one can distinguish between two senses of Scripture: the literal and the spiritual, the latter being subdivided into the allegorical, moral and anagogical senses. The profound concordance of the four senses guarantees all its richness to the living reading of Scripture in the Church.

CCC 116 The literal sense is the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation: “All other senses of Sacred Scripture are based on the literal.”

CCC 117 The spiritual sense. Thanks to the unity of God’s plan, not only the text of Scripture but also the realities and events about which it speaks can be signs.

1. The allegorical sense. We can acquire a more profound understanding of events by recognizing their significance in Christ; thus the crossing of the Red Sea is a sign or type of Christ’s victory and also of Christian Baptism.
2. The moral sense. The events reported in Scripture ought to lead us to act justly. As St. Paul says, they were written “for our instruction”.
3. The anagogical sense (Greek: anagoge, “leading”). We can view realities and events in terms of their eternal significance, leading us toward our true homeland: thus the Church on earth is a sign of the heavenly Jerusalem.

CCC 118 A medieval couplet summarizes the significance of the four senses:

The Letter speaks of deeds; Allegory to faith;
The Moral how to act; Anagogy our destiny.