Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Explore the Bible for Yourself, Part 36 of 52

IDEA: Figurative language can be used both to illustrate truth and to conceal truth.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the purposes for the use of figurative language.

In Matthew 3:11-12, there is a mixture of literal and figurative language: "I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come one more powerful than I whose sandals I am not worthy to untie," etc. Baptism is literal, but what follows is figurative: John is not concerned about sandals.

I. Figurative language can be used as a kind of illustration.

Revelation 3: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." People take that to mean the heart, but in the context the picture is of the church. It's figurative (Jesus isn't literally standing at the door of the church), but it's a way of illustrating it. What is the illustration with which we began the program?

Jesus says, "I am the Bread of life." Or He picks up the bread and says, "This is my body." "I am the vine, you are the branches." "I am the light of the world."

II. Occasionally figurative language can be used to conceal truth.

In Jesus' parables He uses stories to conceal truth (Matthew 13:13) or uses expressions like "destroy this temple" to conceal truth (John 2:18-22). People assumed He meant the actual physical temple in Jerusalem.

III. A general rule: a thing should be taken literally unless there are reasons for taking it otherwise (that is, it's irrational or absurd if taken literally).