Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Explore the Bible for Yourself, Part 35 of 52

IDEA: Interpret figurative language figuratively.

PURPOSE: To help listeners understand the way language is used.

In Philippians 3 Paul says, "Beware of the dogs." Do you think this is a warning about pit bulls? Doesn't the word dog mean dog?

At the end of John's gospel, chapter 21, he says, "the whole world could not contain the books if the full story of Jesus were written down." Is that a true statement?

Both of those are figurative speech. But that kind of non-literal word usage is one of the most difficult problems people face in Bible study—they may treat figurative language as though it were literal, or to treat literal language as though it were figurative. It keeps us from understanding a passage from the Bible.

I. Figurative language is used in the Bible because all language contains non-literal talk.

People from the Near East do so even more than we do.

In common parlance we say:

"It's raining cats and dogs."

"She broke my heart."

"I'd walk a million miles for one of your meals."

The Bible uses it. We use it.

II. We often use figurative language because there's no other way to really express how we feel.

It's used for emphasis.

When Jesus says in Luke 14, "If a man does not hate his father and mother," it is much stronger than "love me more than you do your parents." This is the language of hyperbole.

In Romans, Paul says, "I could wish myself accursed from God," Paul knew he could not do that. It's a way of saying how deeply he felt about this.

Figurative language helps us remember.

"Don't hide your light under a bushel" (Matthew 5). These expressions are so strong that they have actually become part of our language.