Adam And Eve - Just An Allegory?

[Guest HisG]

BFA

What do you make of Luke 4 v 25-26?

Jesus is talking to folk in the synagogue about the 3.5 year famine, the prophet Elijah and the widow. He also refers to the Syrian Na'aman with leprosy in v 27.

In your head, do you read this as Jesus talking about literal people and events?

Or...?

I'm curious.

[ByFaithAlone]

OK, for those of you who believe that a least some people in the bible are allegorical and not literal people, how do you discern which is which?

I base it on context, writing style and historical precedents set by the ancient Jews and Christians.

[ByFaithAlone]

BFA You miss the point altogether. You purposefully skip over the evidence that is historical text. Jesus' words provide the accuracy in history. If I can't rely on the accuracy of Christ's words, then my faith is shallow and has no core. Fortunately, I have placed my trust/faith in His Word and His Word is a lamp to my feet. I believe what Jesus says - simple.

If the Jews and Christians of that era believed in an allegorical Genesis wouldn't it seem reasonable to think the Jesus held a similar view? You keep on saying that Jesus saw Adam as literal without considering the historical precedents of the church or Judaism or how the Jews understood the writing style of Genesis. Again, I would like to see your support of this interpretation.

[ByFaithAlone]

BFA What do you make of Luke 4 v 25-26? Jesus is talking to folk in the synagogue about the 3.5 year famine, the prophet Elijah and the widow. He also refers to the Syrian Na'aman with leprosy in v 27. In your head, do you read this as Jesus talking about literal people and events? Or...? I'm curious.

Yes I would view this as literal. Why you ask if Genesis is not considered literal?

Simply put, the writings about Na'aman and Elijah are not written in the manner of an epic, nor do they have a tradition in Jewish or Christian orthodoxy of being interpreted as allegorical.

Genesis however, has a tradition of being interpreted as allegorical by both Jews and Christians and it does have the writing style of an epic poem.

[ByFaithAlone]

D-9: " I think there is plenty to suggest that the allegorical interpretation is correct."

There is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that what Jesus said about Adam and Eve, Job, Noah and the Flood, etc., was allegorical. None. All you have is a belief that Jesus did not really mean what He said. But, as you are spiritually blind to begin with, it's understandable. "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)

Hmmm... no evidence that Christ viewed Genesis allegorically? How about the earliest Christians and Jews of that era who almost entirely viewed Genesis as allegorical? Josephus, Philo (first two are Jewish) Origen, Clement of Alexandria, Jerome, Augustine (last four are Christian). Seems reasonable to believe that Christ held similar views of the earliest Christians and Jews of that area.

[Guest HisG]

So BFA

You believe some of what Jesus says but reject other parts.

There is nothing in His parts of speech when He talks iof Noah, Jonah etc that differs from how He speaks concerning the prophet Elijah, the famine etc so your reasoning is flawed.

Jesus did not use myths to drive a point home. He used real people and real events.

The only time a person believes a myth is when they believe it to be true eg: children and Santa. Santa is not real but a child begs to differ.

You cherry pick Jesus' own words to suit yourself. Dangerous territory.

It will be the Word itself that judges people.

Don't get caught up in intellectual fluff and bluff.

You must not get fooled in truth-less babble. Don't be misled BFA.

[Guest HisG]

So BFA

You believe some of what Jesus says but reject other parts.

Don't get caught up in intellectual fluff and bluff.

You must not get fooled in truth less babble. Don't be misled BFA.

Did you see you posted this post 4 times? twice before my post and twice after mine ,,,sticky fingers?

Serious??

Oops that is a complete error - sorry guys... I have corrected it : )

[Tinky]

ByFaithAlone: Hmmm... no evidence that Christ viewed Genesis allegorically? How about the earliest Christians and Jews of that era who almost entirely viewed Genesis as allegorical?

Your evidence that Jesus viewed Genesis as allegorical is naming a few non-believing Jews and a few early Christians who viewed Genesis the way you do?

Seriously?

ByFaithAlone: Seems reasonable to believe that Christ held similar views of the earliest Christians and Jews of that area.

No it doesn't "seem reasonable" at all. You simply stated the beliefs of a few others like yourself. You posted no Biblical evidence whatsoever that Jesus didn't mean exactly what He said.

[Guest HisG]

Following on from Tinky's thinking BFA, the disciples, His inner circle, those He taught one on one, obviously believed Jesus' teachings as literal based....

If you can show me otherwise, please do.

[Mcgyver]

A quick question here, BFA.

What stylistic similarities or differences between Genesis and other early Hebrew epics/poems would lead you to believe that Genesis is written in the manner of an epic vs. a historical account?

Thanks!