Holy Scripture: The Importance of Literal

The Holy Bible as written in the original languages is, the literal, inerrant, infallible, inspired (meaning God Breathed) written Word of God. Jesus is the living Word of God come to save us from our sins.

It seems today many churches want to take the word "literal" out of the preceding statement about the written word. The excuse often used is that some parts are literal and some are not. Technically that statement is true, but God's word is still God's written word, and it is literally God's word, it is literally inerrant, it is literally infallible, and it is literally inspired.

If we don't allow for the written word of God, the Holy Scripture or Holy Bible to be literally God's word, then we have no basis for taking any of it literally. In fact, if it is not literally God's written word, then we are free to pick and choose which ever parts we want to be literal, context and content become irrelevant except as we want them to be relevant.

If God's written word is not literal, then maybe Jesus did not literally die for our sins, and sins such as lust, homosexuality, murder, orgies, thefts, or any other sin is not literally a sin and does not need literal forgiveness or to be literally repented of. Don't got to love my neighbor if I don't want, regardless of what scripture says. No need to literally love or especially literally obey God if I don't feel like it, after all since only some of it is literal, then I get to pick and choose which part is literal.

The truth is we must take scripture literally or we destroy God's written word. We open it up too all kinds of abuse and intentional misinterpretation. There will always be disagreements and interpretations on scripture and what it means, but if we throw away the word literal as many churches, even so called conservative churches are doing today are doing, then we give free rain to chaos and willful sin.

That does not mean that every word in scripture is literal, as is the case with the parables. But Jesus was literally crucified and he literally died to literally take away our literal sins. Jesus literally was buried and Jesus literally arose from the grave and He literally showed himself to be alive to many after literally rising from the dead, He is literally alive today and is literally seated at His Father's (God's) right hand.

Conclusion: It is literally true that Jesus is the only name whereby we must be saved.(Acts 4:12). So, yes, we must take scripture as literal written Word of God, to not do so would be an authorization to twist the Word of God. So we must see the Holy Scripture as the literal, inerrant, infallible, inspired (meaning God-breathed) written Word of God. Jesus Christ (according to John 1:1) is literally the living Word of God.