Three Ways to Interpret Bible Verses: Fundamentalist, Non-Fundamentalist Believer, Humanist

By William Hagan

Presents and explains three competing philosophies, that is, views: Fundamentalist, Non-Fundamentalist Belief, and Humanist for over fifty famous and controversial places from both the Old and New Testaments.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 30, 2016
• ISBN: 9781483568553

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Fundamentalism,

Non-Fundamentalist

Belief, Humanism

Fundamentalism is the philosophy or view that the Bible is the Word of God and as such should be interpreted literally because God would not use stories or figures of speech but always tell the truth that is what actually happened. The Bible opens proclaiming that all creation took place in seven days. God is revealing that God created everything in one week. This rules out Evolution.

Non-Fundamentalist Belief is the philosophy or view that the Bible is the Word of God but some verses are not to be taken literally. God communicates with us in human language, that is, using every language form we do: history, fiction, parables, epics, figures of speech, and so forth. The Bible opens with saying that creation took place over a week’s time. However the point being made is that God especially created the seventh day of the week the Holy Sabbath, not that God created everything else in six days. The Bible does not ban belief in Evolution.

Humanism is the philosophy or view that the origin of the Bible is entirely human, by human authors who wanted to persuade people to believe as they do. The Humanist can be a Bible scholar but sees no evidence of the existence of the God proclaimed by the Bible.

Humanism sees the origin and nature of the Bible as entirely the ideas and beliefs of humans even when they appear to be quoting God. The Bible opens with the call by political and religious leaders for the observance of the religious practice of the Sabbath Day. The Bible does not ban belief in Evolution.

The three most common, widely held views, that is, philosophies, on the Bible—Fundamentalism, Non-Fundamentalist Belief, and Humanism—derive from the two most basic questions regarding the Bible: Is it authorized by God, God’s Word, and should it be taken literally throughout?

Depending on the particular verses under consideration Believers in the Bible are divided over whether to take verses literally or not. Whereas a Catholic Christian is expected to believe that when Jesus took bread and wine at the last supper with his disciples and said it was his body and blood he meant it literally. A Protestant does not hold that Jesus meant the bread and wine were literally his body and blood.

As with any philosophy, individuals choose in conscience which of the three interpretations they choose for the particular verses they are considering. Fundamentalists are determined to understand almost every verse literally. Non-Fundamentalists will see some verses as God using forms of human speech and writing while communicating with humans. The Bible opens with God creating everything in six days and the Sabbath Day as the Seventh Day. This is meant to teach that the seventh day is unique. It does not mean that all creation was accomplished in six days.

Like the Non-Fundamentalist Believer, the Humanist sees every form of human writing in the Bible. The Humanist sees God supposed to be speaking and acting, or affecting history but no real evidence that a deity like that in Scripture is behind history. The deity proposed by religions is too often and too obviously human-like.

There is a sharp separation of the three philosophies from each other. Each not only disagrees with but also contradicts the other two positions. Taking a Humanist interpretation contradicts the other two. Taking a Non-Fundamentalist interpretation of a verse contradicts the other two. Taking a Fundamentalist interpretation contradicts the other two philosophies.

Nor should Non-Fundamentalist Belief or Humanism be called Liberal. There is nothing liberal about these two interpretations of the Bible for Non-Fundamentalist Belief and Humanism contradict Fundamentalism and each other.

The same reader while declaring for one of the above philosophies, for example Fundamentalism, or Non-Fundamentalist Belief may sometimes choose an interpretation from the other philosophy. A Fundamentalist will not take literally the statement that Herod was a fox. A Non-Fundamentalist Believer may choose to take Jesus words on the bread and wine being his body and blood, literally, that is, the Fundamentalist interpretation. The Humanist, while agreeing on a literal or non-literal interpretation will always claim the character of God is a fiction created by the religion and its founders and scripture writers.

Anyone may, in conscience, change his/her interpretation at any time.

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The Old Testament

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Creation in seven days

Genesis 1–2

Fundamentalist

God created the Earth and everything in it in six days. On the seventh day he blessed it and made it holy and a day of rest just as it says.

Non-Fundamentalist Believer

God the author inspired human writers to picture their seven-day week as the period of work with a day of worship as we know it. The workweek is followed not just by the day of rest, but by the holy day of worship, the Sabbath. God is even pictured as taking a rest as humans do after the workweek.

This is certainly not to