What is biblical literalism?

from the old testament

• The word of God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).
• The Bible clearly communicates truth and instruction from God to humans, as seen in Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

from the new testament

• The Bible speaks of itself as the actual Word of God written by men through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
• All Scripture is inspired by God, not men (2 Peter 1:20-21). As such, we are to take Him at His Word.
• The Bible means what it says. That is the basic concept of biblical literalism. The Bible presents an accurate historical account of events, including miraculous ones. While it does not provide a comprehensive history of the entire world, it does describe events and people that are relevant to God's creation of humans and His plan to redeem humanity through salvation in Jesus Christ (John 3:16)
• Jesus, the disciples, and other important biblical figures took Scripture literally. For this reason, they often quoted Scripture when defending truth. For example, Jesus quoted the Old Testament while the Devil was tempting Him in the desert (Luke 4:1-13; Deuteronomy 8:3; 6:13, 16). Steven recounted much of Israel's history described in the Old Testament when he spoke prior to being martyred (Acts 7). The writer of Hebrews similarly recalled Old Testament figures and events when he spoke of faith in Hebrews 11.

implications for today

As with any piece of literature, we can look at the author's intent, the context of the information, and the style of writing to determine its purpose. In the Old Testament most of the books are written as historical accounts by people who lived during that time period. Therefore, all of the events in the Old Testament, including miracles, should be considered to be factual. The New Testament is composed of the Gospels, which tell the story of Jesus' life, and letters written by the apostles to communities of Christians. These books provide historical accounts of events and instruction for living a life that honors God based on the teachings of Jesus. Of course, some portions of Scripture are not literal, but it is clear from their genre and imagery that they are not meant to be taken literally. Instead, we are to read the genre and descriptions as intended to understand their truths. For example, Psalms and Proverbs are written in poetic verse and are meant to impart wisdom and encouragement rather than relate events. Revelation describes future events but uses figurative language in parts of it since the actual details are still unknown. Jesus uses parables and other writers use idioms as examples to teach lessons.If we begin to question the authenticity of one area of Scripture, where do we draw the line? Whose interpretation of the Bible is the most valid? Only God's Word is valid since He is perfect and without sin. When we question whether or not Noah actually built an ark or Moses parted the Red Sea, then we are also questioning the greater miracle of the resurrection of Jesus. Human beings are sinful and live in a fallen world. We needed Jesus to live a perfect life and die on the cross to pay the price for our sins. We needed Him to rise from the dead and overcome death so that we can be forgiven and receive eternal life. The apostle Paul sums it up perfectly: "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied" (1 Corinthians 15:17-19).