Move beyond literalism; become biblically literate: by Dr. Donald W. Haynes

Biblical literalism insists that “every word of the Bible is equally true,” meaning equally applicable. One wonders whether people who insist on literalism have actually read all of the Bible.

Biblical literacy, on the other hand, means searching the Scriptures for the Word within the words, and the eternal truth within the temporal language, culture and theology.

Biblical literalism encourages us to treat every verse in the Bible as an entity to itself that can become a weapon to help support some premise we bring to the Bible or to help us win an argument. Biblical literacy elevates the Scriptures to “tower o’er the wrecks of time.”

John Wesley emphasized searching the Scriptures as a means of grace. Certainly he did this until his eyesight failed him. Whenever he found a text incongruent with biblical teachings-he even said some of the psalms are not worthy of a Christian audience-he counseled finding God’s Word in the macro, not the micro.

It wasn’t until the 20th century that terms like “verbally inspired” and “infallibility” became litmus tests for biblical authority.

Certainly, a failure to lift up the Bible as the Word of God weakens the evangelistic motive and message of a church. And using higher criticism like a butcher has eroded our ability to preach “Thus saith the Lord.” But when we lift isolated texts out of context, we abuse rather than honor the Bible…

Dr. Haynes’ article may be read in its entirety here: Wesleyan Wisdom