Spiritual minds, not literal minds, are required to comprehend the meaning of spiritual language. Using a literal mind to find spiritual truths is akin to trying to open a closed door with the incorrect key. Why have Bible academics and church leaders disagreed in their interpretations of Scripture, and why do they still differ? Why do there seem to be so many different denominations? Who designed them? Mostly because Christians’ thoughts were narrow and literal, focusing on the surface of God’s Word rather than the inner beauty of the truths it contained.
If you look at the surface of numerous ripe watermelons, what would you see? Will you not notice a variety of styles and color shades? When you open them and look at the fruit inside, what will you see? Will you be able to tell the difference between them? Isn’t it true that they’ll all be sweet? The literal intellect can only see the surface of God’s Word and exaggerate the contrasts that are obvious. Many problems have arisen in the world as a result of such a shallow and restricted intellect. It has separated not just the one faith of Christ into hundreds, if not thousands, of denominations, but it has also divided families and nations, as we have seen. Did you know that there is a barrier separating Catholics and Protestants in Ireland? Why is there such a schism between two Christian organizations that worship the same Savior?
Take a look at the past. Isn’t it true that the Jews’ hearts and minds were dominated by literal thinking at the time of Jesus? Why were they, and indeed all of us, given the following warning:
The letter kills, The spirit gives life.
– 2 Corinthians 3:4-6
What is it that “the letter” kills? It extinguishes the spirit of faith and mental powers. It limits its ability to reason and think. It transports the mind from the wide, beautiful, and harmonious spiritual realm to the barren, lifeless, and limited thinking of the physical world.
Are There Any Rules for Distinguishing Between the Literal and the Spiritual?
Many scholars, both Christians and Jews have attempted to use a literal key to unlock God’s Word. The key does not fit, and the holy mysteries will never be unlocked. Is it possible to interpret God’s unique language? Consider the following recommendations:
- Learning from history’s mistakes. For example, let us investigate the primary reasons why the Jews failed to recognize their Messiah. Was it not because of their literal interpretations of spiritual prophecies?
- Developing a sense of humility. Certain secrets are always beyond our comprehension. “My way or no way!” is a sign of a constrained and dogmatic mind.
- Using the previously mentioned jigsaw puzzle as an example. Before making a decision, examine all of the puzzle pieces.
- Waiting for the expected Redeemer to decipher the mysteries. This is precisely what the Scripture teaches. Only the new Redeemer can shed light on the unknown, as Jesus did.
- All of the norms of fair judgment support following the preceding guidelines:
- Scripture
- Reason
- Common Sense
There would be no necessity to split the one Faith of God into hundreds of groups if Bible scholars and church leaders followed even one of the previous ideas. Everything is in harmony in the spiritual world, while everything is out of place in the literal world. The spiritual world brings people together; the physical world separates them.