"How can you tell if a passage is to be understood
figuratively or if it means just what it says on the surface?"
The way to tell this is by the context or setting
of the passage. What is being discussed? Is it impossible for
the statement to be literally understood in that context? Does
it make good sense literally in that context? Are the wordsor
is the expressionused in such a way that it makes better sense
if understood figuratively? These are some questions that may
help us determine how to interpret accurately, and they all deal
with the context.
Take the example of the meaning of head
in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. In verse 3, head means "has
authority over" God has authority over Christ; Christ has
authority over man; man has authority over woman. However, verse
4 begins a discussion in which both the figurative and literal
meanings of head are involved. Paul obviously refers to
one's cranium or literal head when he refers to hair as
a covering, and to shaving one's head. It would not make sense
to understand head as meaning one who has authority over
another when he talks about hair, veils, and shaving. At the same
time, it is difficult to see how one would be dishonoring his
pate or cranium by having on a veil, or how a woman could dishonor
her skull by failing to wear a veil. Therefore we conclude that
Paul means a man dishonors his figurative or spiritual head
(Christ) when he wears a veil on his physical head or cranium
in the public worship assembly in the cultural setting of ancient
Greece (Corinth). A woman in that culture would dishonor her figurative
head (husband) by failing to wear a veil on her literal
head or cranium or by shaving her physical head. This was true
because of the customs of that area and time, which held that
it was a sign of immorality for a woman to appear in public without
a veil, while a man would be seen viewed unfavorably if he did
wear a veil.
Another example is found in Ephesians 3:8, where
Paul declares himself to be "less than the least of all saints,"
which is literally an impossibility. Paul is using hyperbole,
a figure of speech in which gross exaggeration is used to make
a point (like, "If I've told you once, I've told you a million
times.") Paul's purpose was to emphasize his feeling of humility,
and we would surely not think him the "least," let alone
"less than the least" of any group, but that's the way
he felt, perhaps because of the fact that he had formerly persecuted
Christians.
Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches"
(John 15:4), and he said God was "the vinedresser" or
"husbandman" (vs. 1). Since we know Jesus was not actually
a grapevine and his disciples were not literally grapevine branches,
we know He was speaking figuratively to describe the relationship
He had with God and with His disciples.
It is important to use common sense in interpreting
Scripture as well as in understanding any writing or speech. The
most logical approach to the context is the simplest approach,
or the most direct approach to the context is the best in most
cases. When the simple, direct approach does not appear meaningful
in a given context, look at the possibility of a figurative meaning
that appears logical in that setting. 2660 Layman Rd., Vincent
OH 45784 cjandi@juno.com