Section VIII: Bible Flashcards
What is the Bible? Explain both Literal and Metaphysical meanings.
Literal - The Bible comes from the Greek word ta biblia, which means “The Books”. The Bible is a collection of many individual religious works written over thousands of years by an unknown number of authors with a diversity of intents and purposes.
Metaphysical - The Bible is the story of our spiritual growth. It record the development of the human soul. It records what happens when we are in different states of consciousness. Each person finds their own truth as they understand what the Bible characters mean. It is part of God’s divine plan that humankind discovers themselves as an important channel of energy-intelligence.
The metaphysician acknowledges the Bible as inspired writing in which universal Truths are expressed.
Source: Wisdom for a Lifetime in the 21st Century,
How does Charles Fillmore characterize the Bible?
Charles Fillmore states that the Bible is the story of man’s generation, his degeneration, and his regeneration. Charles Fillmore believes that the Bible has a nature to that similar of man. In Mysteries of Genesis he writes: As man is a threefold being, spirit, soul, body - so is the Bible. It is body as a book of history, soul as a teacher of morals, and spirit as a teacher of the mysteries of being.
Source: Mysteries of Genesis
Name and explain the three essential parts of Inductive Bible Study?
Observation - what does it say?
Interpretation - what does it mean?
Application - what does it mean for my life?
Why do we (UFBL) teach the Bible metaphysically?
We interpret the Bible allegorically in order to discover the teachings embedded within the scriptures. We believe the Bible offers nourishment for the soul, and we use its lessons as reminders of our divine origin and purpose.
Source: https://ufbl.org/about/
Metaphysics and Bible interpretation go hand in hand.
- The Bible holds within it the secrets as to the true nature of man, his source and the principles under which he functions.
- The Bible is, in its inner or spiritual meaning, a record of the development of the human soul.
- Each one finds his own unique truth, as he understands what the Bible characters mean to him.
- Each discovery is a lesson that applies to something that is going on in the student’s life.
Source: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15cmoA6Rwl7-73XO-H6YBwncsq-Qn7Lj6/view
Briefly explain the difference between allegorical and metaphysical Bible Interpretation.
Allegorical interpretation sees biblical characters, events, and narratives as symbols representing deeper moral, spiritual, or philosophical meanings. Whenever we attempt to explain the meaning of something symbolically rather than directly, we are using allegory. Allegories cannot be understood literally, but always imply a meaning other than the obvious. Many allegories are employed to relate ethical, moral, and etiological teachings to the reader. Through the use of the allegorical interpretive lens, we are searching for basic life truths beyond the concrete elements of the story.
Metaphysical interpretation sees the Bible as a guide for understanding the nature of reality, existence and the divine, focusing on spiritual principles and universal truths that transcend physical circumstances. Metaphysical Bible interpreation allows us to embrace scripture at our spiritual core, at that place where we ask the question: Who am I? In the process, we discover that the Bible is a story about our spiritual destiny. Metaphysical Bible interpretation is an inward journy into the soul of humanity. Through it, we grasp the psychology of our spiritual journey. We begin by asking: How do the characters, objects, places, and activities in the Bible relate to our spiritual growth?
Metaphysical interpretation takes us another step deeper than the allegorical. It brings us into a process of identifying those components of the story that represent mental states of consciousness, spiritual awareness, and universal laws.
Allegorical interpretation answers “what do these characters, events, etc. symbolize?” Metaphysical interpretation answers “how does this relate to my states of consciousness and/or spiritual growth.”
Source: Wisdom for a Lifetime in the 21st Century, Chapter 8
What is an allegory? How many allegories are in Genesis? Name three.
The definition of allegory is “the veiled presentation, in a figurative story, of a meaning metaphorically implied but not expressly stated.”
Spiritual Man, Manifest Man, The Fall of Man, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Flood, The Tower of Babel
Name the six allegories espoused in UFBL/JCTS Bible courses that are found in the first eleven chapters of Genesis.
- Spiritual Man (Genesis 1)
- Manifest Man (Genesis 2)
- The Fall of Man (Genesis 3)
- Cain and Abel (Genesis 4)
- Noah and the Flood (Genesis 6-9)
- The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11) - Metaphysically it signifies the confusion that takes place when we seek divine contact with God via outer means, such as books, teachers, race consciousness, or for the attainment of outer goals, such as material wealth or status.
Source: Let There Be Light
What is the Documentary Hypothesis and how does it impact the Torah/Pentateuch?
The German biblical scholar, Julius Wellhausen, presented the theory that there were four sources (writers: Jahwist, Elohist, Deuteronomist, and Priestly) of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy); which opposed the view that it was written by Moses. Each source had their own style of writing and could be identified to a specific period of time.
What is the Inductive Bible Study and give an example of how it can be used?
Inductive Bible Study is a systematic approach to studying scripture that emphasizes discovering meaning through careful observation, itnerpretation, and application. Through these three steps, we apply inductive reasoning, which is defined as the attempt to use information about a specific situation to draw a conclusion.
What are the steps of the Four-Step Process of Metaphysical Bible Interpretation
Step One: Select, Read, and Study the Scripture
Step Two: Identify the Key Words and Phrases
Step Three: Develop Interpretations for the Words
Step Four: Allow the Metaphysical Meaning to Emerge
