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What events in the Bible did not actually occur?

humble soul

humble soul

On Sabbatical from Rome
Member
Sorry this might be controversial for some. Some stories in the Bible did not occur. They are stories that are meant to teach spiritual truths. Ones that seep deep into out unconscious and strengthen our faith.
Here are some stories that I believe are NOT historical events.
Adam and Eve story.
Noah's Ark
20 plagues of Egypt
Parting of the Red Sea
Manna from Heaven
Tower of Babel
Jonah and the Whale.
 
humble soul said:
Sorry this might be controversial for some. Some stories in the Bible did not occur. They are stories that are meant to teach spiritual truths. Ones that seep deep into out unconscious and strengthen our faith.
Here are some stories that I believe are NOT historical events.
Adam and Eve story.
Noah's Ark
20 plagues of Egypt
Parting of the Red Sea
Manna from Heaven
Tower of Babel
Jonah and the Whale.
Click to expand...

What a testimony of unbelief.

Quantrill
 
Book of Hosea.
I love the imagery of this book. Comparing sinners to a promiscuous woman. (Though of course men can be even more promiscuous)
Our relationship with God can lack so much fidelity.We take God for granted.
 
When we realise that many of the Bible writers wanted to capture our imagination in order to understand God better. What better way than interesting stories/ narratives.
 
Tessa said:
Are you serious Humble?
Do you really not believe the bible?
Click to expand...
Are you serious Tessa? Do you really believe those events actually occurred?
That doesn't affect my faith by the way. I always respect good writers.
The danger of fundamentalist thinking, is worse than having no faith at all.
 
I dont take everything literally, that does not mean im not a believer in Gods grace and mercy and have faith and trust in Christ.

I dont think Lots wife turned around and suddenly turned into a literal pillar of salt, does that mean im a non believer?. I dont think so.
 
I think the NT has much less fiction. Except the parables and maybe some of the miracles. Yet that is possibly the most interesting part of the NT.
 
Catholics are taught that the first step in interpretation of the Bible is the same as for other literature, to identify the literary form in the original context. In the newspaper that means: is it a report or an editorial, a straight commentary or a satire? For the Bible it might mean: is it a history or a parable, a Gospel or a psalm, is it spiritual or biological (which affects, for example, the interpretation of “born again”)? This applies also to phrases: are they literal or metaphorical (“She laughed her head off”)?
 
Context is crucial, and that is why knowing the literary context of what we're reading is vitally important. In Scripture, God speaks through men in a human fashion. In order to understand what God is communicating, we must carefully search for the intention of the sacred authors. That is why the Church stresses the importance of knowing the literary genres of Scripture: "In determining the intention of the sacred writers, attention must be paid, inter alia, to 'literary forms for the fact is that truth is differently presented and expressed in the various types of historical writing, in prophetical and poetical texts,' and in other forms of literary expression" (Vatican II, Dei Verbum, no. 12). In short, we are not to take the Bible literalistically, but literarily.
 
humble soul said:
Sorry this might be controversial for some. Some stories in the Bible did not occur. They are stories that are meant to teach spiritual truths. Ones that seep deep into out unconscious and strengthen our faith.
Here are some stories that I believe are NOT historical events.
Adam and Eve story.
Noah's Ark
20 plagues of Egypt
Parting of the Red Sea
Manna from Heaven
Tower of Babel
Jonah and the Whale.
Click to expand...
I have to think that some of the stories Jesus used in His parables didn't actually happen.
The prodigal son and the beggar-richman going to Abraham's bosum for instance.
 
humble soul said:
That doesn't affect my faith by the way.
Click to expand...
The authenticity of faith is the point though. Even the prophets of Baal had faith sufficient to believe they would be proven true by it. But they didn't have the faith of sorts that would save them in the time of God's power.

What I'm concerned about for you, humble soul, is the breakdown of your faith where it has become of a nature that regards the scriptures differently from the writers of the new testament. For instance, you can see St. Paul saying plainly that Adam brought sin into the world (Romans 5:12), St Peter saying that only eight souls were saved through Noah's ark (1 Peter 3:18), St Stephen preached about the powers of God to save the Israelites from Egypt (Acts 7:36), Jesus spoke literally with regards to the Manna (John 6:49) and Jonah in the fish (Matthew 12:40). I can't seem to think of an example from the New Testament that shows a literal belief in the Tower of Babel, but when I do I will remember that I owe it to be mentioned here ☺️

The point is that this should give you a good indication that your faith is not of the sort that the bible writers have had, and so it should be a warning to you that you are not believing the scriptures in the same way they do. When you say that you have some sort of faith, and you call yourself Catholic and Christian, yet your faith is not like that of the bible's writers, it is quite clear that what you have is a belief system that has caused you to feel comfortable in whatever matters that caused you to go after it in the first place, but that the comfort of your faith is more like a counterfeit than the real thing.

I just thought to mention that to you so that you can think about maybe reading some more of the scriptures in that light. The scriptures also say that a student can not be greater than his teacher, and as you seem to claim that the basis for your reading is the example set by your church, it could be that you might find some good examples of their own shortcomings when compared to the teacher of our faith (Matthew 23:8-10).
 
humble soul said:
Are you serious Tessa? Do you really believe those events actually occurred?
That doesn't affect my faith by the way. I always respect good writers.
The danger of fundamentalist thinking, is worse than having no faith at all.
Click to expand...

Of course those events actually occurred. Just as it is written.

It doesn't affect your faith...because you don't have faith.

Says one who has no faith. Just what is your supposed faith in?

Quantrill
 
humble soul said:
Are you serious Tessa? Do you really believe those events actually occurred?
That doesn't affect my faith by the way. I always respect good writers.
The danger of fundamentalist thinking, is worse than having no faith at all.
Click to expand...
Yes I am very serious Humblee , I believe the entire bible. All the OTand NT
The writers were inspired by God and they wrote what God told them to. God is truth, He does not lie. The OT prophesies about The Messiah and Jesus quoted from the OT.
Don't you even believe in miracles? That with God all things are possible? If not how cam you believe in the resurrection of Christ? Yes if course there are parables in the NT but we know which they ate, Jesus made it plain with words like 'heaven is like .... etc.
I lobe literature but the bible is written for everyone in a way that anyone can follow
Thst is because with prayer The Holy Spifit guides us.
All those things you have listed that you don"t believe yes I believe them wholeheartedly.
 
Tessa said:
Yes I am very serious Humblee , I believe the entire bible. All the OTand NT
The writers were inspired by God and they wrote what God told them to. God is truth, He does not lie. The OT prophesies about The Messiah and Jesus quoted from the OT.
Don't you even believe in miracles? That with God all things are possible? If not how cam you believe in the resurrection of Christ? Yes if course there are parables in the NT but we know which they ate, Jesus made it plain with words like 'heaven is like .... etc.
I lobe literature but the bible is written for everyone in a way that anyone can follow
Thst is because with prayer The Holy Spifit guides us.
All those things you have listed that you don"t believe yes I believe them wholeheartedly.
Click to expand...

Amen sister.

Quantrill
 
humble soul said:
Catholics are taught that the first step in interpretation of the Bible is the same as for other literature, to identify the literary form in the original context. In the newspaper that means: is it a report or an editorial, a straight commentary or a satire? For the Bible it might mean: is it a history or a parable, a Gospel or a psalm, is it spiritual or biological (which affects, for example, the interpretation of “born again”)? This applies also to phrases: are they literal or metaphorical (“She laughed her head off”)?
Click to expand...
The Catholic religion changes often. When I was catholic many, many years ago we weren't even allowed a bible. It was just a catechism and a prayer book.
 
I believe that all those events in the OP were historical events. Other nations "mythologies" etc also confirm the stories details.
There are matches for Adam in Egyptian and Mesopotamian.
Noah's flood is found in 100s of nations around the world, with even small details like the sending out of the birds matching.
The Tower of Babel story is found in scores of nations myths.
If Adam didn't exist then Jesus couldn't have been descended from him (Luke).
 
Tessa said:
The Catholic religion changes often. When I was catholic many, many years ago we weren't even allowed a bible. It was just a catechism and a prayer book.
Click to expand...
Things have changed. I attended a few Bible study classes in my parish.
 
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