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Should You Take The Bible Literally?

Q: I have a friend who has recently grown in their Christian faith, and part of that growth has been a new belief and interest in the Bible. However, this has led them to taking the scripture so literally that they now strongly believe that the earth is flat. 

They cite Isaiah 11:12– the four corners of the earth. Psalm 104:5– being set on immovable “foundations” (it will not totter). And Genesis 1:6–8– having a solid firmament.

The core of their argument: “If Scripture is God’s Word and perfect, why reinterpret it to fit modern science? Shouldn’t we interpret science through the Bible—not the Bible through science?”

Summary

What happens when someone reads the Bible too literally? In this episode, Dr. E responds to a listener’s question about a friend who believes the earth is flat—because “the Bible says so.” Dr. E unpacks why context matters in interpretation, using hermeneutics—the grammatical, historical, literal, and theological principles that guide faithful reading. While Scripture is perfect and true, hyper-literalism can distort its meaning when genre, audience, or idiom are ignored. 

Dr. E explains that phrases like “the four corners of the earth” or “the eyes of the Lord” are poetic or symbolic, not scientific. God’s Word reveals the truth about Himself and His creation—but it’s not meant to be a physics textbook. This episode helps believers discern when to take Scripture literally and when to understand it figuratively, so that we honor both the authority and intent of God’s Word.

Takeaways:

• Good hermeneutics keeps interpretation faithful, not fanciful.
• The Bible uses poetic and symbolic language to reveal truth.
• “Four corners of the earth” reflects language, not geography.
• Hyper-literalism can miss the heart of what God intends to teach.
• Scripture is sufficient for faith—not a science textbook.
• Context, audience, and theology must guide every interpretation.

Find more episodes of Ask Dr. E here.

If you’ve got a question for Dr. Easley, call or text us your question at 615-281-9694 or email at question@michaelincontext.com.