To what extent does the Bible use metaphor? Both Craig and Ruth have been blogging about the interpreting Scripture "literally" (whatever that means), and I wish to take the discussion a step further.
It would seem that the Bible uses metaphors to describe God. Psalm 18 says (several times) that God is a Rock. That, we can say, is metaphorical. But when we say that God is a Father, that's not a metaphor at all – God is the real father, and all earthly fathers are mere copies, pale reflections, of him. That's what Paul says in Ephesians 3:14-15, "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named." God the Father really is a father. (Of course, I would also want to say that God really is a rock, but in a different sort of way.)
Which raises the question, where do we draw the line? When we say that Jesus is "king", that's not a metaphor, but when we say he is the "door", that is? This issue has arisen in recent times in connection with the so-called New Perspective on Paul – when we speak about "justification", are we saying that God really is a judge? I would answer in the affirmative – all earthly judges are modelled on him. The idea of justification being a divine verdict in the heavenly court-room isn't just a metaphor, it is the reality.
Now, what about the Church being the Bride of Christ? This, too, is not just a metaphor – it is the true reality. The Church really is feminine. Human marriages are modelled on the marriage between Jesus and his Church, and not vice versa.
Which means, ladies, if you want to learn what it means to be truly feminine, you should study church history.
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