Essay Example on Reuniting Christian Churches: Interpreting the Bible Metaphorically

I am a concerned Christian who feels that there is a need to interpret the Bible differently to accommodate all Christians. Christians have been divided based along race and ethnicity, which has affected the religion at large. We must interpret the Bible metaphorically to reunite all Christian Churches. The Bible uses symbols to convey messages, instead of focusing on the symbols or how they convey the messages, we should solely analyze messages. Christian churches became racially divided over people interpreting the Bible literally. Our division stems back to white evangelicals, literally interpreting the Bible and believing that the Bible justified slavery. Most African Americans understood the Bible metaphorically and saw the Bible as a source of hope to the end of slavery.

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When African Americans began to use the Bible as a source of promise and hope of liberation, they separated from the evangelical white churches that used the Bible for justifying slavery. Most Christian churches remain racially divided to this day, which is against the teachings of our Almighty God. We must all interpret the Bible metaphorically to unify these racially split churches, and agree that the Bible does not justify slavery. We must interpret how we became separated and how the Bible does not justify slavery to unite the majority of white and black churches again. I read an article called The Bible was used to justify slavery. Then Africans made it their path to freedom. This article explained how white evangelicals used the Bible as a way to justify slavery.

The Bible never condones all forms of slavery among Christians and Non-Christians. Instead, the Bible gives commands to slaves as seen in Ephesians 6:5-6, "Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart[...]". This quote implies that being an obedient slave would be doing the will of God. The Bible also states labor terms for slaves, "If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years" (Exodus 21:2). This verse commands that a slave is indebted for at least six years of labor. This verse can be interpreted as permitting slavery as it is ordering the labor of a servant who is purchased. These two quotes from the Bible are commonly used by white evangelicals to show that God is commanding slaves to do work and is not commanding the relief of slaves. Lack of condoning slavery makes up the foundation of white evangelical's argument to use the Bible as justification for slavery.

Oppressed black Christians and slaves interpreted the Bible as a source of hope and promise. Once slaves could read, they began to challenge the idea that the Bible supported slavery. Slaves spoke out against slavery using the Bible as evidence because, to attract the attention of white evangelicals, they had to use a book that the white evangelicals believed in: The Bible. In the Bible, the story of Onesimus is often used to protest against slavery. In the story of Onesimus, Paul writes to Philemon to take Onesimus, "no longer a slave[...] but as a dear brother". Paul goes on to say, "[...] receive him as you would receive me". Paul's words replace the once slave/master relationship with a brother/brother relationship.

Black Christians and slaves interpreted this passage as the apostles giving slaves equal value as the rest of society. Galatians 3:28 is also viewed to be condoning slavery, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. The liberation of Onesimus from slave to brother gave hope to slaves that their time to be liberated would become. The white evangelicals and the African American's radically different ways of interpreting the Bible's message on slavery are what caused the division between the Christian churches. The Bible must be interpreted metaphorically and into today's modern context to be still relevant. When the Bible is interpreted metaphorically, then it is evident that the Bible does not justify slavery.

The different interpretations of the Bible's message continue to have the effect of Christianity today. The most significant impact is that most Christian Churches are predominantly made up of one race. Racially based churches formed when African Americans began to interpret the Bible's message in a different way than whites. Churches cannot remain racially divided. Racially divided churches create an "us and them" mentality that leads to prejudices. If we can bridge the divide between racially divided churches and begin having conversations with others, our church community can become a stronger and diverse place. Christianity had been pro-slavery for a long time, and some slaves did not want to associate themselves with that branch of religion. Not all African Americans and slaves chose to follow the Christian faith.

The majority of oppressed African Americans and slaves, however, did choose to be Christian. The article stated the appeal of slavery to oppressed African Americans and slaves, "[...] Christianity motivated and uplifted with the promise of heavenly rewards and the possibility that their reward might come on earth, too". This quote presents the idea that Christianity is the key to liberation and freedom. Raboteau also explored how Christianity impacted slaves, "Christian slaves delighted in imagining the future happiness of heaven. In doing so, they added to their imaginative life symbols by which they expanded the horizons of their present" (Raboteau). Raboteau shows that Christianity as a whole brought a sense of hope to slaves. When Christianity is presented as a source of potential liberation and as a sense of hope, it makes sense that so many oppressed African Americans and slaves would become free at the end.

Interpreting the Bible metaphorically rather than literally can bridge the divide between these churches. Understanding the Bible metaphorically means taking the overarching message from the Bible and adapting it to fit into the modern-day context. We can take steps to end racially divided churches. One way to make a step towards a more diverse congregation is to have a partner church that has a different majority race. The churches could hold events for both congregations to attend. Hopefully, these events would help people form new relationships and create a more diverse community. We are all children of God. We need to overcome the differences that divided us so long ago. Change doesn't happen overnight, but we can start taking steps toward change now. The Bible provides guidelines on how people should serve others and not how others should take advantage of others. By doing so, we will do what God requires us to do, which in turn makes the lives of His people easier while waiting for His return. I hope this letter has made you realize that we cannot stay divided.

Any action taken to solve this problem will be of high value.

Thank you in advance.

Yours truly,

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Emily Holderness