From the popular culture’s perspective, reading the Bible “literally” is something that only naïve, uneducated Christians do because they lack awareness of current scientific interpretations of our world, or cannot accept 21st-century social sensibilities. However, this aspersion itself lacks understanding of what it means to read the Bible – or any other work – literally.

This guide will not only clarify what it means to read the Bible literally, but will also lead you through examples of biblical passages that have been misread (some famously) and explain what has gone wrong with the interpretation. You will learn five tools for how to read the Bible accurately, including understanding how to recognize figures of speech, how to be aware of context, and how doctrinal considerations apply.