The Founding Fathers

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'
- John 3:3-7

If the Bible should be interpreted "literally", then why didn't Nicodemus understand Jesus's first declaration, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."?

Shouldn't Jesus have always spoken to Nicodemus in a "literal" sense so that there would be no misunderstanding or confusion? Or does Jesus many times speak, not "literally", but speak of something more. Perhaps something to be interpreted "spiritually" instead of "literally"?

Many Christians faced with a difficult situation ask the question,
"What would Jesus do?" (e.g. WWJD bracelets)

Well, if Jesus didn't speak to Nicodemus "literally" all of the time, why should God's word to man,
the Bible, be interpreted "literally"?

In fact, why can't parts of the the Bible be also interpreted in a "spiritual" sense?

If one says that Jesus spoke to Nicodemus "literally", then why did Jesus have to reply to Nicodemus a second time so as to more clearly and "literally" explain to Nicodemus what He meant by the words "born again" in His first statement?

Can it be that Jesus's first statement was to be "spiritually" interpreted? Jesus's explanation to Nicodemus in His first statement was to "literally" explain what He meant by His initial words, "born again".

So, in one very short, but important, passage, Jesus spoke to Nicodemus both, "spiritually" and literally". Likewise, cannot the same be said of Jesus's father, God?
Can God speak to man, through His Word, the Bible, both "spiritually" and "literally"?

Yet, are some Christians afraid of what would happen to Christianity if the miracles and the resurrection cannot be interpreted as "literal"?

Yes, some Christian leaders and Christian denominations are afraid. e.g. Baptists, Fundamentalists, etc..

But just as Jesus eventually explained to Nicodemus what He meant, do you not think God will also eventually explain to man what He meant in the Bible?

So, there you have it.
There can be no argument that Jesus spoke to Nicodemus both in a non-literal way and later in a literal way.

Hence, there can be no argument that sections of the Bible can be interpreted in a non-literal way and other sections be interpreted in a literal way. Those who think that the Bible can only be interpreted as literal should try to answer the above questions on why didn't Nicodemus understand Jesus initially?

#	Verse:	Notes on Literal vs. Non-Literal (spiritual):
3	In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."	Non-literal verse.
4	"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"	Nicodemus thinks verse 3 is literal.
5	Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit."	Jesus explains verse 3 is not the literal meaning that Nicodemus thinks in verse 4 but a 'spiritual' meaning and interpretation,
6	Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.	More explanation on verse 3,
7	You should not be surprised at my saying, "You must be born again."	Jesus goes right back to using the Non-literal saying!

[See below for one reason why God doesn't always make things clear in the Bible
and hence not always literal but non-literal or even spiritual.]

If God wanted to create the earth via Evolution, why didn't He say so in the Bible? Or for that matter, even a hint of Evolution. But in fact, there is no obvious mention of it. No dinosaurs, no amoebas, no Big Bang, etc. This massive omission of details perplexes and tests the faith of those who believe in the Bible.

Well, the reason there is no obvious or clear mention of Evolution, or adaptation, as you would think via Evolution, is because mentioning something that has not been discovered or unknown to the world would dramatically alter history as you know it. The slightest hint, such as the amoeba or anything that would require the use a microscope to see these small organism like an amoeba, could and would most likely alter everything in the history of the world as you know it.

Countries, nations, history changing events like medicine, technology, governments, societies, would be completely altered or maybe non-existent. The famous people you read about in history would most likely not be famous or not even exist. People such as Christopher Columbus, Galileo, Newton, etc. would all be irrelevant to history as the Bible would have already have answered all those questions long ago or put the questions and ideas into motion long ago before their time.

Questions and common beliefs like a flat earth, or that everything revolves around the Earth wouldn't really exists. North and South America would have been discovered long before Christopher Columbus or before the French, Spanish even existed. The Bible was carefully written by God so as to allow man true freedom to learn and choose but just enough to let men know where they came from. (And for those who have watched Star Trek, the TV show, it would violate the "temporal prime directive".)

In fact, Jesus already teaches the "temporal prime directive" when His disciples ask Him about the second coming. "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into." - Luke 12:39

Look at Herod on his reaction to the birth of Jesus and on prophecy that Jesus would eventually rule Israel. What did Herod try to do to prevent this prophecy from happening? He gave orders to kill all the boys under the age of 2 in Bethlehem and there was great weeping afterwards. Accordingly, see what the consequences of making things "literal" or too clear before it's the right time? See what evil will do to prevent prophecy from happening?

As it has been said, true love sets one free. And so, God is Love and has set man truly free by letting him discover the secrets of what God has created at the proper time.

- [Founding Fathers in a picture frame]