A ministerial candidate for ordination wrote and said, “One of the questions I am required to answer in writing for the examining board is, ‘Are there myths in the Bible?’ How should I answer?”

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Dear Steve,

Those who say the Bible contains myths assume the supernatural does not exist. To be valid, this assumption requires proof that God doesn’t exist or that the existing God doesn’t perform miracles.

Rudolf Bultmann, a liberal German theologian, pronounced any miracle a myth. This is an extreme view not even recognized by a common dictionary. Bultmann is right only if God does not exist. But then, why was he a theologian?

What is a myth? What is the difference between a myth and a legend? Between a legend and a historical legend, between figurative narrative and myth?

Is the book of Revelation a figurative narrative? The writer said so in the first chapter. Does the figurative nature make it a myth? Or does the intent of prophecy remove it from the domain of the mythological?

A myth is an entirely imaginary event or person in a narrative. This scenario would take the Book of Revelation out of that category, since the writer made it clear he was using symbolic language to describe literal future events. Such symbolism does not exclude the miraculous nor make Revelation mythological.

It would be no problem if myths were in the Bible, assuming the writer indicated them as such. After all, every other sort of literature is there, including poetry and prophecies, literal and figurative.

A Bible writer would have had the integrity to clarify his text as mythological, regardless of the purpose. I cannot think of any who did that.

The examining board that asked you to write on the question probably has Genesis in mind or may be testing your attitude toward miracles. If you cannot deduce what they want, just say NO, even if it requires a thousand words to do so.

Roger

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