Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Religion
In reply to the discussion: Let's see how this works: The First Part of Genesis Is a Metaphor for Childbirth [View all]guillaumeb
(42,649 posts)45. #1) Water is the common element.
#2) Water as cleansing agent is mentioned many times in the OT and the NT.
#3) Water is symbolic of cleansing the body of sin. As in Baptism or the ritual cleansing in the OT.
#4) The Flood was written to show sin being cleansed from the entire world.
So, based on those 3 factors, the flood can be treated as a metaphor for cleansing and renewal.
From a Christian perspective:
Protestant Interpretations
The most prevalent nineteenth-century Protestant understandings of the Flood of Noah viewed it as a symbol of baptism—that is, the Flood was a type or symbol of Christian baptism and its cleansing nature. First Peter 3:18–21 provided the proof text for Protestant (as well as Latter-day Saint) commentators.
The most prevalent nineteenth-century Protestant understandings of the Flood of Noah viewed it as a symbol of baptism—that is, the Flood was a type or symbol of Christian baptism and its cleansing nature. First Peter 3:18–21 provided the proof text for Protestant (as well as Latter-day Saint) commentators.
https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/let-us-reason-together/was-noah-s-flood-baptism-earth
From a Jewish perspective:
In 1 Peter 3:18–22, we learn that the story of Noah is also a picture of salvation and water baptism. Noah is a prophetic antetype of Yeshua.
To start with, Noah building the ark is a prophetic picture of the redeemed believer working out his own salvation (Phil 2:12), yet while doing so according to YHVH’s exact plans or specifications (e.g. repentance from sin, faith in Yeshua, baptism for the remission of sins, and faithful obedience to YHVH’s commandments).
Noah builds an ark of safety from Elohim’s wrath or judgments against sinful man. The ark is a metaphorical picture of the believer’s salvation, and Noah is a spiritual picture of Yeshua. The flood is also a picture of water baptism for the remission of sins, which ceremonially pictures the death of the old sinful man, and the birth of the new spiritual man (Rom 6:3–6). Water can both clean one of dirt and kill
https://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/tag/the-flood/
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
Recommendations
0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):
63 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
![](du4img/smicon-reply-new.gif)
Let's see how this works: The First Part of Genesis Is a Metaphor for Childbirth [View all]
MineralMan
Dec 2018
OP
Kinda rich coming from the one who without basis calls non-believers here "intolerant"
Major Nikon
Dec 2018
#46
No, you called "bullshit" on a well known position on water as Biblical metaphor.
guillaumeb
Dec 2018
#49
Sure, just like everyone who calls bullshit on invisible sky daddies is a "believer"
Major Nikon
Dec 2018
#50
So if a non-theist attempts to be "THE DEFINER" I should overlook the attempt? eom
guillaumeb
Dec 2018
#58
So the authors of Genesis knew about the Big Bang thousands of years before Georges Lemaitre?
Act_of_Reparation
Dec 2018
#39
And you are free to"call bullshit", just as we are free to interpret that call
guillaumeb
Dec 2018
#24
Credibility speaks for itself when an "interpretation" is obvious strawman bullshit
Major Nikon
Dec 2018
#25
Ah yes, the fully predictable rework of the tired old "I'm rubber, you're glue" cliche
Major Nikon
Dec 2018
#33
My literature classes taught me that metaphors did not have infinite meaning
marylandblue
Dec 2018
#40
I was raised Roman Catholic, which means I was never encouraged to read the Bible.
PoindexterOglethorpe
Dec 2018
#29
Imagine the worst immorality. There's probably a reference condoning it in the bible
Major Nikon
Dec 2018
#37