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Christians generally regard the Bible as their holy text. They follow the rules it contains for living life and can turn to Jesus' teachings for moral guidance.

Christians can be broadly categorised into three groups, depending on their interpretation of the Bible:

Fundamentalist Christians regard the words of the Bible as being the true voice of God. For example, when reading the creation story in Genesis, fundamentalists would believe that the world was literally created in seven days.

Conservative Christians believe that the Bible was written by humans who were inspired by God. They still follow its teachings but don't necessarily take every word as being the voice of God. For example, when reading the creation story, conservatives might accept that one of God's days may not necessarily be the same length as one of our days; meaning the world wasn't literally created in seven days but that God did create the world as outlined in Genesis.

Liberal Christians regard the Bible as words that have been written about God. Although these are a good guide for Christians in understanding their faith, they might interpret passages differently to fit modern society. For example, when reading the creation story, a liberal Christian might believe that the Genesis account is simply a story to help Christians understand that God is the creator of the world.

Symbolism

The Bible is filled with symbolism, which the authors of the Bible used to try and explain spiritual truths. In the Gospels, Jesus uses symbolism to describe himself many times. He describes himself as, eg:

• shepherd
• light
• bread
• sower
• cornerstone

The use of symbolism like this enriches the text. It also allows humanity to have a greater understanding of God and his truths. Symbolism should be used to help understand the message of God and what he is trying to convey.

Biblical myth

Some people interpret and read the Bible and passages as mythical texts. This does not take anything away from the authority of the Bible, but rather gives an explanation and truth to something that may otherwise be inexplicable. For example, the Genesis story of creation can be seen as mythical, as science has proved that the world cannot have literally been created in seven days. However, the belief is that story holds the truths that God is the ultimate creator, and that he alone is responsible for all of creation. The stories in the Bible give an insight into the religious experiences of those from a different age.