Why I Take the Bible Seriously but Not Literally: One May Study the Bible Seriously, Respectfully, and Reverently Without Believing It Literally.

As a pastor I have a dual role: that of a prophet and a priest. The prophet confronts the people, and the priest comforts the people. I am to comfort the troubled and trouble the comfortable. In relationship to the Bible, the dual struggle is clear. As the priest, I take the Bible seriously because it changes lives (first sermon). I have never heard anyone give testimony that reading Plato's The Republic, Virgil's Aeneid, Homer's Odyssey, Cicero's Moral Ethics, or John Stewart Mill's Liberty changed their lives. But thousands of people have given testimony of how reading the Bible has changed their lives forever. As the prophet, I propose to you that no book has been more abused than the Bible or more misunderstood. The Bible has been a playground for lunatics, profit for the charlatans, a profession for the clergy, a problem for theologians, a puzzle for the general public, and placid for the masses. I believe if a person will read the Bible interpretatively and intelligently it will be read seriously, respectfully and reverently thereby becoming the living word of God. Gene Rollins, Author

The Rev. Dr. Eugene C. Rollins began on May 15, 1984 as the pastor of Liberty Hill Presbyterian Church and retired on December 25, 2011 after twenty-seven years. This was his fifth church in forty-seven years of pastoring. The five churches experienced an average of 180 percent growth under his leadership. The primary reason has been through creating an attitude of pastoral care of the church and community. For thirty-eight of the forty-seven years he has been bi-vocational or tri-vocational. He is a state licensed professional counselor and also a licensed supervisor of professional counselors. He is the founder and director of Midlands Area Pastoral Counseling Services, Inc., established 1984. He is a certified supervisor with the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc. and a diplomat with the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy, Inc. He holds two South Carolina licenses and nine national certifications. Why I Take the Bible Seriously but Not Literally is Dr. Rollins fourth book to be published. His first, Grace Is Not a Blue-Eyed Blonde, was published in 2008. His second book, The Masks We Wear, was published in 2010, and his third book, The Power of the Spoken Word, was published in 2011. He also has a workbook, Taming My Tongue, that is a study guide to recognizing The Power of the Spoken Word. Check his website for other publications and articles - www.generollins.com