Question: Do you believe that Jonah was really swallowed by a whale? Isn’t this just a story, and evidence that the Bible is a book of fairy tales?

My Answer: One of the most criticized portions of Scripture is the story of Jonah and his experience in being swallowed alive by a great sea creature. Some modern commentators and theologians avoid the issue by declaring that this story is only a myth, a parable of sorts. It has great merit as a teaching instrument, but it is not to be understood as history. What are we to think? Should we accept this story as being literally true? Or should we view it as a moral parable? Continue reading →