he bible is neither entirely figurative nor literal
Bible
In my opinion, the bible is neither entirely figurative nor literal – although it is primarily literal. The broadness and dynamism of the bible inform this stance. Some parts are to be taken literally, while others are to be taken figuratively. For example, interpreting God’s commandments in the bible requires one to take a literal approach. When God commands that one must ‘remember the Sabbath and keep it holy,’ the command literary means that. Similarly, aspects such as the miracles performed by Jesus are to be interpreted literary. These were actual events. On the other hand, some elements of biblical literature were intended to be figurative. For instance, the preaching of Jesus often had hidden figurative meanings; for instance, the parables (Koukl, 2013). These examples illustrate the fact that the bible is a diverse collection of unique different and unique writings, cannot be considered wholly literal, or figurative as that would undermine its very nature and purpose.
Reference
Koukl, G. (2013). Taking the Bible “Literally” | Bible.org. Bible.org. Retrieved 16 April 2020, from https://bible.org/article/taking-bible-literally.