Should the Bible be interpreted literally?

TL;DR:

The Bible should be interpreted literally. At the same time, the Bible makes use of many literary devices, and these should be interpreted accordingly. Understanding the Bible in its historical, cultural, grammatical, and literary contexts does not undermine the literal message but enhances our understanding.

what does the bible say?

Yes, the Bible should be interpreted literally, while also taking into consideration the author's intended meaning and the original audience's interpretation. Using the literal-historical-grammatical method to understand Scripture allows readers to do this. This approach acknowledges the Bible's use of literary devices, such as metaphors, hyperbole, and symbolism, but this acknowledgement does not negate the Bible’s literal message. For example, when Jesus says, "I am the door," it is a metaphor, not Christ claiming to be a literal door. Similarly, the Psalms speak of taking shelter under God's wings, which is a zoomorphism , ascribing bird traits to God to create imagery, not a description of God being a bird. Understanding these literary devices enhances our comprehension without undermining the Bible's truth as a nonfiction text that communicates literal truths.

from the old testament

Joshua 10:27 uses phenomenology to describe the "going down of the sun," referring to the observable sunset from the human perspective, rather than a scientific explanation. The literal truth here is that the event took place at sunset, and the focus is on the real historical actions that followed, not the technical details of the sun’s movement. Psalm 61:4 uses zoomorphism, describing God as having "wings" to convey His protection and care. The literal truth is that God offers refuge and safety, though the imagery of wings helps express His nurturing and protective nature in a relatable way. Isaiah 55:12 uses personification by giving human qualities to nature, such as mountains singing and trees clapping. The literal truth is that creation rejoices in God's provision and peace, and the personification highlights the joy and harmony of creation in response to His work.

from the new testament

Jesus calling Himself “the door” in John 10:9 is a metaphor. His point was not that He was flat, rectangular, or swung on hinges, but that He was the way of entrance into the kingdom of God.
John 12:19 uses hyperbole—"the world has gone after him"—to exaggerate the extent of Jesus's influence, implying that everyone was following Him. The literal truth is that Jesus's popularity was rapidly increasing, even though not literally everyone was following Him.
Revelation 1:16 uses symbolism, with the seven stars representing angels of the seven churches and the sharp sword representing the power of Jesus's words: “In his [Jesus's] right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.” The literal truth is that these images convey aspects of Christ's authority and purity, not physical realities.

implications for today

Skeptics of the Bible often ask Christians, "You don't take the Bible literally, do you?" The question reveals an attitude of disbelief, an incredulity that anyone could actually believe that the Bible should be read as nonfiction literature. If the questioner knows anything about the Bible, sometimes he'll try to bolster his case by asking follow-up questions like, "In John, Jesus says, 'I am the door'—is Jesus really a door?" or "In Psalms, the writer asks to take shelter under God's wings—is God a bird, then?" This line of argumentation is known in logic as reductio ad absurdum, in which a proposition (or set of propositions) is refuted by showing that it leads to a logically absurd consequence.

The literal-historical-grammatical method of biblical interpretation aims to discover the meaning of a passage as the original author would have intended it and as the original hearers would have understood it. This interpretive approach embraces the fact that the Bible includes various genres (narrative, poetry, didactic teaching, etc.) and literary techniques (metaphors, hyperbole, etc.) but states that such things do not take away from the literalness of the Bible at all. In fact, these techniques are standard fare in nonfiction literature and are used in everyday language to communicate truth. For example, when the Bible mentions "sunset," it doesn't mean that the sun actually went down from a scientific perspective. Even today, meteorologists don't say that "tomorrow's earth rotation will make the sun disappear at 9 PM," but speak of the "sunset."

When we can understand figures of speech and other literary devices properly, then we can understand that their use in Scripture in no way takes away from its nonfiction message.

understand

The Bible should be interpreted literally, considering the author's intended meaning and literary devices.
Literary devices, like metaphors and symbolism, enhance understanding without negating the Bible’s literal message.
The literal-historical-grammatical method respects the Bible's genres and techniques while affirming its truth.

reflect

How do you approach understanding the Bible when it uses metaphors or other literary devices like symbolism?
How does recognizing the use of literary devices help you understand God’s use of language to illustrate truths?
How can you apply the literal-historical-grammatical method in your own Bible study to better grasp the truth of Scripture?

engage

How does understanding the Bible's literary devices help us avoid misinterpretation of Scripture?
How can we balance a literal interpretation of the Bible with an understanding of its literary and cultural context?
How does the use of metaphors and symbolism in Scripture affect the way we apply biblical truths to our daily lives?