that is a statement that comes from an intent to NOT USE literary skills. It is very easy to determine which passages of scripture are literal, metaphorical, symbolic, and prophetic.
Examples:
**John 2: [19]“Jesus Wept”
(Shortest passage in the bible) applying literary skills is that literal, metaphoric, prophetic, or symbolic?
This verse occurs in John’s narrative of the death of Lazarus of Bethany, a follower of Jesus. Lazarus’s sisters—Mary and Martha—sent word to Jesus of their brother’s illness and impending death, but Jesus arrived four days after Lazarus died. Jesus, after talking to the grieving sisters and seeing Lazarus’s friends weeping, was deeply troubled and moved. After asking where Lazarus had been laid, and being invited to come see, Jesus wept . He then went to the tomb and told the people to remove the stone covering it, prayed aloud to his Father, and ordered Lazarus to come out, resuscitated.
**(John 2:19 Jesus answered, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.")Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”
Literal, symbolic, metaphorial, or prophetic? Obviously prophetic with a literal outcome! How do i know this…well thats easy, the bible explains itself here…read the next 2 verses:
20“This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?”
21But Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body. 22After He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
Now what about Matthew Chapter 1
…Literal, symbolic, metaphorical, or prophetic?
Obviously this is a historical statement of lineage…so its literal. It even goes so far as to describe after the exile in Babylon (so that means the passages of scripture in Daniel talking about Babylonian captivity as also real literal historical events!)
1This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
3Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
and Hezron the father of Ram.a
4Ram was the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
and Nahshon the father of Salmon.
5Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6and Jesse the father of David the king.
Next:
David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,
7Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
and Abijah the father of Asa.b
8Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
and Joram the father of Uzziah.
9Uzziah was the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
10Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,c
Amon the father of Josiah,
11and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers
at the time of the exile to Babylon.
12After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13Zerubbabel the father of Abiud,
Abiud the father of Eliakim,
and Eliakim the father of Azor.
14Azor was the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Achim,
and Achim the father of Eliud.
15Eliud was the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
16and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary,
of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
17In all, then, there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
How about this…**Revelation Chapter 1: 1
This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soona come to pass.** He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, 2who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
(you use some literary skills and tell us how Revelation 1:1 should be interpreted?