According to me:
Genesis chapters 1-11 are all allegorical. Twelve and on are historical, but occasionally the same story is retold again with a small variation. I'm guessing the Jews don't know when Abraham visited Egypt and it might have actually been Issac. All three stories are told, never the less. Everything else is historical. How does God talk to people? Its not through compression of sound waves. That's about all that's necessary.
Exodus-Deuteronomy is all literal say for one part: Exodus 24 has the elders of Israel have a simultaneous vision. The floor does not actually turn into topaz or lapiz lazuli or whatever. It's a vision, not external to their own selves, but communicated in the same way that God "talks" to people.
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles are all historical accounts. Events in them may be visions and phrazes in them may be figurative, but the large majority of the text is to communicate history.
Job is one giant parable. It is not history, but for teaching.
Psalms is Poetry. Sometimes historically based, but the purpose is poetry.
Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are wisdom books.
Song of Songs is a love story between man and wife that relates to humanity and God.
Lamentations is... well... a lament. It's one giant dirge.
Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi and prophetic. In them contain prophesies, most (really, all but maybe 1) of which have already happened.
Matthew, Mark and Luke are historical portrayals of Jesus. John is as well, but is not chronological. John is trying to communicate Jesus' divinity, Matthew is trying to communicate Jesus is Messiah, Luke is telling the non-Jews, and I have no idea what to do with Mark.
Acts is more history, written by the same guy that wrote Luke.
Proceeding books are letters written by various people (Paul, Peter, John) either to other Christian communities in other cities or other Christian leaders.
Then we have Revelation... Much of this book came true before it was written (specifically, chapter 1-7). The is apocalyptic writing, and the large majority is written in metaphor. The concepts can be drawn out, but there is no rapture. I hate the rapture. It is an invention by anabaptists is the 17th century.
All done!
Genesis chapters 1-11 are all allegorical. Twelve and on are historical, but occasionally the same story is retold again with a small variation. I'm guessing the Jews don't know when Abraham visited Egypt and it might have actually been Issac. All three stories are told, never the less. Everything else is historical. How does God talk to people? Its not through compression of sound waves. That's about all that's necessary.
Exodus-Deuteronomy is all literal say for one part: Exodus 24 has the elders of Israel have a simultaneous vision. The floor does not actually turn into topaz or lapiz lazuli or whatever. It's a vision, not external to their own selves, but communicated in the same way that God "talks" to people.
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles are all historical accounts. Events in them may be visions and phrazes in them may be figurative, but the large majority of the text is to communicate history.
Job is one giant parable. It is not history, but for teaching.
Psalms is Poetry. Sometimes historically based, but the purpose is poetry.
Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are wisdom books.
Song of Songs is a love story between man and wife that relates to humanity and God.
Lamentations is... well... a lament. It's one giant dirge.
Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi and prophetic. In them contain prophesies, most (really, all but maybe 1) of which have already happened.
Matthew, Mark and Luke are historical portrayals of Jesus. John is as well, but is not chronological. John is trying to communicate Jesus' divinity, Matthew is trying to communicate Jesus is Messiah, Luke is telling the non-Jews, and I have no idea what to do with Mark.
Acts is more history, written by the same guy that wrote Luke.
Proceeding books are letters written by various people (Paul, Peter, John) either to other Christian communities in other cities or other Christian leaders.
Then we have Revelation... Much of this book came true before it was written (specifically, chapter 1-7). The is apocalyptic writing, and the large majority is written in metaphor. The concepts can be drawn out, but there is no rapture. I hate the rapture. It is an invention by anabaptists is the 17th century.
All done!
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
