We can help each other understand the nature of biblical language. I ask them what kind of literature it is. Since the Bible is clearly not a textbook, they tend to look at it as fiction, which carries little claim on their thinking. But their categories are too limited. The Bible's contemporary authority can't be understood unless one appreciates its metaphorical language.
Metaphors express truth, but they work by suggestion, by connecting one thing with another.
It discloses truth without being literal. If we don't understand the nature of biblical language, we may come to the Bible expecting something it doesn't offer. Then we will likely be disappointed or distort its meaning by forcing passages to fit our preconceived ideas. The Bible has authority because it's true. It tells us what human life is really like, and it shows God's nature and identity.