Pharisees want the scriptures to be literal because that is all that carnal minds can see.
John 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
Look at this passage below. Paul is contending with Galations who want to put men back into bondage under the law. Notice that Paul tells them that they SHOULD hear the law.
Galations 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Here is the law Paul expected them to already hear.
Galations 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise.
Now if we take a literal interpretation of that passage it says absolutely NOTHING to us. But what does Paul say?
Galations 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Paul says that these law scriptures ARE an allegory. They did not BECOME an allegory because Paul gave them an allegorical interpretation. They ALREADY WERE an allegory. They had to be because Paul expected the Galations to have understood the allegory.