Limitations of Using Personal Experience as a Lens for Scripture
One should be cautious to avoid subjectivity and bias when reading the Bible. The text’s intended meaning will be distorted by our personal experiences, prejudices, and preconceived notions, which could cause us to make incorrect inferences (Howe, 2022). This is why it is critical to approach Scripture from a broader perspective, considering the historical and cultural context in which it was written, the intended audience, and the intended purpose and goal of the text (Fee & Stuart, 1982). It is also important to remember that our personal experiences should not be used as the sole basis for understanding the Bible or as a guide, as this could lead to arbitrary and possibly incorrect interpretations.
Theological Positions and Their Influence on Scripture Interpretation
Reading the Bible in light of later theological positions developed within the church, such as those put forth during the Reformation, differs from using your own life to interpret the text. When using theological positions as an interpretive grid, people draw on the shared knowledge and resources of the Christian community, giving them a more substantial background on which to base their interpretation of the Bible (Sarisky, 2019). As a result, readers can be sure that the long tradition informs their readings of theological teachings without compromising the original intent of the biblical authors.
Dangers of Personal Experience and Theological Bias in Biblical Interpretation
Two potential approaches to consider are the historical-critical method and inductive Bible study.
Historical-Critical Method
The historical-critical method of biblical interpretation aims to understand the Scriptures better using evidence from historical documents and artifacts. The most frequently asked questions are: “Who wrote it?” “When did they write it?” and “What was their cultural context?” (Brandt & Frederick, 2022, p. 28). These queries can be used to gain a deeper comprehension of the text. However, using the historical-critical approach to biblical interpretation has one potential drawback: it frequently results in a more critical view of the Scriptures. Certain aspects of the Bible may be lost or overlooked as being too controversial or unimportant as each text is studied more closely (Brandt & Frederick, 2022).
Consequently, the reader may need to pay closer attention to the complexity and overall meaning of the text. To understand the text, the historical-critical approach needs to be more concise. If the text heavily relies on historical records and artifacts, the reader might need to focus more closely on its spiritual and theological components (Klein, 2017). As a result, the reader may only comprehend the text’s literal meaning while overlooking its more complex spiritual messages.
Inductive Bible Study
A method of Bible study known as inductive Bible study concentrates more on the text’s spiritual themes. This method searches for spiritual truths hidden in each text verse. To understand the text better, ask questions such as: What is being said? What exactly does this mean? What applications can we make of this? (Nicholson, n.d.). When studying the Bible inductively, there is a chance that the text’s spiritual significance might be overemphasized. The reader might miss some parts of the text that might be more relevant to their daily lives if they only pay attention to the spiritual aspects.
Furthermore, overemphasis can lead to a failure to appreciate the text’s historical and cultural context. In addition, one potential disadvantage of inductive Bible study is that it may overemphasize personal interpretation (Klein, 2017). Readers may only understand potential misunderstandings if they focus on their comprehension. As a result, the reader may need more clarification on the text and miss out on any new information learned from group reading.
References
Brandt, R. A., & Frederick, J. (2022). The shortcomings of the historical-critical method and the promise of theological interpretation of scripture: A short survey of the landscape and a new proposal. In Theological Interpretation of Scripture as Spiritual Formation (pp. 1-32). Brill.
Fee, G. D., & Stuart, D. K. (1982). How to read the bible for all its worth: A guide to understanding the bible (2nd ed.). Zondervan Publishing Company.
Howe, T. A. (2022). Preunderstanding, presuppositions and biblical interpretation. Religions, 13(12), 1206. Web.
Klein, W. W., Blomberg, C. L., & Hubbard, R. L., Jr. (2017). Introduction to biblical interpretation (3rd ed). Zondervan Academic.
Nicholson, S. (n.d.). The Two Spotlights of Inductive Bible Study and Narrative Criticism | 7 The Two Spotlights of Inductive Bible Study and Narrative Criticism. Web.
Sarisky, D. (2019). Reading the bible theologically (Vol. 13). Cambridge University Press.