What role should our personal experiences play when reading the Bible?
The first thing to recognize is that we all have unique experiences, but the Bible was written and revealed by God with authors who intended to communicate the truth. That’s what special revelation means. Our goal as readers is to discover the truth that God revealed and wants us to know.
As a reader, I am going to bring my experiences to the text, but I must always submit my experiences to the reality of the text. It could be that my unique experiences allow me to see certain things more easily. God’s revealed truth might be easier to see in some cultures than in others. That’s where experience can help us. But also, we need to watch out; experience can blind us because sometimes we won’t see things that God has revealed for us to see.
At the end of the day, our experiences must be submitted to the authority of revealed biblical truth.
What Role Do Personal Experiences Play When Reading the Bible?