Interpreting Texts (Reading Scripture)

Most every day readers are either naive realists or phenomenalists. When it comes to the Bible, most evangelicals are a strange mix of the two. To say that the common church people do not know how to read Scripture is true, but it isn't their fault. To me, it comes down to a system that has disempowered people, fostered dependancy on the institutional church and catered to the consumer in the believer.

To say, "It's the word of God, I believe it, and that settles it" is a good example of navie realism- attempting to read straight off of the text. It's nice, but makes the Bible into something it is not. (It is the word of God, but first for its context)

Also, most evangelicals, when in their quiet time read a chapter of Paul for instance, are perfectly at home coming up with a very impressionistic understanding of its meaning, actually projecting a meaning onto the text. A sort of "what this means to me" style of reading.

To say that the book of Romans is God's word through Paul to the Church of Rome, for a specific purpose in the First Century does not diminish its role as Scripture. It does mean that if we want to learn from it, we need to let it be what it is. Only then, can it be a source of inspiration and teaching.