Interpreting Scripture

When Christians preach, teach or argues over theological and ethical issues, they often appeal to Scripture and to what it actually ‘says’. Imbedded in statements like this is the assumption that the text can ‘speak’ on its own which is a highly problematic position to take since it’s impossible to give any reason from Scripture for why this would be a valid conclusion without contradicting the conclusion itself. To put it simple, you cannot speak of what Scripture ‘says’ without involving yourself, but as soon as you involve yourself it’s not the Scripture that speaks, its you. The text doesn’t ‘say’ anything without the reader, it’s silent and meaningless until the readers mind respond to the text and therefore the meaning of Scripture can only ‘appear’ through the act of interpretation. Hence, the focal question the readers of Scripture needs to adress is by what methods the act of interpretation should be done. This topic is obviously a big debate among scholars and church leaders but is in my own experience rarely spoken of publicly in many of our churches.

I want to know your thoughts on this so I’ll end this short comment with the question whether we should or should not deal with this issue more extensively among ordinary churchgoers?