This series is designed to help people better understand the Bible and how it speaks to us. Read the series Introduction post to learn how this series is designed to help you.

We are getting closer to the part in this series where we discuss how we actually sit down and engage with the text. But, before we officially get there, we need to discuss a couple things that greatly influence that engagement — even if we aren’t aware of them.

What We Bring to the Text

Two things we need to be aware of are our baggage and beliefs. We bring both of these with us to the Biblical text, and they both influence our interaction with, and understanding of the text.

The terms within Biblical Studies for these are preunderstanding (baggage), and presuppositions (beliefs).

Preunderstanding (Baggage)

Preunderstanding refers to all we know (or think we know) about the Bible — our interpretations, historical understanding, assumptions — all of it. We fill in the unknowns about the text with what we assume is either true or at least plausible; these assumptions are influenced by our cultural environment by default. Our assumptions, therefore, are anchored more in our culture’s interpretation of history than the historical truth.

Presuppositions (Beliefs)

Presuppositions are beliefs we presuppose are true about the Bible. For example, I believe the Bible is the Word of God and sufficient for convicting my heart about the truths of God. This is a presupposition because it is something I presuppose is true before I engage the Bible. Another person might hold the presupposition that the Bible is a mythical book of fairy tales. Both presuppositions will affect the way we approach the text.

Navigating Our Baggage and Beliefs

So, what do we do with our baggage and beliefs?

Well, Step 1 is to be aware that they exist. Everyone has them. Part of being aware of your beliefs and baggage is the awareness that they can sometimes get in the way of your Biblical Engagement.

Therefore, Step 2 is to, as much as possible, evaluate how they influence your Biblical engagement. This is more the case with preunderstanding (baggage). It is easy to assume we already know what a verse or passage means. When this happens, we are prone to closing our heart and mind off to any deeper understanding that aligns with authorial intent. We need to limit these assumptions as much as possible.

In the end, we want to form solid presuppositions (beliefs) that we can stand on, and we want to constantly evaluate our preunderstanding (baggage) against the writer’s intended meaning of the text as we become aware of it through historical/cultural and literary context. When our preunderstanding (baggage) is insufficient, incomplete, or inaccurate, then we need to update and correct it.

Some Great Questions To Ask

Presuppositions

• Why am I sitting down to engage with the Bible in the first place?
• What do I expect to happen when I engage with the Bible?
• What does the result of Biblical engagement look and feel like?

Preunderstanding (baggage)

• What do I expect this passage to mean?
• What is that expectation based on?
• What will be my response when I encounter something in Scripture that confronts my preundestanding (baggage)?

Conclusion

Even if you’ve grown up in church, you bring baggage and beliefs that might function as blinders when it comes to Biblical engagement. Approaching the text humbly is to recognize that our baggage and beliefs exist, and that we need to be willing to confront them when Scripture confronts us. God transforms our hearts and minds when we allow the process of Biblical engagement to play out. This requires us to remain soft and malleable, never being so dug into what we think (or want) the Bible to say that we reject God’s work in our lives.

Happy Bibleing!