Objectivity and the Interpretation of Scripture

The Master’s Seminary Blog, BRAD KLASSEN | OCTOBER 01, 2019

Confirmation Bias. The Oxford Dictionary of Psychology defines it as “the tendency to test one’s beliefs or conjectures by seeking evidence that might confirm or verify them and to ignore evidence that might disconfirm or refute them.”[1] It manifests itself in all fields of human knowledge, from scientific experimentation to criminal investigation to medical diagnosis. It is that internal “yes man” that stands ready to manipulate information to make it confirm what one already assumes is true. It is that subjective “lens” which is donned to interpret the facts.

At its root, confirmation bias is the consequence of the Fall. All of Adam’s offspring are marked by the resolve to “suppress truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:19). In their sinful state, human beings are subjectivists, incapable of interpreting anything except through the lens of self. Thus, when the natural man hears the word of God, he rejects it because his internal “yes man” confirms it to be what he always believed it was: “foolishness” (1 Cor 2:14).

But while confirmation bias defines the unbeliever at his core, it continues to afflict even those who have been made alive in Christ. It still exerts an influence from that decaying “outer man” (2 Cor 4:16). Consequently, every Christian must be vigilant with respect to the role bias plays in interpreting God’s Word. The “yes man” is always lurking in the study, ready to impede full obedience to the Word by reinforcing errant belief, even if slight. The faithful interpreter must be aware of his presence and take appropriate steps to neutralize his influence. This vigilance is exercised, in part, by recognizing the nature and distinction of two indispensable steps of Bible study: exegesis and application…

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