I'm Never reading the Bible... the same way again!!!!

I recently came to the realization that I haven't been studying the Scriptures properly. I, like many other American Christians, have been passively reading the Bible for a long time. The Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments respectively, have been written and compiled over a span of 1500 years. Each book , thought divinely inspired, have are written in diverse literary prose, are culturally confined. God's eternal principles are found in historical and cultural particularity of Scripture. Christians have noticed the tension between the two for centuries. Unfortunately, Christians have divorced the two believing that they can keep the authority of the Scriptures from being undermined. Many evangelical Christians in particular only stick to the grammatical-historical method of interpretation. Adopting grammatical-cultural method, in their eyes, lead to theological liberalism. I believe this view is invalid. God inspired both apostles, prophets, and writers from different periods of times and located in different parts of the known world to write the Holy Scriptures. It is my conviction that to not read the letters of Paul, John, and Peter, and the prophets in the cultural location is an undermining of the authority of the Scriptures. I think this fear comes from Calvinist view of humanity. Humanity cannot be trusted because humanity is totally depraved. So many evangelicals believe that to gety sound biblical exegesis, one must use the grammatical-historical method. I understand that, but truly I don't buy it. We cannot understand what the apostle Paul was addressing to the Corinthians and to Timothy if we don't have an understanding of the historical background of Corinth and Ephesus during those times.

I also believe that it takes a whole discerning Church, not a select few of scholars and theologians, to find the treasures in God's Word. I'm tired of just passively accepting doctrines from folk without sifting to the same biblical evidence that they do. I have a responsibility to know the Word for myself and to proclaim it to the world. I mean this not as a slight to the biblical scholars and theologians who dedicate their lives to the studying the Word, but I as a layman and a future minister I must engage the Text and the Spirit and have a sincere conviction in my heart and encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ to do the same. We have to all come in to the unity of faith. I know how difficult it is because Christendom is so divided. I am encouraged that the Lord knows who are his. I hope and pray others are encouraged as well.