Evangelicals studying Psalm 23 value the insights of someone with experience as a shepherd. We value the insights of a vinedresser re: the "vine and branches" metaphors.

In these cases we think personal experience enhances one's interpretation of the Bible.
When we study the Bible's many passages about justice, though, we instinctively *distrust* the experiences of those who have suffered injustice.

We talk with pride about being "strangers and aliens" in this world but *distrust* the testimony of literal strangers and aliens.
In these instances, we think that personal experience obscures one's interpretation of the Bible.

We need to be clear and consistent about which personal experiences we consider illuminating and which ones we find compromising.
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