You are free in Christ to follow your conscience, but on this Forum, you need to pay attention to a few rules and regs or you'll be "liberated" right 
But in fact, the "new set of rules" for reading and interpreting the Bible profoundly and accurately is not really a "new hermeneutic" -- it's an ancient hermeneutic: it's the practice of simply reading the Bible and taking what it says as Truth, instead of reading into it human cleverness or personal desires.
This "new hermeneutic" has simple rules:
- (1) read the Bible carefully - observing what it says and noting what it doesn't say;
(2) give preference to the simplest meaning from the Scripture being read, and be cautious about the Scriptures that are less clear or frankly obscure;
(3) draw a clear line between what a verse actually says and the personal inferences drawn from the verse. Go as far as the Scripture goes in establishing a teaching -- but be very humble when going beyond where Scriptures goes!
For example: If the verse says, "Jesus stooped and drew in the sand", then He drew in the sand. But when the reader speculates about what He drew ("names of other adulterers in the crowd", "the name of the man who was caught with the woman taken in adultery", etc.), a line must be clearly drawn between what the verse says and what inferences are drawn from it. Speculations about verses are a necessary part of meditating on Scripture, but speculations are not the inspired Word of God.
Many of the current divisions in the Church today would disappear if Believers would distinguish what the Bible actually says from what someone speculates that it means!
Some people will say that this "hermeneutic" is "no hermeneutic at all" -- that it's too superficial, too naïve -- that it can't possibly bring to the Scriptures the depth of understanding necessary to develop a defensible theology. Which is actually a good thing. The reading and interpretation of the Bible needs to be taken away from theologians and preachers alike, and returned into the hands of every saint in Christ. The reading and interpretation of Scripture does not require some "priestly class" ["scholars", "theologians"] in the Church to "mediate Truth" to Believers. It is the right and responsibility of each and every Believer to read and interpret the Bible for themselves. They can (and should) discuss their Bible reading amongst themselves -- but they have no need to depend on "teachers" to determine what they're going to believe, for each and every one of them has the Teacher within them. [1John 2.26,27]
If each and every saint takes up their right and responsibility to read and interpret the Bible for themselves, every misbegotten and twisted false doctrine amongst christians will die out. Not that here or there a person won't get crazy ideas about what Scripture teaches, but the ideas won't spread amongst Believers who believe only what they can reasonably confirm as they read the Bible -- in the Spirit -- for themselves!
What's the purpose of this New Hermeneutic? Why is it necessary for the building up of the Body of Christ?
Simply this: One of the greatest obstacles to the building up of the Body of Christ [Eph 4.11] is that the members of Christ's Body are spiritual "infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and whirled about by every shifting wind of teaching and by the cheating and trickiness of men in their strategies of leading people astray." [Eph 4.14]
In his first letter, John the Beloved directed us to rely on no one for second-hand, spiritual Truth. In 1 Jn 2. 26-27, he wrote these astonishing words:
"I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the Spirit which He gave you is still in you, and you have no need of any teacher; but as His Spirit gives you teaching about all things, and is true and not false, so keep your hearts in Him, through the teaching which He has given you."
"Ah ha!" you might cry out, "But isn't this article your attempt to be my teacher? I don't need you to 'teach' me because the Holy Spirit is my Teacher!"
And you'd be mostly right. This article on "A New Hermeneutic" is coming from a teacher in the Body of Christ, but no reader should simply accept what this paper teaches! Here's the bottom line: It's your responsibility to take what is written here and go to the Holy Spirit within you, and ask Him to teach you what is true!
That's the Key. Every member of the Body of Christ is responsible for their own understanding of spiritual Truth. If they hear a sermon that's not Truth, and believe it -- then they're responsible before the Throne of God on that Last Day. No Believer can point to someone else and say, "But Jesus -- that person taught me false teachings!" for God will say, "It's your responsibility because didn't I give My Spirit to you -- dwelling always within you -- for you to turn to for Truth?" Case closed. Judgment rendered.
Every Believer is equipped by God in His Spirit for understanding and recognizing Truth. Every Believer is responsible to read and understand the Bible for themselves -- not second-hand. And when every Believer is no longer tossed about by false teachings, but instead they are speaking the Truth to one another in Love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ!
Emil & Michele Swift
Em&M Ministries
