Introduction When it comes to the issue of biblical interpretation, or the interpretation of any source really, there is a tendency to see what we want to see in the text. But as much of my energy has become focused on exegeting the text in a more pastoral context, I have realized that this is a problem. Undertaking the effort of exegeting the text, not just in its linguistic but also its historical and cultural context, has meant that I have to consider how the text itself wants to be seen. That may seem like something strange to say… unless you believe in the inspiration of the biblical text. That it was given so that we could know who God is and what he has done. In fact, my own view of inspiration has changed over time somewhat due to the fact that I have come to see it as not merely a record but also as a relic. I say that not to diminish the text; instead, I say that so that the text can be properly situated as a historical record. That being said, I have also come to se...