No one interprets anything without a set of underlying assumptions. When we presume to explain the meaning of the Bible, we do so with a set of preconceived ideas or presuppositions. These presuppositions may be examined and stated, or simply embraced unconsciously. But anyone who says that he or she has discarded all presuppositions and will only study the text objectively and inductively is either deceived or naïve. Therefore, as interpreters we must discover, state, and consciously adopt those assumptions we agree with and can defend, or else we will uncritically retain those we already have, whether or not they are adequate and valid.
William Klein, Craig Blomberg, & Robert Hubbard, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, (Nelson, 2004), pg 143