Critical Interpretation of Scripture

D. A. Carson:

The essence of all critical thought, in the best sense of that abused expression, is the justification of opinions. A critical interpretation of Scripture is one that has adequate justification—lexical, grammatical, cultural, theological, historical, geographical, or other justification. In other words, critical exegesis in this sense is exegesis that provides sound reasons for the choices it makes and the positions it adopts. 

—Exegetical Fallacies (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996), 16.