The Purpose of Exegesis and Hermeneutics in Studying the Bible and Why Eisegesis is the Wrong Way to Study

When it comes to how we study the Bible, there are many ways and means. Some people prefer to read their Bible straight from cover to cover, others enjoy digging deeper into the meaning behind each verse or story, and others prefer exploring the history behind events described in the Bible. However, despite all these various methods of study, there are also quite a few fallacious ways of approaching the Holy Scriptures that not only lead one away from what they actually intended but often towards a complete misunderstanding of its message. For example, something that most people learn while studying the Bible — usually in their first year as an undergrad — is the difference between eisegesis and exegesis. While both words might sound like variations on a theme (and they are), they have very different meanings about how we study the Bible. In this article, we'll explain each term, why one is good while the other is bad for you as a Christian reader of Scripture, and how you can avoid falling into either trap when studying God's Word for yourself.

What is Exegesis?

Exegesis is the art of drawing out and explaining the meaning of a biblical passage. In other words, it's the process of studying a text to understand what it means and how it can be applied to our lives. Exegesis is often used when studying individual verses or passages, which is why it's often referred to as verse-by-verse or passage-by-passage Bible study. Exegesis is essential to Bible study because it helps us discover how the Bible applies to our lives in accurate and relevant ways. This is why people must do this when studying the Bible. Exegesis is all about context, which is why it's so important to understand the context in which a passage was written and the context in which it should be applied in our modern times.

Why is Exegesis Important for Studying the Bible?

There are many reasons why it's essential to use exegesis when studying the Bible. Here are just a few of them: - Understanding the context of a particular verse or passage - When it comes to studying the Bible, it's incredibly important to understand the context it was written in. It's impossible to understand what a verse or passage means without first knowing the circumstances in which it was written. - Finding out how a passage applies to us - While context is important, it doesn't do us much good if we don't know how an ancient text applies to us in the modern world. It's the job of the exegete to find out how a passage applies to us in the here and now. - Avoiding misinterpretations and misapplications of a given passage - Misinterpretations and misapplications happen when people don't understand what a passage means. By studying a passage and finding its true meaning, we can avoid misinterpreting and misapplying it, thus allowing the passage to speak for itself.

What is Hermeneutics?

Hermeneutics is the art and science of biblical interpretation. It's the study of the rules and principles by which we interpret the Bible. - Generally, biblical interpretation is broken down into two categories: "exegesis" (the interpretation of a passage or text) and "hermeneutics" (the interpretation of a book or corpus of texts). - Much of the time, exegesis and hermeneutics are used interchangeably, which isn't incorrect. They're both used to interpret the Bible; however, hermeneutics is the broader term that refers to the interpretation of the whole Bible instead of a single text. - While exegesis focuses mainly on discovering what a passage means, hermeneutics focuses on how to apply that meaning in our own lives.

Why does Hermeneutics Matters When Studying the Bible?

As we just read, hermeneutics is the broader study of biblical interpretation, which means it covers the entire Bible. Understanding how to interpret the Bible is essential because it allows us to understand it as a whole, interconnected entity. Whereas exegesis is the process of studying a single verse or passage, hermeneutics is the process of studying the Bible as a whole. It's the process of asking questions like "What is the overall message of the Bible?" and "What are all the messages in the Bible?". By studying how each verse and passage applies to the whole Bible and the whole Bible applies to each verse and passage, we can understand why specific passages are in the Bible and what others mean.

What is Eisegesis?

Eisegesis is an incorrect method of biblical interpretation in which a reader imposes their own meaning or interpretation onto a text, often distorting its original meaning in the process. Eisegesis often happens when people read a verse or passage and then start to impose their own meaning onto it. It's important to note, though, that we all do this to a certain extent; it's impossible to avoid doing it because we're all human, and we all have biases. Eisegesis is a problem when it becomes a consistent pattern in one's study of the Bible. It's a problem when we read the Bible and impose our own meaning onto it without considering what the author was trying to say. It's also a problem when we read a verse and immediately jump to a particular conclusion without considering other possible ways of interpreting it.

Why is Eisegesis a Bad Thing to Do When Studying the Bible?

Eisegesis is a bad way to study the Bible because it's not just bad exegesis; it's dishonest exegesis. Eisegesis is terrible because it's dishonest with the author of a passage and with the readers of that passage. It's like cheating when one is studying for an exam; we're not being honest with what we're supposed to write down, and we're not being honest with what other people are writing down. Eisegesis is terrible because it distorts the message of a passage. It removes nuance from a text and ignores the subtleties of what the author was trying to convey. It's like reading the first sentence of a novel and then concluding that the entire story is about the first sentence. Eisegesis is terrible because it's impossible to apply a given passage to our lives in a meaningful way if we don't know what it actually means.

How to Avoid Falling into the Eisegesis Trap

The best way to avoid falling into the eisegesis trap is to make sure you're using exegesis as your primary method of interpretation. Exegesis is all about studying a particular passage to discover its meaning. When you're reading a passage and trying to discover its meaning, try these three things: - Read the passage at least twice: Once to get an idea of what it says and once to get an idea of what the author was trying to say - This will help you to avoid reading too much into the text and help you to see the nuances and subtleties in the passage. - Ask yourself what the passage is saying and what the author is trying to say - This will help you to discover the message of the passage and will help you to avoid imposing your own meaning onto it. - Ask yourself what this passage means to you - This will help you to discover how this passage applies to you in your everyday life.

Why is it Important to Distinguish Between Eisegesis and Exegesis?

It is essential to distinguish between eisegesis and exegesis because doing so helps you understand the text's original intent or message. We know this is true because of the context of the verse or passage and other relevant passages in the Bible. The context of a verse refers to the words, phrases, and paragraphs that precede and follow it. For example, if you are studying Mark 16:15, you would look at Mark 16:9-20. The context also refers to the book and chapter a verse is found in. The other relevant passages are all the other verses that pertain to the subject of the passage you are studying. It is essential to distinguish between exegesis and eisegesis because doing so helps you understand the text's original intent or message. We know this is true because of the context of the verse or passage and other relevant passages in the Bible.

 

How to Do Exegetical Study of the Bible?

An exegetical study of the Bible involves a careful examination of the context of a passage before attempting to interpret it. The following are three steps to follow when doing an exegetical study of the Bible: Before you start studying a passage, ask yourself a few essential questions. What is the central message of the book? What is the main theme of the passage? What is the main thought of the passage? As you study the passage, look for the context. What came before the passage? What comes after it? What is the context of the passage? As you study the passage, look for the relevant passages. What other passages are related to the passage you are studying? What is their relationship?

 

Bottom Line

Exegesis is the process of understanding the meaning of a text, especially a piece of literature. In other words, exegesis is the process of extracting the general idea behind a specific verse or passage of text. Exegesis is the opposite of eisegesis, which is the process of adding one's own opinions or conclusions to a piece of text. Exegesis is essential because it helps us understand the text's original intent or message. We know this is true because of the context of the verse or passage and other relevant passages in the Bible. Hermeneutics is the process of interpreting a text, especially a piece of literature. In other words, hermeneutics is the process of understanding the meaning of the text, including what the author meant when he wrote it. Hermeneutics is essential because it helps us understand the text's original intent or message. We know this is true because of the context of the verse or passage and other relevant passages in the Bible. It is essential to distinguish between eisegesis and exegesis because doing so helps us understand the text's original intent or message. We know this is true because of the context of the verse or passage and other relevant passages in the Bible.