Introduction
Hermeneutics is the quest for sound and accurate Biblical interpretation (Köstenberger and Patterson, 2011, p. 57). Our approach to the meaning and understanding of scripture is important (Is the Bible Still Relevant?). It’s good for us to read scripture but we must also study it. We should try to understand what’s going on in the Bible passages and what the author was saying at the time and place he was writing it.
One of the common ideas we hear today is that “everyone is entitled to their own opinion of what scripture means”. From a freedom perspective this is absolutely true. But this means that we also have the freedom to be wrong about what a passage means. This is unfashionable to say in today’s culture. However, we as Christians don’t answer to culture, we answer to God.
Don’t misunderstand, it’s normal, and in some ways necessary, for us to approach passages from various viewpoints because none of us have the full knowledge of God. However, it’s also necessary to bring those viewpoints together in study and discussion so that we can put our own biases aside and arrive at a closer understanding of what God was using the author to say (Prov. 27:17 – “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”).
Exegesis vs. Eisegesis
Oftentimes we have pre-determined biases, beliefs, and traditions that we use to read into Scripture our preferred interpretation. This is called “eisegesis” which literally means “to lead into”. This is when we use our own ideas to shape the understanding of the text in a way that is acceptable to our own pre-determined ideals. It’s through eisegesis that we become susceptible to misinterpretation and we can deceive ourselves, and others, about God’s Word.
Exegesis, on the other hand, literally means “to draw out”. Exegesis is the process of drawing out the true meaning of the text. We use exegesis to determine what the author meant in their time and context. It’s in this way that we can come to a true understanding of what God was communicating through the writer at the time and place that he was writing. We seek to remove our own bias and preconceived notions of what we want the text to mean. Instead we settle on what the text actually means even if it’s difficult for us to accept.
What does this mean to me?
I would suspect that many of us have been taught to approach scripture from the perspective of “me”. You read a passage and then ask the question, “What does this mean to me?” or “What is it saying to me?” What we don’t realize is that this question isn’t the first question to ask. Why? Because this question is all about ME. Scripture isn’t the story of me, it’s the story of God. It isn’t my word and my truth.
Scripture is God’s Word and therefore THE truth. Seeking God’s truth is precisely why we seek to understand God’s Word and apply it to our lives. Therefore, I’m not seeking what it means to me, I’m seeking what God means. Not what I wish he had meant. I have to know what God’s Word means before I can accurately and effectively apply it to my life.
Understand what God is saying
In order to understand what God means I first must understand what God is saying through the author that He chose to speak through. We do this by using what’s called the “Hermeneutical Triad” – history, literature, and theology (Köstenberger and Patterson, 2011, p. 58-59). We have to consider the historical setting, the language, literature type, words used, and the context within the passage, the book of the Bible, and within the Bible as a whole.
For example, it’s important to understand that the Bible was not originally written in English. The New Testament documents were written in Greek, with a few Aramaic sayings, and the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic. These languages are much different than English. So, understanding these languages can help us understand what the author originally meant.
An example of this is the word LOVE. We have one word for love in English but there are several different words in Greek used to indicate the different types of love. Knowing which Greek word the author used can take the guesswork out of it and help us understand what the author actually meant. Fortunately, you don’t have to speak these languages. We have a lot of tools available to us like keyword Bibles, computer software, and commentaries.
History and Context
Interestingly we determine this type of meaning in English through both historical and linguistic context. Biblical context helps us understand what is being said by understanding: how words are used, how the culture of the day understood these statements, what was going on historically, how it fits into the larger passage, chapter, book, and Bible as a whole, and how it relates to what we already know about the nature of God and His previous teachings.
Fewer disagreements on passages than we think
When we use these techniques to interpret scripture, we find that there are actually far fewer passages that are difficult to come to an agreement on meaning than we think. Sure, there are some things that we struggle with, but Jesus made most of it, particularly salvation issues, quite clear and straightforward (What is the Gospel?, The Roman Road to Salvation). Unfortunately, we often disagree about passages of scripture or call them “difficult to understand” not because we can’t wrap our heads around the meaning. We call them difficult because we refuse to wrap our hearts around the instruction.
Case Study
As an example, we will use the teachings of Jesus as a case study. We will begin with context. The first question that should come to mind when we read Jesus is, “Who was He speaking to?” This is important because Jesus dealt with different groups of people differently. The three common groups that He addressed were: general people (the crowds), the Pharisees and Scribes (religious and political leaders), and His disciples.
General People
First were the General People. This group included both individuals and what scripture describes as “The crowds”. These are what we would call today “non-believers”. Jesus was generally very compassionate to this group of people.
This is the Jesus we like to present so we don’t have to deal with His harder teachings. Don’t get me wrong, it’s ok to appreciate the love of Jesus. However, if we only ever consider him from this perspective then we present him as a one dimensional individual devoid of truth and justice.
You see, Jesus addressed the pain and suffering of the people, but he also taught them some truths that were difficult to accept, especially when the crowds were gathered. These are the individuals and groups who He often commanded to “go and sin no more” (Jn. 5:14, Jn. 8:11). He didn’t justify their sin, he addressed it with truth. He showed them that there was a better way and that forgiveness was available if they would repent (turn from their sin) and turn to Him.
Pharisees
Next, were the Pharisees. These are who I call the “Religious People” or the “Church Folk”. Jesus was particularly hard on this group. Anyone who says that Jesus never said a cross (angry) word to anyone has not studied His interaction with the Pharisees (Matt. 23). Why was He hard on them? Because these are the ones who were hypocritical and Lukewarm and should have known better. They knew the Law and the Prophecies but neglected both for their own self interest. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were hypocrites calling others to do what they were unwilling to do.
They knew the prophecies of the messiah and should have understood them, but they didn’t recognize Him because they had shaped the words to their own desires and worldview instead of allowing scripture to form their worldview. Does this sound familiar? This sounds exactly like us today. The truth is He loved them. But TRUE love requires truthfulness that can be painful to hear. Unfortunately, this is what we try to avoid because we think the worst thing we can do is offend someone or make them uncomfortable. We are often on a happiness quest instead of a truth quest.
Disciples
Finally, you have the disciples or the “True Followers”. Jesus was loving, stern, and instructive to His disciples. This is where we find the bulk of His teachings and commands for us as Christians. But sometimes this gets us in trouble with non-believers. We try to hold them to the specific commands of Jesus when they have not believed in nor committed to Him.
Understand, Jesus’ commands ARE good for all people but if you don’t believe in Him then why would you care what He taught? With non-believers, we don’t start with Jesus’ commands, we start with why we need Him, what He has done, and what He offers. We see Jesus make these distinctions in His teaching because all three of these groups require different approaches.
Knowing who Jesus was speaking to and how He typically addressed the different people can help us understand what point He was making. This, along with other contextual indicators can help us determine if Jesus was giving instruction to His followers, to all people, or addressing a specific individual in a specific case.
The Rich Young Ruler
An example of this is the man described as the rich young ruler (Matt. 19:16-22, Mk. 10:17-27). Here Jesus instructed him to sell all that he had, give to the poor, and follow Jesus. On the surface, one might think Jesus was teaching that wealth is wrong and something to be discarded. However, in context, we see here that Jesus was talking to an individual non-believer. He was not preaching to the crowds nor teaching His disciples.
Additionally, we see in other passages where Jesus interacts with wealthy people, for example Zacchaeus, who He doesn’t give this same instruction to. Also, throughout the Bible there are some (Abraham, Job, Paul, etc.) who had considerable means. Finally, later in the passage Jesus confirms that the rich can get into heaven (Matt. 19:26, Mk. 10:27). So, it now makes sense that Jesus was teaching this man a lesson specific to himself that the rest of us can learn from.
Upon further analysis we conclude that Jesus was teaching that He must be first in our lives above all else. We conclude that, for this man, his wealth was first because he walked away sad when given the choice between the kingdom of heaven and his money.
Conclusion
Properly interpreting Scripture isn’t some cryptic science reserved only for theologians, college professors, and pastors. It’s something that we can all learn as we humbly study the Bible with a focus on finding the truth of God’s Word. We must be willing to accept God’s teaching whether its easy or not. Remember, one of the most common sources of misinterpretation doesn’t come from a lack of understanding, it comes from our unwillingness to accept the truth of God’s teaching into our hearts. When studying Scripture meditate on this question: “If I disagree with God on an issue, am I willing to submit to Him on that issue anyway because He’s God?”
Blessings