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Hermeneutics
7 Principles of
Interpretation
Hermeneutics
Biblical
Interpretation
7 Principles
of Interpretation
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Introduction
“It is properly required of the theologian
{whether with a small ‘t’ or capital ‘T’}
that he both understand and expound the
Scriptures. This is the distinctive
field in which he serves.”
“The unrevoked anathema which rests
upon all who pervert the Gospel of divine
grace {Gal. 1:8-9} may be deemed, to some
degree, to be true concerning the
misrepresentation of all divine revelation.
In view of” this fact, “...the
uncompromising student will do well to give
indefatigable study to the Sacred Text and
demand of himself that right relation to God
which insures the priceless divine guidance
into all Truth {spirituality}. The
conclusions of other men should be given due
respect. It is the student’s task,”
however, “...to advance these assured
results of scholarship beyond the
attainments of past generations, striving to
be as humble and true as the fathers have
been. 2 Timothy 2:15 does enjoin “study”
which is the application to, and the
investigation of, the text of Scripture
itself and not merely the perusal of the
writings of other men about the text. The
word ereunao- ‘to search, to
examine;’ used six times in the NT... is
three times related to an exercise on the
part of men by which they examine the
Bible with utmost care.” Chafer,
Systematic Theology, Vol. I,
Bibliology, pp. 114-115 {Brackets,
parentheses & italics mine.}
Some Methods:
1. Consider the purpose of the Bible as a
whole. The Bible is not a treatise on
natural science or ancient history. It is
an unconditional declaration from God
concerning Himself and His works; especially
as those works relate to the eternal welfare
and destiny of the human race. That welfare
and destiny is centered in the Person and
Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Note the distinctive character and
message of each book. Noting the
differentiating characteristics of each book
is essential, since a vital factor in any
particular truth is its place in a certain
book, and in the light of that book’s
specific message. E.g., the theme of
Philippians is spiritual joy; that of
Galatians is Paul’s scathing manifesto
against legalism, and against the Judaizers
who were undermining his ministry with a
gospel of works— Jewish works— for
salvation; the theme of 1 Corinthians is
carnality, and the problems created by a
carnal church in the 1st cent.
3. Ask to whom a given Scripture is
addressed. An accurate interpretation of
any given passage depends often on a
distinction being made between its primary
and secondary applications. A primary
application is made when a given passage is
recognized as pertaining directly to those
to whom it was addressed. A secondary
application is made when a given passage is
recognized as not applying directly
to a certain person or class of people, but
its moral and spiritual principles are
appropriated by them. False doctrines and
theological systems are sustained more by
their confusion of primary and secondary
applications of the Word than by any other
factor. No feature of interpretation
demands more discernment than this! The
apostle Paul’s plea for ‘diligence’ in 2
Timothy 2:15 is also a warning, for the
“Word of Truth” will not be ‘handled
accurately’ apart from arduous study.
4. Consider the immediate context.
The character and scope of the truth under
contemplation at any point is to be
discovered, primarily, by the surrounding
context. E.g., in 1 Corinthians 9:27 the
Greek word adokimos— translated
“disqualified,” and meaning- not
standing the test— cannot mean
loss of salvation in a context which deals
only with eternal rewards for Christian
service.
5. Compare all Scripture on any given
theme or doctrine. A correct interpretation
will also depend predominantly on an
induction being made of all that the
Bible presents on a particular subject. The
statement of a doctrine or theme of the Word
of God will be true to the mind of God only
as all He has said on that theme is
brought into view. The necessity of
a full and comprehensive induction is
indicated when the principle of progressive
revelation is acknowledged.
6. Ascertain the exact meaning of the
determinative words in the text. A
knowledge of the original languages can—
not necessarily does— lead to more
precise conclusions and accurate insight
into what a difficult passage teaches. The
study of both Hebrew and Greek, to the
extent that worthwhile exegesis is
undertaken, is paramount, and most
definitely belongs to the preparation of the
Bible expositor. To be utterly dependent on
the findings of other men is somewhat
discouraging since the requisite authority
in communication is lacking.
7. Avoid personal prejudice and
preconceptions. To twist or mold the Bible
to make it conform to one’s preconceived
notions is no less than “adulterating the
word of God”— 2 Corinthians 4:2— and is
worthy of judgment from Him whose Word has
been abused and distorted. At no point is
it more important to exercise the conscience
and seek the mind of God than when delving
into the precise meaning of the Word and
then teaching those findings to others.
Hermeneutics
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Introduction
In his account of the risen Lord’s walk to
Emmaus Luke, in 24:27 of his Gospel, informs
us that Jesus reproved the disheartened
disciples for not believing what the
prophets had spoken. He says, “And
beginning with Moses and with all the
prophets He explained to them the things
concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.”
“Explained” is the Greek verb
diermhneu/w (diermeneuo), from dia-
‘through {used intensively},’ and
hermeneuo- ‘explain, interpret.’ Hence,
it means- interpret fully; unfold
the meaning of what is said, explain
or expound. The root of this word is
Hermes- ‘herald of the gods.’ Hermes
was the Greek name of the pagan god known to
the Romans as Mercurius or Mercury. Hermes
was the god of science, invention,
eloquence, speech, writing, and art. It was
believed that Hermes was the one who brought
the messages of the gods to the mortals.
From this family of words comes the English
‘hermeneutics,’ the science of
interpretation.
“Hermeneutics is the science and art of
Biblical interpretation. It is a science
because it is guided by rules within a
system; it is an art because the application
of the rules is by skill, and not by
mechanical imitation. ...In that
conservative Protestantism takes only
the Bible as authoritative, there is no
secondary means of making clear the meaning
of the Bible. Therefore, we know what God
has said by the faithful and accurate
interpretation of the Scriptures.” Ramm,
Protestant Biblical Interpretation, p.
1
“This is the primary and basic need of
hermeneutics: to ascertain what God has said
in Sacred Scripture; to determine the
meaning of the Word of God. ...In every one
of those places where our interpretation is
at fault, we have made substitution of the
voice of man for the voice of God.” ibid.,
p. 2
2 Peter 1:20 says, “But know this first
of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is {a
matter} of one’s own interpretation.”
This v. tells us that there is only one
interpretation of any passage of Scripture,
and that is the Bible’s own
interpretation. Christians are confused
today about Biblical interpretation in part
because they do not know what the word
“interpretation” means. In English,
“interpret” can be defined in at least two
ways. In its oldest and primary sense,
“interpret” means “to explain or tell the
meaning of; to make understandable.” In a
secondary sense it means “to give one’s own
conception of; to conceive in the light of
individual belief, judgment or
circumstance.”
In Bible study, as in most of life, the
first sense of this word applies. The
plain, literal interpretation of anything
spoken or written is what the speaker or
writer means by what he says; it is
not what the listener or reader
thinks or feels about the message he
receives. E.g., when an air traffic
controller gives landing instructions to the
pilot of an approaching aircraft, there is
only one ‘interpretation’ of his directions
that matters. The pilot has a vested
interest in making sure that he understands
exactly what the controller meant by
what he said.
The statement, “There are many ways to
interpret this,” is as meaningless— and
potentially dangerous— to the student of the
Word as it is to the pilot of the airplane.
The only interpretation the pilot is
after is the controller’s; the only
interpretation the Bible student is after is
God’s.
The first goal of Bible study is to
determine what God meant by what He spoke
through Scripture. This is Biblical
interpretation.
“No man has a right to say, as some are in
the habit of saying, the Spirit tells me
that such and such is the meaning of... a
passage. How is he assured that it is the
Holy Spirit, and that it is not a spirit of
delusion, except from the evidence that the
interpretation is the legitimate meaning of
the words?” Alexander Carson,
Examination of the Principles of Biblical
Interpretation, p. 23
“It is the first business of an
interpreter,” said John Calvin, “to let his
author say what he does, instead of
attributing to him what we think he ought to
say.” That is not so horribly difficult a
task as some people imagine.
Biblical interpretation, like mathematics,
is an exact science. We know that 1
+ 1 = 2 in every country of the world. No
matter what language the formula is
translated into, 1 + 1 = 2. 3500 years ago,
1 + 1 = 2. The Bible tells us that Moses
lived 40 years in the palace of Pharaoh, 40
years in the desert, and 40 years leading
the people of Israel through the wilderness,
a total of 120 years. Is it amazing and
miraculous that clear back in the time of
Moses they were somehow able to add 40 plus
40 plus 40 and come up with 120? Of course
it is not amazing or miraculous; it is
mathematics! No one would dare say of the
conclusion that 40 + 40 + 40 = 120, “That’s
just your interpretation,” because an
absolute science cannot be tampered with.
When we work with the science of
hermeneutics, we are working with the only
science which deals with something more
absolute than mathematics: the Word of God.
Before mathematics was, the Word existed.
Long after mathematics is gone, the Word
will still stand {1 Pet. 1:24-25}. When the
rules of systematic Bible study are followed
the interpretation of any passage is the
same, whether the person studying is living
in 21st cent. America or 4th
cent. Ethiopia.
Body
“The only way to clear the atmosphere and to
determine what is right and wrong, proper
and improper, orthodox and heretical, is to
give one’s self to a careful study of the
science of Biblical hermeneutics. Otherwise
we deal with symptoms, not with
causes; we debate about superstructure when
we should be debating about foundations.
It is important, therefore, to determine how
God’s Word is to be understood that we may
know what God has said. This is the chief
and foremost need for hermeneutics.
The second great need for a science of
hermeneutics is to bridge the gap between
our minds and the minds of the Biblical
writers. ...The greater the cultural,
historical, and geographical divergences
are, the more difficult is the task of
interpretation.
The most obvious divergence is that of
language. The Bible was written in
Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. To formulate
rules to bridge this gap is one of the most
important tasks of Biblical hermeneutics.
The basic problem at this...”
juncture “...is that languages are
structurally different. The English
language is analytic in structure,
i.e., the sense of a sentence depends
largely on word order.
‘The rat ate the cheese’ does not have the
same meaning as ‘the cheese ate the rat,’
although the same words are used in both
sentences. Greek is an agglutinative
language, and so declines nouns and
adjectives, and conjugates verbs. Hence one
can alter the word order of a Greek sentence
two or three different ways and still get
the same meaning; for meaning is not
basically dependent on word order,
but on word endings.
There is also a cultural gap between
our times and Biblical times which the
translator and interpreter must bridge.
...A knowledge of marriage customs, economic
practices, military systems, legal systems,
agricultural methods, etc., is all very”
useful “in the interpretation of Scripture.
The geography of the various Bible
lands is,” at times, quite “...instrumental
for understanding the Sacred Text.
...References to towns, places, rivers,
mountains, plains, lakes and seas all lend a
flicker of light to the meaning of the Bible
if we will study them with the help of
geographical science.
If geography is the scenery of Scripture,
history is the plot of Scripture. Each
incident is dependent on a larger historical
context for its better understanding.”
Ibid., p. 4-7
Summary:
The two great needs for the science of
hermeneutics are:
1. That we may know clearly and evidently
what God has said.
2. That we may span the linguistical,
cultural, geographical, and historical gaps
which separate our minds from those of the
Biblical writers.
Referring to the men who are gifted and
trained to study and interpret the Word of
God Dr. Alexander Whyte once said, that the
“students of NT exegesis... are the happiest
and the most enviable of all men who have
been set apart to nothing else but the
understanding and the opening up of the hid
treasures of God’s Word and God’s Son.”
Approaches.
The science of hermeneutics demands
that we approach any study of the Word of
God from three perspectives: Isagogically
{the historical background and context};
Categorically {the doctrines, i.e.,
categories of information on a particular
subject}; and Exegetically {exegesis deals
with the grammar, etymology (derivation of
words), and syntax (word order and sentence
structure)}.
1. Isagogics.
Isagogics
is a word that has all but disappeared from
English language dictionaries. It is from
the Greek preposition eis- ‘into,’
and ago- ‘to lead.’ In English an
‘isagoge’ is an introduction. Isagogics
is defined in Webster’s New World Dictionary
of the American Language as “introductory
study; esp., the study of the literary
history of the Bible, considered as
introductory to the study of Bible
interpretation,” and in the 1955 Oxford
English Dictionary as “introductory studies,
especially that part of theology which is
introductory to exegesis.”
Isagogics is the study of the historical and
cultural background of Biblical passages.
The Bible must be interpreted in
light of the time in which it was written.
All Scripture was written for every
believer— 2 Timothy 3:16— but not all
Scripture was written to every
believer. If our goal is to understand what
the writer wanted his readers to understand
then we have to know something about
history.
E.g., though the four Gospels are similar,
each was written to a different audience for
a different purpose. Matthew wrote
primarily for Jews, to present Christ as
King; Mark wrote for Romans, to present
Christ as Servant; Luke wrote for Greeks
{Gentiles}, to prove the humanity of Christ;
and John wrote for the world, to prove the
Deity of Christ. Certain words and phrases
are used in each which uphold and expound
these themes, and different historical
conditions are relevant to the study of each
book.
Another example is 1 Corinthians 8-10, which
cannot be understood apart from some
background knowledge of idol worship in
Corinth. The city of Corinth was dominated
by the temple of Aphrodite {goddess
of love and sex: Greek equivalent of the
Babylonian Ishtar and Phoenician
Astarte}, where gluttony, drunkenness,
and sexual immorality were a regular part of
worship. Most of the Christians in Corinth
were raised in this idolatrous system, and
some were having a difficult time getting
out of it. In these chapters, Paul is not
just talking about meat— for our
ascetic vegetarian friends— but about meat
offered to idols.
2. Categories.
A category is, very simply, a specific area
of Bible doctrine. The Bible is one Book,
inspired by one Spirit, with one unified
message progressively revealed. To fully
understand the Biblical teaching on any
subject we must take into consideration
all that the Bible has to say on that
subject. We will never have a proper
interpretation until we take all the
passages on a subject, draw them together,
and then examine them individually. That is
contextual, categorical study; it is
time-consuming work, but it is absolutely
essential for accuracy in teaching.
Our approach to the Word of God must also be
dispensational. God has divided human
history into time segments known as ‘ages’
or ‘dispensations.’ E.g., in the Old and
New Testaments, the application of
faith is different. It is the same faith,
with the same focus on the Messiah— the
Person of Jesus Christ— but under the New
Covenant of Grace we don’t sacrifice lambs,
bulls or goats. Why? A dispensational
approach to Scripture tells us that the
types or pictures represented by animal
sacrifice were fulfilled in the Person and
Work of the Lord Jesus Christ; rendering
them unnecessary and obsolete. Many of the
promises and principles in the Bible are
dispensational in character. Unless we
understand this simple fact, and know how to
determine which ones apply to us, we will
never be able to tap into the power of God.
3. Exegesis.
Exegesis
is a Greek word which means- ‘explanation.’
It is defined in Webster’s New World
dictionary as the “explanation, critical
analysis, or interpretation of a word,
literary passage, etc., especially of the
Bible.” Exegesis comes from the preposition
ek- ‘out,’ and hegeomai-
‘lead, guide.’ To exegete is to lead or
guide out of a passage what is inherent
there. Exegesis refers to the grammatical
study of the Word of God.
This means the study of individual words and
of how words are put together in sentences
and paragraphs.
Because the Bible is inspired by God the
Holy Spirit, every word in the Bible is
important. In the book of Galatians Paul
builds an entire doctrine of grace on the
fact that one word in a passage in Genesis—
seed— is singular rather than plural
in the original text. Exodus 20:13, where
we find the command to Israel, “You shall
not murder,” is another place where the
exact word in the passage matters greatly.
Ratsach is one of ten Hebrew words
that mean ‘to kill.’ It is used only of
premeditated murder. Knowing this makes it
easier to understand that God did not
contradict Himself when He commanded
Israel’s leaders and warriors to kill their
enemies in military situations. It is
certainly important to be able to go back to
the original Hebrew and Greek words in Bible
study, and the books and tools are available
which make that relatively easy to do.
However, in most cases apparently obscure
words can be clarified by studying the
immediate context.
Probably the most important rule to
remember in Bible study is to always
consider the context. To understand words
or phrases, study the sentences which
surround them. To understand a sentence or
sentences, study the verses that surround
them. To understand verses and paragraphs,
study them in the light of the chapters
where they are found. Think about where
they fit in the scheme of the entire book.
All of this helps to shed light on the
proper perspective of a particular passage.
Assumptions.
The Reformers taught certain principles for
Bible study based on what the Bible says
about itself. Let’s look at three of the
most important of these principles.
1. The Bible can be
understood.
How would a God of both love and justice
communicate? In a way that we could
understand. God loves us, desires our
obedience, and is perfectly fair. We
have to believe that He speaks clearly in
His Word and that if there is confusion, it
is in us, not in the passage. So, we use
two basic tools when we study: common sense
and persistence. That means we study from
the center out, explaining difficult or
obscure passages by the light of clearer
passages. It means we look, first and
foremost, for the logical explanation or
interpretation of a passage; chances are
that is the most accurate interpretation.
That also means we look for repetition— of
words, of ideas— because we know that if God
says something more than once, it’s probably
something He wants us to notice.
2. The Bible is a book of progressive
revelation.
A message is being developed in Scripture
and it is more fully and clearly developed
toward the chronological end than at the
beginning. More about Jesus Christ and
salvation is revealed in the NT than in the
Old; more about the function of the Church
is revealed in the Epistles than in the
Gospels; more about the future of the world,
mankind, Israel, and Satan, in Revelation
than anywhere else. So, we try to
understand OT prophecy in the light of the
NT account of its fulfillment; and certain
OT characters and events in light of NT
comment on them.
3. The Bible does not contradict
itself.
As God, by His very nature, cannot
contradict Himself, neither can His Word to
man. To accept this principle means that
when we find apparent contradictions
we continue to search for answers in the
certainty that there is in Scripture a
perfect agreement, which careful and
diligent study will bring out.
Stance.
The Bible clearly lays out three spiritual
requirements that must be met before
we can even expect to comprehend the Word of
God.
1. We must be born again—
John 3:16, 36.
John 3:6 tells us, “that which is born of
the flesh is flesh; and that which is born
of the Spirit is spirit;” and in 1
Corinthians 2:14 we see that it is
impossible for the unbeliever to understand
the “things” of God. Paul told the
Corinthians in clear and explicit language,
that the “natural man [psuchikos-
‘soulish man,’ i.e., unbeliever] does not
accept the things of the Spirit of God
[why?: two reasons]; for [1] they
are foolishness to him [cf. 1 Cor.
1:18-25], and [2] he cannot
understand them [ginosko- ‘know,
recognize, perceive’], because they are
spiritually appraised [discerned],”
1 Corinthians 2:14.
2. We must rely and depend on the
Holy Spirit’s teaching ministry.
In vv. 12-13 of this same chapter {1
Corinthians 2} Paul wrote, “Now we have
received, not the spirit of the world
[human viewpoint: the worldly wisdom and
corrupt rationales of the Cosmic System],
but the Spirit who is from God [HS],
that [hina- ‘in order that;’ it
begins a final purpose clause and is used by
Paul to point out the principal reason for
our having been given the HS at salvation]
we might know [with a clear and
absolute understanding; subj. mood of
oida means that volitionally, the
choice to learn and apply the Word is
entirely up to you and I] the things
freely given to us by God [‘freely
given’ comes from the verb charizomai-
‘give in grace;’ those ‘things given to us
by the grace of God’ are spiritual truths in
the form of Bible doctrine], which things
we also speak, not in words taught by
human wisdom but in those taught by
the Spirit, combining [also, ‘to
compare; interpret’] spiritual
[adj.- pneumatikos] {thoughts}
with spiritual {words}.”
He goes on to say in v. 15, “But he who
is spiritual [believer in a proper
adjustment to and influenced by
the HS] appraises [discerns] all
things [every aspect of Bible doctrine],
yet he himself is appraised [discerned]
by no man [the spiritual man is a
mystery, an enigma, to both the
carnal man and the unbeliever].”
If we approach the Word without the Spirit
we may find information, but wisdom and
power will be beyond our grasp. This is
true not just for unbelievers, but also for
believers who are walking in the energy of
“the flesh” rather than “by means
of the Spirit,” Galatians 5:16. This is
precisely why it is paramount, every
time we open our Bibles, that we utilize the
confession and cleansing of 1 John 1:9, and
that we know ourselves to be yielded to the
will, Word, and Spirit of God.
3. We must approach in faith.
Jesus said in John 7:17, “If any man is
willing [qe/lw (thelo) means- will,
intend, or desire; it implies
both volition and purpose; here it has the
sense of resolution and determination: ‘if
any man is resolved and determined’]
to do His will [in surrender and
submission to it], he shall know
of the teaching [doctrine], whether
it is of God or {whether} I speak from
Myself.”
God shares His deepest secrets only with
those who approach His Word in humility and
trust. True wisdom, understanding and power
are reserved only for those who are
willing to obey God in both intake and
application. When we find Scripture at odds
with our ideas or our desires, we must let
the Bible be the final authority. Where the
Word of God opposes what we think, our
thinking is wrong; where it opposes what we
want, our desires are wrong.
In Conclusion
In Bible study— more than anything else in
life— we get back exactly what we put in.
Sloppy study will never fill our thirst.
The more minute and tireless our study,
however, the more we will be rewarded. The
people who have great insights into the
Word, will, and character of God are the
people who have put in time and effort, who
do not quit when study turns to
sweat. If we carefully follow consistent
rules of study, we will gradually develop
the skill of interpreting the Bible; we will
eventually learn how to get to the heart of
God’s message.
The goal of Bible study should never be
intellectual achievement. We should always
approach the Word with the desire to be
transformed a little more into the
“living image” of the Lord Jesus
Christ. We should never end our study
without asking ourselves: [1] how this
portion of Scripture applies to our
circumstances; and [2] what we’re going to
do with the things we’ve learned.
This is especially important for
Pastor-Teachers, Teachers and Evangelists to
remember. We study to learn, not
just to teach. If we study only to teach
others, the Truth never penetrates our own
souls or convinces us of our need for
correction. Neither do we continue to grow,
for we ourselves are not subject to what we
study. If we remain students, if we are
disciples, then we will have no difficulty
having sufficient information to teach to
others; and they will be moved by those
things which God has made real and exciting
to us in our own growth.
Biblical Interpretation
Adapted from Bernard Ramm’s article on
‘Biblical Interpretation’
(click here to view in
Word format)
The Distinction
General hermeneutics is that set of rules
employed in all materials which stand in
need of interpretation. Biblical
hermeneutics is the study of those
principles which pertain to the
interpretation of Holy Scripture.
Some Principles on Biblical Hermeneutics
1. Biblical hermeneutics is both a science
and an art. It is a science in that it can
reduce interpretation within limits to a set
of rules; it is an art in that not
infrequently elements in the text escape any
treatment by rules.
2. Hermeneutical principles are distilled
from the activity of exegesis itself.
Therefore, ‘divisions’ between exegesis and
hermeneutics are somewhat artificial. The
practical issues of exegesis are what drove
scholars to formulate a hermeneutical
theory.
3. Biblical hermeneutics, exegesis, and
teaching form one continuum. Five
points of application:
A. The greatest responsibility of a
pastor-teacher is the ministry of the Word
to his congregation.
B. His teaching must be centered and
grounded in the interpretation and
application of the Bible— the Word of God!
{Cf. 1 Peter 4:10-11}
C. When this is the case his messages will
be Biblical, exegetical, and expository.
D. The Word of God is his Source;
exegesis, the scientific ascertaining of its
meaning; and exposition, its ‘application in
proclamation.’
E. The Bible is the written Word; exegesis
is the Word understood; and teaching is the
Word made relevant to time and place.
4. Exegesis and exposition bear a special
relationship to one another. Exposition
grows out of exegesis.
A. In exegesis the P-T concentrates on the
meaning of the text historically
understood. What did it mean to the people
to whom it was written?
B. In exposition his main concern is with
its relevance and application for the
here and now. Two principles:
1) Exegesis without application is mere
academics— the ‘paralysis of analysis.’
2) Exposition that is not grounded in
exegesis is superficial, misleading, or
both.
C. There must be no separation of exegesis
and application. Application is not a
secondary thought, a dispensable
activity after exegesis; exegesis should
lead, inevitably, to application.
5. If the Word of God is the focal point
of his ministry, then the P-T must deal with
his text exegetically before he deals
with it homiletically.
A. To be a responsible exegete demands a
responsible working theory of Biblical
hermeneutics.
B. To be a faithful steward demands a
mature working theory of Biblical
hermeneutics as the basis of homiletics.
Textual criticism is followed by a study of
isagogics, i.e.: authorship; date of
writing; place of writing; recipients; and
conditions which prompted the writing.
Principles of General Hermeneutics that
Carry Over into Biblical Hermeneutics
1. Literary Genre. The material of
literary genre must be settled.
A. It is the literary genre of the text
which determines the frame of reference in
which words are used; therefore, the frame
of reference logically precedes the words
themselves. This is simply a recognition of
the fact that some Scripture is written as
poetry, some as proverbs, some as history,
sermons, parables, etc.
B. Determining the literary genre of the
text determines the interpreter’s mood and
viewpoint.
2. Word Study. Exegesis usually
begins with a study of words, because the
word is the ultimate unit of meaning. Words
can be studied in a variety of ways.
A. Etymologically— its formation and
derivation may unlock its meaning and give
you new insight; or e.g., insight may be
gained in breaking down the components of a
compound word.
B. Comparatively— tracing a word through
many passages of Scripture is basic homework
for thorough exegesis. Studies of synonyms
have merit as well.
C. Historically— Kittel’s Theological
Dictionary of the NT is the classic
example of this type of in-depth research.
This moves from Classical Greek usage to the
Hebrew Bible; from there to the LXX; from
the LXX to the inter-Biblical period
{Aramaic}; then a comprehensive treatment in
the Greek NT.
3. Grammatical Exegesis. The study
of words alone is helpful but limited. It
is grammatical exegesis which moves forward
into the interpretation of the sentence in
all its parts, and the paragraph where the
sentence is found.
A. Grammatical exegesis is sometimes
called ‘literal exegesis.’ By the literal
meaning of words and phrases is meant their
normal, natural, customary sense in their
language.
B. Allegorical exegesis is the virus
to which literal, historical, grammatical
exegesis is the cure!
C. Literal exegesis is the ‘check’ upon
all irresponsible exegesis, whether it be
found in the history of the Church or in
some contemporary cult.
D. In grammatical exegesis context is
paramount! It has been said and rightfully
so, that “A text without a context is
nothing more than a pretext!” Context
begins with the accepted Canon of Scripture
itself, then moves down to the Old or NT,
the individual book, a ch. within the book,
a paragraph in a ch., the sentence within
the paragraph, and finally, each word within
the sentence. Nothing in the Bible—
nothing— stands isolated and alone.
E. The next stage in grammatical exegesis
is to recreate the political and
sociological environment of antiquity. This
takes into account the cultural elements in
the text; e.g., references to people,
events, social practices, geography— cities,
towns, rivers, mountains— flora and fauna.
Two principles of hermeneutics.
1) Good hermeneutics is the thorough
use of good resources; bad hermeneutics is
their neglect.
2) Critical and grammatical
commentaries will be more rewarding to a
teaching ministry over the years than
popular and devotional ones.
Hermeneutical Principles Unique to
Scripture
1. The Spiritual Factor. It was
Calvin who noted, and the apostle Paul who
stated in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15, that the
Word of God is spiritual, and
therefore, can only be perceived and
discerned by the spiritual man. {Cf.
passage, vv. 10-15}
A. The Bible can very clearly be
understood when: [1] we are born again—
personal faith in the Son of God; [2] we are
empowered and enabled by the Spirit of God—
‘not grieving, not quenching, and walking by
means of the Spirit’— Eph. 4:30, 1 Thes.
5:19, and Gal. 5:16; and [3] we approach
with an attitude of humility, in simple
child-like faith.
B. For those who reject the teaching
ministry of the Spirit as a purely
subjective phenomena, which it is, I say:
Human nature being human nature, there is
not a scholar alive that is completely free
from presuppositions— right or wrong,
accurate or inaccurate— and from emotionally
and culturally rooted dispositions which
influence his interpretations.
What this tells us is that the subjective
aspect of Biblical exegesis— that is, the
mentorship of the HS— is of immense
importance. In fact, it’s absolutely
indispensable.
2. The Unity of the Bible. The
unity and harmony of Scripture is Jesus
Christ, and the redemption and revelation
centered in Him.
A. The one theme of both testaments is the
Person of Jesus Christ and His redemption of
a human race bound in the slave market of
sin, His reconciliation of that sinful race
to a righteous God, and His propitiation of
God’s righteous demands concerning sin.
B. For the Body of Christ in the Church
Age the focus and priority of the Scriptures
is the NT and especially the Epistles, for
it’s here that we find the Incarnation, the
impeccable life of the Son of God, His
saving Work on the Cross, His Resurrection,
and the impact of His Person and Work on the
Spiritual Life.
3. Progressive Revelation. From
the time of Adam in the Garden of Eden to
the apostle John on the Island of Patmos,
the concept of progressive revelation is
based upon the conviction that revelation
and redemption were moving along an
historical line. The most obvious division
of this line is between the OT period and
the NT period. In the NT we find a division
in the Gospels and the Epistles: from the
life and ministry of Christ in Hypostatic
Union leading up to the Day of Pentecost,
and the dispensation of the Church which
began on the Day of Pentecost.
There is a definite progression in
Scripture; and unless this principle of
progress is recognized there can be no clear
exegesis of Scripture. Progressive
revelation means that as the timeline of
history unravels, the plan and purpose of
God becomes fuller and clearer; the meat is
slowly being put on the bones, if you will.
Basically, this means two things to the
interpreter.
A. If there is tension or conflict between
the older revelation and the newer, the
older must give way to the newer. I.e., our
theology as Christians, as the Family of God
in the Age of Grace, must build its ‘final
formula’ on the mystery doctrines of the
Church.
B. That not all Scripture is as important
to our daily faith and practice as others.
Here, we’re dealing with its theological
significance. Many times, both past and
present, a proof text is cited without
regard to its location in the Bible. E.g.,
a passing reference to something in the
Psalms is given as much weight as a v. in
Romans. Note this principle: The
location of a text in the Canon of Scripture
determines to some extent its exegesis and
the theological weight behind it.
4. Scripture’s Self-Interpretation.
Around the time of the Reformation the Roman
Catholic Church insisted that it was
‘gifted with the grace of interpretation,’
and therefore, it knew instinctively the
interpretation of Scripture. The Reformers
rejected this erroneous claim and set in its
place the rule that Scripture is its own
interpreter: Scriptura sacra sui ipsius
interpres.
A. What raised this issue was the problem
created by difficult passages. The
Catholics appealed to their ‘gift of
interpretation’ to lead the way; the
Reformers appealed to the principle that
‘Scripture interprets Scripture.’ We need
to understand that the Bible is its own
greatest commentary.
B. The term ‘Scripture’ is used two ways
in this principle. What it means, very
simply, is that the Bible as a whole
interprets the various parts, and hence, no
single aspect of the Word can be so
interpreted as to destroy the teaching of
the whole. I.e., what are minor and
incidental references in Scripture cannot be
made the foundation of our doctrine or the
basis of our theology.
One of the characteristics of sects and
cults who name the name of Christ, or make
some other claim to Christianity, is this
kind of exegesis. They major in the
minors to the exclusion of the foundational
and fundamental truths of the Spiritual
Life.
C. The principle that ‘Scripture
interprets Scripture’ is called the
‘hermeneutical circle.’ The whole of
Scripture can only be discerned through
interpreting it part by part. This is part
of the reason why we should study the Bible
word by word, v. by v., dealing with
categories of information— dealing with the
doctrines— as they come along. Because no
man’s attention span is so great or
intellect so highly developed that he can
ingest the entire Bible at once. Yet no
part stands alone. There is nothing
in Scripture which stands totally and
completely by itself, isolated from the
rest.
D. The ‘Bultmann Circle:’ In order to
understand it the exegete asks questions of
the text, which in turn asks questions of
him. This gives him deeper insight, which
leads to deeper questions; and on and on and
on and on it goes.
5. The Supernatural in Scripture.
Simply put, the evangelical expositor
accepts, he believes, what he sees
concerning the supernatural in the text.
A. Many theologians, especially since the
time of the German ‘Enlightenment,’ have
taken the stance that all supernatural
events recorded in Scripture should be
written off as ‘misunderstandings,’ that
science can explain everything. But science
is governed by laws, and what are called
‘scientific laws’ and ‘laws of nature’ are
really divine laws created by the
Governor and Sustainer of the Universe, the
Lord Jesus Christ.
B. The Christian expositor recognizes a
fundamental difference between the
supernatural in Scripture and the
supernatural in other literature. There is
a rationale for the supernatural in
Scripture based upon the Biblical structure
of revelation and redemption which is
completely lacking in other ancient
cultures. We realize that the present order
of the kosmos as it “groans,”
awaiting its redemption {Rom. 8:21-22}, is
due to sin, both angelic and human. Part of
God’s revelation to sinful man and part of
His redemption in a sin-darkened Cosmic
System is His employment of the
supernatural. Therefore, when the
evangelical expositor is confronted with the
supernatural in the text he doesn’t rule it
out ex hypothesi but accepts it as a
vital element in divine revelation.
6. Theological Exegesis. The
serious student of the Word of God is
interested in the fullest reach of his
Biblical interpretation, which leads to the
necessary theological exegesis of the text.
Don’t confuse this with a ‘double treatment’
of the text, a grammatical interpretation
and a ‘spiritual’ interpretation.
A. Get the principle down: Theological
exegesis is the natural extension of
grammatical exegesis. There has been an
abundance of ‘double exegesis’ in a negative
sense in the history of Christianity. It
goes all the way back to the times of early
Church fathers in the first few centuries
who imposed an allegorical meaning on the
grammatical meaning of a passage. We call
that eisegesis. It’s still quite
popular today.
B. Theological exegesis extends
grammatical exegesis because it is
interested in the largest implications of a
passage of Scripture. Propositions imply
other propositions; principle is built on
principle; conclusions in one area lead to
greater conclusions in other areas. When
all the facts are considered, and all those
facts rightly interpreted, the student draws
what is known as an inductive conclusion.
{Cf. Ephesians 2:8-9}
One example of theological exegesis is found
in Ephesians 2:8-9 where Paul’s use of the
perfect tense serves to emphasize rather
clearly and dramatically the doctrine of
eternal security. The passage says, “For
by grace you have been saved through faith
[‘grace’ is God’s initiation to man;
‘faith’ is man’s response to the grace of
God, and faith is the sole
contribution of man in salvation; ‘you have
been saved’ includes the result that you now
‘stand saved forever;’ from the perf. pass.
part. of sw/zw (sozo), which in / pass.
voice means- attain salvation, be
delivered from the 2nd Death];
and that not of yourselves, {it [eternal
salvation] is} the gift of God; not as a
result of works [i.e., there is nothing
you or I could ever do to appropriate this,
it is a gift of grace received in
faith], that no one should boast.”
C. It’s not so much a matter of difference
between grammar and theology in exegesis, as
it is theology taking up where grammar
leaves off and seeking to find the fuller
implication, and ultimately, application
of the text. For this reason theology is
forced to define concepts with terminology
not used in grammar. E.g., AOS {Adam’s
original sin}, OSN {old sin nature}, the
total depravity of man, Hypostatic Union,
etc. You get the picture. This accounts
for the vast difference in vocabulary
between grammatical exegesis and systematic
theology.
D. The outstanding theologian differs from
the ordinary theologian in his ability to
draw out these principles, implications, and
conclusions from the Word of God. It is in
men like Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Chafer
and Thieme that the genius of theological
exegesis can be seen.
E. The fact that theological exegesis
deals with the creative extension of a
section of Scripture means it is not
controlled as strictly as grammatical
exegesis. Theological exegesis is more art
than technique; and therefore, spiritual
insight {which only the Spirit of God
provides} is more important to it than the
details of grammar.
The proof is always in the finished product,
and the ultimate justification of
theological exegesis should be its ability
to make the Word come alive to the hearer,
to bring the meaning out in its greatest
depth.
F. One major aspect of theological
exegesis is that the Canon of Scripture is
the context of every passage of Scripture.
Keep that in mind. This is the principle of
Scripture interpreting Scripture in
the theological sense. The one doing the
exegeting brings all the other materials
that are related to the text to bear upon
the text. Again, this is as much ‘art and
insight’ as it is exegesis. While definite
care should be exercised, we should not
hesitate in our study as communicators of
the Word to gain new insight, reach new
conclusions, build one principle upon
another. This is the only way our knowledge
and communication of the Word are going to
remain fresh, stimulating and challenging
for the sheep of our fold.
