Study One

An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics

by Matt Waymeyer

The only goal of biblical interpretation that truly honors the authority of God’s Word is to discover the divinely intended meaning that was communicated by the original author to the original audience in the original context.

Bible passages for study

Ezra 7:10
2 Tim 2:15
2 Pet 3:16

Introduction: what does this verse mean to you?
Clarifying the goal of Bible interpretation
1. The pattern of Ezra
- “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10).
  1. Study
  2. Practice
  3. Teach
1. The goal of interpretation
- To discover the divinely intended meaning that was communicated:
  - by the original author
  - to the original audience
  - in the original context (It cannot mean now what it did not mean then!)
- (Cf. 2 Tim 2:15; 2 Pet 3:16—there is a right and a wrong interpretation!)
1. The danger of eisegesis

Eisegesis	Exegesis
Prefix eis—“into”	Prefix ex—“out of”
Reads meaning into the biblical text	Reads meaning out of the biblical text
Meaning is: (a) determined by contemporary reader	Meaning is: (a) determined by original author (b) discovered by contemporary reader

Avoiding the pitfalls of Bible interpretation
1. Three broad categories
  1. Mis-interpretation: ascribing the wrong meaning to a passage (true meaning is A, but interpretation is B)
  2. Sub-interpretation: failing to ascertain the full meaning of a passage (true meaning is A, B, C, but interpretation is A)
  3. Super-interpretation: attributing more to a passage than was intended (true meaning is A, but interpretation is A, B, C)
2. Seven specific pitfalls
  1. Proof-texting
  2. Allegorizing Scripture
  3. Christologizing Scripture
  4. Personalizing Scripture
  5. Decontextualizing Scripture
  6. Reading Scripture through the lens of:
    1. Human reason
    2. A theological system
    3. Continuity or discontinuity
    4. Other passages of Scripture
    5. Your own intuition
    6. Your own personal experience
    7. Your own personal convictions
  7. Reading the Old Testament through the lens of the New Testament

See Appendix: The Role of the Holy Spirit in Interpretation, Hermeneutical Analysis Template.