3 Key Concepts Every Christian Needs to Know to Understand the Bible
Why do so many Christians disagree over what the Bible says? These key concepts help explain why at a high-level.
There are at least 2000 years and a massive cultural gap between us and the Bible authors.
It's no surprise that we can get confused over what some of it means. After all, imagine trying to explain the difference between a butt dial and a booty call to someone 2000 years in the future! Similar words, very different meanings.
While there's a lot to understanding the Bible, knowing these 3 concepts is critical to correct interpretation.
Exegesis
Exegesis means "reading out of the text.
Its goal is to hear what the author wants to say. It sounds easy but that culture and history barrier I mentioned is a huge challenge. I mean, I find it hard to understand Americans sometimes!
Eisegesis
Eisegesis is literally "reading into the text".
This is not a good thing. Instead of trying to understand what the author meant, we impose our ideas.
Many people claim they aren't doing this, but we can all fall guilty of it.
Hermeneutics
Hermeneutics is the theory and practice of interpreting a text (mainly the Bible).
It overlaps a lot with exegesis and the terms often get used interchangeably. Some people divide exegesis into understanding the information of the Bible text, and hermeneutics as applying it to today.
Beyond mere words
This semester I'm studying Hermeneutics at Bible College.
I'm sure you'll agree it's a foundational topic as it influences so much of the rest of our faith. I will do my best to share more snippets like this as I continue my studies and I hope they benefit you too. I also welcome your critiques and feedback to help my own development.
