Reading the Bible – Part 1

The Bible is a mind-blowing, earth-changing book; but prior to reading the sacred text, it is important to determine one’s purpose for reading the Bible. Exegesis and Eisegesis are two conflicting approaches in Bible study.

Exegesis is the exposition or explanation of a text based on a careful, objective analysis. The word exegesis literally means “to lead out of.” That means that the interpreter is led to one’s conclusions by following the text. Exegesis involves four steps: 1) observation: what does the passage say?; 2) interpretation: what does the passage mean?; 3) correlation: how does the passage relate to the rest of the Bible?; and, 4) application: how should this passage affect my life? Exegesis is concerned with discovering the true meaning of the text, respecting its grammar, syntax, and setting (context).

The opposite approach is Eisegesis, which is the interpretation of a passage based on a subjective, non-analytical reading. The word eisegesis literally means “to lead into,” which means the interpreter injects one’s own ideas into the text, making it mean whatever the person wants. Eisegesis involves three steps: 1) imagination: what idea do I want to present?; 2) exploration: what Scripture passage seems to fit with my idea?; and, 3) application: what does my idea mean? Notice that, in eisegesis, there is no examination of the words of the text or their relationship to each other, no cross-referencing with related passages and no real desire to understand the actual meaning. Scripture serves only as a prop to the interpreter’s idea. Eisegesis is a mishandling of the text and often leads to a misinterpretation. Eisegesis is concerned only with making a point, even at the expense of the meaning of words. Eisegesis easily lends itself to error, as the would-be interpreter attempts to align the text with one’s own preconceived notions.

Exegesis allows us to agree with the Bible; Eisegesis seeks to force the Bible to agree with us. Obviously, only exegesis does justice to the text. An honest biblical seeker will be an exegete, allowing the text to speak for itself.

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