Taught live Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Intro: In a theological sense, the definition of EXEGESIS is an approach to interpreting Bible passages utilizing critical analysis. Greek word which means ‘to lead out of.’
A. Exegesis interprets a text by analyzing what the author intended to communicate.
B. So quite simply, exegesis means digging into the text to pull out the meaning, while its opposite, eisegesis, reads meaning into a text that isn’t there.
C. “We don’t want to twist Scripture into saying something that it doesn’t actually say.”
D. Proper exegesis requires guarding against taking verses or passages out of context or doing irresponsible.
E. Remember, we’re searching for what the author intended for it to mean.
F. Is exegesis biblical?
G. A good handful of folks in the Bible actually did exegesis:
The disciples who met the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus exegeted the events to the other disciples (Luke 24:35).
Cornelius exegeted his vision to the servants whom he sent to Peter (Acts 10:8).
Paul and Barnabas exegeted to the Jerusalem council the significance of the miracles and wonders God had done through them among the gentiles (Acts 15:12).
Peter exegeted to the same gathering God’s first outreach to the gentiles through his ministry. (Acts 15:14)
Finally, Paul exegeted to James and the Jerusalem elders “particularly,” that is, in detail, what God had done through him among the gentiles (Acts 21:19).
H. Now let’s lean into
2 Timothy 2:15 to further evaluate whether exegesis is biblical:
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
I. It echoes the imagery used of the Word of God as a “double-edged sword” in Hebrews 4:12.
J. One biblical hero who exemplified handling God’s word rightly is Ezra in 7:10:
For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. (Ezra 7:10, emphasis added)
K. How?
1-Literature type?
2-Speaker?
3-Audience?
4-Culture?
5-History?
6-Paragraph context?
7-Haley’s Bible Handbook or Commentary?
Concl: But before you practice and teach the word, you have to know what it says. So you must study it. You must exegete it.