This document provides teaching notes on exegesis from an ICCM School of Missions class. It begins with an exercise on Ezra 7:10 and discusses the importance of exegesis in properly understanding and teaching Scripture. The document outlines different types of biblical genres and gives guidelines for analyzing the context, form, content and function of a passage. It emphasizes avoiding eisegesis and being aware of cognitive biases. The document provides a workflow for exegesis using the acronym COFOCOFU to analyze context, form, content and function. It stresses asking questions, understanding genre and not reading things into the text. Overall, the document aims to equip students to do careful, unbiased exegesis in order to

1. Exegesis Teaching Notes
– ICCM School of Missions
Kickoff Exercise:
 Read the following text …
o Ezra 7:10 (NIV)
10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of
the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
 What does it mean?
 How do I apply it?
 What can I tell others about it?
My goal: To leave you enlightened and at least slightly confused
1 Exegesis
Why?
Ezra 7:10 (NIV)
10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to
teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
What was Ezra Devoted to?
 Study the word
 Understand
 Observe self
 Teach and preach
Why?
 Call to repentance, stay on track, spark revival, encourage to persevere
Not just to have better QTs
 Big responsibility
 Keep ourselves on track, the narrow road
 Keep church on track
An Approved Workman
Q: Who would you rather do open heart surgery on you? A cardio specialist or a plumber?

2. 2 Timothy 2:15 (NET)
15 Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need
to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately.
(ESV) rightly handling the word of truth.
(HCSB) correctly teaching the word of truth.
What is Exegesis?
 “Ex” = “out of”
 “Egesis” = “to lead”
 Ex+Egesis = to lead out from the Biblical text
 Exegesis may be defined as the careful historical, literary, and theological analysis of
a biblical text
 It’s an investigation…. What’s going on here?
o What situation seems to have been the occasion for the writing of this text?
o What kind of literature is this text, and what are its literary aims?
o What great theological question or issue does this text engage, and what
claims on the reader does it make?
 It’s more art than science
Goal of Exegesis
 What did the Author Intend his Original Readers to Understand?
 What is God trying to tell us?
 There is a method, principles, guidelines and tools to do this well!
What the goal is NOT! – Eisegesis
Eisegesis
 Reading “into” the text
o We are all partially sighted
o No one is a blank slate
o We all bring some baggage
 Should take myself to the Word, not bring the Word to me
 Submit to the Word, not submit the Word to me)
 “Wonderful things in the Bible I see, most of them put there by you and by me”
Illustration – Health Warning – Scripture without exegesis can be twisted and dangerous
 Women to Christian counsellor
o Justifying divorcing her husband & marrying another
o from Eph 4:24 (NET) - “put on the new man”

3.  Someone we know in charismatic church
o Guy stealing a married woman
o Justified for her to divorce
o Mark 10:9 (NIV) 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one
separate.”
o God can separate what God has joined
o God told him that he should do this
 Exercise: - ‘eye of needle’ - What does it mean?
o Mark 10:25 (NIV) 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
o Gate legend
 Gate in Jerusalem known as the ‘’Needle’s Eye’’ (How To RTBFAIW
p29)
 No historical evidence
 First mentioned in 11th century by Greek writer Theophylact
Eisegesis – Religious Bias
 Catholic - the teaching of the church trumps the Bible; Authoritative
 Charismatic movement - the direct inspiration of the Spirit trumps the Bible
 JW – Ours is the only true and valid translation; Dogmatic
 Church of Christ - Inductive/Analytical
o Command, Example, Necessary Demonstration.
o Speak where the Bible speaks, be silent where the Bible is silent
 ICoC - Where the Bible speaks we are silent, where it is silent we speak
 Traditions – Orthodoxy, cultural taboos
 Mystical / New Age - Gnostics
Meme
“You Have No Power Here!” is a memorable quote from the 2002 epic fantasy film The Lord
of the Rings: The Two Towers. The line is uttered by King Theoden as he reacts to Gandalf’s
futile attempt at undoing the mind control spell that had been cast on him.
Eisegesis – Cognitive Bias
 Anchoring Effect
 Availability
Heuristic
 Bandwagon Effect
 Blind Spot Bias
 Choice-supportive
Bias
 Clustering Illusion
 Confirmation Bias
 Conservatism Bias
 Curse of
Knowledge
 Dunning-Kruger
Effect
 Framing Effect
 Hindsight Bias
 Information Bias
 Ostrich Effect
 Outcome Bias
 Overconfidence
 Placebo Effect

4.  Pro-innovation
Bias
 Reactance
 Recency
 Salience
 Selective
Perception
 Stereotyping
 The Sunk Cost
Fallacy
 Survivorship Bias
 Zero-risk Bias
Discussion: How do these biases find their way into your exegesis?
Do You Interpret?
 “We don’t interpret the Bible, we just do what it says”
 “We let the Bible interpret itself”
 Reading the Bible in a translation is a form of interpretation.
 Our Exegesis needs to recognise and control our preconceptions, biases and world-
views
 Careful not to look for “unique” insights
 When do you interpret?
o Every time you have a quiet time
o Every time you do a conversion study
o Every time you have a discipling time
o Every time you give advice, rebuke, correct, admonish, teach, train
Meme Quote: Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you
think it means. -- The Princess Bride (1987) - Quotes – IMDb
My Exegesis and Bias – Exercise & Discussion – Phm 1:6
(ESV) 6 and I pray that the sharing of
your faith may become effective for
the full knowledge of every good thing
that is in us for the sake of Christ.
(GNT) 6 My prayer is that our
fellowship with you as believers will
bring about a deeper understanding
of every blessing which we have in our
life in union with Christ.
(HCSB) 6 I pray that your participation
in the faith may become effective
through knowing every good thing
that is in us for the glory of Christ.
(KJV) 6 That the communication of thy
faith may become effectual by the
acknowledging of every good thing
which is in you in Christ Jesus.
(NET) 6 I pray that the faith you share
with us may deepen your
understanding of every blessing that
belongs to you in Christ.
(NIV) 6 I pray that your partnership
with us in the faith may be effective
in deepening your understanding of
every good thing we share for the sake
of Christ.

5. (NRSV) 6 I pray that the sharing of
your faith may become effective
when you perceive all the good that
we may do for Christ.
(MSG) And I keep praying that this
faith we hold in common keeps
showing up in the good things we do,
and that people recognize Christ in all
of it.
Discussion
 Which translation do you prefer and why?
 What kinds of preconceptions and biases (religious / cognitive) might you have?
 Personal sharing - not theoretical.
Hindrances to Good Exegesis
 Prejudice/Preconceived Ideas
 Pride
 Laziness
 Wishful Thinking
 Clergy/Laity Attitude
 Desire to Be Like (and liked by) the World
 Proof-text Approach
 Appeal to Authority
 Assuming what is popularly believed is true
 Lack of a plan
 Schismatic Attitude
Antidote
“The antidote to bad interpretation is not no interpretation, but good interpretation, based
on common sense guidelines” -- Worth p17
Good Exegesis – You Can Do It!
 Prayerful spirit
 Humble heart and mind
 Reverent awe
 Good tools
o Translation
o Concordance

6. o Dictionary
o Commentary
 Inquisitive, curious mind
 Common sense
 A little imagination
 Some Hard Work
Do you feel intimidated?
 English not your first language?
o Read in your own language
o Tools in own language
o Not all the best tools are available in English
o Careful of older non-English translations
 Not a great reader?
o Didn’t do well at school?
o Not about speed - quality not quantity.
 In many ways this class is not about the Bible, but about how to read and think.
The Method of Exegesis - CoFoCoFu
 Context:
Who said it When and Where?
 Form:
How did he say it?
 Content:
What did he say?
 Function:
Why did he say it?
What did the Author Intend his Original Readers to Understand?
Exegesis Workflow
Exercise – Ezra 7:10 (NIV)
10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to
teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
 Which of these questions can we easily answer?
 How would we get to answers?
Exegesis Workflow – Survey Text
What did he say?
 What does he say?

7.  Read the whole book
 Read, re-read, read different translation or language
 Take notes
 Get the big picture, overall message, big idea, topic
 Read an introduction to the book
 Inductive & Deductive Reading
o Inductive reasoning moves from specific instances into a generalized
conclusion
o Deductive reasoning moves from generalized principles that are known to be
true to a true and specific conclusion.
Context – 360 Degrees in 3D
Who said it and Why did he say it When and Where?
 Historical
 Social
 Cultural
 Geographical
 Chronological
 Religious
 Covenant
 Characters – Author & Audience
 Literary
o "How does the passage relate to what precedes and follows it, and to the
document as a whole?"
o e.g. Therefore (ESV 808x) … Look at what came before!
o Exercise – Find a passage that starts with therefore. How does reading what
came before give more context?
Meme - 360 sphere flight simulator for fighter pilots
Context – Boundaries
 A text cannot now mean what it never meant
 Do not allow the implicit to define the explicit
 A lack of context is the chief cause of most heresy
 Ignoring context is dangerous – it can be a salvation issue!
o Thief on the cross
o Pray Jesus into your heart

8. o Confess with your mouth
o Born of water and spirit
Meme – Text out of context is pretext for prooftext
Context - Exercise
Matthew 4:6 (NIV)
“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will
command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will
not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Luke 23:42-43 (NIV)
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus
answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
 How is this misused in some Christian groups?
 How did that happen?
 Why do we know this is wrong?
Form – Genre - How did he say it?
Types of Genre – more on this later
 Narrative
o To illustrate a doctrine
o To illustrate a nature of God
o To provide a record of history for our learning or edification
o Narrative contains some commands, some teaching, and many
illustrations/examples.
o Commands can either be Universal or Circumstantial
 Universal commands must be obeyed (Mt 28:18-20, Acts 2:38)
 Circumstantial commands should not be obeyed (Mt 21:2)
o Teaching must be understood and considered (2 Chron 16:9)
o Illustrations and examples demonstrate commands, teaching, or history of
how God worked at certain times in certain ways with certain people; They
must be understood and considered, but they cannot be obeyed. Ex: Samson
with long hair
 Legal / Law
o The OT alone contains >600 different commandments as part of the Law.
 All are found in 4 of 39 books: Ex, Lev, Nu, Dt, which comprise the
Book of the Law or the Torah (first five books of the bible)
 Genesis is also part of the Torah, but there are no laws in it.

9. o “Law” refers most of the time, to Ex 20 thru Deut, and sometimes Genesis
through Deut.
o The OT Law is a covenant between God and Man
 Historically, it’s most similar to a Suzerainty Treaty, or an agreement
between a Suzerain and Vassal nation.
 OT or Old Covenant was not binding after the New
Testament/Covenant began.
 The Law was not taken away by the NT, but rather fulfilled (Luke
16:17)
 Some parts of the OT were renewed in the NT, like some aspects of
Ethical Laws — Justice, Love, Righteousness.
 Many parts of the OT were not renewed in the NT—Israelite Civil and
Ritual Laws
 Only that part of the OT which is specifically renewed is part of the
NT.
 Example: 10 Commandments—Mt 5:21-37; 2 Greatest
Commandments—Deut 6:5, Lev 19:18— Mark 12
 Prophecy
 Poetry
 Wisdom
 Parable
 Epistle
 Apocalyptic
 Literary styles
Discussion: Understanding the genre shapes understanding of the text (Q: How?)
 What is the literary Genre of this text?
o What are the general principles for exegesis of this genre?
 What kind of structure or style does this genre employ?
o Repetition, contrast, parallelism, inclusion, chiasm, classic rhetorical
argument, comedic or tragic narrative?
o Why would the author choose this form for his intended effect?
 How does the text “move” from beginning to end?
Content – Digging In
 Don’t read things into the story
 Don’t forget who is the hero
 Verbs, nouns, adjectives
Meme – Quote Chrysostom

10. “It is not in the interest of extravagant ambition that we trouble ourselves with this
detailed exposition, but we hope through such painstaking interpretation to train you in the
importance of not passing over even one slight word or syllable in the Sacred Scriptures. For
they are not ordinary utterances, but the very expression of the Holy Spirit, and for this
reason it is possible to find great treasure even in a single syllable.” -- John Chrysostom 4th
Century AD
Content – Ask lots of questions
 Don’t expect all questions to be answered
 What, who, when, how, why, where
 What does the text communicate and how?
 What are the key terms and images? Are these terms or images consistent in the
major exegetical translations? What do they mean?
 Are there any key terms or ideas whose meaning may be explained by looking
elsewhere in the book?
 Are there any literary or rhetorical devices (simile, metaphor, hyperbole,
personification, repetition, irony, particularization etc.) and if so, what it their effect?
 What kinds of sentences are used? What are the major components of each
sentence? What verbal actions or states appear in these sentences, and what
subjects are associated with them?
 Does the text include appeals to tradition or Scripture, such as stories, beliefs, laws,
and well-known historical figures? If so, how do these appeals function?
 Does the text appear to use any other earlier sources, whether written or oral? If so,
how do these appeals to tradition function?
 If the text is a narrative, what elements of setting, plot (conflict, suspense,
resolution), and character development does each part of the text convey?
 Which elements of the text work, individually or together, to instruct, delight,
convict, or move the reader?
 What is the tone, or mood, of the passage, and what elements convey that tone?
 How do the various parts of the passage reflect and/or address the situation of the
readers?
 How does each part of the passage relate to the other parts?
 How does each Part contribute to the whole?
 How does my emerging understanding of the whole affect the meaning of the parts?
 Does the author use any technical terms?
 If I enter the narrative world of this text, what do I see and hear and feel?
 If I join the community that is receiving this letter, what am I being urged to do?
 If I join the psalmist in prayer/song, what are we imagining about God?
 If I am among this crowd encountering Jesus, how do I view Him?

11. Function – Collate - Synthesize
First Level questions
 What is the purpose?
 How does it fit into the meta-narrative?
 What is the big picture?
 What is the big idea stated in a single sentence?
 ASPECT
 What moral is being illustrated?
 What doctrine is being illustrated?
 What should I avoid? (bad example)
 What should I imitate or practice
Depth questions
 What is the main point of each part of the text?
 Why do you think the passage was included in this biblical book? For what main
function?
 What claims did the text make upon its original hearers or readers? What response
might the author have desired from the readers?
 What is the main idea that the author talking about? (Subject)
 What is he saying about what he is talking about? (Complements)
 What is the big idea of this passage – stated in a single sentence?
Meme – TS Elliot quote
We shall not cease from exploration,
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
-- T. S. Elliot, Four Quartets
Apply It! - Why we do exegesis
“Search the Scriptures, not as though thou wouldst make a concordance but an application
-- John Donne
“And now the end has come. So listen to my piece of advice: exegesis, exegesis, and yet
more exegesis!”
-- Karl Barth, in his farewell to his students before his 1935 expulsion from Germany

12. 2 Hermeneutics
Hermeneutics
 Luke 24:27 (NIV)
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said
in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
o Discuss: What was Jesus doing here?
 Greek god Hermes - herald and messenger of the gods
 Hermeneutics - the theory and methodology of interpretation
o Covers exegesis too, really, but we will take in the narrower sense of finding
the Bible’s meaning in the ‘here and now’.
o What does this mean to us?
 We all do hermeneutics when we bring common sense to the text
 Contextualisation – bringing the text into my contemporary context
o Cultural relativity is a big challenge
o What can I change in context?
o What am I not allowed to change?
o Can all scripture be contextualised?
Hermeneutics - Time Travel
From Time bound to Timeless to Time bound
Contextualisation – Cultural vs Eternal Relativity
 Cultural
o 2 Tim 4:13 (NIV) - bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my
scrolls, especially the parchments.
 Eternal
o 2 Timothy 2:3 (NIV) - Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ
Jesus.
Hermeneutic Method

13.  Exegesis – What it meant
 Interpretation – What it means for me
 Contextualisation
o How to share with you what it means to me / us / you
o In preaching and teaching: If you skip the ‘me’ step …
 Preaching ‘at’ people
 Preach like a pharisee
 Rule 1 – A text can’t mean now what it never could have meant.
o Discussion – Is this an always valid rule?
 Rule 2 – When we share comparable life situations with the setting in the Bible,
God’s word is the same for us too
o Discussion - Problems with the second rule?
o Extended Application
o Not Comparable Life Situations
o Cultural Relativity
o Task Theology
 Rules? Maybe guidelines (strict ones though)
Hermeneutics - How we preach
Four types of preachers
Hermeneutics – More Guidelines
Will go through in more detail at end in last session with some examples and exercises.
Exercise 1. Every passage has one meaning.
What is the meaning of Ps 16:8-11?
What are the possibilities?
Use Acts 2:25-27
2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness
have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
1. Every passage has one meaning.
2. The most obvious meaning is
usually the correct one.
3. Always allow the author’s
explanation to stand.

14. 4. Always interpret a passage within
the context of the passage, the
book, and the situation.
5. An interpretation of a passage
should conform to the
environment of the author.
6. Rightly divide books by
dispensation, covenant and
setting.
7. Interpret every passage in the light
of all others.
8. One passage will often explain
another.
9. Let plain passages interpret
difficult ones.
10. All passages on a subject must be
studied before a conclusion is
drawn.
11. Observe the proper balance of
scriptural truth.
12. Passages should be interpreted in
harmony with the idioms
contained.
13. Rightly divide the language
(grammar and figures of speech).
14. Correctly distinguish the figurative
from the literal.
15. Know the meaning of sentences,
phrases and words.
16. Rightly divide books by type of
literature (poetry, apocalyptic,
historical, doctrinal, etc.).
3 Translations & Tools
Tools
 Other good translations
o Assume that most modern translations were translated by sincere men with
respect for scripture, often committees of men
 Concordance - Complete, exhaustive or analytical
o Being a simple index, it makes no judgment on what I glean from its use
o The caution is that simply looking up words can leave gaping holes in the
depth of understanding where a biblical principle that I am researching is
better taught in passages that do not use the words I am looking at.
 Bible dictionary
 Topical Bible
 Expository dictionary
 Greek and/or Hebrew interlinear Bible
o It may give the illusion of understanding that is flawed
o Phrases and idioms that can be translated literally may have lost their
meaning entirely
 Greek and/or Hebrew lexicon
o Careful here!
 Commentaries: homiletic and analytic

15. o Sincere and interesting but these should be used with caution.
o As learned and well instructed that these teachers may be, they are simply
another man struggling to understand and willing to share their
understanding.
o Having been published and in print is no validation that they are correct.
 History, and especially Church History books
 Early Christian writers - Anti-Nicene fathers
o devout men, some of them were tutored by the Apostles themselves
o fraught with the same frailties of sin as I am
o They did speak the language in which the scriptures were written. They knew
the phrases and what it meant in their times. They knew the culture and
what implications it had on scripture and discussed it freely
o Caution must be used, however, to constantly remind ourselves that this is
not scripture.
 Later Christian Literature
o The most suspect of all.
o Often inspiring and interesting, it is very difficult to sort the chaff from the
wheat.
o Writers mired in political intrigue, personal history and persecution.
o The sources of their information were restricted and often flawed.
 Populist Christian literature
o How-to, self-help and journey books
o While engaging and inspiring, these references should always be treated as
one person's experiential statement and never a basis for parsing scripture.
o A wide range of quality and heresy
o Often have major salvation heresy buried in good writing and inspirational or
insightful theology and wisdom.
Translations - Types
Q: Who has read the introduction in front of the bible you use?
 Read the introduction!
 Example: HCSB
Types / Styles
 Word for Word = Literal
 Phrase for Phrase = Dynamic Equivalent
 Thought for Thought = Paraphrased = Free
 Retelling
Discussion:

16.  Which translation are you using?
o What type is it?
 Which is your favourite?
o What type is it?
 Why do you like or prefer your favourite translation?
 What would be strengths and weaknesses of each translation approach?
Translations - Continuum
Translations – Type and # Translators
Translations - Which is the Best?
It Depends... Probably more than one.
What is the goal?
 To do a deep and detailed study in order to do Bible teaching?
 To deepen our own personal knowledge of the scripture?
 Reading the scripture to allow an entire section have an impact.
 Reading scripture in public? (what public?)
 Studying out, defending and explaining a doctrine?
 Reading for inspiration and to give personal faith?
 Doing a word study, Doing a topical study, etc….
Online Tools – Software - Apps
https://lumina.bible.org/bible/
https://www.studylight.org/
 107 Commentaries
 6 Concordances
 27 Dictionaries
 8 Encyclopaedias

17. http://africainternational.org/
Review Modules 1-3
1. Exegesis is ......
2. The goal of exegesis is .......
3. Eisegesis is ........
4. The six steps of the exegetical method are ......
5. CoFoCoFu is an acronym for …
6. Context is important because .......
7. Some ways to examine the content of a passage include ......
8. Hermeneutics is ......
9. The three main types of translation are .....
4 OT Narrative & Prophecy
Narrative
Narrative
 40% of OT is narrative
 Tells a story; Has characters; Has a setting; Has a beginning, middle and end
Meta-Narrative
Q: For the OT, how does this apply?
 Main character is God
o Not us, not the people in the story.
o Big story: What is the beginning, middle and end?
o Creation – Fall – Redemption – Restoration
o Covenant and Promise
 Setting is Middle East and Levant.
Three Levels of Narrative
 Top – God and Humanity
 Middle – Israel’s Story
 Bottom – Personal Story
 Ask self what you are learning about each as you read a narrative.
Principles Specific to OT Narrative
 Don’t forget God is the hero
 Don’t read things into the story
 Little doctrine

18.  Meaning may be implied and not taught directly
 Little Allegory
 Specific Context
 Clear Meaning
 Set each narrative in context of God’s redemptive plan for humankind
 The narratives are NOT commands, NOT allegories; NOT purely teaching; NOT all
complete stories; NOT completely good or bad, necessarily; NOT all moral or spiritual
in and of themselves.
Prophecy
OT Prophecy
 More books come under heading of prophecy than any other heading.
 Major = longer, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel
 Minor = shorter, last 12 books of OT
What is Prophecy?
 “foretelling or prediction of what is to come.”
 The prophets did indeed announce the future.
 But it was usually the more immediate future of Israel, Judah, and other nations
surrounding them that they announced rather than our future.
 Less than 2% Messianic
 Less than 5% New Covenant
 Less than 1% events still to come in or after our time
Prophetic Form and Function
 Doers - more recorded about what they did than what they said
 Collections - oracles, like parables or pericopes in NT
 Covenant-Enforcers - what Israel had already agreed to
o There were two primary parts of their message:
 1. Identify sin or God’s love for them (examples…)
 2. Predict blessings or curses accordingly (examples…)
 Unoriginal message - God’s message
 Original methods - metaphor, symbolism, acting, poetry, etc ....
Prophetic Style
 Promise
 Lawsuit
 Woe
 Apocalyptic

19.  Poetry
Exercise: What style is each of the following passages from Hosea?
 Hos 2:16-23 – Promise;
 Hos 4:1-19 – Lawsuit;
 Hos 7:13 – Woe
Sensus Plenior
Definition
 In Latin, the phrase sensus plenior means "fuller sense" or "fuller meaning".
 This phrase is used in Biblical exegesis to describe the supposed deeper meaning
intended by God but not intended by the human author.
Example:
Exodus 4:22-23 - Hosea 11:1 - Matt 2:11-15
Q: Can we also apply second fulfilment in our exegesis?
Q: What are the benefits and dangers of this approach?
More info
The sensus plenior is that that additional, deeper meaning, intended by God but not clearly
intended by the human author, which is seen to exist in the words of a biblical text (or group
of texts, or even a whole book) when they are studied in the light of further revelation or
development in the understanding of revelation. -- Raymond E. Brown, The Sensus Plenior
of Sacred Scripture (Baltimore: St. Mary's University, 1955), p 92
The name itself is Latin and translates into English as "a fuller sense of". As a concept,
Sensus Plenior is the idea that we can read into the text to get a deeper meaning. It implies
that we can gain more for the original text than what the author simply intended. It means
that while the author may have intended to convey one topic or idea, we can gain a
different idea from that text.
One key concept of Sensus Plenum is that the original meaning is not lost but additional
meanings are inferred on top of the original (hence the name Sensus Plenior--"a fuller
sense"). Often, adherents claim that there are two separate meanings to text: the
intentional (intent of the author) and the sensus plenior (intent of God).
For those who hold to the idea of Sensus Plenior, this has a dramatic impact on
hermeneutics. It implies that we can pull a different meaning from the text than was
originally intended.
This is often found to be in contrast to grammatical-historical interpretation, where we
attempt to understand the original intent based on the times during which they were

20. written. Compared to Sensus Plenior, which attempts to interpret scripture based on our
modern understanding of the scripture.
Exegesis Exercise - Jeremiah 29:11-13
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil,
to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me,
and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Review – OT Law, Narrative and Prophecy
1. What proportion of the OT is narrative?
2. The three levels of the story are .........
3. Some interesting stats about the type of prophecies include .....
4. A helpful phrase that summarises the role of the prophets is ......
5. The three main styles of prophecy are ...
6. “Sensus Plenior” means ......
5 OT Psalms & Wisdom
Psalms
Psalms – Form
 To God
 About God
 God’s Word to Us
Psalms – Function
 Help us to express ourselves to God
o Expressing joy, sorrow, success, failure, hope, regret
 Consider God’s character and being
 Consider God’s ways
o What is God up to?
Anger Management
Psalms 137:8-9 (NIV)
8 Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is the one who repays you according to
what you have done to us. 9 Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them
against the rocks.
 What do we do with this?

21.  Anger expressed to God because of other people - channelled to and through God
 “Hate” - can mean ‘reject’
Psalms – Principles
 Don’t expect to understand a phrase unless you read the whole Psalm
 Poetry
o Metaphor
o Hyperbole
o Repetition
o Parallelism
 Musical
o Word pictures;
o Lyrics are not meant to be taken literally:
o E.g. “Onward Christian Soldiers”
 Unit – Read the whole!
Exercise – What poetic form in following Psalms?
 Ps 1:3; 19:1; Ps 59:6-7 - Metaphor
 Ps 32:3-4 - Hyperbole
 Ps 42: 5, 11 - Repetition
 Ps 116:3 – Parallelism
Psalms – Types
 Lament
o Individual Laments: 3, 22, 31, 39, 42, 57, 71, 120, 139, 142
o Communal Laments: 12, 44, 80, 94, 137
 Thanksgiving
o Individual: 18, 30, 32, 34, 40, 66, 92, 116, 118, 138
o Communal: 65, 67, 75, 107, 124, 136
 Praise
o Creator of the Universe: 8, 19, 104, 148
o Protector of Israel: 66, 100, 111, 114, 149
o Lord of History: 33, 103, 113, 117, 145-147
 Salvation History - 78, 105, 106, 135, 136
 Celebration & Affirmation
o Covenant Renewal: 50, 81
o Royal (spiritual role of Kings): 2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 101, 144
o Enthronement (God as King): 24, 29, 47, 93, 95-99
o Songs of Zion or Jerusalem: 46, 48, 76, 84, 87, 122
 Wisdom - 36, 37, 49, 112, 127, 128, 133

22.  Trust - 11, 16, 23, 27, 62, 63, 91, 121, 125, 131
Exercise – Assign a number from above list per student / group – determine Type
Psalms – Exegesis Questions
 What Type?
 What Pattern?
o Structure, Acrostic (119), repetition, word-play
 What Function?
o E.g. stick a communion song before the sermon and it seems a bit weird.
o Use a Psalm of lament when feeling like celebrating will be tricky!
Psalms – Summary
 Guide to worship
 Relate honestly to God
 Importance of reflection – What God has done for us
Exercise – Ps 127
 Apply exegesis questions
Wisdom
Wisdom – The Books
 Ecclesiastes
 Proverbs
 Job
 Song of Songs
 Some Psalms
What is Wisdom?
 Definition – Wisdom is the ability to make godly choices in life
 Knowledge
 Information
Wisdom – Types
 Speculative = working out what ‘wisdom’ means in the particular situations of the
individuals involved
 Monologue: Ecclesiastes
 Dialogue: Job

23.  Proverbial: Proverbs
 Lyric: Song of Songs
 Points on poetry: careful about interpreting too literally
Ecclesiastes – Two Exegetical Approaches
 Cynical
o Foil - contrast to rest of scripture
o 1 Kings 11:1-13 - Solomon already messed up
o Dissatisfaction - this does not work
o Points away - to rest of scripture
 Existentialist
o Influenced post-modernism
o A philosophical theory or approach which emphasizes the existence of the
individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own
development through acts of the will
Job
 Context - Characters?
o Job
o Job’s wife
o ‘Friends’ - want to insist that bad things happening as because of sin - see
John 9:1-3
o God
o Satan & his agents
 Form?
o Dialogue
 Function?
o To convince the reader that what happens in life is not always because God
desires it, or because it is fair.
o “Why me?” - God is sovereign
Wisdom - Proverbs
 Form
o Meshallim - ‘figures of speech’, ‘parables’
o Short
 Q: Why? Memorable
 Q: What’s the danger? Incomplete, misunderstand, misinterpret
o Beware of …

24.  Compilation of probability statements… Not promises!
 Example: How can the following be exegeted? Correctly / incorrectly?
o “A stitch in time saves nine”
o “Look before you leap”
 Paraphrase: In advance of committing yourself to a course of action,
consider your circumstances and options
Scripture Exercise
 What is this saying?
 What is this not saying?
 Back your answer with other scriptures.
Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)
6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)
3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
Proverbs 15:25 (NIV)
25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud, but he sets the widow’s boundary stones in
place.
Proverbs 25:24 (NIV)
24 Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
Wisdom – Song of Songs
 Q: What is it about?
o “love” = not always romantic, but is here.
o Therefore not about God & the church?
 Ethical context
o monogamous, heterosexual marriage is proper place for sexual activity.
 Genre
o love expressed in marriage (not about all attraction between people)
 Godly Choices
o not details about healthy marriage
 Values
o not about sex techniques, but virtuous romance. Attraction of a man and
woman that leads to life-long marriage.
Psalms & Wisdom - Review

25. 1. The books which belong to the category of ‘Wisdom’ are ............
2. A definition of biblical wisdom in my own words is .....
3. The point of the book of Ecclesiastes is ......
4. The point of the book of Job is ......
5. The advantage of the Proverbs being short is .......
6. The disadvantage of the Proverbs being short is .......
7. The point of the Song of Songs is .......
8. Two purposes of the Psalms include ......
9. Some different types of Psalms include .......
10. The main authors of Psalms were ........
6 NT Gospels & Parables
NT Meta-Narrative
 Q: What is the meta-narrative in the NT?
o 1 John 3:23 (NIV)
23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
and to love one another as he commanded us.
 The main character is Jesus
Gospels
Gospels - What are they?
 Form
o Three Types of Teaching
 Explanations / Narrative
 Biography
 Theological history of selected events surrounding the life &
death of Jesus
 Imperatives
 Parables
 Function
o To build faith
o Communicate theology
o Communicate history
 Context
o Who?
 Q: Who wrote each gospel? How do you know?

26.  John 21:24
 Jesus was Jewish - Writers were?
 Matthew, Mark, John – Jewish
 Luke – Gentile, Greek (maybe from Tarsus)
o To Whom?
 Q: To whom is it directed? How do you know?
 Luke 1:3
o Why?
 Q: Why was it written? How do you know?
 John 20:30-31; 21:25
Gospels – One Story, Four Dimensions
 Why four? And why different?
o If fascinated by someone you might read biography
o If read 4 would hope some of the material was different in each one.
o Expect overlap, but differences too.
Gospels – Why? – The Design of the Gospels
 Matt: OT fulfilled in Jesus; Jesus & the law; Gospel for the church - ethical & pastoral
issues Matt 18
 Mark: sandwiches, immediately (40+), details, discipleship
 Luke: see as a whole Luke-Acts: Apology for Xty & Paul, theology, sacred history,
focus in Luke on the ‘outsiders’
 John: Evangelistic doc, Pastoral doc, Gnosticism
Gospels – Literary Context
 Pericope = section of scripture. A story, a parable, a section of narrative.
 The “sitz im leben”: lit. ‘the setting in life’ in which the passage was written down.
o Why have these ‘bits’ been put together in the order they have?
o We are looking at what was written and asking ourselves from the available
evidence why it was written down.
o What was going on that might have prompted it?
o What was its purpose?
o For example, the teaching on persecution connected with the synagogue
might well have been included because of contemporary issues:
 “His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already
the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was
the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. John 9:22

27.  Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him.
But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for
fear they would be put out of the synagogue; John 12:42
 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when
anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.” John
16:2
 Horizontal - parallels. Why different?
 Vertically - context of Jesus and the writer
Gospels - Hermeneutics
 Example is not command - e.g., Matt 10:9-10
 Descriptive is not prescriptive
 The Kingdom
o Jewish view: land, earthly king,
o NT view:
 the ‘already, but not yet’ –
 149 refs in Gospels –
 Special emphasis in Luke (1/3rd refs).
 A network of relationships - of those in a right relationship with God
and one another.
 A reality now, but will be experienced in all its fullness in the future.
 Discussion
o The Gospel books (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) while revealing the life of
Christ, are not New Covenant books
o Agree or not?
o What difference does it make?
o All of the characters and situations were of people living under the old
Covenant.
o Much of what the Pharisees and Sadducees and keepers of the law were
doing, they were actually commanded to do and had to do.
o The fact that the keepers of the law tithed and kept the sabbath, does not
mean it applies to me.
o Aside from the direct teachings of Jesus, examples and inferences from these
books need to be very carefully vetted for their application to New Covenant
people.
Gospels – “The Incident”
 Only incident in all four gospels except?
o Resurrection
 What is missed out and what is unique and why do you think that might be?

28. Parables
Parables – What is a Parable?
 “A weapon of controversy”
 Told and Heard better than read
 Punch-line
o If you have to explain the punch-line you lose the impact
 Not allegory!
o Careful of over-analysis. Not meant to be used that way.
 Impact - Response
o Jesus teaches parables to provoke, not to teach.
o The parables expose the hearts - then people decide.
o In this way he challenges and confronts people without pushing them.
 Q: Also found in OT?
o 2 Sam 12:5-7 - Nathan
o 2 Sam 14:8-17 - Joab/David via a woman
o 1 Kings 20:37-43 - Prophet/King Ahab
Parables – Types
 True parable
o story with a plot
o Q: e.g.? Samaritan
 Similitude
o a comparison between two things - “it is like”
o Q: e.g.? Leaven in the meal
 Metaphors & Similes
o a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action
to which it is not literally applicable
o a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else
o Q: e.g.? “you are the salt of the earth”
 Epigram
o a pithy saying or remark expressing an idea in a clever and amusing way
o Q: e.g.? “do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?”
Parables – Exegeting
 Identify the audience
 Find points of reference

29.  Don’t over-analyse, not allegory
 Context
o What do I not relate to or understand?
o Who was this told to?
o Who was supposed to get the point?
o What is the context of the passage as a whole?
o Kingdom - What does this tell me about Jesus’ understanding of the
Kingdom?
o Contextless
Parables - Exercise
Luke 11:5-8 (NIV)
5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and
say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me,
and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me.
The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you
anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of
friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as
much as you need.
 109 words in English NIV; 170 in Greek
 Context:
o What comes before and after?
o Things we do not relate to - what are our questions?
o Objects, Issues, Characters
 Style: Extended rhetorical question
 Summary
o What would have shocked the audience?
o Why would it have shocked them?
o What did Jesus hope they would do?
o What does that mean in our context?
Review – Gospels and Parables
1. A Gospel is ......
2. There are four because .....
3. Historical context matters because ......
4. A pericope is ......
5. “sitz im leben” means .......
6. The difference between ‘descriptive’ passages & ‘prescriptive’ passages of scripture
is ..........
7. The kingdom is .........

30. 8. A parable is .......
9. One way to find out the point of a parable is to .........
10. Parables were intended to ........
7 NT Acts & Epistles
Acts
Acts – Exegesis
 Context
o Who? Luke
o To Whom? Theophilus
o Also read Luke together with Acts
o Read chronological with Epistles
 Form
o Historical / biographical narrative
 Function
o History with a purpose
o Themes? Emphases? Sections?
 Working of Holy Spirit
Acts – Hermeneutic
 Three Guidelines
o Teachings Are to be Understood - Acts 2:22-24
o Universal Commands Are to be Obeyed - Acts 2:37-40
o Examples Are to be Considered - Acts 2:41-47; Acts 10:44-46; Acts 10:47-48;
Acts 20:7
 Main purpose of the book for people today?
o Explain origins and heart of Christianity to non-Christians
o Provide faith and inspiration for each new generation of disciples
o The Holy Spirit’s powerful work should lead us to embrace the spirit of the
early Christians
o Shows us what happens when people live out the Gospel message, and what
happens when disciples of Jesus are filled with the Spirit.
o Mike Talliaferro lesson, “The Gospels produce Acts”
Acts – Exercise - Decision making in the church
 Relevant passages

31. o Acts 1:15-26
o Acts 6:1-7
o Acts 13:1-4
o Acts 15:1-29
 What does this tell us about decision making in the church?
Epistles
Epistles – The One-sided Phone Call
 Context?
o Historical Context
o Geographical Context
o Literary Context
 Who were the people?
 What were the places?
 What was the problem?
 What was the plan?
 Who writes?
 From where?
 To whom to where?
 Form?
o Personal letter?
o General letter?
 Function?
o Why is he writing? Cause?
o Is it a response or initiated?
Epistles – Exercise – 2 John
 Typical length of letter in 1st Century - one sheet of papyrus
 To whom?
o Both Israel and the church were portrayed as women.
o The switch in Greek to the second person plural in 2 John 8, 10 and 12
(before returning to the second person singular in 2 John 13) appears to
indicate that the elder has a group in mind, not an individual.
o Likewise the situation in 2 John 9–11 appears to fit best in a group of house
churches, not with a single individual.
o In fact, 2 John 9–11 would be rather strong words to address to a person
whom one “loves” and who has children “walking in the truth” (although not
all the “children” are).

32. o Therefore, although it is possible to explain the plurals as references to the
woman and her children, the letter fits better as a message to a church,
which is in turn greeted by the church in which the elder is presently residing.
o Speaking of the church as a woman may be him making a theological point -
we are family, we are the bride of Christ - 2 Cor 11:2, Eph 5:22-32.
o Hospitality of a church, not an individual Christian in view here.
 Function - Why?
o The Johannine community was struggling with heretical teaching
o The secessionists’ inadequate view of Christ was
 either a compromise with synagogue pressure (see the introduction
to Gospel of John)
 or a relativisation of Jesus to allow more compromise with paganism
 probably the latter.
o For the secessionists, Jesus was a great prophet like John the Baptist and
their own leaders, but he was not the supreme Lord in the flesh (cf. 1 Jn 4:1-
6; Rev 2:14, 20).
o They may have been affiliated with or forerunners of Cerinthus (who
distinguished the divine Christ and the human Jesus, like some modern
theologians) or the Docetists (who claimed that Jesus only seemed to be
human).
o All these compromises helped the heretics better adapt to their culture’s
values what remained of Christianity after their adjustments, but led them
away from the truth proclaimed by the eyewitnesses who had known Jesus
first-hand.
 The Johannine community was struggling with heretical teaching.
o In 1 John 4:1 we read that “many” false prophets have left the church
community for the world.
o In 2 John 4 we read that “some” of the Christians are walking in the truth
o In 2 John 7 we learn that there are “many deceivers.”
o The impression is that the majority of the church is defecting and going “out
into the world,” probably to form their own groups based on their own
doctrines.
Acts & Epistles - Review
1. The book of Acts is most helpful for .......
2. Some things we should not use Acts for are ........
3. Helpful principles for exegeting Acts are .........
4. The Epistles are most helpful for ....
5. Some things we should not use the Epistles for are ........
6. Some principles for exegeting the Epistles are ......

33. 8 NT Apocalyptic
Apocalyptic – Form
Apocalypse
A genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is
mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendent reality
which is both temporal, insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial insofar as
it involves another, supernatural world.
 Primary example is Revelation
 Additional examples are parts of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah
Apocalyptic – Form - Terminology
 Eschatology
o The doctrine of last things
o Subject matter of apocalyptic writing
 Apocalypse
o A genre of revelatory literature
 Apocalyptic
o To cause something to be fully known
o ‘to reveal, to disclose, to make fully known, revelation.’
o “The Apocalypse” = “The Revelation” = An unveiling
 A big thing before and at the time of Jesus.
Apocalyptic – Form - Features
 Wild symbolism
o Intertestamental literature wilder than Rev.
o Q: Find an example in Rev
 Mainly predictive of future
o Classical non-canonical apocalyptic
o Not necessarily distant future
o Q: Find an example in Rev
 Dualistic ideas
o Good versus evil almost as if equals
o Light and dark
o This age and the age to come.
o Q: Find an example in Rev

34.  Oppressed and Hopeless
o Thrives in conditions where target audience is under duress
o Q: Find an example in Rev
 Popular literature
o Written to be read aloud
o Therefore spectacular language for effect
o Like a Manga Bible?
 Examples
o Where else in the NT do we find apocalyptic language?
o Mat 24; 1 Thes 4,5
Apocalyptic – Function - Purpose of Message
 Be alert and Watch closely
 Don’t panic
 More to encourage than predict
 Things are bad, will get worse
 You don’t know exactly where you are on the way
 But God is in control and it will be okay in the end
 So persevere and be confident
Apocalyptic – Context – Two Ages
Already
 We’re there!
 Starting point is the resurrection & pouring out of spirit - Paul
 Jesus is first-fruits. It’s happening.
 Therefore we can have deliverance from present evil age.
 Have the Holy Spirit. Guaranteed. Sealed
 Joy in suffering because of confident hope.
But Not Yet
 Oops, no we’re not; well, then again ….
 It’s been inaugurated, not consummated. Inaugurated eschatology.
 Jews saw history going fine until things getting worse and worse until God intervenes
and brings in new age.
 Disciples expect this cosmic end and good people transported up to new realm.
 Instead what happened was ‘Jesus event’.
 Unexpectedly, history continues. We function now on two planes. There will be an
end, however.

35.  DDay / VE Day analogy. Paul and John’s language moves from one to the other
depending which part he is emphasising.
Revelation – Context
 Who? John - Rev 1:1,9
 When?
o 68 - Nero or
o 95 - Domitian - most popular.
 To Whom?
o Churches in Asia seem fairly well developed.
o Distinction between Judaism and Christianity seems sharp.
o Persecution pretty wide-spread.
o Apocalyptic language works best in troubled times.
 Theme?
o Ultimate triumph of God through Christ.
o Resurrected Christ alone has authority to judge, remake and rule earth in
righteousness.
 Purpose?
o Encourage Asian Christians who feel themselves persecuted, oppressed,
everything seems to be going wrong.
o Keep from despair.
o Warn against internal and external problems / heresy.
 Form? / Genre
o Epistle at start
o Claims to be prophecy – Rev 1.3
o Apocalyptic
o All three
Revelation – Context – Geography (x3)
Revelation – Context - OT
 Use OT imagery to interpret symbols found.
 More dependent on OT than any other book.
 Very few direct quotes from OT, but hundreds of allusions.
 Helps to understand as much of historical background as possible.
 Don’t limit interpretation to historical background, but important to ground it in
history.

36.  Examples:
Revelation – Approaches to Exegesis - Fulfilment
 Praeterist
o All in the 1st Century.
o Prevailing view.
o Tend to view the predictions as wrong and that many things did not come to
pass.
 Then Till Now.
o All about history from John's time up to the present day.
o Predicting the entire history of the church.
 From Now On.
o Almost entirely about future and precise end times.
o Most radical version of this view sees the churches as symbolic of stages of
church in history.
o Moderate view - message is to the churches of the day and to us - like OT
prophets
 Spiritually, always
o Always find ways to see the truth of this book in every age.
 Blend all four views?
o We don't know every detail
Revelation – Exegesis – Sequence
 Literal Time Scheme?
o Do not take time scheme too literally.
o Sequence of historical events may be different from sequence recorded in
revelation.
 Time Markers?
o Ch 7 starts with phrase ‘after this …’.
o Looks like time to us.
o Is it an event after chapter 6?
o Is author saying – ‘After this, I saw… ‘?
 Parallelism / Overlap
o Different scenes might be looking at same events from different perspectives
o Bowls etc. are parallel accounts of same judgments, not series of judgments.
o Another view: overlapping in sequence
Revelation – Exegesis – Numerology

37.  Exercise: Find some numbers in Rev
o 7 churches
 Symbolic / Metaphoric use
o Numbers: used in ways other than as numbers.
o Context tells you what means.
 12 hundred people / 12 hundred hours.
o Common in ancient world and especially Jews.
o Q: How do we use numbers symbolic in our language today?
 ‘I have a hundred reasons for not believing you’ – just means a lot!
 3 = always been number of God
 4 = created universe (4 seasons, winds, corners of the earth)
 7 = completeness (3 + 4).
o Number of the Gentiles.
 6 = antichrist because one short of 7.
o Imperfection, something missing.
 Intensify by adding, multiplying or repetition or squaring or cubing – therefore 666
(70 X 7).
 3 X 4 = 12 – even more complete than 7.
o Holy completeness. Tribes
o of the chosen people.
 144,000 – 12 x 12 x 1000.
o An innumerable number.
o Talking chosen-ness, completeness ….
Revelation – Exegesis – Literal
 What can we take literally?
o Distinguish between what he saw and what it represented.
o Accept the fact that we have no words or ideas that do justice to the reality
that will go on!
 More than mere symbol.
o Symbolism simplifies what we cannot grasp.
o True throughout Bible. Cf. anthropomorphic language about God.
o Bottle of poison has skull and crossbones on it - tells you something, but not
that the poison looks like a skull & crossbones.
o Artist’s impression / political cartoon
 Taking it seriously
o means being ready,
o not trying to interpret everything literally and looking for the point of every
symbol
 Look for teaching about same subject in other genres (Paul, Jesus ….)

38. Revelation – Exegesis – Meta Narrative
 Its value to church can only be appreciated when talk about its value to oppressed
church.
o This is favourite book for churches in cultures where persecuted even today.
 Encouragement to persevere as suffer like Christ.
o Hope, assurance that darkness will not prevail although looks like darkness in
charge.
o Keep confidence.
 Judgments designed to drive to repentance.
o Serious challenges to church.
 Cross is centre of triumph.
o Lamb, child born. Lots of promises
Apocalyptic - Review
1. A genre of the book of Revelation is .......
2. “Apocalyptic” means .........
3. “Eschatological” means ........
4. The purpose of the book of Revelation was .......
5. The theme of Revelation is ...........
6. The book of Revelation can help me right now to ...........
9 Advanced Exegesis & Hermeneutics - Traps, Biases, Fallacies,
Problems
Problem Passages – What to do?
 Be content with our lack of understanding; therefore, be less dogmatic
 Even without certainty of details, we can still know the point of the whole passage
(“baptizing for the dead” passage of 1 Cor 15 addresses resurrection issues rather
than baptism issues)
 Still ask “What can be said for certain”
 Consult a good, balanced commentary
 Admit when you are only guessing
 Rather than determining truth, ask what are the consequences of different
interpretations?

39. Hermeneutics – 16 Guidelines
Will go through in more detail at end in last session with some examples and exercises.
1. Every passage has one meaning.
2. The most obvious meaning is
usually the correct one.
3. Always allow the author’s
explanation to stand.
4. Always interpret a passage within
the context of the passage, the
book, and the situation.
5. An interpretation of a passage
should conform to the
environment of the author.
6. Rightly divide books by
dispensation, covenant and
setting.
7. Interpret every passage in the light
of all others.
8. One passage will often explain
another.
9. Let plain passages interpret
difficult ones.
10. All passages on a subject must be
studied before a conclusion is
drawn.
11. Observe the proper balance of
scriptural truth.
12. Passages should be interpreted in
harmony with the idioms
contained.
13. Rightly divide the language
(grammar and figures of speech).
14. Correctly distinguish the figurative
from the literal.
15. Know the meaning of sentences,
phrases and words.
16. Rightly divide books by type of
literature (poetry, apocalyptic,
historical, doctrinal, etc.).
1. Every passage has one meaning.
 Our job is to discover that meaning.
 What is the meaning of Ps 16:8-11?
o Use Acts 2:25-27
 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and
wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
2. The most obvious meaning is usually the correct one.
 John 3:3-8
What does “born of water and the spirit mean?
 Eph 4:5,6
What is the “one baptism”?
3. Always allow the author’s explanation to stand.
 1 John 3:6 No one in Christ continues to sin.
 Daniel 11: vs. 2-4 The kings of the North and the South are Greek kings.

40.  Jn 2:19-21 What is Jesus talking about?
 Psalm 82:5-8 What does “gods” mean?
 2 Tim 3:17 2 Tim 2:13
Look for the explanation in the:
1. immediate context
2. that “chapter”
3. that book
4. that author
5. the whole Bible.
4. Always interpret a passage within the context of the passage, the book, and the
situation.
 Context, Context, Context…..
 John 9:31
 Matthew 18:20
 Revelation 3:20
 Matt 12:30 vs Mark 9:40
 1 Cor 11:2f vs 1 Cor 14:33-35
Context
It shall greatly help thee to understand Scripture,
If thou mark not only what is spoken or written,
But of whom,
And to whom,
With what words,
At what time,
Where,
With what circumstances,
Considering what goeth before
And what followeth.
5. An interpretation of a passage should conform to the environment of the author.
 1 Tim 2:8-15
 1 Tim 3 vs Titus 1 Qualities of Elders
 Mark 10:23
 1 Cor 8:4
6. Rightly divide books by dispensation, covenant and setting.
 Patriarchal

41.  First Covenant
 The Second Covenant
 The thief on the cross
 Acts 15:24-29 Two covenants meet.
 Romans 9:13-21 Predestination?
 Be aware of progressive revelation.
7. Interpret every passage in the light of all others.
 Acts 2:21 explained by Rom 10:9, 2 Tim 2:19
8. One passage will often explain another.
 1 Thess 4:15-17 Is there room for a rapture here? 2 Pet 3:11-13
 Harmonize Prov 26:4 and Prov 26:5
 Harmonize Ex 20:5-6 with Ezek 18:20
 Harmonize Prov 13:25 with Psalm 73:1-5
9. Let plain passages interpret difficult ones.
 1 Cor 15:29 Q: What does it not mean?
 Romans 8:28-30 Does this justify a strict predestination? See Hebrews 6:4-6,
10:19-32
 Ezekiel 18:25-29 Rev 20:13,14
10. All passages on a subject must be studied before a conclusion is drawn.
 Jn 14:14 James 4:2,3 5:13-16 1 John 5:14,15 (on prayer)
 Use John 3:16 for salvation?
 Rom 10:9 Is confession with your mouth sufficient, alone, for salvation? (it is with
your mouth that you confess and are saved) Consider 2 Tim 2:19
11. Observe the proper balance of scriptural truth.
 Eph 2:8-10 vs James 2:24 (faith and works)
 Phil 2:12 and 2 Cor 13:5 vs 1 Jn 5:13 Romans 8:37 and Hebrews 10:19 (assuring vs.
assured)
 Predestination vs Free Will
 Romans 9:19-21, Romans 8:29 vs. Deut 30:19,20
12. Passages should be interpreted in harmony with the idioms contained.
 Like a camel through the eye of a needle. Mark 10:25
 Luke 22:31 Satan wants to sift you like wheat
 Could 1 Cor 11:13 “with her head uncovered” be an idiom?
13. Rightly divide the language (grammar and figures of speech).

42.  Anthropomorphisms Psalm 44:3
 Personification Psalm 114:3
 Hyperbole Psalm 51:5 Matthew 9:47 Psalm 22:6
 Irony, sarcasm Galatians 5:12
 Simile Matthew 3:16 Isaiah 53:6
 Metaphor Matt 26:26 Luke 13:32
 Allegory Ephesians 6:11-17
 Metonymy 1 Cor 11:25
 Synecdoche Deut 8:3
 1 Cor 11:27 Unworthy or unworthily?
 Matthew 16:18 masculine vs feminine
14. Correctly distinguish the figurative from the literal.
 How do we know a passage is figurative?
 An implied absurdity Luke 9:60 Mal 1:2-3
 When literal interpretation implies a contradiction or inconsistency. John 11:25-26
 When it requires a clearly immoral conclusion Matt 18:9
 When the context implies it or the author says so. Jn 2:18-20
 Common sense. John 4:10-15
 Apocalyptic literature works very differently
15. Know the meaning of sentences, phrases and words.
 Websters vs Greek vs Biblical definition.
o Church
o Flesh
o Soul
o Bread
o Spirit
 In interpreting passages, look for key words and define them carefully
o 1 Cor 11:2-16 head (v. 3) authority (v. 10)
o Rom 8:5-11
16. Rightly divide books by type of literature (poetry, apocalyptic, historical, doctrinal,
etc.).
 Poetry
o Loaded with metaphor, hyperbole, etc. Look for the feeling, not the doctrine.
Ps 51:5
 Proverb
o Principle, not promise or command. Prov 13:24, Prov 22:6
 Historical
o Look for the practical application Acts 6:3
 Doctrinal

43. o Can be most carefully analyzed
 Apocalyptic
o Assume figurative unless the context demands literal
 Type/Antitype Interpretation
o If a NT writer says a particular passage in the Old Testament is a foreshadow /
prophecy / prefigure / type, then it is. Jn 3:14
o If an Old Testament passage works as a foreshadow / prophecy / prefigure /
type both in the general sense and in the specifics, then it is probably
legitimate.
o If one already knows that a general event in the Old Testament is a
foreshadow / prophecy / prefigure / type, then it is safer to assume that the
details are foreshadows as well. Gen 22:1-11.
Ten Common Fallacies of Exegesis
1. Pre-understanding Fallacy
a. Believing you can approach the Scriptures completely objectively, without
any preconceived notions.
b. We all come to any topic with certain biases based on our culture,
upbringing, life experiences, etc.
c. Recognizing your potential for subjectivity helps prevent you from falling into
its trap.
d. Example: baptism… speaking in tongues
2. Incidental Fallacy
a. Reading incidental history and accounts as prescriptive rather than
descriptive.
b. Prescriptive means this is God’s direction for you to follow.
c. Descriptive means this is an account of what happened to a certain people at
a certain time for a certain reason.
d. Example: Apostles casting lots
3. Obscurity Fallacy
a. Building certain theological views based on obscure or unclear passages.
b. Most of the bible is very clear… but some of it is not.
c. Often those obscure passages intrigue us and cause us to attach a meaning to
it that is not fair or right to attach.
d. Example: I Cor 6:2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the
world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge
trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more
the things of this life!
4. Etymological Root Fallacy
a. Looking at the root etymology of a word to discover its meaning.
b. Nice — from Latin nescious, meaning ignorant
c. Butterfly — not butter and fly

44. d. Good-bye — from Anglo Saxon “God be with you”
e. Dunamos in Romans 1:16,20
5. Illegitimate Totality Transfer Fallacy
a. Bring the full meaning of a word with all its nuances to the present usage.
b. In Greek Lexicons there are different meanings for different contexts for a
reason; they don’t all apply all the time.
6. Selective Use of Meaning Fallacy
a. Using the definition or meaning of a word that you like best, rather than
letting the context determine that.
7. Maverick Fallacy
a. Believing you only need the Holy Spirit to determine the meaning of a text…
or feeling like God made it clear to you
8. Greek Scholar Fallacy
a. Elevating yourself to the status of Greek/Biblical Scholar because you read a
book.
b. Relatedly, quoting one author as though they are the final authority on a
matter.
c. Example: A Little Exercise for Young Theologians - Helmut Thielicke
9. Any Verse Can Fit Any Situation Fallacy
a. Finding cool sounding verses and taking the out of context to suit your needs
b. Example: Habakkuk ???
10. All Scripture Reads the Same Fallacy
a. Not noting and applying the different literary genre to the Scripture.
10 Review & QA
11 Exam
12 Close