* The word
"exegesis" is very important especially to Bible students. The word means, as defined by the dictionary:
"the critical explanation or interpretation of a text or portion of a text, especially of the Bible." In layman's terms 'exgesis' is to read outof the text only what is there without interjecting one's own personal opinion. When one decides to insert his own opinion, he is said to use 'eisegesis.'
Eisegesis is (again, from the dictionary) "
an interpretation, esp. of Scripture, that expresses the interpreter's own ideas, bias, or the like, rather than the meaning of the text."
One of the problems that caring Bible scholars run into is that the Bible specifically forbids us to privately interpret the scriptures. 2 Peter 1:20,
"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. What are we to do? We are told to study; to preach and teach the word. For me, exegesis is the key. I am not to force into a verse my private interpretation of what the verse is saying but to allow the Bible to speak for itself. God's written word has existed for thousands of years without my help, so I think I can safely get out of the way. My responsibility is the same as Ezras and the other priests. Nehemiah 8:8 says,
So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. The result of this was that the people understood (8:12).
1. We are to preach the word of God "distinctly."
2. We are to preach the word of God by giving the "sense."
3. We are to preach the word of God in such a way as to help the people to "understand."
3. We have not done our job if the people do not understand what we teach them.
Admttedly it is hard to keep ones opinions totally out of our preaching and teaching. It takes a conscious effort to do so. One may approach the Bible with the intent of knowing if Jesus is who He claimed to be - God in human flesh. If the Bible student enters his study with the belief of what some preacher told him, his view will be biased from the start. A good rule of thumb is to read the Bible as if you had never read it before. Let the Bible speak and keep my opinions to myself.
