What Does the Text Say?

Asking the wrong question

Robert Stein presents a theoretical situation in which a young man attends a Bible study in which they are discussing Mark 1:1-15. The leader of the study has them read through verse by verse and then gives them some time to summarize what the passage meant. A woman named Sally is the first to speak and she says: “What this passage means to me is that everyone needs to be baptized, and I believe it should be by immersion.” Someone else pipes up: “That’s not what I think it means. I think it means that everyone should be baptized by the Holy Spirit.” A third person timidly asks the leader: “I am not exactly sure what I should be doing. Should I try to understand what Jesus and John the Baptist meant, or what the passage means to me?” The leader says that what was important was what the passage meant to him, which gave the individual the freedom to talk about how it meant that in order to connect with God we must go out into nature.

That third person asked a very worthwhile question, but the answer he received was wrong. If you want to really read the Bible for what it’s worth, then never begin with the question: “What does it mean to me?” Gordan Fee points out that: “The key to good exegesis is the ability to ask the right questions of the text in order to get at the author’s intended meaning. Good exegetical questions fall into two basic categories: questions of content (what is said) and of context (why it is said)” (NT Exegesis 5). We will be asking questions of the text, but we must make sure that we are asking the right questions and avoiding with a resolute passion that awful question “What does it mean to me?”

Superficial Reading

One of the issues that we run into is that of superficial reading. We read a text, and if we feel like we get the basic sense of what it is saying we simply move on. If we don’t “get it” then very frequently, we just skip over it, or if we are really bound and determined to find meaning when we are at a loss we simply “spiritualize” it. Duvall and Hays call this the “intuitive or feels-right approach.” What is the issue with this approach? You never progress in your understanding of the text, and you don’t approach the Author’s Intended Meaning. You remain stuck with only having answered the question: “What does this mean to me?”

The solution to superficial reading (just like the solution to overcoming the despair of never being able to accomplish this daunting task with any real confidence) is to have a valid approach to the Bible that derives meaning from within the text that is consistent and can be used on any passage. Over the course of the next couple weeks that is what we are seeking to partially develop.

One Very Important Principle of Interpretation

“We do not create meaning out of a text; rather, we seek to find the meaning that is already there.” This is an incredibly important principle to grasp, and I’ll give you an example where this seems pretty obvious. If you were to tell your son or daughter: “Go clean your room” and then after about 15 minutes he/she comes waltzing out of what you know was a pig stye, and you ask “Did you clean your room?” Undoubtedly, they will say yes, but once you go in there you find that they have defined “clean” as “shove everything underneath the bed and pull the comforter as low to the floor as possible to conceal the mess.” What will you say to them? “You didn’t clean!” Tell me, in that situation, who has the right to define clean? Mom or Dad, because the parent was the one who gave the command. Similarly, when we read Philemon, we are not the ones who get to define terms or create meaning. Rather, we seek to understand what Paul meant by what he said to Philemon concerning his runaway slave Onesimus.

This is the task of exegesis. Exegesis comes from the Gk word exēgeisthai, meaning “to lead out.” This is not eisegesis where we read meaning into the text, we are leading out the meaning that is already there.

Exegesis is “the careful historical, literary, and theological analysis of a text.” It’s also been helpfully defined as “close reading” which is a deliberate, word-by-word and phrase-by-phrase consideration of all the parts of a text in order to understand it as a whole (Gorman 10).

Superficial Reading Warning

“If you move straight from your initial reading of a passage to the application of that passage, you will remain tied to your previous understanding of that text. You will rarely see anything new and exciting in the text, and the Bible will become boring for you.”

Have any of you found this to be the case in your personal reading? Has this prevented you from reading your Bible daily, even though you know you should?

What we are going to do is move away from a superficial reading into a careful and serious reading of the text. What this amounts to (in part) is a reminder to reengage your brain as you are reading a biblical text so that you begin making real observations of the text. Auto-pilot is no way to read the Bible because this merely checks your box for the day. We are retraining our brains to see the details, to ask questions, and observe, observe, observe! This week we are covering the first step, and in it we must refrain from immediately jumping to application, for what you will have unintentionally done is asked and answered the question “What does this mean to me?” without even realizing it. As Duvall and Hays say “you will remain tied to your previous understanding of that text.”

Careful Reading

So how do we read carefully? Think back to the days you were courting your spouse. Back in the day when you would write letters back and forth (or for the millennials and Gen-Zr’s, when you would text long messages back and forth). When you received that first letter, did you just casually glance at it? I kind of doubt it, right? You probably poured over it and analyzed every word in order to try to figure out what the other person meant. In the 1940s the New York Times, in an advertisement for Adler’s How to Read a Book, utilized this same analogy writing:

“This young man has just received his first love letter. He may read it three or four times, but he is just beginning. To read it as accurately as he would like would require several dictionaries and a good deal of close work with a few experts of etymology and philology.

However, he will do all right without them.

He will ponder over the exact shade of meaning of every word, every comma. She has headed the letter “Dear John.” What, he asks himself, is the exact significance of those words? Did she refrain from saying “Dearest” because she was bashful? Would “My Dear” have sounded too formal?

Maybe she would have said “Dear So-and-so” to anybody! A worried frown will now appear on his face. But it disappears as soon as he really gets to thinking about the first sentence. She certainly wouldn’t have written that to anybody!

And so he works his way through the letter, one moment perched blissfully on a cloud, the next moment huddled miserably behind an eight ball. It has started a hundred questions in his mind. He could quote it by heart. In fact, he will—to himself—for weeks to come.”

The boy is a good reader because he reads carefully. Duvall and Hays comment: “This lovesick boy is a good reader because he scrutinizes the text for all the details, even the most minute. One of the most critical skills needed in reading the Bible is the ability to see the details” (29).

That’s the task of careful, or serious, reading: See the details! Not only are we trying to see the details, we are trying to see as many details as possible.

Step 1 Read the Text Over and Over

for seeing the details, or observing the text, is to read the text over and over. This is something that you should begin to become accustomed to doing in your study of the Bible. In the classes that I teach I require them to read the passage, then reread it and the surrounding context of that passage. For a New Testament letter, it is good to make a habit of not only reading the passage you have chosen to study, but to read the letter in its entirety at least once and then reading slowly through it a passage at a time (If it is a shorter letter, then there is nothing preventing you from reading it at least twice). But, the more you read it carefully, the more details that you will see, and the more details that you see the better you will be able to answer the question: “What does the author say?”

Step 2 Note the details of the text.

In this step you need to be looking for: repetition of words, contrasts, comparisons, lists, cause and effects, figures of speech, conjunctions, verbs, and pronouns. Now with that list you may be thinking to yourself: “Isn’t that just how you read a book?” Yes! That’s part of the problem. With a book you haven’t read before you take care to pay attention to the details, but unfortunately with the Bible (the book we should be taking even more care to read seriously) we get in the habit of saying “I’ve heard this before and I know what it means.” We need to get out of that habit and start paying attention to the details. We’ve got to put on our Sherlock Holmes hat and meticulously investigate.

Within this step you are not limiting your observations to the “deep insights” or even just the highly important features. You need to get into the nitty gritty because words have meaning and function, and the author has structured the sentences in such a way so as to convey a meaning through these rhetorical devices. Michael Gorman points out that a careful reader must utilize a model for exegesis that “…recognizes the common features of biblical texts as ordinary devices of human communication while also recognizing the importance of distinctly ‘sacred’ features of biblical texts.” Yes, the Bible is a sacred book (or rather a collection of sacred books), but these books were written at a specific time, in a specific place, utilizing language in a manner that would effectively communicate with their original audience. God used “ordinary devices of human communication” in order to communicate. So, you need to pay close attention, not just looking for what seems to be those hugely significant insights, but also noting such things like a simple contrast that is being made.

Things to Look for in Sentences:

1. Repeated Words. Quick question: why repeat a word multiple times in a sentence or paragraph? It’s the main topic. Emphasis. If we were to examine the words I have repeated throughout this class, which words do you suppose we would find that I have repeated the most? Probably, “careful reading” “pay attention” and “details.” That’s the focus. When you find a word or phrase repeated multiple times throughout a passage that is a very good indicator that you need to pay attention to what is being said about that word or phrase.

Let’s give it a try, just observing the text (seeing what it says). Let’s look through Ephesians 1:3-14. Look for repeated words and pay attention to the form it takes (by that I mean, pay attention to things like if there is an article or preposition that occurs regularly with that repeated word). Typically, when I begin studying for a sermon, the very first thing I do after reading and rereading is write out the passage and mark every single repeated word. We’ll just take a couple of minutes.

What repeated words or phrases did you find? What does that tell us about this passage (remember, we are not interpreting yet, nor are we applying the text, we are simply observing. Answering the question, “What does the text say?”).

2. Contrasts. What is the purpose of contrasting two things? It can be just a simple comparison: “This thing is not like this other thing.” It can also differentiate between bad and good: “This activity is good and leads to good things, but this activity is bad and leads to bad things.” Bottom line is a contrast shows that two things are different. That’s pretty important to note in a passage, especially because of how frequently Scripture uses this “ordinary device for human communication.”

What is the English word that normally indicates a contrast? But. Pretty simple. So knowing this should make it a little easier to identify when a contrast occurs; however, it is not always the case that this easy marker is available and even if it is, it is worth paying attention to.

Let’s look at a couple of examples. Consider Proverbs 2:21-22 “For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.” What is the major contrast in these two verses? Upright vs. Wicked. Now we should be a little more specific.

One big aspect of parables is contrast. Frequently two things are contrasted in order to teach the original audience something about the Kingdom of God. So, let’s look at Matthew 25:31-46. What is the major contrast? The Sheep vs. the Goats. Now let’s be more specific. What about them is being contrasted?

3. Comparison. The opposite side of contrasts is comparison in which we are looking more at the similarities rather than the differences. Why would one compare two things? Again, this was the essence of a parable “The kingdom of heaven is like…” Within that one is looking at an earthly thing and comparing it to a spiritual thing in order to better understand the spiritual thing. We do this all of the time in our everyday life. As a father I am constantly comparing things for my children so that they will get a better understanding of what the unknown thing is. “An ox is like a cow.” “A prune is like a raisin.”

Let’s take a look at 1 Peter 1:23-25. What two things are being compared in verse 24? People and grass. What do we learn about people through this comparison? (Bonus question, what is the main contrast in these three verses? The perishable seed vs. the imperishable seed, the Word).

Look at James 1:22-25. What two things are being compared? Those who listen to the word (and don’t do it) and people who look at their faces in the mirror and immediately forget what they look like. What do we learn about those who listen to the word and don’t do it by this comparison?

4. Lists. Here we are talking about more than two itemized things. This one is fairly straight forward, but again, when an author uses a list, he does so for a specific purpose. Perhaps he is painting a picture of what a particular group is like, or (in many cases) he is presenting either things to strive for or things that must be avoided. Sometimes things in a list seem to be building towards the final thing in the list. This is when it is important to start asking questions of your passage: “Is there any order? Are the items grouped in any way?” In Galatians 5:19-21 we find two lists that are grouped as part of a contrast between the fruit of the Spirit and the acts of the flesh. Based on these two lists, and just making observations of the text, what can you already tell about these two things (the fruit of the Spirit and the acts of the flesh)? We might just put it this way, one is a list of virtues while the other is a list of vice. Take a look at 2 Peter 1:3-8. What are some questions that you would ask about the list in vv. 5-7 if you were studying this passage? Perhaps: “Is there a specific order to it?” In other words, “Are these things all building on top of one another, or is the order unimportant?” It may also be important to ask if any of these words have been used already in 2 Peter. For example, notice that the term “goodness” has already been used in reference to the character of Christ in verse 3 (it’s the same Gk term).

A list also introduces a number of words that would be important to understand the meaning of. For instance, Peter writes: “add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge…” Tell me, what does he mean by “knowledge”? (Knowledge in the ancient world is practical. It is the ability to distinguish between the good and the bad and choose the good). There are many questions that a list can bring with it, so it is important to look for these lists and ask questions about their function in the passage.

5. Cause and Effect. Someone please briefly explain what we mean by “cause and effect” as you would have learned this phrase in high school or some other schooling. If we are looking at a “dictionary definition” of this term we would answer something like “it is a relationship between an action(s) or event(s) such that one or more are the result of the other.” If I throw the beach ball too hard at my son I will cause him to fall over. The cause is the throw, the effect is the falling over. This relationship between things is rather important, and should thus be noted when we see it in the text.

Let’s do a few simple ones first. Look at Proverbs 10:1 “A wise child makes a glad father, but a foolish child is a mother’s grief.” What is the cause in the first line? A wise child. What is the effect? A glad father.

Look just a few verses below that to Proverbs 10:4 “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” That first line is pretty simple. The cause is the slack hand, the effect is the poverty. What about line two? The cause is the diligent hand, the effect is being rich.

One more. Look at Luke 1:39-42. Think of the two babies involved. What is the cause? Mary’s greeting. What is the associated effect? The baby leaped in her womb. (The baby John the Baptist leaped for joy in the presence of the Messiah, even the Messiah in the womb).

6. Figures of Speech. A figure of speech is simply when words are used in a sense other than the normal, literal sense. We find these in abundance throughout the Bible. They present an image that tell you about the thing they are describing. For instance, when Jesus says, in John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” He intends for the audience to visualize a literal shepherd, for that figure tells us something about Jesus. In fact, the imagery that he is calling upon is made readily apparent by the next figure of speech that he uses: “The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.” The contrast between the hired hand makes Christ commitment to his people (the sheep) all the stronger. Like a good shepherd, he lays down his life, for the sheep are his. The hired hand runs, the shepherd stays.

Again, figures of speech are very common throughout Scripture. One that appears with great frequency in the NT letters is “brothers.” Do Peter and Paul write to their literal brothers? No. They are writing to Churches in Asia Minor, Rome, Achaia, etc. However, the term “brothers” tells us something about their relationship with these churches and the new relationship that these churches have with one another. Figures of speech are very influenced by the culture, so we may think that we have a ready grasp of what the figure is supposed to bring to mind; however, we would do well to investigate the figure as thoroughly as possible to see what the original audience would have pictured (more on that next week).

7. Conjunctions. When you are digging into the nitty-gritty details, the little words all of a sudden become incredibly important. The little words really matter because they hold the sentences together and serve a variety of different functions. Conjunctions in particular often denote the relationship between different clauses and can be great indicators of contrasts, comparisons, and so on. So “Always take note of the conjunctions and identify their purpose of function.” Try to determine what the conjunction connects.

“But” indicates a contrast. “Therefore” or “so” present some conclusion based on what was said prior. It is a good practice when studying passages that begin with “therefore” to ask yourself “What is the ‘therefore’ there for?” In the NT when we are dealing with letters that are meant to be read out loud all at once, the reason for the “therefore” on certain occasions can be difficult to determine. But look at Philippians 2:12-13 and tell me, what is the “therefore” there for.

“For” often denotes the reason for something or other (it functions much the same as “because”).

8. Verbs. A verb communicates the action of the sentence. Again, I am sure one of the thoughts going through your mind now is “Didn’t I learn this in basic English?” Yes, yes you did. But part one of the major obstacles to good interpretation is superficial reading and a failure to apply what we know about written communication to the Bible. Plus, there are a few things that we must add to what you know so that you may be able to focus your attention to certain aspects of verbs.

First of all, it is vital to identify what kind of verb is being used, whether a past, present, or future tense verb.

Secondly, make sure to note all imperative verbs. These are the commands.

Thirdly, look for whether a verb is in the active or passive voice. In the active voice the subject is doing the action, while in the passive voice the subject is being acted upon. A common usage of the passive voice in the NT is the “Divine Passive” in which God, though maybe not mentioned, is the one acting. Col 3:1 is a good example of this: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” Let’s identify the verbs. “You have been raised” is that active voice or passive? Who is the one acting upon the “you” in this statement? “Set your hearts” is the verb “set” active or passive? Active. What else do you notice about it? It’s an imperative. “Christ is seated” is that active voice or passive? In the Greek, it’s actually a middle voice in which the subject is acting upon itself. Many personal verbs like “clothe” are typically found in the middle voice.

9. Pronouns. This brings us to the last one, for now: Pronouns. What is a pronoun? These are identifiers that stand in place of a noun that has either already been mentioned or is understood by the context. You’ve used these since before you were going to school. What you want to do when noting pronouns in Scripture is to identify their antecedent (which is simply to whom or to what the pronoun refers). For instance, if I were to say: “My daughter’s name is Sophia. She likes rainbows and unicorns. They are her favorite.” You would know that the antecedent of “she” in this case is Sophia, and the antecedent to “they” is “rainbows and unicorns.” Easy enough right?

Let’s give it a shot. Look at Luke 16:1-2. Identify the pronouns and then tell me their antecedents.

One more. Romans 1:1-6. Identify the pronouns and then tell me their antecedents.

So now you know what to look for: Repetition of words, contrasts, comparisons, lists, cause and effect, figures of speech, conjunctions, verbs, and pronouns. One thing I have my students do before they do anything else when studying a passage for a paper is to read the text, reread it, and then make thirty observations of the text that they mark with a highlighter or a pen (If you are like me, you’ll want to print out a copy of the passage or write it down on a separate sheet of paper so you don’t have to write in your Bible). This is very much a worthwhile practice and I encourage you to start to do it. Read the entire letter, then read your passage, then read it again. Write it out and mark up your paper identifying the repeated words, contrasts, comparisons, lists, cause and effect, figures of speech and so forth. How you mark is up to you, so long as you know what you are looking at, and by the time you are through you will be able to answer the question:

“What does the text say?”

Day 2: Next week we are going to be looking at the additional question:

“Why does it say it?”