Hermeneutics HOW TO

Using Hermeneutics to interpret the Bible

In the quest to accurately interpret the Bible, experts stress the importance of adhering to sound principles of biblical interpretation, known as hermeneutics.

Hermeneutics is the discipline guiding us in accurately understanding and applying Scripture, ensuring interpretations are not skewed by personal biases but are rooted in the text’s true intent. This systematic approach is critical for uncovering the intended meaning, grounded in the historical, cultural, and literary contexts of the Bible. By employing hermeneutical principles, we ensure coherence with the overarching narrative of Scripture, enhancing our comprehension and deepening our relationship with God. Hermeneutics equips us to navigate the Bible’s complexities, allowing for an informed, respectful engagement with its teachings. This disciplined method not only enriches our study but also ensures our interpretations are faithful and transformative. That’s how we can align the text’s original message with the relevance for today’s world.

Interpreting biblical texts is no easy feat. It requires a nuanced approach that goes beyond mere reading.

To truly understand and appreciate the rich insights they offer, you need to follow certain practices. These practices allow you to delve deeper into the text and extract its intended meaning.

In this article, we will explore the 7 best practices for interpreting biblical texts. These methods are tried and tested, used by scholars and theologians worldwide to grasp the true essence of biblical narratives.

We’ll delve into each practice, providing practical advice on how to apply them effectively in your biblical studies.

Pitfalls to avoid:

Eisegesis

Many study the Bible as if it were Old MacDonald’s farm: here a verse, there a verse, everywhere a verse, verse. But as we pay attention to what surrounds a verse—in the text and in its cultural setting—we can get a clearer sense of what God is saying to us.

Narcigesis

We are trying to get to Exegesis.

The terms “exegesis” and “eisegesis” refer to how you read the Bible.

At the most basic level, exegesis relies on the original context of a biblical passage to determine that passage’s meaning, while eisegesis uses things other than the original context of a biblical passage to determine that passage’s meaning.

Exegesis tries to listen to the text, and let meaning come from the text itself in its original, historical context.

Exegesis tries to listen to the text, and let meaning come from the text itself in its original, historical context.

Eisegesis brings meaning to the text, and does not concern itself with the original historical context of a biblical passage.

For example, in Revelation 3:15-16, John is talking to the church in Laodicea, which was a city in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). In these verses, John uses the terms “hot,” “cold,” and “lukewarm.” He says this, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev 3:15-16 NIV)

Answer me this, what does it mean in this passage to be hot, to be cold, and to be lukewarm?

An eisegetical method would use a modern understanding of those terms in a religious context to understand what that passage means.

In modern religious circles, we might say someone is “on fire” for the Lord. So, someone might understand “hot” to mean “on fire,” religiously zealous, or 100% committed to God.

In modern religious circles, we also say that someone is spiritually “cold” when they are not religious, or not committed to God at all. So someone might understand “cold” in Revelation 3:15-16 to mean a non-believer, or someone who is not committed to God.

Finally, since lukewarm is between hot and cold, we might understand “lukewarm” to mean someone who is religious but who is not fully committed to God, or who does not display the outward signs of religious fervor that we associate with someone who is “on fire” for the Lord.

All of this makes sense, in English. It takes contemporary connotations of modern, English expressions for “hot,” “cold,” and “lukewarm,” and brings those connotations to Revelation 3:15-16. It brings meaning to the text, without asking whether this meaning is coming from the original, historical context or not. This is an example of eisegesis.

Exegesis, on the other hand, looks to the original context of Revelation 3:15-16. It looks at the original Greek words for hot, cold, and lukewarm and explores how they would have been understood by the original author and audience of this passage of Scripture.

In this case, hot, cold, and lukewarm are probably referring to water temperature, using the water situation at Laodicea as a metaphor for the people in the church at Laodicea.

Laodicea was a rich city with many industries thriving in it. For all of its wealth and prestige, however, it also had hard, unpleasant water (Strabo, Geog, ). Two neighboring cities, Hierapolis and Colossae, had much better water.

These three cities, Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colossae, were so close to one another that they are mentioned as a triad in Colossians 4:13. Studies from the ancient world tell us that Hierapolis was known for its hot springs. The hot water of Hierapolis was used by the Romans as a health spa, similar to the way natural hot springs are used today. Colossae, on the other hand, had cold, refreshing water. If you’ve ever been in a hot place during the summertime, you understand the value of cold water.

Laodicea, unfortunately, did not have enough water for its population. It had to pipe water into the city, and when the water got there it was neither hot nor cold, but was lukewarm. It wasn’t useful, hot water for healing, and it wasn’t useful, cold water for refreshing. So for all their wealth and prestige in the ancient world, Laodicea had an embarrassing situation with their water. And John, in Revelation 3:15-16, uses that embarrassing situation to make a point about the Christians in Laodicea.

When it says “I wish you were either one or the other,” John is saying that Jesus wishes they were useful, that they were either healing or refreshing to people. Apparently, based on the rest of this section in Revelation, this rich city of Laodicea was content to be blessed, but they were not doing anything with it. They weren’t being good witnesses to Jesus. They were not helping other people. They weren’t even looking to Jesus for their provision, but instead boasted in being able to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. In other words, they were lukewarm Christians who talk a big game, but are not being helpful to other people.

All the way on the otherside of the book.

Genesis 1-2 opens with an account of Creation, then a corruption, then a Catastrophy. We imagine that the first 11 chapters of Scripture are written so that we could have an origin story. So that we would know the beginning of humanity.

So that way we don’t just think that we are monkeys or something.

But remember the importance of Context.

Understand Moses the leader called by God out of Pharoah’s house took the people into the wilderness and takes them to Mount Sinai and there they will sin against God and worship the golden calf. At this moment the Bible records for us God’s judgement. Then Moses sits down and begins to pin for These Hebrews the Torah. Genesis is not an only a chronological masterpiece it is meant to connect the People of God to their God. It is to say that I am the only God. I judge sin. I want a relationship that will not end just because of this sin. This was the medicine God gave the people after the sin of Complaining, rejecting Moses, and then ultimately calling on the gods’ of Egypt.

How do we come to an understanding of Scripture?

I. Context, Context, Context

The first practice in interpreting biblical texts is understanding the context.

The context of a biblical passage includes the circumstances that surround it. This could be historical events, cultural norms, or political factors that influenced its creation.

Scholars argue that without considering the historical, cultural, and literary context in which a passage was written, one risks misinterpreting its meaning.

And let’s be honest: Biblical texts are not standalone pieces of writing, right? They are part of a larger narrative, steeped in historical, cultural, and theological contexts.

When reading a biblical passage, ask yourself:

Who wrote this part of the Scripture? To whom was it written?What was the historical and cultural situation at that time?What is the overall message of this book in the Bible?

Context answers the questions:

Who

What

When

Where

Context provides a framework for interpretation. It helps you understand why certain words were used, why certain events happened, and how they link to the overarching narrative of faith.

By placing each text within its rightful context, you’re not just reading a passage — you’re exploring its connection with history, culture, and divine inspiration.

As a result, this practice will clarify the intended message and enrich your understanding.

Historical Context

Cultural Context

Geographical Context

Language Context

Prose

Figurative language

Satire

Hyperbole

II. Understanding the genre

This is also called Literary Context.

The second key principle highlighted is the recognition of the Bible’s various genres.

In general, genre refers to the literary style of the text. Each book’s literary style, whether it be narrative, prophecy, poetry, or epistle, demands a unique approach to interpretation.

Understanding these genres helps readers appreciate the distinct message each book intends to convey.

The same applies to the Bible.

The thing is that the Bible is a mix of various literary genres – there’s poetry, prophecy, parable, letters, law, and more.

Each genre has its own rules and should be interpreted differently.

For instance, you wouldn’t interpret a poem the same way you interpret a piece of legislation, right?

Similarly, the poetic books of the Bible like Psalms and Song of Solomon have different interpretative rules than the prophetic books like Isaiah or Daniel.

Here are some examples of genres of Biblical texts:

1. Narrative

This includes books of the Bible or sections of books which simply tell the story of what happened.

2. Poetry

This is all of Psalms and sections of other books. The power of poetry comes through the use of vivid figurative language. Ideas are repeated, sometimes with the same words, other times with synonyms (synonymous parallelism).

The Psalms and other poetic sections of the Bible communicate ideas, but they especially express emotion. They show life in its fullness.

3. Wisdom

Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes are collections of wise sayings meant to shape the moral and ethical lives of their readers.

They cover many practical topics. The book of James in the New Testament in many ways is like Proverbs in the Old Testament.

4. Prophecy

The four major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel) and the 12 minor prophets (Hosea through Malachi) are all God’s word to his covenant people, warning them and bolstering them during periods of pronounced spiritual and national danger.

They are mostly oracles, later written down. We gain spiritual lessons from them about the disposition of God (e.g., disappointed, indignant, sorrowful, tender, caring), and the condition of the people addressed (e.g., frightened, disobedient, humbled, arrogant). We must read Old Testament prophetic books as God’s challenge to the original audiences, and then we apply the lessons to our day.

5. Gospels

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are similar to the genres of narrative or biography, but they are more than these.

The Gospels are proclamation. The people who wrote them were true believers relating first-hand accounts about the life and teachings of Jesus. And so we read the genre of Gospel as faith documents, announcing a world-changing event centered in the person of Jesus. (The teachings of Jesus we know as parables are their own genre. These unique stories communicate lessons embedded in extended similes and metaphors.)

6. Epistles

The letters of the New Testament were communications to specific churches and individuals. They are written in a local church context.

The apostle Paul meant Romans to be an overarching description of Christian faith, whereas 1 Corinthians was occasioned by problems, including a list of questions they had for Paul (“now concerning the matters you wrote about,” 1 Cor. 7:1), and the letters to Timothy were to encourage and guide a younger church leader in a challenging spot. Epistles are “occasioned” texts, and so we need to get at the circumstances that led to them being written.

7. Apocalypse

The book of Revelation and parts of the book of Daniel are revelations.

Like other prophecies, they proclaim urgent messages to their original audiences, in particular, warning and comfort. To a greater degree than other prophetic books, they employ much symbolic language, which can be understood by studying preceding similar expressions in Scripture.

When we sit down to study the Bible we recognize what genre we are looking at in order to gain a head start in getting at the meaning. If we don’t account for genre we will certainly misunderstand and misapply the truth of God’s word. Genres also show how God’s word is wide and varied and deep, and worthy of a lifetime of study.

III. Focus on the Central Idea of the Text. (CIT)

Experts also advocate for an “Author’s Intended Meaning” (AIM) perspective, urging interpreters to seek what the original authors aimed to communicate.

This principle urges interpreters to seek what the biblical authors themselves aimed to communicate to their original audience.

It’s about digging into the text to understand the message as the authors intended it, not as we wish to interpret it based on our modern perspectives or biases.

This approach respects the divine inspiration of Scripture:

While God is the ultimate author, He chose to convey His message through human writers within specific historical and cultural contexts.

To grasp AIM, consider the following questions:

What purpose did the author have in writing this text?What message was the author conveying to the original audience?How does the author’s cultural and historical context influence this message?

By focusing on CIT, we align our interpretation with the text’s original purpose, ensuring a more accurate understanding of its message.

Interesting fact: This stance aligns with 2 Timothy 3:16, reminding readers that all scripture is inspired by God for teaching and instruction.

IV. Consider the bigger picture

Let’s not forget one of the most critical best practices for interpreting biblical texts: always consider the big picture.

It’s easy to get lost in the details and forget to step back and see how a passage fits into the larger narrative of the Bible.

The Bible is more than a collection of individual books; it’s a unified story of God’s redemptive plan for humanity.

Every passage, every verse, contributes to this grand narrative in some way.

When interpreting a text, always ask yourself:

How does this passage contribute to the overarching story of the Bible? What does it reveal about God’s character, His plans, or His relationship with humanity?

Consequently, you can understand not just what a text is saying, but why it matters in the grand scheme of things.

Check cross-Testament.

This includes asking the question “Is this spoken of in the OT?” “Does anyone in the NT quote this verse?”

V. Maintain a Christ-centered perspective

Keep in mind that a God-centered perspective in interpretation ensures the focus remains on what the text reveals about God’s character and His interactions with humanity.

This principle reminds us that at the heart of Scripture is the revelation of God Himself — His character, His will, and His redemptive work in the world.

As we delve into the Bible, our primary aim should be to learn more about God and how He relates to His creation.

That’s how we can ensure that our study is not just an intellectual exercise but a spiritual journey that draws us closer to God.

When we approach the Bible with a God-centered perspective, we seek to understand what each passage tells us about God.

How does this text reveal God’s nature?What does it show us about His purposes and plans?How are His justice, mercy, love, and sovereignty displayed?

This approach keeps our interpretation aligned with the Bible’s ultimate purpose: to know God and make Him known.

VI. Apply it personally

Finally, the best practices for interpreting biblical texts are not complete without considering their application, both personally and within a community.

The Bible was written not only to inform but to transform.

After understanding a passage’s context, genre, AIM, and literary elements, ask:

How does this text apply to my life today?What is it calling me, and my community, to do or to be?How can these ancient truths guide us in contemporary issues?

Personal application involves allowing the Holy Spirit to work through the text to challenge, encourage, and change us.

The communal application extends this transformation to how we live out these truths within our families, churches, and wider communities, fostering growth and unity in faith.

Principles:

The principle of first mention

Believe it or not, in biblical interpretation, there’s a fascinating principle known as the “principle of first mention.”

This principle suggests that the first mention of an idea, concept, or figure in the Bible holds significant insight into its meaning throughout the Scripture.

When encountering a concept or figure, it’s beneficial to go back to its first mention in the Bible.

How was it introduced? What context was it provided in?

This first mention often contains foundational information that shapes our understanding as we encounter the same concept or figure later on.

For instance, the first time faith is mentioned in Genesis, it’s in the context of Abraham’s trust in God’s promise.

This sets a foundational understanding of faith as trust in God’s promises, which is echoed throughout the rest of the Bible.

It’s true that this practice may require a bit more digging and cross-referencing. However, the insights gained make it a worthwhile endeavor.

Literal until it says otherwise.

The primary goal of hermeneutics is the discovery of the author’s intended meaning.

The ultimate meaning of any passage of Scripture is that which the author intended. We believe the author’s intended meaning can be discovered through the careful study of the words (semantics), word study of the original ancient Hebrew and Greek texts to discover shades of meaning found difficult to translate into our native languages, grammar (syntax – it is presumed the writers used proper grammar), and style (genre) that the author used to write his text, as well as through our understanding of the cultural, historical, geographical, and theological contexts that influenced his life.

Many approach the Bible as if they determine the meaning. This is not so…

Jesus went on ships with storms, these were not hard times they were an actual storm. The question the Bible student asks is not what is this storm in my life. But what did the people in that moment learn by watching Jesus.

When Jesus heals a blind man. Is healing our blindness or was he asserting that Isaiah was right and a Messiah has come and one of the proofs was that God’s Anointed one would heal the eyes of the blind. You see when we make the text about us we end up in a backwards approach to Scripture.

Jesus is the point of Scripture.

When I make it about me I am practicing Narcigesis. This will not draw me closer to the Lord. Instead practice this simple step.

Precept - Principle - Person

Final words: Transforming your Biblical studies

In conclusion, interpreting biblical texts is a rich and rewarding journey that requires diligence, humility, and a heart open to learning.

When we approach the Bible with an open heart and mind, ready to learn and grow, we find ourselves not just reading a book but participating in a conversation with God Himself.

This is the true power and beauty of studying the Scriptures.

As society grapples with evolving moral and spiritual questions, the ability to access the Bible’s teachings accurately becomes increasingly vital.

Let’s commit to approaching God’s Word with the reverence and dedication it deserves.