Reading the Bible and Getting the Meaning Right
An overview of the process
Being an Expositor Preacher/teacher/student implies three commitments:
Exposition of the Bible is more of an attitude than a method or style.
Do you subject the Scripture to your thoughts or your thoughts to the Scripture?
Basic Biblical Exegesis
Everything starts with an idea
Therefore, basic biblical exegesis or
reading the bible for meaning, is about discovering the original author’s idea.
Which again, is referred to as the authorial intent of the passage or the exegetical idea.
Subject:
Which always asks the question, What is the author talking about.
Complement:
Always answers the question, What is the author saying about what he’s talking about . . .
An Idea is Made up of Two Parts:
Every scripture passage belongs in a particular category of literature known as a genre!
Throughout the Bible, you will encounter various genres. Each, has specific rules for interpretation.
Narrative Literature (Including Parables)
Epistolary Literature
Wisdom Literature
The Law
Miracles
Apocalyptic Literature
11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
Hebrews 5:11-14
Basic Biblical Exegesis
If Paul had so much to say to the Church about Christ, what does the text suggest was making it so hard for him to explain to the people of God?
What is the author talking about?
By answering this question,
we discover the (Subject) of the passage!
Here’s what this passage is talking about:
“While you ought to be teachers by now;
you need to be taught the elementary principles of the word of God, all over again!”
The Problem/Conflict
The people are dull of hearing;
they have a lazy ear; and slow to understand!
Exegetical Idea
Subject: While you ought to be teachers of the word of God by now; you need to be taught the elementary principles all over again!”
Complements:
1. You’re still babies/infants.
2. You can’t handle solid food. Because solid food is for the mature.
They BECAME dull of hearing
because they did not practice the
elementary principles of the faith!
Practice
Doing something again and again, doing it repeatedly. The ides is: as a result of going over the elementary principles again and again, that discipline of practice will train your senses until they are able to distinguish between good and evil’
Or we could translate it as: ‘since you have often judged between good and evil, your abilities to do so are well-trained’ or ‘… you are well qualified to judge between good and evil, when your ability to do so is well-trained. Acts 2:42; Eph 4:11-14.
Teaching
The truly mature people of God
master the elementary principles
of the faith!
When God’s people fail to master the
1st principles, the revelation of God can easily be distorted! Colossians 2:6-8; 1 Ptr 3:14-18.
Which two senses does the author suggest are developed by practicing the
elementary principles of the faith?
Hearing
Hearing is a process.
In fact, hearing is a legal term,
which demands that everyone
involved become engaged!
Taste
The word of God is an acquired taste!
In order to acquire the taste for it, one
Has to develop his/her spiritual pallet
For doing what is righteous.
1 Timothy 4:6-16
Trained:
γυμνάζωa: From which we get the word gymnastics or gymnasium. It is the ability to accurately perceive the truth—to make oneself obey’—‘to command one’s heart.’
Setting: Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain,
Conflict: You have become dull of hearing.
Subject: You ought to be teachers; but you need the elementary principles of the word of God taught to you all over again!”
Rising Action: You have come to need milk and not solid food.
Climax: Everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness.�Complements: He is an infant. Solid food is for the mature.
Resolution: Who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
The attitude which every good expositor must develop is…
A determination to locate the original author’s idea in the passage.
This idea is also known as the authorial intent of a passage.
Being an Expositor Preacher/teacher/student implies three commitments: