How to Study the BibleSample

When you are trying to dive deeper into Scripture, there are two ways to approach it–exegesis and eisegesis.

Exegesis means to draw the meaning out of the text, while eisegesis means to impose meaning onto the text. Now, it's not as important to know these terms for everyday conversations, but by understanding them, you will have a healthier approach to Scripture.

One of the most important things to understand when trying to dive deeper into the Bible is that meaning is determined by the author, but the reader discovers it. The author of a book always has an intention or reasoning as to why they wrote the book. The audience does not get to choose that. They can, however, derive the meaning left by the author.

We must be careful not to impose our meaning into the Bible but allow it to speak for itself. The Bible only has one interpretation but many applications. And this is where people sometimes mesh the two. What it says is literal, but how it can apply to individual lives is where the "revelations" take place.

People will also pull a Scripture out of context to justify their compromise when reading. We must be careful not to do that. We must never change the Bible to justify our lives. Instead, we must allow it to change us.

As Christians, we don't read the Bible to find a justification for what we believe; we read Scripture and allow it to teach us what to believe.

Let's Pray:

Father, I pray that You would examine and create a pure heart within me. Allow Your Word to correct me in areas that I need to change. Open my eyes to see Your corrections within Scripture. In Jesus' name. Amen,