7 minute read
Compelling Biblical Truths
SIDE BY SIDE
Exegesis and hermeneutics
Exegesis and hermeneutics?
Attending in person at the first Men’s Ministry session of 2021 on Wednesday, February 3, I learned about the words “exegesis” and “hermeneutics.” At first, those two words seemed boring or hard to understand. I was thinking why am I in the room? This was an ideal time for Zoom. I could use my static screen portrait and hide out when the learning became too tough.
Thankfully, the teaching team grabbed my whole attention early in the meeting. The study quickly became more compelling and richer to me vs. my previous Bible studies. The Men's Bible Study teachers began teaching about how to study and interpret the Bible in a way I had not previously experienced.
The current Men’s Ministry study is titled, Building Your House on the Rock. The guiding book for the study is How to Read the Bible for All its Worth by Gordan Fee and Douglas Stuart. My two cents? It is an excellent Bible study book.
Summarized from the book publisher’s information:
The focus of the book is on differences in genres within the Bible. There are practices to encourage an appreciation for simply reading the Bible. The authors, Fee (former Wheaton College instructor) and Stuart, are two experienced seminary professors who believe in understanding, obeying and applying biblical text. The book emphasizes both exegesis and hermeneutics.
As I attend each study session, either in person or by zoom, there is a combination of learning about various Bible translations and interpretations as well as an emphasis on better understanding biblical context. Also, there is analysis on how the gospel is threaded throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
Going back to the title of the current Men’s Ministry session, I was curious how this Bible study was going to help me build my house on the rock. What does that really mean? How do I build my house there? Is it a solid, stable place in which to actually live? Is the rock a place of fearing less and knowing more truths about life and the life after based on deeper study of the Bible?
The first place to start in answering those questions is a deeper, wider and more wise study of the Bible. Seems obvious. What is happening for me is that this Men’s Bible study is more complete in answering those questions.
The reality is, for me as a lifelong Christian, I have dimly studied the Bible. Yet, I think I am a faithful Christian. In college, I took semesters of study in both the Old and New Testaments. Now, I consistently attend church services and men’s ministry each week, and I usher.
As far as real Bible study, however, I was not building my house on the rock. With this session, that Bible learning ambivalence is fading away. The teachings have brought a brighter and enriching light into my faith.
How so? What is happening in the Men’s Bible study meetings to brighten that light after many years of living in alowlight Bible knowledge world?
Well, back to exegesis and hermeneutics and adding the word “truths.” The first two are year 2021 new words for me. Truth, of course, is something most everyone searches for all their lives. Absolute truth is being the best version.
In the current secular world, it is generally popular to think there are no absolute truths. Relative truths are popular and reveal from a thought process in which most every decision is relative. What is true for some might not be true for others. Today, culture is more a “whatever” relativistic world.
As Christians, we know that Jesus Christ teaches about truth. He says there is truth, and he is the truth. John 14; 6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Then what are exegesis and hermeneutics? How do they help us define truths? How do they help the Bible come alive for those who study it?
In their book, authors Fee and Stuart wrote that one of the main objectives in writing the book is the goal of describing the different genres of the books of the Bible.
The study strategies, as an example, for the Book of Psalms and the Epistles should be different. They clearly are different and were written in different times in history. Exegesis and hermeneutics are key tools used in Bible study strategies.
Fee and Stuart define exegesis as the careful, systematic study of the Scripture to discover the original, intended meaning—to learn what was the original intent of the words of the Bible. Hermeneutics is “the process of applying the original text and i’s intended meaning to become culturally relevant to today’s reader.”
Another way to describe what exegesis and hermeneutics are comes from a YouTube video of Fee in the classroom teaching. In that, he said exegesis describes the then and there while hermeneutics explains how to move to the here and now. Exegesis describes what was happening at the time of the events being written from perspectives of the writer and reader. Hermeneutics explains how readers of the Bible now can apply what was written back then to their lives today from God’s perspective. Basically, what is God teaching?
Why is this so important? From my personal example, prior to the Men’s Bible study, I thought parts of the Bible, especially the Old Testament, were less real and relevant to my everyday life than the New Testament what Jesus taught.
However, what I am learning is the foundation of the Christian faith is in studying the entire Bible. My opportunity is doing more of it. Truthfully, I spend too much time researching something to buy and less time studying the Bible.
The Wednesday evening Bible study amps up my Bible study light making the Bible more interesting…actually, compelling! Whether in person or attending by Zoom, the learning light is shining brighter.
By the way, in the pandemic world, I find Zoom meetings and in person attendance are a combination that works well. I can follow conversations and understand messages either way. Obviously, being in the room makes for more of a community of people gathering in His name.
However, not having to drive a half hour each way is helpful. That may be one reason Men’s Ministry has more Zoom participants, in addition to pandemic concerns. Also, with Zoom attendance, I am able to do some iPad researching while the speaker is talking.
I have not missed a class this session attending both live and by Zoom. The exceptional teachers, the rich content and the Fee/ Stuart book all keep the study at a rich, intelligent and wise level that that I have not experienced before.
These compelling studies have triggered my own Bible research. As mentioned earlier, I watched a video of Dr. Gordon Fee lecturing in a classroom to young missionary students. One section describes what Fee thought God’s teaching plan is. Fee concludes that God himself has chosen to speak his truths not by great voices from heaven. God speaks his word in real situations to real people in a real historical context. God choose to become involved in human history. The incarnate Son of God wore diapers in a real world, and he lived a real human life. It was not a fake human life, and it was not some kind different human than ours. Jesus is truly God and truly man.
So, God has lived out a truly human life on the planet earth. That should give us great courage as we regard how God chose to come and make himself known to us and how he revealed himself to us in Scripture.
The Bible would have been a simple thing if we only had just so many propositions to follow. As it is, we always have to wrestle with the exegesis and hermeneutical questions. Praise God! He chose to reveal himself in history where we are now.
His teaching plan does have a requirement to diligently study and apply the learning. This session of Men’s Bible study is giving me that gift. Thanks, and praise to God!
Please consider attending the men’s Bible study. All men are always welcome at any meeting. If you have not attended before, maybe start first by attending via Zoom meeting.
