Church Words 101: Exegesis

“What do you mean by that?” is a powerful question. It is powerful because it shows the person we are talking to is taking an interest in us. This can feel like an interrogation at times, but at its best, this question is a friend’s way of saying, “I want to go deeper into what you just said.”

This question becomes even more important as we converse with the God who created us. In the same way with our human relationships, we desire to go deeper into the things God is saying to us. In a real way, we desire to ask God, “What do you mean by that?” This is what we are discussing today as we look at the word “Exegesis.” (ex-eh-GEE-sis)

We will begin by defining the term, then we will see why it matters, and we will conclude by applying it to our daily meetings with God.

What It Means

Oxford Languages defines exegesis as “critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture.” In simpler terms, exegesis is the process by which followers of Jesus dig deeper in order to understand what God is saying in His Word. We often think of Bible scholars exegeting texts, but the truth is this is something we all do in some form or fashion. When you go to Bible study and you ask, “What does this verse mean?” you are performing exegesis as a group. When you sit down in the morning to read your Bible and spend prolonged time on one verse, you are performing exegesis.

Exegesis is often contrasted with the term, “Eisegesis.” While exegesis is letting God’s Word determine the meaning of a particular passage, eisegesis occurs when we allow our own experiences and presuppositions to impact our interpretation. Let me be clear: eisegesis is dangerous. When we sit down with our Bibles, we are not doing so to re-write Scripture but allowing Scripture to re-write us! Any time we come to God in His Word, we want to do so with a posture that says, “God, you know what’s best. Show me what you have to say.” This does not mean our experiences or presuppositions are unimportant or irrelevant; it simply means we want to allow God’s Word to drive the conversation.

Why It Matters

Exegesis is vitally important to the committed follower of Jesus. Imagine you’re alone in a room that is pitch black. You can’t even see your hands as you wave them in front of your face. Terror rises in you as you feel your way around the room, not knowing what – or who – is in the room with you. Now imagine you see a door opening as light penetrates the room. You hear a familiar voice call to you, “Come this way!” You follow the voice and are reunited with a close friend. Relief overwhelms you, and you are so glad your friend cared enough to come get you.

This story illustrates why exegesis is so important. Exegesis is important because God’s Word serves as a lamp to our feet and light to our path (Psalm 119:105). Without God’s Word, we are groping about in the dark, not knowing good from evil, wise from unwise, or better from best. I often pray this prayer, “God, thank you that You have not left me in the dark, but that You have revealed yourself to me.” I pray this because God could have just left us alone, but in His love, He gave us His Word so that we could know Him and love Him.

Taking it to Heart

How should this impact us? First, it should make us grateful for the Bible. Through God’s Word and prayer, we have access to God every day, every hour, and every minute of our lives. Second, it should motivate us not merely to glance through the Bible, but to ask genuine questions when we are confused. “God, this does not make sense to me; help me understand.” Finally, this should remind us that we relate to God through His Word and on His terms. Because He is God and we are not, He is the One who drives the conversation and sets the course for our lives.

My hope is that you would not think of exegesis as something only for Bible scholars. Rather, because God’s Word is written to all of us, exegesis is for all of us as well. I pray that you would take some time to reflect on this good news: God has not left you in the dark, but in His great love for you, He has revealed Himself so that you could know and love Him. I pray today you would read the Bible in order to understand Him better, asking “God, what do you mean by that?”