Page 14 - Homiletics Student Textbook

biblical text are biblical text are to present-day
communicated communicated in hearers
in a preaching a teaching
situation. situation.

To exegete the Bible well, To exposit the Bible well,
the student must become the student must become proficient
proficient in hermeneutics. in homiletics and pedagogy.

One cannot communicate (exposition) the scriptures accurately in a preaching (homiletics) or
teaching (pedagogy) setting unless he is first a good student of the Word (exegesis). Biblical
hermeneutics provides him with the tools he needs to be that good student.

II. Basics for Interpreting the Bible

Beyond the practices defined above, the one who seeks to interpret the Bible should approach it
with these basic understandings.

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A. The Importance of Bible Interpretation

Taking the time to interpret the scriptures is essential if one desires to understand and teach
the Bible properly. Sadly, there are people in this world who twist the scriptures and
misrepresent the truth that God has revealed (cf. 2 Co. 4:2). Beyond mere observation, digging
deeper into the Word of God helps us to fully understand God’s intended meaning so we can
make relevant applications to those living in modern-day society. The scriptures were given for
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our growth, maturity, and effectiveness in ministry (cf. 1 Pe. 2:2; He. 5:11-14; 2 Ti. 3:16-17).
We must know them well, not just what they say, but also what they mean.

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B. The Challenges of Bible Interpretation

Aside from the presuppositions that we bring to the text of scripture, we must understand that
the Bible is not a modern book. Its oldest books (Pentatuch) were written about 3400 years ago
and its newest (Revelation) about 1900 years ago. A lot has changed in the past 1900 to 3400
years. Most of us have never visited the geographical locations where many of the events in
the Bible took place. Customs and ways of thinking in the ancient Eastern world were much
different than they are in the Western world today. People then spoke and wrote differently
than they do now. Beside all these challenges, it’s important to remember as well that this is
God’s book. His infinite ways are not always comprehensible by the finite minds of men (cf. De.
29:29; Is. 55:8-9).

17 Zuck, 14-18.
18 Howard & William Hendricks, Living by the Book, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1991), 18-22.
19 Zuck, 19-22.
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