EXEGESIS VS EISEGESIS
Bad theology does more harm to the propagation of the glorious gospel of grace than anything else. Very often Christians and non Christians are given the picture of an inconsistent God and atheist capitalize on this misrepresentation of the gospel to justify the non existence of a creator even when the human conscience says the contrary. It is against this backdrop that a sound knowledge of apologetics is a prerequisite before anyone is ordained a minister of the gospel. God is hated because of how he is represented by inequipped preachers especially in this day and age of internet technology .
Question: "What is the difference between exegesis and eisegesis?"
Answer: Exegesis and eisegesis are two conflicting approaches in Bible study. Exegesis is the exposition or
explanation of a text based on a careful, objective analysis. The word exegesis literally means “to lead out
of.” That means that the interpreter is led to his conclusions by following the text.
The opposite approach to Scripture is eisegesis, which is the interpretation of a passage based on a
subjective, non-analytical reading. The word eisegesis literally means “to lead into,” which means the
interpreter injects his own ideas into the text, making it mean whatever he wants.Obviously, only exegesis does justice to the text. Eisegesis is a mishandling of the text and often leads to a misinterpretation. Exegesis is concerned with discovering the true meaning of the text, respecting its grammar, syntax, and setting. Eisegesis is concerned only with making a point, even at the expense of the meaning of words.
Second Timothy 2:15 commands us to use exegetical methods: “Present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” An honest student of the Bible will be an exegete, allowing the text to speak for itself.
Eisegesis easily lends itself to error, as the would-be interpreter attempts to align the text with his own preconceived notions. Exegesis allows us to agree with the Bible; eisegesis seeks to force the Bible to agree with us.
The process of exegesis involves
1) observation: what does the passage say?
2) interpretation: what does the passage mean?
3) correlation: how does the passage relate to the rest of the Bible? and
4) application:how should this passage affect my life?
Eisegesis, on the other hand, involves
1) imagination: what idea do I want to present?
2) exploration: whatScripture passage seems to fit with my idea? and
3) application: what does my idea mean? Notice that, in eisegesis, there is no examination of the words of the text or their relationship to each other, no cross-referencing with related passages, and no real desire to understand the actual meaning. Scripture serves only as a prop to the interpreter’s idea.
bTo illustrate, let’s use both approaches in the treatment of one passage:2 Chronicles 27:1-2
“Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. . . .
He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done, but unlike him he did not
enter the temple of the LORD.”
EISEGESIS
First, the interpreter decides on a topic. Today, it’s “The Importance of Church Attendance.” The interpreter
reads 2 Chronicles 27:1-2 and sees that King Jotham was a good king, just like his father Uzziah had been,except for one thing: he didn’t go to the temple! This passage seems to fit his idea, so he uses it. The resulting sermon deals with the need for passing on godly values from one generation to the next. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with preaching about church attendance or the transmission of values.
And a cursory reading of 2 Chronicles 27:1-2 seems to support that passage as an apt illustration. However, the
above interpretation is totally wrong. For Jotham not to go to the temple was not wrong; in fact, it was very
good, as the proper approach to the passage will show.Just because King Uzziah went to the temple every week didn’t mean that his son would continue the practice.
In the same way, many young people today tragically turn from their parents’ training, and church
attendance drops off. The sermon ends with a question: “How many blessings did Jotham fail to receive,
simply because he neglected church?”Certainly, there is nothing wrong with preaching about church attendance or the transmission of values. And
a cursory reading of 2 Chronicles 27:1-2 seems to support that passage as an apt illustration. However, the
above interpretation is totally wrong. For Jotham not to go to the temple was not wrong; in fact, it was very
good, as the proper approach to the passage will show.
EXEGESIS
First, the interpreter reads the passage and, to fully understand the context, he reads the histories of both
Uzziah and Jotham ( 2 Chronicles 26-27 ; 2 Kings 15:1-6 , 32-38 ). In his observation, he discovers that King
Uzziah was a good king who nevertheless disobeyed the Lord when he went to the temple and offered
incense on the altar—something only a priest had the right to do ( 2 Chronicles 26:16-20 ). Uzziah’s pride
and his contamination of the temple resulted in his having “leprosy until the day he died” ( 2 Chronicles
26:21 ).Needing to know why Uzziah spent the rest of his life in isolation, the interpreter studies Leviticus 13:46 and
does some research on leprosy. Then he compares the use of illness as a punishment in other passages,
such as 2 Kings 5:27 ; 2 Chronicles 16:12 ; and 21:12-15 .
By this time, the exegete understands something important: when the passage says Jotham “did not enter
the temple of the LORD,” it means he did not did not repeat his father’s mistake. Uzziah had proudly
usurped the priest’s office; Jotham was more obedient.The resulting sermon might deal with the Lord’s discipline of His children, with the blessing of total
obedience, or with our need to learn from the mistakes of the past rather than repeat them.
Of course, exegesis takes more time than eisegesis. But if we are to be those unashamed workmen “who
correctly handle the word of truth,” then we must take the time to truly understand the text. Exegesis is the
only way. May God give you a personal exegetic insight into the wisdom of His word as you read this in Jesus name. Ask Jesus Christ into your life now .
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