Exegesis: an attempt to discover the meaning of the text objectively, starting with the text and moving out from there
Eisegesis: to import a subjective, preconceived meaning into the text
I was taught to interpret the Scriptures through exegesis alone. Start with God’s Word; pray that the spirit gives you clarity; then study to see what the text actually says. The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the Bible, so who better to help us as we seek to understand it? Scripture tells us that the Spirit not only inspired the Bible, but also illuminates it for us today (1 Cor. 2:12-16 and 2 Tim. 3:16).
The word exegesis comes from a Greek word meaning “to lead out.” As I have said, you start with the text and draw out its meaning. Eisegesis , on the other hand, is when you start with an idea or conviction, then search for verses in the Bible to prove your point. I was warned against eisegesis, and rightly so. The danger in this is that we can take verses out of context to support just about any point of view. For years people have used this style of interpretation in order to justify greed, lust, divorce, and countless other sins. Cults also use eisegesis to justify their beliefs. After realizing this, we at Cornerstone (Chan’s Church) began to question whether there were any area in our lives where we did essentially the same thing.
The bottom line is that we can easily pursue just about any lifestyle we desire, then find Scriptures to show everyone it’s all right to live that way. But what would it look like to live exegetically? If we were to start with Scripture and allow it to dictate our actions, how would we live.
