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June 12, 2008 Quoting Scripture Is Not Exegesis
Topic Started: Dec 24 2008, 10:06 PM (80 Views)
lightninboy

Quoting Scripture Is Not Exegesis

Posted by: Bob_Wilkin

I listen to lots of messages by pastors and theologians. I also read lots of articles and books. I’ve been noticing a disturbing trend over the past 15 to 20 years.

Back in the day exegesis, the art and science of drawing the meaning out of a text, was something that many conservative Evangelicals did fairly well. Admittedly biases would come in and people would miss the point. Lordship Salvation is an example. However, even when a person would miss the point of a passage, they would be pointing to words and phrases in the passage in an effort to prove their points.

Today what passes for exegesis is stating one’s opinion and then citing one or more verses. Little if any comments are made as to why the cited words prove the point. The writer or speaker assumes that merely mentioning words of Scripture is enough.

An especially disturbing trend in this regard is authors who will give one or more pages of verses, one after another, with no comments or explanation. The impression is given that the author’s point must be true for look at all the verses that say that.

Exegesis requires analysis. Bible 101 is observation, interpretation, application. If we skip observation, then we will not interpret or apply correctly. Of course it is possible that merely by reading a passage quickly one will make some helpful observations. But in my experience meditation is what results in break through observations. But regardless of how long one thinks about a text, exegesis requires one to observe. Then exposition, the explanation of our exegesis, requires that we give enough of our observations to prove our interpretation.

Why isn’t this being done much today? The seminaries aren’t teaching it. What seminaries teach today is that students are to study the scholars and cite them. A NT scholar, for example, is not someone who studies the NT per se, but someone who is an expert in what all the scholars have to say about various texts. The way new views of passages emerge is by one scholar slightly tweaking the views of all the other scholars. Occasionally this can result in correct exegesis. But if people are studying the writings of other scholars and not the actual text of inspired Scripture, we can expect a lot will be missed.

I’ve been spoiled. I was trained by Zane Hodges, a man who taught me to study and meditate on the text of Scripture first and only go to commentaries and journal articles after I’d come to my own conclusions. I’ve enjoyed his writings and those of men like Jody Dillow (The Reign of the Servant Kings). Writers like Zane and Jody prove their exegesis not by merely quoting texts, but by pointing to the grammar, by doing word studies, by looking at word order, by examining the preceding and following context, and by looking at parallel texts.

Quoting Scripture is not exegesis. Exegesis is analyzing Scripture.
No I will not, No I will not
Not go quietly
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lightninboy

Comments:

1. Randall
Hello,
Another added element I find relavent to this discussion is the assumed accuracy of information or a particular position presented based on the passion, persuasiveness or power of the speaker. This though I would have thought previously should be less common in academia is prevalent in churches and evangelism based ministries.

I am sure many of you have visited churches where you are fortunate to even get a direct quotation, let alone a passage of scripture in support of a poorly constructed sermon filled with elaborate stories that somehow was expected to prove the point being made by the speaker.

I am particularly grateful for those of the faith that have been “spoiled” by the discipline of proper exegesis. The information presented in this manner transcends one’s personality and causes the truth to stand on its own outside of the presentation of the speaker. It affects the emotions powerfully as we become persuaded, it does not appeal to them as the basis for acceptance.
“Quoting Scripture is not exegesis. Exegesis is analyzing Scripture.”
June 14th, 2008 at 4:53 pm


2. dwags4him
Well struck Bob…

I can’t agree with you more….I need to keep doing the hard work before I look at other’s work…great point.
June 17th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
No I will not, No I will not
Not go quietly
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