Christian shepherds must only feed the LORD’s sheep the food that they themselves have received from the Chief Shepherd – the Word of the LORD Jesus Christ himself. All of this is reinforced by one of the most magnificent declarations of what it means to be a Christian teacher in all of the Bible.

In this study, the second of our five-part series, we look at the heart of what makes a biblical sermon.

1. Two interpretative approaches: exegesis versus eisegesis

Exegesis means reading meaning out of (ex) the Bible. It means approaching the Bible not to affirm our knowledge, but to attain knowledge; not to have our existing conceptions reinforced, but to have them formed, shaped, deepened, and challenged.

If the Bible is the Word of God then we approach it first and last with the intention to listen.

Eisegesis means reading meaning into (eis) the Bible. It means approaching the Bible not to learn, but only to affirm what we think we already know, to look for evidence to prove what we already think. Eisegesis makes it possible for anti-Christian cults like Mormonism to come to the Bible and to cherry pick statements here and there that support their false beliefs. Because the Bible is such a big book and is so full of poetry and metaphor it is not impossible to collate a set of verses, taken out of context, to prove one’s own theories.

How do we guard against eisegesis?

2. Rules of biblical interpretation

Exegesis follows certain rules that make it more difficult to twist the Bible to mean whatever we want it to mean.

1. Interpret Scripture by Scripture. This rule is also called the analogy of faith.
2. Interpret difficult and obscure passages in the light of more simple and straightforward passages. This is to “go with the grain” of the Bible. If we find ourselves trying to hammer round pegs into triangular holes, reinterpreting clear passages with doubtful interpretations of obscure passages, then we know we are doing something wrong.
3. Interpret Scripture according to its genre: whether history, genealogy, law, prophecy, poetry, proverbs, apocalyptic, letters, or Gospel. We must not misinterpret history (like Noah’s Ark) as metaphor; or poetic metaphors (“all your waves and breakers have swept over me”) as prose facts; or apocalyptic numbers (“a thousand years”) as calendar years; or proverbial principles (“honour the Lord with your wealth then your barns will be filled to overflowing”) as laws.
4. Understand the historical and cultural context: the Bible was written by particular people from a particular place and time with a particular language and culture, who engaged with particular people and events. This means that we can only interpret the Bible correctly if we first ask: “What did these words mean coming from this person at this time and place and in this situation?” (Scholars call this grammatical-historical exegesis.) It is only when we understand the words in their original context that we can begin the hard work of bridging them to our own time, place, culture, and events.

3. Interpret the Bible Christologically

The New Testament teaches over and again that the entire Bible is about Jesus Christ.

Luke 24:25–27 [Jesus said to the dejected disciples on the Road to Emmaus] ‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Luke 24:44 ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’

John 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’

John 5:46 ‘If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.’

Acts 26:22b–23 I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen—that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.’

When studying a Bible passage, whether devotionally or in preparation to teach or preach, we must always ask: “What does this teach me about the Saviour Jesus Christ? What does this teach me about faith in Christ, and life as his disciple?”

4. How does the Old Testament teach us about Jesus Christ?

1. By direct prophecy:

Genesis 3:15 [God said this to the serpent about the coming “seed of the woman”:] “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

2 Samuel 7:12–16 [God promised this to David:] “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.”

Psalm 2:7–9 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to [the Messiah], ‘You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.’

Isaiah 7:14 The Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6–7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.

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