Exegesis vs. Eisegesis: Are You Reading Scripture or Reading into It?

I went to ten years of seminary and skipped out on fast food to buy Logos books because I wanted to know as best a human could how to interpret the Bible well. I had teachers and mentors—and especially one pastor—who clearly had the tools I lacked for pursuing a careful and confident understanding of Scripture. My desire impelled me into the world of scriptural exegesis—and away from its doppelganger, eisegesis. I want to submit to the text, not make the text submit to me. But how can I make sure to exegete and not eisegete? Ultimately, the direction of your heart—toward the Lord or toward some other God—will determine whether you truly listen to his speech in Scripture. But if your heart is for the Lord but your mind needs some assistance gaining listening skills, I’ll try in this article to provide you some categories and tips that will help you engage in exegesis. Table of contentsUnderstanding the basic conceptsA real-life example of eisegesisHow to do exegesis instead of eisegesisFinding help for your exegesisConclusion Understanding the basic concepts Let me introduce exegesis to you, at least in the way I think about it. What is exegesis? “Exegesis” is the word that careful ...