What Hath Hermeneutics to Do with Bible Study?

Hermeneutics is the art and science of interpretation. Most often, in my experience, the word is used to describe interpreting one specific book, as that book presents a wholly unique set of interpretive challenges. That book is, of course, the Bible. Good hermeneutics is good Bible study. And what is good Bible study? It is, to paraphrase Kevin Vanhoozer, right readers reading rightly. And that means hermeneutics is impossible to codify completely. There is a science to it, but Bible interpretation involves readers. It’s humans acting. It’s flesh-and-blood (flesh in both major biblical senses) subjects living in specific circumstances, asking specific questions, bringing specific sets of background beliefs, listening to God speak through other humans. And it is therefore, at minimum, as complex as humans are. Proper biblical hermeneutics is an endless pursuit. Every Bible reader who pursues it will do so until he knows even as also he is known (1 Cor 13:12). Table of contentsWhat is the difference between hermeneutics and exegesis?Why is hermeneutics important for interpreting the Bible?How does hermeneutics impact Bible study?How does hermeneutics shape the way we read the Bible?...