Let Scripture Speak

Exegesis Vs. Eisegesis

Sometimes a verse of Scripture is not clear or it seems to violate other Scripture and even the teaching of the rest of the Word… When we find that, we look carefully at what it says, we look at the context and we ask ourselves if there is a way to understand the verse that agrees with the rest of Scripture. That is called Exegesis and it is good.

Then there is Eisegesis… I look at all Scripture in the light of what my denomination or my church teaches and I bend all Scripture, warping it, twisting it, and interpreting it in impossible ways… all in order to force that Scripture to agree with what I already believe… That is bad…

Let me give you a couple of examples.

John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

That sounds like maybe once I am saved, I cannot be lost… but there are so many Scriptures that disagree… Scripture speaks of falling from grace and being severed from Christ… Revelation speaks of having your name blotted out of the Book. Jesus parable tells of believers who received the Word with joy, but later the cares of this life knocked them out… How do I resolve that?

Exegesis: I look carefully at the verse in question. It says that “no one can snatch them…” but it does not say “No one can jump out of my hand…” Problem solved…

Eisegesis: I am a Baptist. Baptists believe Once Saved, Always Saved. This verse agrees with my church. This verse is right and all the others are wrong. Problem solved.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Exegesis: That is very straightforward, Jesus said it, I believe it… No problem.

Eisegesis: I am a Calvinist. Calvin said that men have no choice. Only the Elect are saved and everyone else is lost. Therefore, Jesus did not really mean that and we must understand “whosoever” to include only the Elect. What Jesus really meant to say is that those who are predestined to be saved will believe and they will be saved. Whosoever really means the elect. Calvin is happy, I am happy, problem solved.

Please… try to exegete Scripture… Eisegesis kills…

David…