HOMILETICS AND EXEGESIS

INTRODUCTION In 1 Corinthians 2:9 Paul writes Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. What comes to mind when one reads this text? Many perhaps will answer heaven because they may have read statements like the following: Those who accept the teachings of God will not be wholly ignorant concerning the heavenly abode. And yet Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9. Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those who behold it. No finite mind can comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God. (Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy [Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1950], 675. Emphasis mine). However, is Paul really talking about heaven in this text? Let us look at the context in 1 Corinthians 2:1-8 (NKJV): And I brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech of or wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. In verses 1-5 Paul speaks about the wisdom of man. He calls it human wisdom in verse 4. In verses 6, 7, however, he speaks about the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory. What is the mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the ages? In Ephesians 1:7-9, speaking of Jesus, Paul says, In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself. And in 1 Timothy 3:16 he says And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached

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among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory. According to Ephesians 1:9 and 1 Timothy 3:16 then, the hidden wisdom, the mystery, which God ordained before the ages are Jesus and the plan of salvation. And this wonderful mystery, none of the rulers of this world knew, says Paul, for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor 2:8). And then follows our text in verse 9. In verse 10 Paul says, But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. What has God revealed to them, the apostles, through His Spirit? Heaven? No, the plan of salvation - Jesus. To be fair to Scripture we must let the text say what the writer intended it to say. When exegeting a text we must first of all establish what the writer, under inspiration, wanted to say. THREE WAYS TO USE A TEXT A. Exegetically Exegesis is concerned with the writers original intent; what the writer, that is God through the human instrument, wanted to say in the original context. In exegeting a text we bring out the original message and to do this we use the grammatical-historical method.

B. Theologically To use a text theologically means to discuss the implications which the passage has for a larger theological scheme based on Scripture as a whole. As far as 1 Corinthians 2:9 is concerned, the larger picture would be the message of salvation. A theological use of the text, therefore, would show the contribution this text makes to the doctrine of salvation. The theological use includes typology. Biblically, a type is a person, event, or institution in the OT which in some way foreshadows a person, event, or institution in the NT. That which was foreshadowed in this way is called the antitype. For example; Psalm 22 exegetically refers first of all to Davids persecution and illness (1 Samuel 23:25), but Psalm 22 goes beyond David. Typologically it refers to Christ and His experience on the cross. David, in Psalm 22, is a type of Jesus. The theological interpretation follows the grammatical-historical exegesis. The text must be understood not only in its literary and historical context but also in the context of the divine revelation as a whole. C. Homiletically

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Homiletics is the art of preparing sermons. The homiletical use of a text means to use the language of the text to move people into action, in a worship setting for instance, to apply the language of the text to a present day problem or situation without considering the historical context. It means using the language of the text in order to say what the preacher wants to say. Examples: In Mark 1:15 Jesus comes to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and says, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. Exegetically, verse 15 has been fulfilled because Christ has come, and with Him the kingdom of grace has begun. Homiletically, we can apply the text to our time. We can say, the time is fulfilled for all the time prophecies have been fulfilled and the kingdom [of glory] is at hand. It will come when Jesus returns in the clouds of heaven. In the same chapter, in verse 17, Jesus says to Simon and Andrew, Come after Me, and I will make you become fishers of men. Exegetically, what Jesus says here referred to Simon and Andrew. He was talking to them and inviting them to follow Him. Homiletically, this text applies to you and to me. Jesus invites each one of us today to follow Him and He will make us fishers of men. And every preacher standing in the pulpit on Sabbath morning can give this invitation to follow Jesus to his congregation. Both uses are legitimate but we must distinguish between them. As far as 1 Corinthians 2:9 is concerned, exegetically the text speaks about salvation. What Paul says, however, is also true of heaven: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard . . . the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. Therefore, homiletically, 1 Corinthians 2:9 can be applied to heaven as long as we make it clear that Paul was originally writing about salvation, not heaven. GUIDELINES TO PROPER EXEGESIS In the following basic model of biblical exegesis the guidelines, framed as questions, explain step by step how a text or a passage of the Bible can be exegeted to discover what the original writer meant when he wrote the text and how it can be applied to the present. A. What is the Text? Those who are well acquainted with Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek will primarily use the original texts. For the Old Testament the standard text is the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, for the New Testament it is the United Bible Society text (Barbara Aland, et al., The Greek New Testament [Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1998]). Students who are somewhat familiar with the original languages may use an interlinear translation in addition to several good English

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translations. For the Old Testament: John R. Kohlenberger III, ed., NIV Interlinear Hebrew-English Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1987) Jay Green, ed., The Interlinear Hebrew/Greek English Bible, vol. 1-3 (Lafayette, IN: Associated Publishers and Authors, Inc., 1982) For the New Testament the student has available: Jay Green, ed., The Interlinear Hebrew/Greek English Bible, vol. 4 (Lafayette, IN: Associated Publishers and Authors, Inc., 1983) Marshall, The Interlinear Greek - English New Testament (London: Samuel Bagster and Sons, 1959) All other Bible students will be dependent on good English translations of the Bible. Their first task, therefore, will be to decide which translation to choose. Since the focus of hermeneutics is the written Word, it is very important that we use a translation which preserves the original text as far as possible. How can we know which translation is best? The answer is not easy. There are two major types of translations: Committee Translations: These are done by a group of scholars who work together on certain books or sections of the Bible, and who are usually specialists in biblical languages. They are also knowledgeable in the history and background of the books they are translating. Examples of committee translations are: The King James Version, The New King James Version, The Revised Version, The New Revised Version, The New English Bible, The Revised English Bible, The Jerusalem Bible, The New International Version, and The New American Standard Bible. One-person Translations and Paraphrases. They are produced by one person who is skilled in literary style, but not necessarily in biblical languages. These translators often consult biblical experts on difficult passages. Examples of such translations are: Robert Bratchers Good News for Modern Man (Todays English Version), J.B. Phillips New Testament in Modern English, and Kenneth Taylor, The Living Bible. Jack Blancos The Clear Word is an Adventist paraphrase. Another very popular but rather loose paraphrase is The Message by R. Peterson. The one-person translations and paraphrases usually have a more consistent style and are easier to read, but they often reflect the doctrinal and social bias of the translator and frequently

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add to or subtract from the text. For example, compare Romans 10:4 in the following versions: NKJV: For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Good News: For Christ has brought the law to an end, so that everyone who believes is put right with God. The Living Bible: They dont understand that Christ gives to those who trust in Him everything they are trying to get by keeping His laws. He ends all of that. The Message: The earlier revelation was intended simply to get us ready for the Messiah, who then puts everything right for those who trust Him to do it. The Clear Word: Christs sacrifice should make it evident that law-keeping is not a means of salvation. Righteousness comes from Christ, not from law-keeping. The NJKV comes very close to the original text. The additions in the other versions are the translators interpretations of what they think the text means. Their interpretations may, or may not, be right, but they have moved beyond the actual text to their interpretation of the text. While the one-person translations and paraphrases often have an exciting sense of vitality and may throw new light on familiar passages, serious students should always compare them with one or more committee translations. If an idea appears in a one-person translation that does not appear in most committee translations, it is a tip that the idea may represent an interpretation of the translator. For this reason, one-person translations and paraphrases should not be used for serious Bible study, unless they are compared with committee translations (A. Berkeley and Alvera M. Mickelsen, Understanding Scripture [Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1992], 44). Which of the committee translations is best? While the King James Version was the best translation in 1611, it no longer holds that place today, although it is still one of the three bestselling Bibles. The version which comes closest to the original text is the New American Standard Bible, but it is somewhat wooden in style. The most popular Bible at the present time is the New International Version, produced by conservative evangelical Christians. It is very close to the Revised Standard Version, which is also a good modern translation. The New King James Version, which has been well received, is an updated version of the King James Version. For serious Bible study and preaching it is helpful to consult several versions. Good standard translations are the RSV, the NASB, the NIV and the NJKV. For personal and family devotions a paraphrase may be used. Paraphrases, however, should not be used in the pulpit. Helpful Sources: Lewis, J. P. The English Bible from KJV to NIV. Baker, 1991.

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Dunton, Hugh. Bible Versions. Grantham, Lincolnshire: Autumn House, 1998.

B. What Does the Text Say? This is a question concerning the grammar of the text. A Bible student should have a working knowledge of basic grammar. After all, how can he interpret the Bible if he cannot distinguish between a subject and an object, or a noun and an article? For example, John 1:1 reads, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In the New World Translation, however, we find that the text says, In the beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god. Jehovahs Witnesses, who do not believe in the divinity of Jesus, argue that since the word God at the end of the text does not have the article in Greek, it should be translated a god. Now it is true that the Greek word theos (God) at the end of John 1:1 does not have the definite article. However, in Greek, as in English and other languages, the presence or absence of the definite article does not alter the fundamental meaning of the noun. For example, Satan is called the god of this age (2Cor 4:4), but the presence of the article does not mean that the word god refers to the true God. The word theos - both with and without the article - is used for God about 1,400 times in the New Testament. For a false god it is used only six times and its meaning is always clearly indicated by the context (Acts 7:43, 12:22, 28:6; 2Cor 4:4; Phil 3:19; 2Thess 2:7). Furthermore, in John 1 theos is used four other times without the article and is always translated God, even in the New World Translation (1:6,12,13,18). Readers unfamiliar with Greek and Hebrew grammar will have to rely on the text as given in the translation they use. Therefore, a number of good translations should be compared with each other to make sure the text says the same in English as in the original languages. Helpful Sources: Gugliotto, L. J. Handbook for Bible Study. Review and Herald, 1995. Garrett, Duane. Reading Biblical Hebrew. Broadman and Holman, 2001. C. What Does the Text Mean? The meaning of words and a persons use of them are of great importance. Christians should explain the language of the Bible according to its obvious meaning, unless a symbol or a figure is employed. (Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, [Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1950], 599). This means the words of Scripture are to be interpreted in the same way words are understood in ordinary daily use. In studying words, we must be aware that words may have several meanings, or that

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meanings can change over time. For example, in Galatians 5:17 Paul says, For the flesh (Gr. sarx) lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. In this passage, where Paul contrasts flesh with Spirit, he is using flesh to mean our sinful nature (NIV); our self-centeredness. In Philippians 1:22-24 Paul uses flesh with a different meaning. But if I live on in the flesh (sarx), this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. In this passage, flesh obviously refers to the physical body (NIV) that can die. The context must determine the meaning of a biblical word, just as context determines meaning in our own speech. Take for example the word rest. If, after working in the garden for hours, I say I want to take a rest, it means I want to sit down and take a break. If, however, I say My father is resting in the grave, I mean he died. The context determines the meaning of words. When we use the King James Version, we must remember that sometimes words have changed meaning over time. For example, the KJV in 1Thessalonians 4:15 says, We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. In modern English prevent means to stop somebody from doing something. The text, however, does not say that we cannot stop those who have died in Jesus rising to be with Him. In the 17th century, when the King James Bible was translated prevent meant precede or come before. Therefore, the text really says that we who are still alive . . . will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep (NIV). In other words, those who are asleep in Christ and the believers who will be alive when Christ comes will meet Him at the same time. Amongst many other words which have changed their meaning are: meat (Lev 14:10), which meant food; peculiar (1Pet 2:9), which meant that which belonged to one person; conversation (1Tim 4:2), which referred to behavior in general; and carriage (1Sam 17:22), which referred to that which was carried and not to a vehicle. Helpful Sources: Bridges, R. and Weigle R.. The King James Bible Word Book. Nelson, 1994. Vine, W. E. Unger, M. F. and White, W. Vines Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nelson 1984. Baker, Warren and Eugene Carpenter. The Complete Word Study Dictionary Old Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publisher, 2003. D. What is the Context?

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Context refers first of all to the immediate context, i.e., what comes immediately before and after the text under consideration, as well as to the larger context, i.e., the whole book or the whole of Scripture. Investigating the immediate context often involves going back two or three paragraphs and ahead two or three paragraphs. Chapter divisions do not necessarily serve as boundary lines. One may need to go back to the preceding chapter or ahead to the next chapter to get the true context. Disregard of the context usually leads to a wrong interpretation. For example, an evangelist, who wanted to tell his listeners that smoking was unhealthy, used Deuteronomy 29:18 to prove from the Bible that tobacco is a poisonous plant. While the text mentions a bitter root, though not a tobacco plant, the context (vss.14-21) makes it clear that the root is a symbol for sin. . . . sin was like a poisonous branch with bitter fruit, which by its nature spoiled the whole tree. (Peter C. Craigie, Deuteronomy, NICOT [Grand Rapids: W. B. Eerdmans, 1976], 358). The passage teaches that sin was like a poisonous branch with bitter fruit, which by its nature spoils the whole tree. Thus, if idolatry were to take root in Israel, its ultimate issue would be the utter ruin of the nation. It cannot be emphasized too strongly that in exegeting a particular text, the student must go back to the beginning of the story, if the context is historical, or to the beginning of the argument, if the text is involved in a chain of reasoning. Whatever the situation, it is important that the text is in harmony with the meaning of the context, because a text without a context easily becomes a pretext. Helpful Sources: Introductions to the Bible, Bible dictionaries and commentaries such as: Archer, G. L.. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction. Moody, 1994. Carson, Moo, and Morris, An Introduction to the New Testament. Zondervan, 1992. Articles on individual books providing outlines in Bible dictionaries such as: Bromiley, G. W. ed. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. 4 volumes. Eerdmans, 1979-1988. E. What Did the Text Mean When It Was Written? This guideline deals with the geographical, cultural and historical setting; the time and place of writing. To whom and by whom was the book written? Why was it written? And what role did the historical setting play in shaping the message of the book? What were the political and cultural conditions at that time? What were the tensions and problems the community faced? What were the customs of the people? These are the kinds of questions the interpreter must try to answer when considering the historical aspect of a passage.

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The Old Testament is largely a history book. The records of creation, the fall, the flood, the patriarchs, the exodus and the history of Israel - all the persons, events and institutions of the Old Testament are presented as straightforward history. And Jesus and the New Testament writers accepted the plain declarations of the Old Testament authors as accurately portraying the authorship, chronology and life-setting of the Old Testament books. For example: The fact that David wrote Psalm 110 is crucial to Jesus argument concerning His Messiahship (Matt 22:41-46). The Davidic authorship of Psalm 16 and 110 is also crucial to Peter in his Pentecost sermon to convince the Jews of the predicted resurrection of the Messiah (Acts 2:25-35). In order to know what the text meant when it was written, it is necessary to know something of the geography, the political setting, the culture, the religious customs, the economy and the thought patterns and language of the people in the Bible. Helpful Sources: Bible dictionaries and books on the archaeology and history of the ancient Near East such as: Gower, R. The New Manners and Customs of Bible Times. Moody Press, 1987. Bright, J. A History of Israel. Westminster Press, 1981. Niswonger, Richard L. New Testament History. Grand Rpids: Zondervan, 1988. Hoerth, Alfred J. Archaeology of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998. McRay, John. Archaeology of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1991. Hoerth, Alfred, J, Gerald L. Mattingly, and Edwin M. Yamauchi. People of the Old Testament World. Baker, 1994. F. What Does the Text Mean Theologically? In the interpretation of a text, it is important to place its message into the theological context of the entire Word of God. What do other passages have to contribute to a certain topic? This is where the principle of comparing Scripture with Scripture is so important. A variety of theological themes - such as God, man, creation, the fall, sin, covenant, the Sabbath, the law, remnant, salvation, sanctuary, eschatology, etc - can be found throughout the Old and New Testaments. And the theology of a particular passage must be in harmony with the theology of Scripture as a whole. In Scripture we see that the theological messages of the New Testament writers presuppose, build upon, and stand in continuity with the major Old Testament theological themes. For example, Jesus indicates the far-reaching implications of the Decalogue in His sermon on the mount (Matt 5:17-28). Paul captures the theological essence of sin in various Old Testament passages (Rom 3:8-20). And Peter, in his first epistle, explores the theological dimensions of the Messiahs atoning work as set forth in Isaiah 53 (1Pet 2:21-25). Helpful Sources: Books on Old and New Testament theology such as:

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Sailhammer, John H. Introduction to Old Testament Theology: A Canonical Approach. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995. Ladd, G. E. A Theology of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993. G. What Does the Text Mean Today? The goal of interpreting Scripture is to make practical application of each passage to the individuals life. The Scripture should ultimately be read and accepted as if Gods messages were personally addressed to each reader (Acts 9:6). The final question, therefore, should always be So what? What does all this have to do with me? Helpful Sources: Most homiletical commentaries such as: Motyer, J. A. Stott, J. R. Eds. The Bible Speaks Today Series. Inter Varsity Press. When interpreting a text the Bible student may not need to use all seven steps outlined above, however, steps four (context), five (time and place), and six (other passages) are essential to bring out the original meaning.

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