Expository Principles
Our hermeneutical methodology for sound Biblical interpretation
I. High View of Scripture
Approach the Bible with the conviction that it is the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God.
II. Foundational Principles
1. Acknowledge the Bible's Dual Nature
Recognize that the Bible is both a divine book authored by God and a human book written by people to be understood by people.
2. Uphold the Unity of Scripture (Analogy of Faith)
Since God is the author, the Bible cannot contradict itself. No passage, when correctly interpreted, will contradict another. Interpret obscure passages in light of clear ones.
3. Recognize the Progression of Revelation
Understand that later Scriptures add to and supplement earlier revelation but never contradict it.
4. Strive for Authorial Intent
The primary goal of interpretation is to discover the author's intended meaning. The locus of meaning is in the author's meaning as expressed in the text.
5. Pursue a Single Meaning
A biblical text has one basic, proper meaning or interpretation. While there is one correct interpretation, it may have several legitimate applications.
6. Maintain Historical Uniqueness (Individual vs. Corporate)
Distinguish between promises or rites given to unique historical figures and their general application to subsequent generations. Do not universally apply an individual's unique experience to a corporate group without explicit textual warrant.
III. The Grammatical-Historical Method
1. Interpret Literally
Explain the Bible according to the normal, customary, and proper usages of its language. This is also called the normal or plain method of interpretation.
2. Analyze the Grammar
- Determine the meaning of words through etymology and usage
- Understand the form (morphology) and function (parts of speech)
- Analyze relationships of words in phrases, clauses, and sentences
3. Analyze the Historical-Cultural Context
- Identify author, readers, date, place, occasion, and purpose
- Understand cultural environment: political, religious, economic, legal, social
4. Determine the Literary Context
CRITICAL: Never isolate a text; the context determines the meaning.
- Examine immediate context (sentence and paragraph)
- Examine book context (overall theme and purpose)
- Examine Biblical context (harmony with whole Scripture)
5. Identify the Literary Genre
Recognize the type of literature (epistle, narrative, poetry, law, prophecy) and interpret according to its conventions.
IV. Rules for Specific Literary Forms
V. Common Errors to Avoid
❌ Avoid Spiritualizing
Do not go beyond the plain meaning in search of deeper or hidden meanings. Stick to the intended meaning of the text.
❌ Avoid Flattening Biblical Covenants
Account for all promises within a covenant (physical, national, territorial, and spiritual) rather than "flattening" or reducing the covenant to only its spiritual elements.
❌ Avoid Proof-texting and Isolationism
Do not string together verses out of context or interpret texts without regard for their literary surroundings.
❌ Avoid Anachronism (Metaphor vs. Inception)
Do not read later prophetic metaphors or theological developments back into the original institution of a text or rite to alter its initial grammatical-historical definition.
❌ Avoid Improper Application
Do not misapply Israel-specific promises to other nations or the Church, or assume all Biblical experiences are normative for today.
❌ Avoid Eisegesis
Do not pour current thinking, modern psychology, or your own ideas into the Biblical text. Practice exegesis (drawing meaning out), not eisegesis (reading meaning in).