Exegeting vs. Eisogeting People

As we were working through this issue of asking questions and leading people to find answers, it struck me that the principles we use to best understand the text of Scripture and thus know Christ who is revealed in Scripture are not followed when we attempt to get to know people. Now, taking for granted that people are not the full desposit of God’s wisdom, nor are people the final court of arbitration on matters of objective truth, however, people that know Christ are given the same Holy Spirit which inspired the text and their perspective is often very, very significant and profound especially when we desire to grow in Christ.

I say this to make the point that we often attempt to input our own perspective and opinion when relating to people rather than drawing out from them who they really are and allowing them to give us differing view that might disagree with our perspective. When we ask questions of Biblical text we are seeking to best understand what the author intended to say to a particular people group to then discover what the ultimate Author (the Holy Spirit) was speaking through the author. The entire point of asking questions of the text is to learn, not to input our own meaning into the text. To exegete is to draw out, to eisogete is to put in. We often come to the text to put in what we want the text to say. It is no wonder that we do that same in our relationships, even the ones we consider dear and close.

How much better a pastor, husband, and father would I be if I spent more time working to understand what it is that someone is thinking, saying, and feeling rather than trying to get them to think, say, and feel what I believe is important?

It is true that the besetting sin of preachers is arrogance. I pray the Gospel continues to work in my heart in such a way that I see less and less the need to prove my righteousness rather than trusting in the One that developed a righteousness on my behalf and gave it to my by faith to release me from the slavery of pursuing my own.