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In the Spring of 2007 I was studying Biblical Hermeneutics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. My professor was Dr. Siegfried Schatzmann, who would retire the following year. I’d like the record to reflect that I was wholly non-contributory towards his decision to retire. Not only did I not give him any trouble, but I’m pretty sure he didn’t even know my name. I was just one of the many faces who, through his decades of teaching, sat enraptured by the brilliance of the gently-accented, Swiss-born lecturer who actually, for a time, pastored the same church in Geneva as John Calvin.
By definition, hermeneutics is that “branch of knowledge which deals with interpretation” as it applies to ancient or, in our case, biblical texts. Formally studying biblical hermeneutics for the first time can be a mind-blowing experience. The sea of theology is chock full of interpretive theories. Textbooks on the subject are numerous and wide-ranging; however, some good library staples are Biblical Hermeneutics, by Corley and Lovejoy, and The Hermeneutical Spiral, by Osborne. The issues which arise, and the questions which accompany them, can be daunting to those at the entry level.
To that end, I want to pass along a tool I have found invaluable throughout the course of developing nearly 1000 sermons—not to mention countless lessons and lectures—which is useful also for personal study. It distills the standard historical-grammatical interpretive method into four basic questions which I call “The Pocket Hermeneutic”. Exploring these four questions, in my opinion, is not optional. It is my firm belief that you must be able to answer them if your intention is to get the most you possibly can from a text. In this way we are fulfilling Paul’s command to Timothy: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, NKJV). Ready? Let’s go!
QUESTION #1: “What is this passage about?”
This sounds elementary; and on one hand, it kind of is. Bound up in this question is the action of the passage or the element of “What is actually happening here?” For example, apply the question to Matthew 4:1-11: “What is this passage about?” It’s about Satan tempting Jesus. Consider 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18: “What is this passage about?” It’s about Paul writing to the Thessalonian church about the Rapture. In other words, on one level it’s about what it’s about.
Yet within this question lies the underlying information one must possess in order to fully exegete a passage. In Matthew 4:1-11, Satan accosts Jesus as the latter is completing a forty day fast. What was the purpose of fasting? Is a forty day and night fast inordinately long, or about average? Jesus refutes Satan’s arguments with Scripture in verses 6, 7, and 10. What is the original context of these verses? Likewise, in considering the Thessalonian letter, who were the Thessalonians? Where were they located? Were there any unusual geo-political or cultural circumstances that made their situation unique? Where was Paul when he wrote the letter, and how long afterwards did the church receive it?
Any ancillary questions, word studies, timelines or fun facts fall into the province of Question #1. We’re not trying to formulate doctrine or uncover any deep theological meanings at this point, nor are we trying to connect our passage to some bigger picture. We’re simply trying to find out and gain control over the actual event that is taking place on the page right in front of us. We’re trying to determine what this passage is about.
QUESTION #2: “What is this passage REALLY about?”
You had to know that was coming, right…?
St. Augustine held the theory that there are always two meanings to any passage: the literal and the allegorical. This stemmed from his understanding of biblical inspiration—the same one held by the majority of Protestant orthodoxy today. A biblical passage, written by man under the inspiration of God, will have two tracks, if you will—the human track and the God track. There is always something else at work behind the scenes. As a student of Scripture, your job is to figure out what.
Take the Matthew 4 passage again, for example. It’s about Satan tempting Jesus. But it’s really about God’s cosmic plan of salvation and the necessity of the Cross. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is most definitely about Paul instructing the church. It’s really about hope, assurance, the perseverance of the saints. You get where this is going. Some might call this “sub-textual” while others may consider it as “supra-textual”. But in the end, the terminology makes no difference. You’re ready to really study a passage only when you uncover what it’s really about.
QUESTION #3: “Why should anybody care?”
In its purest sense, biblical exposition consists of two responsibilities: finding out what a passage meant, and figuring out what it means. Question #3, then, becomes the coupler between the two tasks. It is as if on your left side you are holding hands with the biblical author of your passage, and on the right side you are holding the hand of a person in modern times (possibly you, potentially others). You are that holy conduit through which passes the message from the ancient world into the present one.
Sadly, it is not enough to assume that people will care simply based upon the fact that the subject in question is the Word of God. There must be a personal relevancy established between the text and yourself, or those who will benefit from your exposition of it. This can be as general or as specific as the Lord leads you to make it, and is always undergirded by biblical truth. All people need salvation, or need to live better in accordance with the salvation they already have. All people have suffered loss, or will in the future. All people have felt desperation or pain. All people have sinned, and face the temptation of further sin. There is always a point of application in any passage and, without uncovering it, you have not fully done your duty. A significant portion of your job is to determine why anyone should care.
QUESTION #4: “In light of this passage, what does God want us to do?”
God says through His prophet, Isaiah: “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (55:11, NKJV). The biblical interpreter must take that to heart. God does not set forth His Word merely in order for it to be admired. He does so to elicit a response from those who receive it. That response may be overtly physical, or it may be a response only in the heart; but rest assured He is expecting a response. No study is complete without figuring out what God wants me to do.
A caveat here, and a very important one: the moment you ask yourself, “Now, what do I want my audience/class/congregation/group to do in light of this passage? What do I want it to mean?” —you’re already done. This is not about what you want. This is about establishing the historical and thematical context of the passage, finding the points of personal application relevant to a 21st century audience, and then getting out of the way so God can achieve what He wants.
And if it seems presumptuous to you in any way—if you’re asking the question, “Who can know what God wants?”—pay attention. If you’ve done your homework, established the historical and literary context, unearthed the subtextual meaning of the passage and established its points of relevancy, then the answer to that question is: you.
David Mahfood
David Mahfood is the Senior Pastor of Tyland Baptist Church in Tyler, TX, and in September of 2022 will be celebrating his 15th year in that position. Having surrendered to vocational ministry in 2004, he earned his Masters of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2009, . David is passionate for the Word of God, and has preached in many churches through the years, led a revival in rural West Virginia, and taught Sunday School and small groups at virtually every age level over the last twenty years. As a late adult convert, he has a unique way of bridging the secular and biblical worlds for maximum understanding 
