Some Christian denominations teach their members to follow a particular creed or theology. In contrast, as evangelical Christians, we believe it is the responsibility of every person to “get it right.” Exegesis, exposition and hermeneutics are technical terms describing the main ways our Pastor does this. Exegesis – Studying the Passage Exegesis means to draw out from a text all the truth that is in it. There are several techniques for doing this which our Pastor uses in every sermon. For example, he will often explain the historical context surrounding a certain passage of scripture. He will often tell some of the customs and practices used by the people of the Bible at the time the text was written. And our Pastor will often provide us with insight into the derivation and meanings of Greek and Hebrew words used by the men who wrote the Bible. Exposition – Exposing the Passage Exposition means to expose, to make visible, to make known – that is, to show something for what it really is. Our Pastor does this by: Explaining what the passage means – through definition, comparison, description, contrast and outline. Argumentation, or in other words, telling us “this is why you should believe it.” This is usually done through parallel passages of Scripture and supporting passages of Scripture – although our Pastor will also refer to commentaries, systematic theologies, church history and logic. Illustration, or in other words, telling us “this is what it looks like” Hermeneutics – Interpreting the text Hermeneutics is the science of interpreting the Bible to find what the text actually meant. There are a number of principles based on common sense. A few examples include: The Bible is complete. Never add or delete anything.  The Bible repeats important concepts many times. Do not base important doctrine on only one reference. Develop doctrine based on all relevant scripture. Make the picture out of all the pieces, not just a few of them. The Bible is perfectly consistent. It cannot contradict itself. If there is a clash between two passages of scripture, then at least one has been interpreted incorrectly. Never use unclear passages to explain or interpret clear passages. What this means All of these techniques are crucial: Without exegesis, a lesson is merely human oratory Without exposition, the lesson will be only a technical collection of grammatical and historical details Without sound hermeneutics, the lesson will present false teachings. That is why we place such a strong emphasis on all three of these concepts.