WWUTT 475 Q&A Exegetical Sinful Thoughts Around Earth?

What is the difference between exegesis and eisegesis, and what do those words even mean?

At what point does a bad thought become sin? And does the Bible say the earth is round or flat?

The answer to these questions, when we understand the text. You are listening to When We Understand the

Text, a daily study of God's Word. For man shall not live by bread alone, but from every word that comes from the mouth of the

Lord. Now here's our host, Pastor Keith. Thank you, Becky. You're welcome. Now, how has your encouragement been on Twitter after your appearance on the program last week?

Oh, it's been overwhelming. It's been so nice. I noticed Psalm Girl 119,

I think is her name, has a poll going right now of how often you need to be a regular guest on Friday.

Yes, she is so sweet. And we got an email this week. This is from Katie.

Hello, Gabe and Becky. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed the podcast with both of you.

Hearing you have a conversation and having a woman's perspective was very encouraging to me.

I hope to hear more from Becky in the future. So thank you very much for that,

Katie. It was very kind. Thank you. And, oh, you caught an error.

I did. Yes. I could not believe it. In my Thursday episode. So yesterday's episode, through 1

Kings 17 and 18, we were talking about the story of the widow.

It was today's? Well, yeah, because we're recording on a Thursday night. Right. But this is airing

Friday. Oh, yeah. My bad. So the episode that everybody listened to yesterday.

Right. So 1 Kings 17 and 18, the story of the widow, and Elijah blessed her with overflowing flour and oil.

And apparently evil. And apparently evil. That's what it was. So Becky caught me saying that her jar overflowed with evil instead of oil.

Yes. Yes. So there was a. That was a little awkward. I had to go back like three times to make sure.

I'm like, no, I'm not hearing that right. Wow. What a blessing from the man of God that her jar would overflow with evil.

So yes, my bad. I think you're. Skipping ahead a little bit in your head. I don't know, because I don't even

I wasn't even talking about evil there. No, no. But a little bit later, whenever she addresses her own like.

Oh, her sin. Yes. Maybe. I don't know. Whatever was going on. You said evil again. Then I believe

I would be surprised if I don't do that more often than than I think

I do. So because I'm always thinking about something else and can't ever think about two things at once, or I'm going to mess up on at least one of those things that I'm supposed to be thinking about.

So anyway. All right. So e -mails, of course, being Friday, we respond to e -mails from the listeners and you can contribute your e -mail to when we understand the text at Gmail dot com.

I believe I've got three e -mails set aside here. I can't remember how many I grabbed. So this first one comes from Nikki.

Well, other than the first one we read, that was the compliment of you being on the program. Welcome back, by the way.

And we're trying to make this a regular thing on Thursday with. We'll get done with Bible study, we'll get the kids to bed and then we come downstairs and record the

Friday episode and pray that we're not interrupted by a crying baby or something. All right. We have a daughter that is sleeping just down the hall from where we're recording.

But according to you, this room is fairly soundproof. Yeah. Becky's at the top of the stairs, which this room is right at the bottom of the stairs.

And when she's been at the top of the stairs painting the bathroom that we're remodeling, she said she can't hear me in here at all.

Nothing. That's pretty good. I was hoping for that. I was hoping that this would be set apart from everybody. So when I'm doing this late at night,

I'm not bothering anyone. But anyway, so we got to we'll be careful not to disturb her. So Nikki, I think

I mentioned Nikki. She said, hi, I was wondering if you have a short clip on exegesis versus eisegesis.

I am looking for a small and biblically sound clip for my upcoming blog. If you don't already have one, would you consider making one since there is not much out there on YouTube at this point?

Thanks for all you do. Love using your clips. Well, no, we don't have a what video on exegesis versus eisegesis.

So I should try to throw one of those together right now. Right now, I'm in a series on prayer. So I just did the one on the study that proves that prayer doesn't work.

It's because they don't even understand how prayer is supposed to work. And then I think the next one is on the sovereignty of God.

If God is sovereign, why pray? Right. So I'm covering that one. And then there's one on how to pray.

After I did the video on praying in tongues, I got a few emails from folks saying, can you do one on how we're supposed to pray?

So we get Jesus prayed clear prayers, but can you throw together a 90 second video on how to pray?

Right. Because once you tell them that's not how it's done, it's kind of like, well, then how do you do it? Jesus prayed clear prayers, so we should pray clear prayers.

There's a good rule from that particular video. But yeah, so I'll do that one. Those in the next couple of videos.

So if God is sovereign, why pray? And then how to pray? And then after that, Nikki, I'll try to get one on exegesis versus eisegesis.

So in a nutshell, exegesis means to draw out of the text and eisegesis means to read into the text.

So exegesis, you are reading the text for what it means to convey.

You're using scripture to interpret scripture. You're reading it in context. You are reading it for what the

Holy Spirit truly means to communicate through what you're reading, drawing out of the text.

That's what exegesis is. So eisegesis is to read into the text, perhaps a meaning that the text doesn't mean.

Now you may read into the text what the text truly means to convey, but it would still be eisegetical because it comes from what you want to have the text say, not what you desire for the text to communicate.

That would still be eisegesis. Not what the text is supposed to communicate to you, what it truly means.

So eisegesis is imposing yourself onto the text. That would be eisegetical, right?

You've covered it. Great. Thank you. Anytime. Thanks for your thumbs up on that. So that's exegesis versus eisegesis.

And then you've got the Chris Roseborough term that he's coined, narsegesis.

Do you know that one? Oh, I have heard of it. So it's when you're reading yourself onto the text or,

I don't know if that's the way, because I kind of already said that with eisegesis. You did. It is imposing something onto the text.

Narsegesis would be to read yourself into the text as though you're the hero of the story. So everything that's being talked about here in the pages of scripture is about me.

I'm David and my problems are Goliath or I'm the ram caught in the bush.

But everything in... That was sacrificed by Abraham. I think you've said in the past, everything in Old Testament points towards Jesus and everything in the

New Testament points... Points back at Christ. Right. Back at Christ. So it's the whole

Bible has nothing to do with us except the people on the sidelines going, ah, help us.

We can't do anything. Yeah, right. The Israelites is who you are in the story of David and Goliath, the ones clamoring off to the side going, he's going to kill us all.

As brave as we may think we are. That's who you are. So we are in the text. You can see yourself in the text.

Very much. You're the murderous, awful, sinful, blasphemous wretch that deserves to die by the wrath of God whom

Christ saved by his crucifixion and resurrection from the grave. That's who you are.

I'd be dying in the flood. Right. So beware those who attempt to take Christ off the cross and put themselves on it.

You are the one who can do no good. As it's talked about in Romans 3, there is no one good, no one righteous, not even one.

That's you. But you are not the hero. Christ is the hero. Right. That's all of us.

So everything in the text is meant to point out our sin to us and his righteousness to us.

Right. That's what we have in the word of God. And I would also like to encourage people who help you learn exegetically.

Thank you. My tide's a little tongued up. Good job. Anyway, so there's a really great book by Jen Wilkin out.

What is that called? Are you talking about Women of the Word? Yes. Okay. Right? Yes. Isn't that the one that teaches you, walks you through the

Bible? Yes. I mean, and how to study it. Yes. It doesn't give you the answers. It tells you, dive in, don't look at somebody else's study, do your own study first, that kind of thing.

And then check with other studies that have been done to see if you're on the right track or if there's something else that can broaden your horizon basically and open you up to new things.

How you yourself can study the word without a guide. Right. To know how to dissect the word, read it in context, things like that.

And Jen is great at that. And she's got a video series on the Sermon on the Mount. She does. She also has one on 1st and 2nd

Peter, but we haven't gotten into that yet. No. That's still on the shelf. It is. Working on that.

But the one on the Sermon on the Mount was fantastic. Oh, it was amazing. And I remember at the very beginning of that, her saying, if any of you ladies came to this study with a study

Bible, you can't read the notes. Nope. You have to put a sticky note over it. Yes. Right. So, that will come later to reference the notes and learn from that.

Don't start with that. She wants you to learn with a Bible, how to use scripture to interpret scripture before you're reading from the teacher that has written in the study notes.

Right. Because then that will influence you. Yeah. And not everybody interprets it the same way.

And so, there's so many different views that, anyway, meh. No, you're on the right track. Well, I don't know if that answers the question, though.

Oh, I think it's great. Okay. I think you're right on with that. So, what was the question? Oh, yeah. We were talking about exegesis.

See? But according to the rabbit trail, you were right on. You're still on the right rabbit trail. Okay, good. Sorry, Nikki.

I hope that helps. Yeah. We hope that's helpful for you. So, that helps with exegesis.

Somebody like Jen Wilkin and the book Women of the Word helps. Right. And there's others out there, like solid, solid teaching of how to read the

Bible and interpret the Bible and study the Bible. Something that Michelle Leslie says that I really appreciate her saying is you don't have to have a woman author in order to understand the

Bible for women. Men can teach you that as well. And, in fact, men should because the pastor that you're sitting under is supposed to be a man.

So, you do need to listen even to what men will instruct you according to the scriptures because there's going to be more men teachers than women teachers.

Right. I understand. There are some great women teachers out there, and I learned from certain women teachers. I loved

Jen Wilkin's stuff. I thought it was great. And I even saw a comment that she made to a guy one time. He said, is there a book like yours for men?

And she replied, that book's not pink. Just change the pronouns to he's and it's all for you, man.

You can read that too. But anyway, there are good solid men out there that are teaching the word that you can look for.

I understand, you know, a connection to somebody who's probably experiencing and viewing things more like you do.

And for that purpose, there are some good women teachers out there, but also men. Yes, I agree.

But she's the one that I learned it from aside from you. That's right.

Becky learns from more than just her own husband, and she should. I'm the primary caregiver and spiritual guide for my home.

But even I've encouraged my own congregation, you should not be learning from just me. There are other theologians that you should be looking for and learning from them as well.

Okay. Anyway, we've been on that one for a while. Yes. But thank you, Nikki. And that was just she was asking for a short clip.

She was. She was definitely asking for a bit less exegesis versus eisegesis.

All right. This next one comes from Paul in Georgia. And by the way, if you write in and let me know where you're from,

I'll mention that. But it's very seldom that I'll get a location in with the name as well.

So Paul from Georgia says, Pastor Gabe, this might sound like an odd question, but when does a sin become sin for a believer, as in when we first have the thought or dwell on the thought or when we actually perform the act acting on the thought?

I was thinking about James 1, 14 through 15. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

Then desire, when it is conceived, gives birth to sin and sin. When it is fully grown, brings forth death.

Is being lured and enticed the same as a thought or a streamer thought when desire has conceived?

Is that us dwelling on those thoughts when sin is fully grown and brings forth death?

Is that us acting on it? Paul's a thinking man. Oh, so so the metaphor that James is putting forth in James 1 is a fishing metaphor.

Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. So you think of a temptation hanging out there in front of you and enticing you out.

In the case of fishing, you've got a fish that is either secure in the rocks or in a place where he is safe.

He sees the bait. He is lured out from his safe place to the bait, latches onto it and is caught.

Okay, so that's the fishing metaphor being applied to James 1, 14.

Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

So these are the fleshly desires that you have, which we talked about this earlier in the week when we were in Jude, where we're talking about how the false teachers are.

They teach instinctively according to what they know as unreasoning, irrational animals acting according to instinct, their own sinful nature, not teaching according to the word of God, but teaching according to their sinful nature, their own pleasures, right?

That's their own desire. So each person can be tempted by your own desire. You think of yourself sitting alone in a room, maybe you don't even have a computer on.

So there's nothing to just appear in front of your face and entice you with some kind of temptation.

But you can have a thought that comes into your mind that becomes a temptation for you because you are a sinful man of sinful flesh.

And if you don't take that thought captive and make it obedient to Christ, as Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 10,

I think verse 5, then you are enticed by your own desire, what you want in your own sinful flesh.

So this is why we must enact that discipline of taking every thought captive and make it obey

Christ. So this is how your own desire can entice you into sin.

So then after the fishing metaphor, then you get to the next part, you've got a birth metaphor. Then desire, when it is conceived, gives birth to sin.

And sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death. So you give in to temptation, you act on it, you've sinned.

And sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death. In other words, you've never repented of it.

You've not done anything to take control over it or master it. It has mastered you.

And by the time it comes of age and you die, it has brought you into judgment before God because you have not repented of that sin and given it over to the

Lord and been crucified with Christ. And it's no longer you who live, but Christ who lives within you.

You've never, never done that because the sin has mastered you. And so that's what it means when it says sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death.

We were talking about that. We were in 1 John and John says there is a sin that leads to death.

In other words, it's the sin that we persist in, that we do not repent of, that finally leads to God saying, that's it, and takes you from this world because you would not repent.

Gave you every opportunity to do so and did not and end up perishing in that sin. And God save you before you appear before the throne of judgment on that day because it is a fearful hand, sorry, it's from Hebrew, fearful hand is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living

God, as it says in Hebrews. So that's the meaning of James 1, 14 through 15,

Hebrews 4, 15, for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who is in every respect been tempted as we are yet without sin.

So Christ was tempted just as we are, but did not sin.

The temptation never became sin. So your temptation is not sin. How long you let it sit there and dwell on it, that can become sin.

Like even if you're not acting on it, you've got an angry thought toward another person, but you don't give it over to the

Lord. And you just stew on it. Yeah, exactly. You feel vindicated by the anger that you have in your heart and in your mind.

And you want that. You want that feeling. You want that thought because you feel totally justified in the anger that you feel toward another person.

You don't even have to act on it. You're not lashing out at them. You're not calling them names. You're not murdering them,

God forbid, but you have the thought and you're letting it sit there and you're content with it. It becomes sin.

It's sin. And if you're not taking your thoughts captive and making them obey Christ, those feelings, those emotions are mastering you and making you into a bitter person.

Whether a bitter person, not better person, making you into a bitter person, whether or not you are acting on those things.

So the importance of taking every thought captive. Was it Paul who said that, I'm not sure who it was, that even if you haven't murdered somebody but you hate somebody, hate a brother, then it's

Christ. Yeah. Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapter five. Yeah. So I was thinking, right. And then I'm like second guessing myself as I'm sitting here.

So it came out all wrong, but I had the original. You got it. You got it right. So Jesus said, even if you call your brother a fool, you are subject to the hell of fire.

The anger that we have toward another person, he said, you've heard it said in the law, thou shalt not murder.

But even if you have hatred in your heart for your brother, you have murdered him in your heart. Exactly. So this is as much sin as playing it out.

So do not let the thought give birth to evil desire. Repent right away.

Repent right away. Take every thought captive. That's an immediate thing. Or Paul's instruction in Romans 12 to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, which is a daily submission of your mind to the

Lord. To not let any of your thoughts be taken over by the sinful man, but to submit yourself to the righteous

Christ. That's hard to do. It is still an ongoing process for me. Me too.

Daily and every day. All right. And then the other verse that I wanted to mention to you is 1 Corinthians 10, 13.

No temptation has overtaken you. That is not common to man. God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.

But with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it.

There's always a way out. There's never a reason to give in to the temptation. Praise the Lord.

That was luring and enticing you. All right. Last question. We're past 20 minutes here. And I think I can do one more.

I don't know. All right. Depends on how long it takes us. Hello, Pastor Gabe. I love your podcast and I get a lot from them.

Thank you for doing them. I have a question. Now it sounds crazy, but it's been going around the web in recent years.

Is the earth really round? Well, I have a friend and we go back debating back and forth on flat earth versus round earth.

They showed me passages, one being Isaiah 40, 22, where it talks about God sitting around the circle of the earth.

I can see it being plausible, but is the Bible really talking about a physical place or a spiritual place?

They also referred me to this link. I'm not clicking on that anyway, so I hope to hear back from you and keep doing what you are doing.

God bless Jordan. Well, Jordan, the earth is a round sphere and there's simply no question.

We observe this in nature. You can look at the moon. It is round. When the shadow of the earth passes across the moon, it is clear that the earth is round.

You look at the sun, it is round. Everything that we know of what is suspended in space is round.

You can look through a telescope at planets and see them rotating. I have done this, looking at Jupiter and watched the eye of the storm on the surface of Jupiter go from one side to the other.

You can watch the planets rotate. How do they do that? Because they're round, just as those planets are round.

So the earth is also round. When you stand on a beach and you watch a ship come up in the distance, you watch it rise over the horizon.

Why is it that? That's really pretty. It's awesome to watch. It's a beautiful observance in nature.

Why does the ship rise over the horizon? Because it's coming over the curvature of the earth. The ocean is flat, the flattest thing that we can ever look at or behold our eyes upon on planet earth.

I come from Western Kansas. I've seen a lot of flat. The ocean is flat. So the only reason that boat is rising on the horizon is because it's coming over the curvature of the earth.

I've been of a high enough altitude in an airplane, 40 ,000 feet, and you can see the curvature of the earth from 40 ,000 feet.

It is not a trick played by the windows in the airplane because when I'm on the ground, nothing is curved.

It is while I'm in the air that you can see the curvature of the earth. And furthermore, Job 26 verse 7 says that God hangs the earth on nothing.

Flat disks don't hang. The round earth hangs suspended in space.

The argument about a flat earth and imposing that view on the Bible is a godless myth, which 1

Timothy 4, 7 says have nothing to do with. What on God's green spherical earth could possibly benefit anyone from believing that the world is flat?

It is a distraction. Like I said, it is not of God who created all things and gave us a brain to think and eyes with which to observe and know that the earth is not flat.

And yet we're quarreling over this. This is eisegesis, exactly what we were talking about before, trying to read into the text anything that would refer to the earth as flat.

I think it's a distraction from where we should be focusing. Exactly. It should be.

I think you said that even, but just reiterating that. Why are we not sharing the gospel? Why are we not calling one another from sin and to live in holiness and righteousness?

These matters are more important. As I've said to my church congregation, 90 % of what I do as a pastor is encouraging you in your walk of sanctification.

I'm preaching the gospel. I'm calling sinners to Christ. That is absolutely part of my ministry and my preaching as well.

But 90 % of what I do as a shepherd in the church is to walk a person through their sanctification.

So it's going to be understanding matters of holiness and growing in righteousness and taking thought captive and making it obedient to Christ and repenting of sin.

These are things that we do on a regular basis as Christians. Repentance and faith are ongoing.

And so this is what we are focusing on as a church. Questions about whether the earth are round or flat is honestly a distraction from what it is that we should be focusing on.

Well, that's the program today. Thank you so much for listening. Thank you. Thank you.

Becky, thank you for joining me. Anytime. I almost just called you by the wrong name. What was that? That would be embarrassing.

It would be almost like you had brown eyes or something. I said like, yeah. That's a joke because she actually did at one point thought

I had brown eyes and they're blue. You know. As long as we've been married, we're still learning each other.

This is very true. God bless. Next week, we continue our study of the book of Jude on Monday.

For all of our podcasts, episodes, videos, books, and more, visit our website at www .utt

.com and let your friends know about our ministry. Join us again next week as we grow together in God's word when we understand the text.

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My arm doesn't bother you? Here's my arm. There was your arm.

Remember I went to Walmart today. Don't mess with me. Just saying.