How to Read the Bible
(Without Twisting It)
hermeneutics
the principles and methods we use to interpret the Bible
Have you ever heard?
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”—so that means I’ll definitely win this game.
“Don’t judge!” as a way to say no one can disagree with anything they do.
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
1
Context is king.
Who is writing? Who are they writing to? What’s going on at that time?
2
Let Scripture interpret Scripture.
Don’t build a belief on just one verse. See what the rest of the Bible says.
3
Author’s intent over your assumptions.
What did the original author mean, not just what you feel it means?
5
Jesus is the center of Scripture.
The whole Bible points to Him, even the Old Testament.
4
Historical and literary context matters.
Poetry, prophecy, history, parables—these genres all work differently.
Basic Hermeneutics Checklist
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A passage of Scripture
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A worksheet with those five steps we just talked about
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What’s going on in the passage
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What the original message was
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And how to apply it correctly
Small Groups
Why This Matters (Again)
• You guys are growing up in a world full of voices—TikTok, YouTube, even pastors—some are telling the truth, and some are twisting Scripture.
•The only way to tell the difference… is to know the Word and know how to read it faithfully.
• Our job isn’t to make the Bible say what we want it’s to discover what God actually said.
Minimal
By Gunnard Engebreth
