Expository Hermeneutics: Advancing the Discussion

Expository Hermeneutics invites the student on a journey to a life and ministry based on exposition of the Bible. Hermeneutics provides a guide to understand the message and apply that message in its original setting and then in a comparative way in the contemporary day. We adopt the Scriptures' view of itself as God's word. As a result, we believe the Bible has a truth value as reflected in the canon of Scripture. The goal of hermeneutics defines verbal meaning as the author's willed type message read as a whole book, so that the message is communicated with a truth content to be understood. The method of hermeneutics is both read in a circular pattern and practiced as an objective task. It is objective in the sense that God authors a transhistorical message and the reader is aware of their own presuppositions and adopts those of Scripture. As such the message can be validated in its truth content. However, this does not prove it true even though it provides an evidential conviction that the truth value has been understood.

Elliott Johnson is a retired professor emeritus who taught in the Department of Bible Exposition at Dallas Seminary for forty-two years. In years prior he founded Asian Theological Seminary in 1969 and taught three years. At the same time, he served as an associate pastor at Pantego (Central) Bible Church. He with his wife, Inge, of sixty-one years raised a family of six children and have twenty-two grandchildren.

Nathan N. Hoff is an assistant professor of Bible exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary.



Eric C. Redmond is Professor of Bible and Executive Director of the Center for Compelling Biblical Preaching at Moody Theological Seminary in Chicago. He also serves as Senior Associate Pastor of Preaching and Teaching at Calvary Memorial Church, Oak Park, IL. He is a Fellow of the Center for Pastor Theologians, a Fellow of Every Voice, and a Teaching Fellow for the C. S. Lewis Institute, based in Chicago.