Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
If authorial intent determines the meaning of Scripture, how can we actually know what a biblical author intended to communicate? In this second episode of the Hermeneutics 101 series, we look at how the text gives us access to authorial intent through grammar, vocabulary, historical context, genre, and normal conventions of human communication. Along the way, we consider Humpty Dumpty’s famous approach to language, the difference between literal and literalistic interpretation, how context determines the meaning of words, and why later biblical authors should not be used to erase the original meaning of earlier texts. Finally, we turn to an often-neglected aspect of biblical interpretation: the spiritual character of the interpreter and the importance of humility, repentance, prayer, and submission to Scripture.
Timestamps
0:00 – Introduction
0:53 – Who Controls Meaning: Author, Text, or Reader?
3:15 – Meaning, Interpretation, and Significance
5:44 – Does Authorial Intent Guarantee Interpretive Certainty?
8:16 – How the Text Gives Us Access to Authorial Intent
11:18 – Humpty Dumpty and Who Controls the Meaning of Words
14:34 – Can the New Testament Change the Meaning of the Old Testament?
19:24 – Why the Same Word Does Not Always Mean the Same Thing
24:11 – What Is the Grammatical-Historical-Literal Hermeneutic?
37:48 – The Spiritual Requirements for Interpreting Scripture
Shepherds Theological Seminary (where Peter Goeman teaches): https://shepherds.edu/
The Bible Sojourner Audio podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-bible-sojourner
More About The Bible Sojourner Host, Peter Goeman: petergoeman.com
If authorial intent determines the meaning of Scripture, how can we actually know what a biblical author intended to communicate? In this second episode of the Hermeneutics 101 series, we look at how the text gives us access to authorial intent through grammar, vocabulary, historical context, genre, and normal conventions of human communication. Along the way, we consider Humpty Dumpty’s famous approach to language, the difference between literal and literalistic interpretation, how context determines the meaning of words, and why later biblical authors should not be used to erase the original meaning of earlier texts. Finally, we turn to an often-neglected aspect of biblical interpretation: the spiritual character of the interpreter and the importance of humility, repentance, prayer, and submission to Scripture.
Timestamps
0:00 – Introduction
0:53 – Who Controls Meaning: Author, Text, or Reader?
3:15 – Meaning, Interpretation, and Significance
5:44 – Does Authorial Intent Guarantee Interpretive Certainty?
8:16 – How the Text Gives Us Access to Authorial Intent
11:18 – Humpty Dumpty and Who Controls the Meaning of Words
14:34 – Can the New Testament Change the Meaning of the Old Testament?
19:24 – Why the Same Word Does Not Always Mean the Same Thing
24:11 – What Is the Grammatical-Historical-Literal Hermeneutic?
37:48 – The Spiritual Requirements for Interpreting Scripture
Shepherds Theological Seminary (where Peter Goeman teaches): https://shepherds.edu/
The Bible Sojourner Audio podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-bible-sojourner
More About The Bible Sojourner Host, Peter Goeman: petergoeman.com
