Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
How can two people read the same passage of Scripture and reach entirely different conclusions? In the first episode of this Hermeneutics 101 series, Peter Goeman explains what hermeneutics is, how it differs from exegesis, and why interpretation is never as automatic as we might assume. He distinguishes meaning from application, considers whether the reader, text, or author controls meaning, and examines the problems with the idea that God intended meanings unknown to the human authors. Ultimately, sound hermeneutics is essential for preserving the clarity and authority of God’s Word.
Time Stamps
0:00 Introducing Hermeneutics 101
3:09 The “hermeneutical switch” behind theological disagreements
6:08 What is hermeneutics?
7:33 Hermeneutics versus exegesis
8:29 Why interpretation is not automatic
13:11 From hermeneutics to exegesis, theology, and application
15:01 Essential terms for biblical interpretation
17:37 One meaning, many applications
23:52 Getting the right doctrine from the wrong text
28:37 Who controls meaning: reader, text, or author?
34:57 When a community controls interpretation
37:08 Can a biblical text have multiple meanings?
44:00 The divine author, human author, and sensus plenior
48:40 Why a “fuller meaning” makes interpretation unstable
55:29 The confluence of divine and human authorship
56:31 Why sound hermeneutics matters
1:04:08 Can the Old Testament be understood without the New?
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
How can two people read the same passage of Scripture and reach entirely different conclusions? In the first episode of this Hermeneutics 101 series, Peter Goeman explains what hermeneutics is, how it differs from exegesis, and why interpretation is never as automatic as we might assume. He distinguishes meaning from application, considers whether the reader, text, or author controls meaning, and examines the problems with the idea that God intended meanings unknown to the human authors. Ultimately, sound hermeneutics is essential for preserving the clarity and authority of God’s Word.
Time Stamps
0:00 Introducing Hermeneutics 101
3:09 The “hermeneutical switch” behind theological disagreements
6:08 What is hermeneutics?
7:33 Hermeneutics versus exegesis
8:29 Why interpretation is not automatic
13:11 From hermeneutics to exegesis, theology, and application
15:01 Essential terms for biblical interpretation
17:37 One meaning, many applications
23:52 Getting the right doctrine from the wrong text
28:37 Who controls meaning: reader, text, or author?
34:57 When a community controls interpretation
37:08 Can a biblical text have multiple meanings?
44:00 The divine author, human author, and sensus plenior
48:40 Why a “fuller meaning” makes interpretation unstable
55:29 The confluence of divine and human authorship
56:31 Why sound hermeneutics matters
1:04:08 Can the Old Testament be understood without the New?
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
