Introduction to Hermeneutics and Logos
Dr. John Fallahee’s webinar “First Steps in Logos: Hermeneutics 101” opens with a reminder that rightly dividing the word (2 Timothy 2:15) is the only way to know God, please Him, and grasp truth. The session blends high-level teaching with hands-on Logos demonstrations, and all recordings are saved in a personal Logos book with presenter notes. Free training sessions are available at learnlogos.com/events, and any topic suggestions can be emailed to webinars@learnlogos.com.
Dr. Fallahee also promotes his study bundle in the Logos store, which includes his dissertation, the Digital Sword book, and the Reflect book. Purchasing the bundle with its accompanying workbook provides the most benefit for practical study.
Exegesis vs. Hermeneutics: A Clear Distinction
| Aspect | Exegesis | Hermeneutics |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | What the text means (the meaning). | How we understand and apply that meaning faithfully. |
| Overlap | Both involve careful study of the text. | Hermeneutics builds on the exegesis result. |
Dr. Fallahee stresses that exegesis discovers meaning; hermeneutics applies it. The distinction shapes every step of digital study in Logos.
Practical Logos Demonstration: Downloading a Collection
He shows how to download a pre‑made “hermeneutics exegesis” collection. The steps are:
- Open Documents (paper icon).
- Click Public, wait for both windows to load.
- Use the Find box, paste
hermeneutics / exegesis learn logos. - When the collection appears, click the blue Add to your docs bar.
- Select Yours to view the new collection.
The collection lets you search for books on specific topics—such as “historical background”—without sifting through unrelated material.
Searching the Collection
Search syntax can target headings, authors, or meanings. For example, heading:author meaning looks for chapter or paragraph headings that contain “author” and “meaning”. Expanding a result reveals articles that discuss an author‑centered meaning, the idea that meaning originates with the author rather than the reader. Screenshot illustration:
Core Hermeneutical Concepts
Grammatical, Literary, and Historical Hermeneutic
- Grammatical: The rules of language (syntax, word usage) in the original language (Greek, Hebrew, etc.).
- Literary: The genre (poetry, narrative, epistle, apocalyptic, etc.) and how form shapes meaning.
- Historical: Reconstructing the author’s original context—time, culture, audience—to discover what the first readers would have understood.
Apocalyptic literature is not “fake” (apocryphal) but prophetic, visionary writing such as Revelation and Zechariah. Author‑centered meaning reminds us that meaning is determined by what the author intended, not by personal preference. Screenshot illustration:
Why Context Matters
Logos Bibles often insert paragraph breaks that can be misleading. Users can toggle reformat to see the text as continuous prose, then re‑enable paragraph markers for clarity. The Passage Analysis Tool (Tools → Passage → Locate Passage Analysis) lets you enter a passage (e.g., Acts 2) and view cross‑references across multiple translations (ESV, HCSB, NASB) to see how context varies. Screenshot illustration:
Illustrative Biblical Examples
Acts 17:11 – The Bereans model careful, daily examination of Paul’s teaching against Scripture, showing even apostolic teaching is subject to fact‑checking. Peter’s quotation of Joel highlights how Logos flags speaker icons (who is speaking) and listener icons (the audience). Enabling these markers in Formatting → Markers clarifies who is speaking and to whom. Screenshot illustration:
10 Key Principles for Interpreting Scripture
- Author‑Centered Meaning – Determine what the author intended, not what we wish it to mean. Ask, “What did God intend to say?” rather than “What does this mean to me?”
- Identify the Context of the Text – Too narrow a context lacks information; too broad dilutes focus. Use paragraph settings, passage analysis, and speaker/listener icons to gauge scope.
- Grammatical & Historical Considerations – Apply grammatical rules of the original language, consider literary genre, and reconstruct the historical‑cultural setting.
- The Five Ws and an H – Use Who, What, Where, When, Why, How as a basic inductive framework for every passage.
- Check the Full Context – Examine immediate, broader, and canonical context before drawing conclusions.
- Distinguish Quote from Commentary – When a passage contains a direct quote (e.g., Peter quoting Joel), treat it as the author’s own words, not a later addition.
- Leverage Logos Collections & Rules – Build custom collections (e.g., “hermeneutics exegesis”) and search by author, meaning, or topic for quick resource gathering.
- Verify with Multiple Translations – Compare ESV, NASB, HCSB, etc., to see how wording differences affect understanding.
- Rely on the Holy Spirit – Tools aid study, but the Spirit guides the interpreter toward correct application.
- Apply the Text – After proper exegesis, move from understanding to obedient application.
Practical Tips and Takeaways
- Download and Organize – Keep hermeneutics‑related books together in collections for easy searching.
- Search Smart – Use heading, author, and meaning fields to target concepts; avoid vague searches that return unrelated material.
- Use Visual Markers – Turn on speaker and addressee icons (Formatting → Markers) to see who is speaking and to whom.
- Re‑format for Clarity – Toggle paragraph formatting to avoid misreading a paragraph break as a separate thought.
- Leverage Passage Analysis – Compare translations and see how different Bibles handle a passage; this sharpens contextual insight.
- Never Skip the Author – Always ask, “What did the author mean?” before asking “What does this mean to me?”
- Guard Against Bad Hermeneutics – A wrong gospel has eternal stakes; diligent, author‑centered interpretation protects against doctrinal error.
Bottom Line
Dr. Fallahee equips viewers with both theoretical foundations—author‑centered exegesis, grammatical‑historical method—and practical Logos skills: downloading collections, searching by author/meaning, using passage analysis, and visual markers. Mastering these steps sets the stage for accurate biblical interpretation and faithful application.