1. Understanding Exegesis “Exegesis” is the “leading out” of meaning from a text. Meaning that was once perhaps quite clear to an original audience is now distant from us in time, language, and culture. We have to work to interpret ancient texts—to understand what they meant in their own time and to determine what implications they have for us in our time. Many guides to the exegetical process are on the market. A glance at the table of contents for many of these guides would give the impression