First Steps in Logos: Hermeneutics 101 – Practical Tips for Accurate Scripture Interpretation

Dr. John Fallahee’s First Steps in Logos: Hermeneutics 101 webinar opens with an overview of Logos resources. He notes that searching “Falihi” in the Logos store brings up his study bundle, which includes his dissertation, the Digital Sword book, and the Reflect book. The bundle is also available through the training calendar, where all sessions are recorded and presenter notes are provided as a personal Logos book. He invites participants to suggest future topics via webinars@learnlogos.com.

Dr. Fallahee stresses that “rightly dividing” Scripture (2 Timothy 2:15) is essential for knowing God, pleasing Him, and grasping truth. Misunderstanding the gospel has serious, even eternal, consequences, as warned in Galatians 1:8‑9. The webinar clarifies the distinction between exegesis—discovering what the text means—and hermeneutics—applying that meaning faithfully.

To illustrate practical Logos use, he demonstrates downloading a pre‑made “hermeneutics exegesis” collection. The steps are: open Documents, click Public, wait for both windows to load, paste “hermeneutics / exegesis learn logos” into the Find box, add the collection to your docs, and then view it under Yours. This collection lets you search for books on specific topics without unrelated results. An example search—heading:author meaning—reveals articles focused on the author‑centered meaning of a passage, reinforcing the principle that meaning originates with the author, not the reader.

He then outlines ten core hermeneutical principles. Principle 1 reminds us that meaning is author‑centered. Principle 2 urges identification of the appropriate context—near, far, and canonical. Principle 3 calls for grammatical and historical considerations, including literary genre. Principle 4 suggests using the “Five Ws and an H” as an inductive framework. Principle 5 advises checking full context before drawing conclusions. Principle 6 warns against confusing quotation with commentary. Principle 7 highlights the value of Logos collections and rules for gathering relevant resources. Principle 8 recommends comparing multiple translations. Principle 9 acknowledges the Holy Spirit’s guiding role. Principle 10 moves from understanding to application, ensuring the text shapes obedient life.

Dr. Fallahee demonstrates how to use Logos visual markers. Enabling speaker and listener icons (Formatting → Markers) clarifies who is speaking and to whom, as seen in Peter’s quotation of Joel. He also shows how to toggle paragraph formatting to view continuous prose, helping avoid misreading paragraph breaks as separate thoughts. The Passage Analysis tool (Tools → Passage → Locate Passage Analysis) allows users to compare translations (ESV, HCSB, NASB) and see how context varies across versions. Screenshot placeholders are included for visual illustration:

Contextual analysis is a recurring theme. Dr. Fallahee points out that Philippians 4:13 is often quoted without its near context (Philippians 4:11‑13), which reveals Paul’s lesson on contentment in all circumstances. In Matthew 18:20, the broader context of church discipline (verses 15‑22) shows that “two or three are gathered” refers to witness requirements, not merely spiritual presence. He also explains that word meanings depend on context: in Romans 8:5 “flesh” denotes a sin‑oriented nature, while in Luke 3:6 the same Greek term (*sarx*) refers to humanity. Using the Bible Word Study tool, he right‑clicks “flesh,” selects the lemma, and views cross‑references that show how “flesh” can mean “body and tissue” (John 6:54) versus “sin‑oriented nature” (Romans 2:28‑29).

Figurative language is addressed with John 6:40, where “whoever sees the Son and believes has eternal life” is understood as saving faith, not a literal reference to the Lord’s Supper. The surrounding context of “the will of the Father” (v. 40) and the symbolism of “eating my flesh and drinking my blood” (v. 54) confirms the figurative nature. The Exegetical Guide can be accessed by typing “exegetical” and selecting “Exegetical Guide,” then entering John 6:40 to receive word‑by‑word studies, grammatical notes, and options to attach commentaries. Parallel passages (e.g., John 3:16, Romans 6:23) are generated via the Passage Guide to enrich interpretation.

Genre awareness further sharpens interpretation. He contrasts Exodus 22:1 (law) with Proverbs 6:31 (wisdom literature), showing how law prescribes specific restitution (five oxen for an ox) while wisdom literature generalizes the principle of full repayment. Tools such as the Cracking Old Testament Codes workbook, the Psalms Explorer, and Dorsey’s Literary Structure of the Old Testament help identify chiasms, acrostics, and other structural features. For example, Psalm 1’s chiastic layout (A‑B‑C‑C‑B‑A) highlights the contrast between the blessed and the wicked, and the Companion Bible’s columnar formatting (A‑B‑A‑B) reveals literary connections such as “godly vs. ungodly.” These resources aid in recognizing structural patterns that point to the central theme of a passage.

When handling difficult passages, Dr. Fallahee recommends starting with concise commentaries like the *Bible Knowledge Commentary* or *MacArthur Study Bible*, then moving to expositional works such as the *New American Commentary* and technical commentaries like the *Word Biblical Commentary*. For Hebrews 6:4‑6, he uses the Got Questions article “Can a person believe in some sense and not be saved?” and the Trace the Argument feature to locate scholarly perspectives on eternal security. He outlines Romans’ outline (condemnation, justification, sanctification) and employs the Chart Tool to break the book into 16 thematic sections, facilitating organized study. A pro‑con table technique helps evaluate arguments for and against a literal millennial kingdom view, grounding symbolic language in literal understanding first (e.g., 2 Peter 3:8’s simile). Finally, he encourages using “two or three witnesses” (Matt. 18:16) by praying for wisdom, rereading the passage, noting the author and audience, analyzing near and far context, studying key words, and comparing Scripture with Scripture. The session ends with a prayer for wisdom to rightly divide the word and a reminder that Logos’ tools—pericopes, Word Study, Passage Guide, and genre explorers—are essential for accurate, faithful interpretation.