Asian Journal of Sociological Research

It is observed that the early Church experienced incredible intellects who preached heretical sermons. References are made to preachers like Sabellious, Nestorius and Arius. These preachers were renown and of vast intellectual gifts, but the sermons they preached were not exegetical because their preaching did not include the proper interpretation of the biblical text. In the same vein, history shows that these types of preachers existed in the time of Martin Luther. Today, some Nigerian Churches are being established by pastors who lack the knowledge of interpreting the Bible. Some of these Pastors do not believe in going through theological training, rather they are of the opinion that the Holy Spirit is sufficient for the interpretation of the Bible and that theological education is of no importance. Consequently, preaching of sermons that lack the basics of biblical interpretation have led some churches into formulating wrong doctrines and theological errors, which sometimes are very grave. Therefore, this article examines the importance of doing proper exegesis in sermonising in order to combat heretical preaching that has saturated churches in Nigeria. It defines theological exegesis and draws a line of demarcation between exegesis and eisegesis. It explains the process of exegesis and concludes with the basics of Biblical Hermeneutics.