HOW TO READ THE BIBLE

Context, Context, Context!

Context is Everything!

The context of a Biblical passage has huge ramifications for how that passage is applied. Who is talking? Who are they talking to?

What are they saying? Why are they saying it?

Rarely however, do we even acknowledge that there are more than one type of context, and all the types are equally important!

Three Contexts

Context, Context, Context! Personal context Historical-Cultural context Literary context

Each of these is equally important – each of them affects how we read the Bible, as well as how we apply it!

Personal Context

Personal Context is all about you and the culture you are in and what you bring to the text People are not neutral and objective

Preconceived notions Experiences Cultural Influences

Personal Context

With your neighbor, try to retell the whole story of the Birth of Christ – everything you can remember!

Personal Context

Who delivered the baby? Did Mary do that all by herself?

What time of day was Jesus born?

When did the shepherds show up? What about the wise men?

How many wise men were there?

Did Joseph and Mary travel all by themselves?

Personal Context

Preconceived notions or preunderstandings are things that you understand or believe to be true. You have formulated these both consciously

and unconsciously before you ever even read a passage

This leads us to believe that we already understand a passage, when we haven’t even studied it yet.

Personal Context

These preunderstandings are formed by everything (good and bad!) you have learned in: Church School At home Music Movies Art Secular and Christian culture

Personal Context

Sometimes, our preconceived notions are accurate, but often they are not. Sometimes we do understand a passage

correctly without having studied it Without having studied the passage,

however, it is impossible to know if we are correct

All too often, our pride causes us to believe that our preunderstandings are correct and we don’t need to study it.

Personal Context

Another problem we can get into is when we have already decided what we know about theology is true Free Will or Predestination?

No matter which side we fall on, if we approach this with a preconceived notion of one being correct and the other false, we will have a tough time dealing with the verses that don’t line up with our preunderstanding.

Personal Context

Recognizing that we approach scripture with our own cultural baggage allows us to recognize that baggage when we see it.

In order to get the full benefit of God’s Word, we have to learn to stop “overstanding” scripture, or putting ourselves above His message. We need to let the Bible speak for itself.

Historical-Cultural Context

Historical-Cultural context refers to the historical background or setting of the writer, the audience, and the world at large that has a direct affect on the text In other words, nearly anything that is outside

the text itself, but helps you understand the text better is considered Historical-Cultural context

Examples: What was life like for the Israelites when they wandered the desert? How did the Pharisees observe the Sabbath? Etc.

Historical-Cultural Context

The Writer What kind of person was the author? What was his story? (where did he come

from, what happened to him, etc) What is his relationship like with his

audience (Jonah and Ninevites, Paul and baby Christians, etc)?

Most important: Why is he writing?

Historical-Cultural Context

The Audience Who were they (what were they dealing

with)? Why were they receiving the writing?

Understanding the audience it was intended for will allow you to make connections with them, thus making the passage easier to apply to yourself.

Historical-Cultural Context

Other areas can also be very informative: Geography Economics Politics

Most useful: Social Customs

Historical-Cultural Context

Be careful with interpreting this context! Watch out for inaccurate information! Don’t elevate the background of the text

above the meaning of the text! Don’t allow your facts to make you

arrogant!

Historical-Cultural Context

By studying the background of the text, your Bible studies will be enriched – the Bible changes from a boring, hard to read, dead stack of papers to a living, breathing, entity that has the power to change your life.

Literary Context

Literary Context refers to what style or genre the passage of scripture was written in. This is very important, because you don’t

read a poem in the same way you read a novel. You don’t read a law the same way that you read a prophecy.

Literary Context

There are several main genres in the Old Testament: Narrative Law Poetry Wisdom Prophecy

Literary Context

Narrative A genre that tells a story – Genesis, Exodus,

Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Esther, etc. Law

A genre consisting mostly of lists of instructions – imperative (meaning you must do them!) Leviticus, Numbers, etc.

Literary Context

Poetry A genre that is intended to be read as a

song or a poem (Psalms, Song of Songs, etc)

Wisdom A book or passage that is intended to

impart advice on how to live well (Proverbs, but also Psalms, Ecclesiastes too)

Literary Context

Prophecy A genre intended to inform us of God’s

intentions and His plan beforehand; often it comes with a warning attached, sometimes with encouragement as well. (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, etc)

Literary Context

How does genre change how we interpret the Bible? When we read the Bible, we need to always

start by reading it literally. The author meant what he meant when he wrote what he wrote. But, some writings are not meant to be taken

literally. Should you read a poem literally? Well it depends.

Literary Context

When you read a passage: Make sure you understand whether the

passage is intended to be read literally or figuratively. The way a passage is written usually will let you know which is which.

For other passages that you are not sure on: don’t just write off something you do not understand as impossible.

For example: Genesis lays out the creation story that takes place in a series of days.

Are these literal 24 hour days, or do they figuratively represent thousands of years? Your answer will most definitely change the way you view the entirety of scripture!

Literary Context

Be careful!This is the context that is easiest to misuse – saying something should be taken figuratively instead of literally is easy to do, and makes interpreting a passage easy, but it’s not always correct.

Also, it can lead to using reducing the depth of our understanding to mere genre differences, not the true depth and breadth of scripture and its message of God’s unimaginable gift of Grace.