All the Context

Historical-Cultural Context

Why does it matter? Knowing what is going on in the text helps us to know what the meaning of the text is.

2 Timothy 4:9 CSB

Make every effort to come to me soon,

2 Timothy 4:21 (CSB)

Make every effort to come before winter.

What does all of this mean? With the context:

Timothy was in Ephesus

Paul was imprisoned in Rome

Hundreds of miles apart.

Ship travel was completely shut down from November-March

His call for him to come, before winter has more urgency when it is known that shut down takes place.

This was the call of a man to come see him before its too late.

The Biblical Writer

God used people to write Scripture. The more that we know about the author, the better. Questions to ask: Who are they? What is their background? When are they writing? What is happening to them as they write? What is their relationship to the audience? What is their purpose in writing this Scripture?

The Biblical Audience

Scripture was written for a reason and for a specific audience. The better we know the audience, the more we can see how we are similar and different from them to get a better understanding of Scripture. Questions to ask: Who are they? What is their background? When are they receiving this? What is their relationship to the author? What is their relationship to God? What is their relationship with each other? Why are they the audience?

Other Elements

There are other things happening in the world that Scripture was written in. These events can be important to understanding the meaning of a passage. What geographic, social, religious, economic, and political elements are connected to the passage?

Dangers Associated with Studying Background

There are some aspects of studying the background that can cause problems. The first is gaining false information. Just as correct information can inform the meaning of a text, false information can distort it.

Matthew 19:24 CSB

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Tools for Identifying Historical-Cultural Context

Some of the information you need may be beyond you or the Bible. Some useful tools are Study Bibles, Bible Handbooks, OT and NT Introductions and Surveys, Commentaries, Bible Atlases, and the Internet. (Be aware of what sources you use. Not all sources are equal, especially on the internet.)

What Do WE Bring to the Text?

Preunderstanding

We have to acknowledge and understand what things we bring to the text. We need to be able to separate what we might think the text means (or what we might want it to mean) from what the text means. We have to look at what we are bringing to the text, and lay it aside.

Opinions we have.

Things we have been taught.

Influences outside of our faith.

Our Historical cultural context

Story of the Ethiopian Christmas story.

Foundational Beliefs

While we lay aside the things that we might bring to the text, we don’t lay aside the foundational beliefs that are essential to faith.

The Bible is the Word of God.

The Bible is Trustworthy and True

God has entered into human history; thus the supernatural does occur.

The Bible is not contradictory; it is unified, yet diverse.

Literary Context

Knowing what you are reading matters in terms of understanding what you are reading.

Example of young man in book.

The New International Version Chapter 7

They should get married.

“What you are about to do, do quickly.”

The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Jn 13:27.

Understanding Literary Genre

What kind of literature are you reading? In the OT you find: Narrative, Law, Poetry, Prophecy, and Wisdom. In the NT you find: Gospel, History, Letter, and Apocalyptic Literature. There are also subgeneres.

Understanding Surrounding Context

What is happening around the passage that you are reading?

Dangers of Disregarding Literary Context

If you ignore surrounding context, or only go surface deep when looking at context passages or verses become greatly distorted.

Word Studies

The Goal: “To understand as precisely as possible what the author was trying to convey by his use of this word in this context.”

Common mistakes

English only fallacy

The same word can be translated into multiple English words. Many words can be translated into the same English words.

Root Fallacy

Is a Butterly a fly that landed in butter? Is a pineapple an apple that grows on pine trees? What is a saw horse.

The roots of words can help us to get to the meaning, but only if it is correctly in context.

Time-Frame Fallacy

When you add meaning to a word that cannot possibly be the meaning of the word.

Dynamis = power often used to describe dynamite power. Romans 1:16

Overload Fallacy

Assigning more possible meanings of a word to the word whenever it is used. The word Spring. “Spring is my favorite season of the year.”

Word-Count Fallacy

The idea that a word always means the same thing. A word commonly translated Suffer is used in Galatians 3:4 and should be translated Galatians 3:4.

Word-Concept Fallacy

Thinking that a concept like “the church” is found in studying ekklesia. You must look beyond just that word to find the full meaning.

Selective-Evidence Fallacy

Not being willing to consider all evidence, but rather only looking at the evidence that supports your position.

Choose Words Carefully

Words should be…

Crucial to the passage. Repeated. Figures of Speech Words that are unclear, puzzling, or difficult.

Determine What Word Could Mean

Range of meanings (Semantic Meaning)

Concordance work. See the ways that this word has been translated. See what words have been translated to the English word.

Determine contextual placement of the word.

Determine what word means in context

Circles of Context

Word

Immediate Context

Same Book

Same Author, Other Book

Other New Testament Authors - Same type of text or same topic

Rest of the New Testament.

(Same for Old Testament)