Introduction
We have all heard the popular maxim, “Context is king.” Disregarding the context of a biblical passage is one of the main causes of misunderstandings, wrong assumptions, misinterpretation, and misapplication of Scripture as it allows the interpreter to read unsupported meanings into a text instead of drawing proper meaning out of the text. For theologians and biblical scholars, knowledge of the historical background, proper mastery of the ancient languages, and specialized biblical knowledge are key elements to proper interpretation. But what about the rest of us? This blog serves to equip anyone with a love for God’s word with a basic understanding of what it means to read the Bible in context. We have identified 8 simple questions for anyone to ask when approaching a biblical text.
Question 1: Who wrote it? (Authorship)
While we believe Scripture to be inspired by God (2 Tim 3:16), we also need to acknowledge that it was penned down by real people in different times and contexts to address specific situations. Basic information about the author and their situation illuminates a text in significant ways. The author’s condition at the time of writing and where the text falls in his life are all important factors to consider.
It is not uncommon to hear someone quoting from 1 Timothy, claiming that “Timothy says….” Knowing that Paul wrote the letter to Timothy is an essential starting point for sound interpretation. Among others, it connects the letter to Paul’s other material. Where an author wrote from is also important. Paul wrote the famous Philippians 4:13 while in prison (cf. 1:7, 13). This is crucial information because it undermines the common misunderstanding that Paul is saying that, with God, anything is possible—he is clearly still in jail. Rather, he is acknowledging God as his strength amid difficulty (and prosperity). Paul’s point is that the strength he receives from Christ is the secret behind his contentment in every situation.
Question 2: Who did they write it to? (Audience identity)
While Scripture is written for us, it is not necessarily written to us. Knowing the specific conditions that surround the original audience gives further insight for sound interpretation. For example, it is important to know that Jeremiah served as prophet to a community in exile. Before the famous, and terribly misquoted Jeremiah 29:11, he tells this community that they will not get their freedom for another seventy years (in spite of the good tiding from the false prophets who claim that they will be restored soon). In light of this, he assures them of Yahweh’s plans for them and that he will, after the passing of the seventy years, restore them to their homeland. Given this context, it becomes clear that Jeremiah 29:11 is no triumphant assurance of prosperity that can be cut and paste as a motivation quote for the modern audience. It is a reminder of God’s dedication to a nation that is under discipline (and will be for a while).
The audience’s background also informs the writer’s choice of material and style of writing. This fact needs to inform one’s interpretation of a text. It is not uncommon for people to ask why the gospels tell the same story differently. For example, the genealogy of Jesus as recorded by Matthew (1:1–17) is quite different from Luke’s version (3:23–38). Matthew’s Jewish audience informed his decision to start with Abraham who is the “father” of all Jews. Luke wrote to a Gentile, Theophilus, and thought it necessary to begin Jesus’s lineage from Adam who is the “father” of all humanity, whether Jew or Gentile. The two accounts are not contradictory; they are rather complementary. The background of the audience has informed the presentation of each writer.
Question 3: What is the historical and social context of the text and its audience? (Audience context)
It is also significant to know something of the historical and social context of the text—that is, the history of the world within which the text was written. One aspect of social context is the information and experience common to humanity in general. For example, the metaphor of light and darkness (used in Ps 119:105; John 8:12) is cross-cultural because it is common to the general human experience. The same cannot be said of the meanings of such expressions as denarius (Mat 20:2) or a Sabbath day’s journey (Acts 1:12). Here, the reader would need to do some digging. Another aspect of social context includes how people lived back then (for example, levirate marriage; cf. Gen. 38; Ruth 4; casting of lots; cf. Acts 1:26). The practice of “wearing of sackcloth” (Jonah 3:8) and “holy kissing” (Rom 16:16), for example, must be read in the light of the culture of the audience. The former practice signified repentance and sorrow while the latter signified fellowship.
Question 4: Why did they write it? (Purpose of text)
Each text was written for a particular reason. Therefore, before sticking a Scripture onto our mirrors, we need to be considerate of its purpose. Why did Paul urge the Corinthian women to be silent (not that this would be a passage that I wish to stick to my mirror)? Was it because he believed that women had no place speaking when the saints were gathered? At first, glance, reading 1 Corinthians 13:34 creates the idea that women ought to be completely mute in church. However, from the context, these women were asking disruptive questions in the gathering (v. 35). Paul, therefore, had a reason to shoosh them. Moreover, he did not shoosh them entirely, as the next section will point out.
Another issue is that of braided hair in 1 Timothy 2:9–10. Did Paul prohibit women from putting on braided hair per se? If we are not faithful in familiarizing ourselves with the aim of the passage, we might draw such a conclusion. Paul’s purpose in this text was not to give a universal rule that all women (everywhere) are forbidden from wearing braided hair. He was rather giving instruction to his audience because many of the women placed so much value on their hairstyles (usually braided) and expensive clothes (i.e., the outside) that they hardly gave attention to more important and spiritual things (such as good deeds, and a gentle and quiet spirit; cf. 1 Tim 2:10; 1 Pet 3:3–4). Ironically, braided hair may be the least expensive hairstyle in some cultures. In view of the foregoing, the NIV’s “elaborate hairstyles,” CEV’s “fancy hairdos,” and GNT’s “fancy hairstyles” better express Paul’s intended use of the Greek word plegmasin (“braided hair”).
Question 5: What comes before it and what goes after it? (Literary Context)
An important exercise in Bible reading is to familiarize yourself with the literary context of the text. The paragraph, chapter, and book in which a text is located are key elements for sound interpretation. It is important that the reader thinks forward, backward, and through the passage before finalizing their interpretation. If you are preaching or teaching, you need to be familiar with the whole book/letter to ensure that you are being true to the message. To return to the previous example, Paul urges women to cover their heads when prophesying and praying (1 Cor 11). This alone would help us to caution against an assumption that Paul did not want to hear a peep from any of the women in the ancient churches—clearly, they were expected to pray and prophesy. The reader needs to read the text carefully, repeatedly, patiently, purposefully, inquisitively, and prayerfully to discover what it says in its own context.
Question 6: What type of literature are you reading? (Literary Genre)
This is often an underemphasized factor. The Bible contains several different types of literary genres based on the style, form, or content. Common genres in the Old Testament include historical narratives (e.g., Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles), Law (e.g., Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), Poetry (e.g., Psalms and the Song of Solomon), Prophecy (e.g., Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Obadiah, Micah, and others), and Wisdom Literature (e.g., Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job). In the New Testament, the reader may come across literary forms like Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), History (Acts of the Apostles), Epistles (from Romans to Jude), and apocalyptic literature (Revelation).
Different genres require different rules of interpretation. We cannot read wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs) in the same way as we would historical narrative (Acts) or apocalyptic literature (Revelation). Apocalypse, for example, is full of symbolism and metaphor, where historic narrative aims to retell events as they happened, requiring a more literal interpretation. We also ought to distinguish between things like retelling (Luke telling us how the early church sold all their possessions; Acts 2:45) and instructing (Paul telling the Corinthians how to give in 2 Cor 9:7). We cannot simply command our congregations to sell all they have since living in common purse is not presented to the reader as a command.
Question 7: What does the rest of the Bible say? (Canonical context)
Once you are familiar with the book/letter containing the specific Scripture, a wise thing to do is to see what the rest of the Bible says about the topic. This can be done using search tools or even doing a preliminary search on the internet. What a writer says may be related to what another writer (or the same writer) has said elsewhere. For example, a person reading James 4:14 has an intertextual connection with Old Testament analogies for the shortness of life (cf. Prov 27:1, Eccl 12:6, and Job 15:31). Again, James’s addresses of the use of the tongue (James 3:1–11) cannot be properly understood without paying attention to similar wisdom from Proverbs (16:27; 26:2).
Question 8: What does the text mean for us today? (Contextual Application)
Having correctly situated Scripture in its context the final step is to apply it to contemporary situations. Once you understand the passage in its various contexts, feel free to stick it to your mirror, to memorize it, teaching it, and live it. A careful and holistic application of God’s word is expected to bring one’s life, attitudes, actions, beliefs, and values, into conformity to Christ—and for this, we need the community of believers and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Short Biography:
Dr Cornelia van Deventer is the Coordinator of Faculty Research and a Senior Lecturer at the South African Theological Seminary. She obtained her PhD in New Testament from Stellenbosch University in 2018. Her research interests lie in the Gospel of John, particularly its literary structure and rhetorical effect. Cornelia also serves as the editor of SATS’s journal, Conspectus (see here). She lives in Worcester with her husband, Johann, and their two sons, Ezra and Ilan, where they serve on the leadership team of Joshua Generation Church.
Dr. Isaac Boaheng holds a PhD in Theology from the University of the Free State, South Africa. He is a part-time lecturer at the South African Theological Seminary. Boaheng has over fifty publications in Systematic Theology, Ethics, Biblical Studies, Translation Studies, African Christianity, Linguistics, Pentecostalism and Christian Mission, among others (see https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Isaac-Boaheng). He is an ordained minister of the Methodist Church Ghana serving the Nkwabeng Circuit of the Sunyani diocese. Boaheng lives in Ghana with his wife, Gloria, and four children, Christian, Benedict, Julia and Kalix.
