Show notes
This is part 3 of the Read the Bible For Yourself.
Today is the first of two episodes on how to understand and apply the Bible. One of the greatest problems facing Bible readers today is the lifted verse. It's so common to see a verse or even half a verse posted on social media or on a sign somewhere. When most people read a random verse, they impose their own modern context and background information on it. As a result, it's easy to accidentally give a scripture new meaning that the original author never intended. How can we overcome this problem? Context. Today you'll learn about the 5 major contexts that are important to keep in mind when reading the Bible.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2UQeDoPKHA
—— Links ——
See other episodes in Read the Bible For Yourself
Other classes are available here, including How We Got the Bible, which explores the manuscript transmission and translation of the Bible
Get the transcript of this episode
Support Restitutio by donating here
Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF
Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air
Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.
Who is Sean Finnegan? Read his bio here
—— Notes ——
Exegesis: a careful explanation of a text
synonyms: explanation, exposition, elucidation
to exegete a text is to understand it correctly so that you can explain it
Hunger for Scripture
Ask God to give you a desire to read the Bible
Two Questions
What did it mean to the original audience then?
What does it mean to you today?
Context, Context, Context
Immediate context
Canonical context
Historical context
Geographical context
Cultural context
Immediate Context
Philippians
Putting this verse in context:Philippians 4:10-1410 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.
Canonical Context
Leviticus
To whom were these statements originally made?
Leviticus
Historical Context
Jeremiah
What were the historical circumstances in which this statement was originally made?
Jeremiah
Geographical Context
John
Does this mean Jesus was south of Jerusalem?
Actually, here “up” refers to elevation, since Jerusalem is on a hill. People go up to Jerusalem regardless of the direction from which they approach.
Cultural Context
Abraham and Sarah (nomadic)
Solomon (palace life in the United Kingdom of Israel)
Daniel (palace life in Babylon)
Jesus (Galilee and Judea under Roman occupation)
Paul (major Greco-Roman cities)
Chronological Snobbery
Originally coined by C. S. Lewis, this refers to the judgmental attitude that looks at people in ancient history as unsophisticated, primitive, and inferior.
Ancient people were not dumb. They were no smarter or dumber than we are.
Some of their technology was rather sophisticated.
Literal vs. Figurative
Didymus the Blind (ad 313-398): “Abraham entered then into Egypt allegorically by adapting himself as one of the perfect to the imperfect in order to do good to them instead of holding on to virtue as a privilege, as has been said above, but in showing her to all as his sister, in humility, so that by contemplating her they might come to love her. But observe how it is said that the officials saw her. There are in fact in the ranks of the allegorically viewed Egyptians some men who are purer, who have a great capacity for perceiving virtue. And they not only perceived her, but they introduced her to their superior, that is, to the reason that governs them, and they praised her” (On Genesis 228).[1]
Sadly, Didymus overlayed the historical narrative of scripture with lessons about treasuring wisdom that were obviously not present in the text.
Figurative sections of scripture like Isaiah
Generally, it’s good to interpret the historical, legal, and epistolary portions as literal unless there’s a good reason not to.
Review:
“Exegesis” is the process by which one studies, understands, and explains what a text means.
The two questions you must ask when studying the Bible are: (1) "What did this mean to the original audience?" and (2) "What does this mean to me today?"
Most errors in exegesis are the result of failing to read the immediate context.
Getting a grip on the context of the original writing greatly improves exegesis, including immediate context, canonical context, historical context, geographical context, cultural context, and technological context.
While reading historical narratives, law, biographies, and epistles, you should privilege literal interpretation over figurative, recognizing that exceptions can happen.
If you don't understand something, just keep going. Figuring out the big picture can help immensely to understand the minutiae.
[1]Sheridan, Mark and Thomas C. Oden, eds., Genesis 12–50 Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture 2. ICCS/Accordance electronic edition, version 2.8. InterVarsity Press: 2002, Downers Grove.
