Interpretation Requires Context
Historical, cultural, scientific, literary...it all matters.
March, 2016
One of BibleRef's founding principles is the importance of context. Scripture was originally written as a flowing, coherent message. It wasn't recorded in bite-sized verses. Chapter and verse divisions make texts easier to locate. But they also lend themselves to taking those texts out of context. No part of the Bible can be properly understood or applied unless the full context is known. This is why every page of commentary on BibleRef includes specific information on what else is said in the passage, who it is written to, and so forth.
Failing to keep an eye on context is a sure-fire way to misinterpret Scripture. This isn’t unique to the Bible; all written words require context in order to avoid things being tangled. Unfortunately, it's much easier to read ten or so words, pick a meaning, and run with it, rather than take the time to really investigate what's being said.
Sometimes the results are humorous. A picture circulated the internet recently, taken from a page of a motivational calendar, quoting Luke 4:7 of the KJV: "If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine." Printed next to a scripture reference, that seems like a nice idea. The problem is verses 4 and 5, which attribute that quote to…oops…Satan. Not so motivational, any more.
Context is also important for understanding who the message is for. Jeremiah 29:11 is an extremely popular verse, found on everything from jewelry to wall art to bumper stickers. The problem is that it's not directed at everybody. It's a promise being given—exclusively—to the Jewish exiles taken by Babylon. This is made clear in both verses 1 and 4 of Jeremiah 29. Based on history, and scripture, God doesn’t guarantee "welfare" for all believers (John 16:33). The verse is a nice sentiment, but it's not a promise made to anyone who happens to read the words.
Even basic theology can be confused when context is ignored. John 3:16 is, rightfully, considered the subject line of the entire Bible. What's often missed is that the message of love given in John 3:16 flows directly into a warning about those who reject Christ, such as verses 18 and 36. In context, the passage isn’t only about Christ coming to save. It's also a clear statement of exclusivity: that there is one and only one "way."
Probably the worst offenders in taking Scripture out of context are those who attempt to discredit the Bible. Most "gotcha" stunts, attempts to shock or confuse using Bible verses, are based on a lack of context. Read, understood, and examined in their native background, common "landmine" verses such as Psalm 137:9 or Ephesians 5:22 are fairly easy to understand. Those, for example, have to be read with Psalm 137:7–8, and Ephesians 5:25–26, respectively.
What seems like common sense, as it turns out, tends not to be so common. As Christians, we should seek to move beyond a bite-sized approach to the Bible (Hebrews 5:12–14). That means truly "searching the scriptures" (Acts 17:11), rather than drawing walls between the words.
-- Editor
