Verses

Communication

We live in a time with a great increase in information. That increase in information is not the product of our advancing mental or intellectual capacities. So what is the catalyst to the advancement of our knowledge base? I would propose that it is fueled by our innovations in communication technology. These seem rather clear as we consider the history of human society. Civilizations and cultures grow and mature as they move from being oral societies to literate societies. Then, as we proceed into modernity, the ability to move correspondence across large spaces more quickly seems to coincide with progress in philosophy, theology, science, and technology. The point is that communication is extremely important. It is at the very heart of our bearing of God’s image and our relationship with Him. Since this is the case it is truly important that we consider how God has communicated with us and how we should rightly interpret His word!

Context

In the real estate market, it is common knowledge that the most important three factors are location, location, and location. A property's location is crucial to accessing its value and actually finding buyers. When it comes to interpreting what God has said to us in His word (The Bible), context is king. If we do not understand the surrounding context we will almost inevitably get the meaning and application of what God has said wrong.

First, we must understand the literary or grammatical context. Where is this passage in relation to what has been said before and after in the book. Context involves more than just reading a paragraph before or after our focal text. We must understand what the author is saying and what kind of argument he has been making. This can also include seeking to understand how a certain author uses words uniquely in their writing. Paul and John might use the same word and not be talking about the same thing, and that can only be determined by understanding the context of their writing.

Second, we must understand the historical or cultural context. Without an understanding of this context it is easy to read into the text meaning that would be valid in our culture but not then. Understanding the cultural context does not mean that we are free from any command that God has given but does help us to apply them rightly in our real life circumstances. This is also important because it can keep us from judging people and practices by a standard that they did not have because all of God's scripture had not yet been given. This is also true of our interpretation of post biblical church history. When we read the writings and study the lives of Christians in the past we must be careful not to judge them by standards that we have that no one could have had in that time and place. Hopefully, we realize how unfairly we could be judged by people 500 years from now if they judge us by some standard that does not get implemented for another 100 years.

Finally, we must understand the biblical context of every passage of Scripture. This involves the timeline of the Biblical events and the connections of each passage to key biblical themes most importantly God’s redemptive purpose in the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are many passages of the Old Testament that cannot be fully or properly understood if they are not viewed through the lens of the accomplishments of Jesus Christ. In these texts if we miss the presence of Jesus simply because His name is not mentioned we will miss the meaning and the application of that text. Genesis 22 is a good example of this key concept. The clear parallels to Christ are evident. Of course all of these texts have real meaning for the original audience that received them but the fullness of the revelation is when we interpret these texts in the biblical context. 

There is a principle of Biblical interpretation known as the analogy of faith or the analogy of scripture. The idea can be stated basically as Scripture interprets scripture. Another way of thinking about this is that a holistic understanding of the Bible will help us to understand the parts. If we have a sense of the whole story and the themes running through the scripture then we can understand individual passages and meanings more clearly. 

I love to be able to point clearly to a chapter and verse to ground my beliefs and actions in what God has clearly said. However, there are things that the Scriptures teach that are not the clear instruction of a single verse but rather the necessary implication of many passages. Our desire should not be to find “loopholes” in the scripture to allow for our sin. We should be desiring to obey everything both explicitly commanded and implicitly revealed in the inerrant and infallible word of God. Ultimately, we must understand that God has not spoken to us in verses but in narrative stories, poetic stanzas, and instructive letters which requires us to know more than a line or phrase or sentence or verse.

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