Why Do Reviewers Consider the Context of a Work? Answerscom

The Bible is non simply full of history but it is a part of history. Information technology informs us what was going on historically and culturally at the time the stories were recorded. God'due south people were affected by history, and history was affected past God's people. As we read God'southward Discussion, we encounter that the development of mankind, civilization, and kingdoms through the centuries drain onto the pages of Scripture.

This weaving of history with the events of the Bible is known as historical context. It is a crucial piece of the puzzle for any student of God's Discussion. So exactly why is historical context important when y'all are studying the Bible?

Why Is Historical Context Important?

The historical context of any verse, book, or passage you read needs to be a factor in how you interpret what you lot are reading. Every discussion of the Bible was written at a sure indicate in history, in the midst of a certain set of circumstances.

Often, this exterior information will give you a lot of insight as to the purpose of what has been written. The why, when, and where details of the passage will be connected to the historical context.

If you allow the historical context to set up the scene for you, the words on the page volition get much more real and meaningful to yous because you will know why it was pregnant to its original audition. Understanding the historical context volition allow yous to garner new insights and therefore a deeper agreement.

This will definitely take researching into exterior sources, like commentaries, history books, and cantankerous-referenced biblical passages that might explicate what was going on at the time your particular verses were written.

Equally you study, enquire yourself questions like these:
Who is the author of this passage, and what is known most him?
Who is the audience, and what circumstances did they observe themselves in?
At what indicate in history were these people living?
What was going on politically, economically, culturally, and religiously at the time?

For Instance: Luke 7

Allow's consider the historical and cultural context of Luke 7:36-39:

"When 1 of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee'due south house and reclined at the tabular array. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. Equally she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of adult female she is – that she is a sinner.'"

This passage is packed full of historical and cultural context that, when understood, makes it come live. Using the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible as a resources, nosotros are able to see several interesting facts surrounding this story that assist reveal its richness:

• The Pharisee (a religious leader) who invited Jesus to dinner would have been viewed as doing a virtuous thing.
• The fact that Jesus was reclining indicates that this was no normal meal; reclining was something typically done at a banquet. This repast would have been considered an honor to be at – it may even take been put on for Jesus' sake.
• The alabaster jar of perfume that the adult female brought with her was a fragile and beautiful piece of pottery. The ointment or perfume inside was often used at this fourth dimension in history to bless the expressionless at their burial.
• The act of anointing someone was a gesture of courtesy and at times high honor, as in the instance of a king being anointed (ii Kings 9:half dozen).
• The fact that this woman wiped Jesus' anxiety with her hair is significant. Information technology was shameful for married women, as she may well have been, to have their hair uncovered in public.
• The adult female was a known sinner, and clearly from the Pharisee's reaction it was socially inappropriate for Jesus to allow her to touch him. The woman risked much public disgrace for her action of worship towards Jesus.

These few aspects of this passage cause united states to run across information technology in a deeper way. And these are only a few facts from one source!

Researching the Historical Context

At present, you may be thinking, "I wasn't live 2,000 years ago, and then it's gonna exist pretty tough for me to fully understand what was going on back and so." Y'all're correct, only the great affair is that you don't demand to know it all. Having just a basic understanding of the cultural and historical atmosphere will help you immensely, and y'all can cull from there how much further to study it.

Researching doesn't have to feel like an impossible task. Scholars and historians have washed much of the piece of work for us already. It is a gift that there are many great resources out there that can provide you with an accurate picture of  the historical and cultural context.

If you desire to sympathize the historical context of dissimilar biblical passages, ask your pastor for some commentaries or history books that he recommends. Or consider investing in a few resources of your own.

Why is historical context important when studying God's Discussion? It will reveal why the text was written. It will enrich what you lot take away from the passage, and help y'all understand the full significant. It will assist you grasp why the words were significant to their original audience. It volition increase the likelihood of yous interpreting the Bible correctly.

Don't expect; incorporate researching the historical context into your Bible study today.

At Ethnos360 Bible Plant we take the power of accurate ascertainment very seriously in our Bible study. To learn more virtually how to accurately written report the Bible  and gain other valuable study tips, sign up for our free email course below:

Emily Kurz is a graduate of Ethnos360 Bible Institute. She currently lives in Due north Carolina, where she is finishing a degree in Secondary English Didactics. Emily enjoys sports, bungee jumping, reading, and writing, and hopes to one twenty-four hour period teach english every bit a second language in Latin America.

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Source: https://e360bible.org/blog/historical-context-important-studying-gods-word/

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