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Bible In Context

GraceSaved

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GraceSaved

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It's important to study Bible passages and stories within their context. Taking verses out of context leads to all kinds of error and misunderstanding. Understanding context begins with four principles: literal meaning (what it says), historical setting (the events of the story, to whom is it addressed, and how it was understood at that time), grammar (the immediate sentence and paragraph within which a word or phrase is found) and synthesis (comparing it with other parts of Scripture for a fuller meaning). Context is crucial to biblical exegesis in that it is one of its most important fundamentals. After we account for the literal, historical, and grammatical nature of a passage, we can then focus on the outline and structure of the book, then the chapter, then the paragraph. All of these things refer to "context." 

Taking phrases and verses out of context always leads to misunderstanding. For instance, taking the phrase "God is love" 1 John 4:7-16 out of its context, we might come away thinking that our God loves everything and everyone at all times. But in its literal and grammatical context, “love” here refers to agape love, the essence of which is sacrifice for the benefit of another, not a sentimental, romantic love. The historical context is also crucial, because John was addressing believers in the first century church and instructing them not on God’s love, but on how to identify true believers from false professors. True love—the sacrificial, beneficial kind—is the mark of the true believer (v. 7), those who do not love do not belong to God (v. 8), God loved us before we loved Him (v. 9-10), and all of this is why we should love one another and thereby prove that we are His (v. 11-12).

Furthermore, considering the phrase "God is love" in the context of all of Scripture (synthesis) will keep us from coming to the false, and all-too-common, conclusion that God is only love or that His love is greater than all His other attributes. We know from many other passages that God is also holy and righteous, faithful and trustworthy, graceful and merciful, kind and compassionate, omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient, and many, many other things. We also know from other passages that God not only loves, but He also hates.
 

The Bible is the Word of God, literally "God-breathed", and we are commanded to ready, study, and understand it through the use of good Bible study methods and always with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to guide us. Our study is greatly enhanced by maintaining diligence in the use of context because it is quite easy to come to wrong conclusions by taking phrases and verses out of context. It is not difficult to point out places that seemingly contradict other portions of Scripture, but if we carefully look at their context and use the entirety of Scripture as a reference, we can understand the meaning of a passage.  To ignore context is to put ourselves at a tremendous disadvantage.

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allen32 Collaborator

allen32

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It's important to study Bible passages and stories within their context. Taking verses out of context leads to all kinds of error and misunderstanding. Understanding context begins with four principles: literal meaning (what it says), historical setting (the events of the story, to whom is it addressed, and how it was understood at that time), grammar (the immediate sentence and paragraph within which a word or phrase is found) and synthesis (comparing it with other parts of Scripture for a fuller meaning). Context is crucial to biblical exegesis in that it is one of its most important fundamentals. After we account for the literal, historical, and grammatical nature of a passage, we can then focus on the outline and structure of the book, then the chapter, then the paragraph. All of these things refer to "context." 

Taking phrases and verses out of context always leads to misunderstanding. For instance, taking the phrase "God is love" 1 John 4:7-16 out of its context, we might come away thinking that our God loves everything and everyone at all times. But in its literal and grammatical context, “love” here refers to agape love, the essence of which is sacrifice for the benefit of another, not a sentimental, romantic love. The historical context is also crucial, because John was addressing believers in the first century church and instructing them not on God’s love, but on how to identify true believers from false professors. True love—the sacrificial, beneficial kind—is the mark of the true believer (v. 7), those who do not love do not belong to God (v. 8), God loved us before we loved Him (v. 9-10), and all of this is why we should love one another and thereby prove that we are His (v. 11-12).

Furthermore, considering the phrase "God is love" in the context of all of Scripture (synthesis) will keep us from coming to the false, and all-too-common, conclusion that God is only love or that His love is greater than all His other attributes. We know from many other passages that God is also holy and righteous, faithful and trustworthy, graceful and merciful, kind and compassionate, omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient, and many, many other things. We also know from other passages that God not only loves, but He also hates.
 

The Bible is the Word of God, literally "God-breathed", and we are commanded to ready, study, and understand it through the use of good Bible study methods and always with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to guide us. Our study is greatly enhanced by maintaining diligence in the use of context because it is quite easy to come to wrong conclusions by taking phrases and verses out of context. It is not difficult to point out places that seemingly contradict other portions of Scripture, but if we carefully look at their context and use the entirety of Scripture as a reference, we can understand the meaning of a passage.  To ignore context is to put ourselves at a tremendous disadvantage.

get a good KJV study bible to use and back up scripture with scripture

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Bro K Rising Star

Bro K

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Down through the years I've discovered that when the main text for a sermon/lesson is taken from the OT and/or the 4 gospels: I need pay special attention to what is being said. Its very easy for one to pick out verses and present them in a manner to build "THEIR" doctrines/beliefs.

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Covenanter Veteran

Covenanter

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Anything we study from the Four Gospels to Acts 13 need to be rightly divided because the church in the four Gospels is not the church today.

 

click the link below for more

Miss interpretation and Miss application scriptures

That is dangerous - we have a complete Bible - aka "all Scripture", with the old covenant Scriptures fulfilled by Christ in his saving work, & his judgment of those who rejected him. Jesus did not spend years carefully teaching his disciples & hearers truths & way of living that would not be relevant to those who heard him, & those to whom his Apostles preached, but only to a distant future dispensation of Jews.

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AVBibleBeliever Experienced

AVBibleBeliever

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That is dangerous - we have a complete Bible - aka "all Scripture", with the old covenant Scriptures fulfilled by Christ in his saving work, & his judgment of those who rejected him. Jesus did not spend years carefully teaching his disciples & hearers truths & way of living that would not be relevant to those who heard him, & those to whom his Apostles preached, but only to a distant future dispensation of Jews.

No body said that.  There is application for the body of Christ the church today and there are truths for those during the tribulation.  But if we blend the gospels found in the NT and make them one you have lost the truth of God's word and dealing with Israel and the promises to them as a nation.

 

Remember before the cross Jesus was preparing Israel for the Kingdom which was at hand.  It was fully rejected by Israel by Acts 7 and Christ sent forth the gospel of Grace alone through faith to Paul.

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swathdiver Grand Master

swathdiver

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But if we blend the gospels found in the NT...

 

Remember before the cross Jesus was preparing Israel for the Kingdom which was at hand.  It was fully rejected by Israel by Acts 7 and Christ sent forth the gospel of Grace alone through faith to Paul.

 

So how many gospels are there?

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swathdiver Grand Master

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1) the Gospel of the Kingdom

2) the Gospel of the Grace of God

and

3) the everlasting Gospel.

 

Can you Identify the differences of these Gospels and when they are applicable?

 

No, I can't.  Why don't you tell me please?

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