Reading Scripture For All It's Worth

I love reading Scripture. We should daily and regularly read and meditate on the Word of God. Time spent in the Word is profitable to our well being (1 Tim 4:7-8), refreshing to our Spirit (Ezekiel 37: 1-10), and a safeguard against spiritual attack (John 16:33). Anyone can read scripture and glean from it the truth of what is written and also the deeper understanding of what the Spirit places on the heart of the reader. That said, the best way to truly understand the deeper meaning of the Word is to understand the historical context in which it was written. Now, you don’t have to be a theologian or a seminary student in order to arrive at the deeper meaning of Scripture. Reading the scripture simply for what it is does not take away from the simple truth of God. But, for those of you that wish to arrive at a deeper understanding of the Word without going to graduate school, here are a few simple steps that will help you set the historical context of Scripture.


A. The Historical Context

Historical Context is a process by which we form a tentative and informed reconstruction of the situation the author is addressing. What is the author's relationship with the churches addressed? What is its past history? What are the kinds of questions addressed? What is the culture or the city addressed like? What was Greco-Roman culture as a whole like? Here are some steps to take (this is not an exhaustive list as I am primarily referring to the Epistles (Letters of Paul, John, Peter, Jude, James, Hebrews, etc.):

1. First, for background information, consult Bible Dictionary articles, introductions to commentaries, or special articles and monographs on the letter you are interpreting

2. Read the entire letter through in one sitting at least once. This is getting an idea of the letter at the “big picture” level.

3. As you read the entire letter, take notes on:

a. information revealed about the recipients: Jew and/or Gentile, free or slave, rich or poor, faithful or unfaithful to the gospel.

b. author’s attitude toward the audience. Is he affirming, rebuking, or both?

c. information bearing on the situation of the letter. What is the problem(s) or joys prompting Paul to write? Is there a specific issue or is the letter general?

d. the logical divisions and argumentation of the letter

4. The, repeat the above steps in more detail in relation to the specific verse or passage you are working on.

These simple steps, combined with faith, belief and prayer will help you to set the historical context of Scripture and hopefully draw you towards a deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.