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What contextual clues will help me get the most out of my Bible study?
This is what I consider fun stuff! It’s like putting a puzzle together, which is something I love. I’ve noted eight points to remember, but this is by no means exhaustive. It’s just a good place to start. Remember though, this is only the answer to the question about contextual clues. For even better Bible interpretation, you’ll need to read at least “What are the primary considerations I should remember when I read the Bible?” and “How do I use resources like concordances, commentaries and Bible dictionaries?” You’ll also want to get a hold of the resources I list on the Bible study home page.
Point 1: Always read at the least the entire paragraph the verse is in. Usually you have to expand to the surrounding paragraphs also. One example I’ve given in my Novel Approach to Discipleship classes is to read a passage from my book Seasons of Change:
“A car, a car, my kingdom for a car,” Steve muttered.... “I guess I should thank you, Lord, for reminding me that I’m not in control and I can’t have everything I want, but if you don’t mind, I don’t feel like being thankful right now. I finished my book. There are no whales out there. There’s not even a sea turtle. I can only take so much blowhole at once. There’s not even anyone to talk to out here this morning. If you’ve got a plan in all this, I’m not seeing it.” (page 8-9)
Now, answer these questions:
- Who is Steve?
- What’s wrong with his car?
- What kind of car does he have?
- Where is he?
- Does the blowhole he mentions have a name?
- Why would Steve need a reminder that he’s not in control and can’t have everything he wants?
If you haven’t read anything other than that passage, you can’t answer those questions! You need to follow the whole flow of the story to get the deeper truths.
Seems kind of “no duh,” doesn’t it?
So why do you try to understand God’s story by just using one verse?
When you blithely toss off Bible verses (or partial verses) like “Ask and you will receive” (Matthew 7:8) or “take my yoke upon you ... For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30), without understanding the proper context, you run the risk of seriously misinterpreting the Bible! In the case of the first, you have to see that it’s part of the Sermon on the Mount. What was Jesus’ purpose in those three chapters? There are a series of related ideas in the Sermon. Can you find those related ideas? What are the ideas directly related to the ask-receive idea referenced above? Explore those questions and it will make a difference in how you understand that verse.
In the case of the second example, Jesus’ yoke, we’re often tempted to take that as a promise that life will be easy under Jesus’ yoke, but is that really what Jesus taught? Or could it be that he was saying the religion he offered was a faith-based life rather than one of rules and regulations that were difficult to understand much less apply to their lives. Maybe he promised a simplicity of faith that could actually be lived.
Point 2: Look for a common thread that flows through the passages before and after. In the above passage in Matthew (which is from 11:25-30), just before Jesus promises rest for the weary, he pronounces a “woe” because they were having a hard time accepting the proofs of his ministry - his miracles. Just after the passage, we see the Pharisees once again nagging at Jesus because his disciples are breaking the Sabbath. Read the three linked passages, from 11:20 to 12:14 and see for yourself what the greater context is.
Point 3: Look for repeated words and phrases. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 through 7), Jesus makes a series of “You have heard ... But I say” statements (5:21-48). To fully understand any of them, you have to read all of them. None of those statements can be fully understood unless you understand what Jesus’ purpose was in the whole collection of sayings. There is a common thread. In that particular case, you have to back up all the way to 5:3 and the beatitudes to fully understand that Jesus was redefining spiritual life as his hearers knew it.
Point 4: Look for connecting words like “therefore” or “but.” If the paragraph is being connected to something before it, you need to read what it’s being connected to.
Point 5: Are there conditions? One of the most common ways to show conditions is the “if ... then” format. You may not see the word “then” but you need to find what happens when you see the word “if.”
Point 6: Are there images or figures of speech? You’ll need to make sure that you have the right understanding of that figure of speech. Be careful because some figures of speech aren’t obvious at first. For example, in Hawaii, “You like beef?” isn’t a question about your preferences in meat; it’s an invitation to fight.
Point 7: Always keep in mind the theme of the book you’re reading as well as the Testament it’s in, and be aware of a writer’s emphases. For example, the Old Testament promises that if the children of God obey him, they will not suffer hardship, but the New Testament promises that the followers of Christ will suffer hardship. One of John’s themes is that Jesus was both God and man. You see that very strongly in both his gospel and his first epistle.
Point 8: Expect that your cultural understanding will influence your reading of the scripture. Circumvent that bad habit by delving into the culture of biblical times. You can do that through commentaries and Bible dictionaries.
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