Straight Outta Context
April 7th, 2022 • by Kristie Anyabwile
"23.5!" My son’s sudden exclamation in the middle of dinner takes us all by surprise. We all look at him perplexed and I ask, "23.5 what?" Obviously exasperated, he stretches out his hands like bear claws and responds "23.5 out of 30!" We are all clueless about what he's referring to so I finally say, "Son, we need more information."
He rolls his eyes to the ceiling and exclaims, "78%!" I slowly begin to make sense of his seemingly random outbursts and ask, "Did you have a test today?" With relief, his words gush out like a geiser and he responds, "Oh my gosh! Yes! We had a math test today and I was a half point away from a B! I'm so salty about that!"
Well, whew! We could finally get on the same page and offer what my son needed in that moment, a little empathy for the half point that my extremely upset guy missed. He finally provided more context to help us understand why 23.5 upset him so much, but his well-meaning and impassioned statement was “straight outta context” and had the potential of causing us much confusion, misunderstanding, and just wrong conclusions about what he meant. We needed more words, and we needed to know more about his world to grasp his intended meaning.
What is Context?
The dictionary defines context as “the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea.” Context comprises “the parts of something written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning.” In her book, Bible Study: Following the Ways of the Word, Kathleen Nielson defines context as the words and the world around a text of Scripture. With this definition in mind, she concentrates on two primary types of context found in Scripture: literary context (the words around the text) and historical/cultural context (the world around a text).
The Words
The words directly surrounding the passage have a tremendous impact on the point of the passage you are studying. Consider Mark 14:55-65, where Jesus clearly confirms his identity as “the Christ, the Son of the Blessed” and as the Son of Man who is coming with the clouds of heaven. If you read the words before (14:43-54) and after (14:66-72), consider how the surrounding passages help with your understanding of the main passage. In the previous passage, we see the betrayal of Judas and a quick reference to a faithful follower of Jesus. In the following passage, we see Peter’s denial.
“The words directly surrounding the passage have a tremendous impact on the point of the passage you are studying.”
How do these passages add to our understanding? One observation is that while Jesus boldly made his identity known to the governing powers, we see examples of both bold betrayal and devoted following from others. We see that in the midst of betrayal and denial, Jesus doesn’t back down but boldly proclaims. This contrasts the behavior of some of his disciples, who when their backs were against the wall turned their backs on Jesus. Then there’s the faithful few, who will literally lose all to follow Jesus.
The World
The culture and history of the time is always worth noting. Clues about the world of the original audience are clearer in some parts of the Bible than others. In the psalms, you can look for context clues in the opening title or inscription. For example, Psalm 3 is written in the context of David fleeing from his son Absalom. At other times, the subject of the psalm itself makes reference to a historical event, such as Psalm 78:42-55 recalling the Lord’s protection of his people during the plagues of Egypt despite their continued rebellion.
In the Old Testament narratives, the historical account is often provided at the beginning of a story as part of the setting, and it includes helpful historical information like dates, locations, and references to who was in power (see 1 Kings 6:1). In this verse, we get very specific information including the date in relation to the exodus, the date in relation to who was ruling at the time, and the month. Why all this specificity?
Often this specificity indicates that this is a pivotal moment in the history of God’s people. Sometimes historical markers help determine the occasion for why the passage was written, or just help you to know what else was happening at the time. In the epistles, the context often reveals cultural information that is helpful to keep in mind, again providing a sense of the occasion for the passage. For example, Titus 1:12 describes how people at that time viewed Cretans: “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” Obviously, this is hyperbole, but it at least reveals that Titus will have an uphill battle as he seeks to evangelize, disciple, and raise up leaders for the church in Crete.
“Grappling with a Bible passage literarily first, will help us discover the proper historical, cultural, and theological elements that clarify and aid interpretation.”
Why It Matters
Context is important. It helps us grasp the intended meaning that God—through the biblical author—wanted us to gain from the text. This is called biblical exegesis (EX-uh-JEE-sis). When we fail to consider the context surrounding a passage or book, we risk importing meaning into the text that is not intended by the author. This is called eisegesis (EYE-suh-JEE-sis). Grappling with a Bible passage literarily first, will help us discover the proper historical, cultural, and theological elements that clarify and aid interpretation. As we read larger portions of Scripture—whole books and whole genres—more of the Bible’s context becomes available to us.
However, we must be careful that we do not spend so much time investigating unnecessary or extra-biblical context that we miss the main point of a passage. This is a common pitfall for eager Bible students. We can fall victim to chasing cross references and studying Bible maps and charts and learning about leprous diseases until we lose the main point of a passage. Or even worse, we can lose real communion with the Lord by allowing all the fact-finding to derail our study. We must remember that studying the Bible is primarily a spiritual exercise that uses the intellect. It is not primarily an intellectual exercise cloaked in spirituality.
Recalling God’s Faithfulness Together
Finally, Christian community is an under-utilized source for growing our knowledge of context. When we study in community, we have the resources of the collective wisdom of everyone in our group to point us to portions of Scripture we may be less familiar with. We can ask and answer questions among peers, get instant feedback, and receive encouragement and correction. The Bible has a long oral tradition that relied on the collective memory of God’s people to recall God’s mighty acts of deliverance, to remember his faithfulness in the past, and to encourage one another to trust in God’s promises of salvation, restoration, and renewal.
As those who love God’s Word and desire to grow in intimacy with him every time we open it, we must be careful to avoid the misinterpretation, confusion, and error that comes from taking Scripture “straight outta context.”. Rather, we must allow the context to help us enter into the worlds of Old Testament saints, New Testament believers, and the early church so that we might more fully grasp the meaning of a passage. By rightly handling the Word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15), we honor its authority and come to more deeply know its Author.
Kristie Anyabwile is the author of Literarily: How Understanding Bible Genres Transforms Bible Study (Spring 2022), and editor of His Testimonies, My Heritage: Women of Color on the Word of God (2019). She is an instructor for women Bible teachers with the Charles Simeon Trust, and is a founding member of The Pelican Project, a women’s theology organization. She has written contributions for Held: 31 Biblical Reflections on God's Comfort and Care in the Sorrow of Miscarriage, ESV Women's Devotional Bible; Word-Filled Women's Ministry: Loving and Serving the Church; Women on Life: A Call to Love the Unborn, Unloved and Neglected; and Hospitality Matters: Reviving an Ancient Practice for Modern Missions. Her work can also be found at The Front Porch, The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, Christianity Today, and Revive Our Hearts. She is a pastor’s wife and has been married to Thabiti for 30 years. They have 3 children.
MORE FROM JOURNEYWOMEN
IMPORTANT NOTE
Journeywomen articles are intended to serve as a springboard for continued study in the context of your local church. While we carefully select writers each week, articles shared on the Journeywomen website do not imply Journeywomen's endorsement of all writings and positions of the authors or any other resources mentioned.
