As part of my work at Herald of Truth, I do a 15-minute program, Monday through Friday, called “Lea La Biblia” (Read the Bible).
The program itself is divided into segments. During the first part of the program, I do a 3-4 minute segment on Bible study, offering up tips on how to study the Bible. (And I’m always looking for suggestions on that! Feel free to chime in with tips you think would be useful)
One of my favorite subjects is the subject of context. I like to mention that the word context comes from Latin words basically meaning “with knitting.” I like the idea of the Bible as a knitted garment, made up of many threads that are all brought together as one.
Years ago, I sold clothing in a men’s clothing store. One day, I was delivering a pant to a customer when I noticed that there was a thread sticking out. Being a helpful clerk, I started to trim the thread. From across the store, one of the longtime employees yelled, “NO! You’ll ruin the pants.” She knew that cutting that thread would cause it to continue unraveling.
To me, pulling a passage out of context is a bit like that. One thread doesn’t tell you what a finished sweater looks like. Pulled out of the sweater, it’s just a bit of trash, and the sweater is damaged.
I also use the example of a note of music. One note doesn’t tell you what the symphony sounds like.
When I preach and teach, I try to use as long a passage as possible. There are times when I teach topically and quickly refer to a verse here or there, but I try to stay away from that. We need to learn to study the Bible in context.
The old saying goes, “A text without a context is a proof text for a pretext.” (I’ve also heard “pretext for a proof text,” but this way makes more sense to me) When it comes to Bible study, context is king.
Can you think of examples of passages that are often lifted from their context?
So very true, Tim…context is key to good and effective Bible study…and preaching.
“If you love me, obey my commandments.” John 14:15
Lifted from its context constantly to be used as a proof-text for whatever man-made rule needs “biblical support” this week.
Philippians 2:12 comes to mind, as a “pull yourself up to heaven by your own bootstraps” text, never mind that v. 13 clearly says that it is God that is working in you and for you. That text requires some work. Another one that gets my goat is Mt. 16:18, which in context teaches that the “gates” of hell will not withstand an aggressive attack by the church. We have reversed the attacker and the attackee – and thereby have created a “hunker and bunker” mentality that allows Satan to set the terms of the battle. I better stop – you sure know how to put a burr under my saddle! (In a good way, and I appreciate it)
Paul
The most glaring example I have heard of taking a passage out of its context comes from lifting a part of a sentence from Revelation 11 and using it on the inside of a Christmas card. Here’s the text on the inside of the card: “those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents”
Here’s the phrase in the context of the two prophets in Revelation 11- beginning with Revelation 11:7 from the ESV Bible Online:
7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.
thanks for posting this…very helpful!