How Do We Understand The Context Of Scripture?

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Main Question for today...

How do we understand Scripture in its context?

As you listen, click the "Resources" tab above next to the audio recording and click the attachment titled "Context Questions." As you listen along, answer these questions along with the class.

Turn to Judges 3:12-30 and read through it once or twice.

Think of these four categories as we walk through the lesson:

Original Situation--meaning the original context of the passage

Original Application-- meaning how the original audience applied the passage to their lives

Current Situation-- How do we differ from the original audience?

Current Application-- How do we apply this lesson to our lives today?

Contextual Description ("Original Situation")

The first few things you need to ask a particular Bible Passage is about the actual text itself, the physical words on the page. We also need to understand the basics of the story, its events, and characters. To give you an idea about what we mean, go through some of the questions provided in the handout to better understand the context of the text.

Original Application

After we understand the physical text, its characters, theme, etc., now we need to look at how the original audience would have understood, interpreted, and received this passage. Let's take a look at some of the questions in the handout to get inside the minds of the original readers of this story.

Current Situation

Next, we need to talk about how the original context of the original audience differs from us today. We need to consider not only the original audience, but also the original context of the story itself. 

Contemporary Application ("Current Application")

Finally, we need to ask about how the lessons the original audience learned can be applied to our lives today? How do we, as a modern audience, learn, grow, and apply the lessons to our own context?

Consider this...

How ahs this lesson helped you understand the context of Scripture?

What applications can we glean from the story of Judges 3:12-30?

How will you read Scripture differently moving forward?