What is the General Context of a Book?
Exegesis, Hermeneutics and Bible Interpretation
Introduction
Imagine walking into a movie theater long after the film has started.
As you settle into your seat, you start listening to the dialogue, trying to piece together the relationship of one character to another.
But the longer you sit, the more you realize that you have missed far too much of the story to really make out more than a threadbare plot line. In the end, you leave the theater in a fog of confusion, not truly understanding much of what you’ve seen.
So Goes Our Bible Interpretation
While the above scenario may appear comical or far-fetched (since at least for me I always arrive 10 minutes before the film starts), this is exactly what occurs as we approach the Bible.
We jump into the middle of a book, read off a few isolated passages (and we think we know what they say because it speaks to our heart). Yet the truth is we don’t really have an idea of what the passage says because we don’t really understand how it fits into the overall narrative of the whole book.
In order to prevent this, we must first complete a study of the whole book.
NOTE: I have put together an on-line and detailed lesson plan How to Study a Book of the Bible.
Alternatively, you can download and print your own copy from our Print Lessons page. Look under the Bible Study Methods.
Steps to General Context Study
The following steps briefly summarize the more detailed content found in the above mentioned study guide for a whole book:
# 1 – Read the introduction to your book in a study Bible, Bible dictionary or one-volume commentary on the whole Bible.
This one exercise will give you a breadth of information you may have never known before. Issues of authorship, date, occasion, purpose and major themes are discussed. This gives you an excellent foundation upon which to build your interpretation.
Please check out my Bible Study Tools page for a list of recommendations for the above resources.
# 2 – Read the book in its entirety in one sitting
Trust me when I tell you that nothing can replace this step.
Most of us read the Bible in chunks, a verse here or there. Reading the whole book at once will give you a very different perspective.
Do not read for details. Instead, with the background information you already have add to the big picture, the structure, main themes and the flow of the author’s argument.
If a book is too long, read one of its major divisions. (For example: If you are studying Gen 6:1 – 22, read from Gen 1:1 – 11:32, which represents a major division of Genesis)
# 3 – Research and prepare notes for important information in this book
You’ll want to capture the following data:
- The author and the date the book was written. Also note the date of when the events narrated took place. Sometimes, these dates can be quite distinct.
- The general historical situation: What was the general historical situation facing the author and his readers? What was the political, economic and social context? What were the main threats or concerns?
- The audience: To whom is the book addressed? What is the status of the audience? What details can we garner (from the text itself) and from our background reading? How is the audience related to the author?
- The purpose of the book: What was the author’s intention in writing this book? Is there a specific issue which the author is addressing?
- What are the main themes that the author touches in his book? What is the general content of the book?
- What are some peculiar features of the book in terms of organization, structure, literary features, etc?
The gospel of Matthew, for example, contains five (5) large teaching sections because one of Matthew’s purposes is to present Jesus as a New Moses.
# 4 – Prepare an outline of the contents of the book.
This is an exercise many people find tedious. However, when you prepare an outline it forces you to observe and evaluate the ideas that appear in the text.
This gives you a very in-depth knowledge of the contents of the book. In addition, it allows you to see relationships between the different sections of a book.
A good way to begin your outline is to take the headings in your study bible and make these the main sections of your outline.
If you don’t have the time, study an outline from one of the previously mentioned resources and notice how the sections are divided.
Conclusion
The general context of a book begins to form the foundation for your interpretation endeavors.
This type of study gives you a broad perspective of the motivations, occasion and major themes that preoccupied the author as he wrote.
These details, in turn, enrich and illuminate the study and interpretation of individual passages.