Understanding Biblical Context
Exegesis, Hermeneutics and Bible Interpretation
Introduction
Welcome to Lesson 6.1 of your free online Bible Interpretation Course. In this lesson, we want to study what is called the Biblical context of a passage.
Essentially, we are looking for a meaningful relationship between our text and other texts in the Bible to see what insights they might be able to provide us.
If we believe that the Scriptures have a theological and literary integrity, then one part of the Bible can clarify or illuminiate another part.
For example, Christ as the lamb of God in the New Testament (John 1:29) is an empty symbol without understanding the sacrificial system which was established in the Old Testament. In this case the Old Testament forms an important background for a proper understanding of John’s text.
The relationship between passages
The meaningful relationship between two or more texts in the Bible can be established in many ways:
#1 – The use of the Old Testament in the New Testament
- This can include direct quotes
- Matthew 2:5-6 is a quote from Micah 5:2 and 2 Sam 5:2. – This passage speaks to the fulfillment of the promise God made to his people about the Messiah King coming to shepherd his people.
- Allusions to specific events or characters of the Old Testament
- 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 – Speaks of the Exodus, the Red Sea, the pilgrimage in the desert and of Christ as a spiritual rock.
- Obvious types
- Moses and the bronze serpent (John 3:14 with reference to Num 21:8-9)
- “As Jonah was in the belly of the fish …” (Matthew 12:40)
- “I am the bread of life …” (John 6:35 with reference to Exodus 16:4)
#2 – The anticipation of the New Testament in the Old Testament
- This can include predictions or types of Christ or the Gospel
- Characters – Adam, Moses, King David, the prophet Elijah
- Systems – The sacrifice or the priesthood
- Events – The Passover and the Day of Atonement
#3 – Events in the Old Testament that are amplified in the New Testament
- The creation
- The Flood
- The Israelite Monarchy
#4 – Characters of the Old Testament who are amplified in the New Testament
- Abraham (Gal 3:6)
- Rahab (James 2:25)
#5 – A text or passage in a particular testament is amplified in the same testament
- The prophets’ warnings of judgment to Israel and Judah come to fruition in the the captivity of the people of God.
- God warns his people of the consequence of disobedience in the renewing of his covenant with his people(Deut 28)
- All the curses written Deut 28 comes to fruition in the later books because of Israel’s disobedience to God.
- The new creature that we are in Christ (2 Cor 5:17) reaches its fulfillment in all that the Lord will renew at the end of the world (Rev. 21:1, 5) – We should note that a word study of Revelation 21: 1-10 on the word “new or new” lead us to the text in 2 Corinthians 5:17 and vice versa.
How do I find relationships?
The relationships between various texts of the Bible can be found among several resources:
- In the margins of a study Bible (there are usually cross-references to similarly themed passages)
- In the introductions of each book in a study Bible, a Bible dictionary or commentary
- In specific articles for different topics in a Bible dictionary (Easter, pastor, king …)
- In the information that comes from word studies
- From your own knowledge or study of the Bible
Conclusion
Studying the biblical context of a passage is a wonderful adventure in getting to know other parts of Scripture. It helps you to see the inter-connectedness of various books and the way themes are developed and repeated in Scriptures. Finally, any passage of Scripture has the potential to shed light and understanding on any other passage of Scripture.
For all of these reasons, it represents one more valuable tool in your Bible interpretation repertoire.