Bible Study: Understanding Passage Context

Determining the Immediate Context of the Passage

• To determine the meaning of a passage, it's essential to understand the original content and context, which involves a rigorous study of words, phrases, and sentences.
• The objective is to identify whether the passage is a self-contained whole or part of a larger theme or idea.

Identifying the Immediate Context

• Look for re-occurring themes that link verses together.
• Determine the limits of the passage by reading several verses above and below the passage in question until the re-occurring themes no longer appear.
• Establish a Pericopé, a literary unit or passage that forms one coherent thought.

Characteristics of a Pericopé

• The first and last verses of a contiguous passage usually have the same theme.
• Notable mentions of the theme should run throughout the section.
• Every verse or sentence builds upon the theme in some fashion.
• Parenthetical content may be present, which is not directly connected with the primary theme.

Identifying Thematic Subcategories

• Identify pivotal words that turn the whole text toward a new perspective of the overall theme.
• Determine how a subcategory fits into the whole of the passage thematically.
• Examples of subcategories include independence, wastefulness, repentance, and restoration in the story of the Prodigal son.

Critique and Evaluate

• Thoroughly and repetitively critique your rationale for your Pericopé determinations.

Note Simple Definitions and Grammar Syntax

• Syntactical analysis is the observation of how words and phrases are grammatically arranged in sentences and paragraphs to communicate verbal thought or meaning.
• Observing the structure of language is imperative in Bible study methodology.
• Critical things to note in any given passage include:
  • General words and phrases
  • Key words
  • Grammatical structure
  • Literary genres and style

Literary Devices in the Bible

• Irony: a literary device that conveys a meaning that is opposite of its literal meaning, often used to highlight the contrast between the literal and deeper meaning (e.g., Nathan's confrontation with David in 2 Samuel 12:1-13)
• Foreshadowing: a device that hints at an event that will occur later in the story, without revealing the story or spoiling the suspense (e.g., Hebrews 10:1, which foreshadows the coming of Christ)
• Imagery: the use of words and phrases to create vivid mental images, helping readers to visualize the author's writings (e.g., Revelation 12:1)
• Metaphor: a comparison between two unlike things, used to convey a meaning or identity (e.g., James 3:6, which compares the tongue to a fire)
• Simile: a comparison between two unlike things, using "like" or "as" to make the comparison (e.g., Isaiah 53:6, which compares Israel to sheep)
• Personification: attributing human characteristics to non-human entities, such as objects or animals (e.g., Proverbs 1:20-21, which gives human attributes to wisdom)

The Laws of Hermeneutics

• The Law of Context and Theme: understanding the larger context of a passage, including its historical and literary context
• The importance of context: considering the author's purpose, historical setting, and literary structure to understand the meaning of a passage
• The importance of the historical context: understanding the time, place, and circumstances of the writing, as well as the author's individuality, local surroundings, and relation to the audience

The Grammatico-Historical Method of Interpretation

• The importance of the grammatical significance of words and sentences
• The importance of understanding the historical circumstances that may have affected the writer
• The need to consider the individuality of the writer, their local surroundings, and their relation to the audience

The Historical Context

• The importance of understanding the historical context of a passage, including the time, place, and circumstances of the writing
• The need to consider the author's individuality, local surroundings, and relation to the audience
• The importance of understanding the historical context of the whole Bible, including the history of the Israelites, the great world-powers, and the life of Christ

The Literary Context

• The importance of understanding the literary context of a passage, including its themes, motifs, and structure
• The need to consider the logical flow of a passage, including its paragraphs, sections, and chapters
• The importance of reading a passage in its entirety, rather than focusing on individual verses or phrases

Determining the Logical Context of a Passage

• The need to chart the whole of a book to understand its flow of thought
• The importance of studying each part intensively to detect detailed argumentation
• The need to rework the thought development of the whole in relation to the parts

Reading a Passage for Major Themes

• The importance of skimming the entire chapter to determine the logical flow of the arguments
• The need to identify key words and themes, and to summarize the whole paragraph
• The importance of asking the question, "What is this passage trying to say?"

Determining Patterns of Thought

• The importance of searching for patterns of thought in the progression of a book's chapters and verses

• The need to give careful attention to breaks in the thought flow

• The importance of identifying key features, such as developments, resumptions, unique forms of phrase, central or pivotal words, parallelisms, chiasms, inclusions, and other repetitions or progressive patterns### Understanding Literary Genre

• Identifying the literary genre or category of the biblical text is crucial for understanding its meaning

• Factors to consider: parable, allegory, letter, narrative, poem, typology, and the rules and parameters of the biblical writers

• Understanding the genre helps to establish the context and flow of the passage within the overall book or chapter

Understanding the Flow of the Passage

• Read the entire book or chapter to understand the overall flow of the argument or point
• If reading the entire book is not possible, create an outline to understand the flow
• Identify the topics or themes being communicated and how the passage fits within this
• Questions to consider:
  • What are the issues, questions, concerns, or points being addressed?
  • What are the claims being made?
  • Who is this directed to?
  • What are the circumstances concerning what the writer addresses?

Argument Flow

• Examine how the message of the text flows and progresses
• Ask questions like:
  • What is the flow of the argument?
  • How is the point made?
  • What is the main theme?
  • Is this a premise or conclusion?
• Resources: Anthony Weston's "A Rulebook for Arguments" and sentence diagrams

Word Study

• Get the meanings of words in their original context
• Ask questions like:
  • What words is the author using?
  • What do those words mean in the context of the passage, chapter, and book?
  • Are these words used elsewhere in the Bible?
  • What are the symbols and/or idioms used and what is their meaning?

Rhetorical and Content Analysis of Thought

• Identify the literary style used by the writer to communicate their point
• Examine the structural development of ideas in a paragraph
• Identify rhetorical techniques, such as:
  • Cause-Effect & Problem-Solution
  • Comparisons and Parallelisms
  • Descriptive Language
  • Prolonged Themes
  • Unexpected Changes in Patterns
  • Contrasting Concepts
  • Climax and Pivotal Turning Points
  • Rhetorical Questions