“Ignoring the cultural context of Scripture leads to arbitrary interpretations of the Bible.” Keri Wyatt Kent
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Resources on the blog on the importance of context include:
- Bible Reading For Our Literalist Friends – reading literarily, not literally, is key to understanding what the original Scripture writers meant.
- Male Headship: heading in the wrong direction – a case study on the word “head” (kephale) in Ephesians 5, and why the modern English sense of a word in a Bible translation is not a guide for what it meant in the original language.
- Ephesus, Women, and Getting Tossed out of a Board Meeting – a humorous look at what can happen if you insist on looking at the cultural contexts in which the Bible was written.
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This seems so obvious, doesn’t it? If Mom & Dad get a text from little Susie at summer camp: “Mom & Dad, it’s a total zoo here! Really sick!” they’re going to step back and ask, OK, are there literally animals in captivity at camp? Or is it just a wild, wonderful adventure? Does Susie habitually use teen slang like “sick” (meaning awesome), or has she picked up a communicable disease? Those judgments will determine whether they rush to camp to rescue their darling or relax knowing she’s enjoying herself. That’s a silly example, but we look at context and past experience and common sense all the time (or should!) when interpreting communication; how much more should we do that with the Bible? Plus it makes it so much richer and deeper and we get to know God so much better when we examine why this verse/passage/book is part of our Scriptures and what it might have to say to us.
No, no, no … we have to go with a literal meaning with our camp letter hermeneutics. Jeannie!
LIke, like, like this comment, partially because it’s true and partially because I have a teenage daughter who texts cryptic messages that I must decipher. (Sigh.)
She only does it to help you stay sharp, Laura.
If only she weren’t so sharp herself, it’d be easier. Maybe.
“kidspeak” is hte latest slang. AND it evolves…..
“kidspeak” is the latest slang. AND it evolves…..
SO true, and if not ignored given too much importance.
(Woman are not to speak in church….. the context really is……..)