How to Discover the Context of Biblical Texts | How to Study the Bible Series
Updated: Aug 18
To properly interpret and apply biblical texts, it is essential to prioritize discovering the historical-cultural, literary, and theological contexts of the texts we are studying. Discovery unfolds in two levels: the macro-level, which focuses on a book of the Bible and its primary literary genre, the identification of the author(s) and audience, and the date of authorship. The micro-level focuses on the background of the authors and audience, and the religious and political climate, social dynamics, and key events that shaped their worldview and informed how the original audience would have heard and understood the text. In either case, our job as faithful Bible students is to discover the historical-cultural, literary, and theological contexts of every passage we study, because occasionally, the details get more nuanced with every passage.
Understanding Context is the Most Important Step in Bible Study
Discovering context is the first and most crucial step in engaging in effective Bible study. Beginning with context helps us understand the ancient world of the biblical authors and their original audiences, including their shared assumptions, the ways authors communicated meaning, and how their audiences would have understood both the means of communication and the message being conveyed.
Having a firm grasp of these fundamental aspects of context better equips us to draw thoughtful and relevant parallels between the ancient context of Scripture and our contemporary context. Accordingly, we are better able to interpret and apply God’s Word accurately in our own lives and help others do the same.
That said, the guiding question we must ask ourselves as we undergo the context discovery process is straightforward: What historical-cultural, literary, and theological factors shaped the formation of the text and its reception?
In this article, I provide an overview of those three types of context and offer some high-level guidance on how to research each context so you can advance into the next phase of the Scripture, Context, Observation, Interpretation, and Application (SCOIA) process.
Overview of Historical-Cultural, Literary, and Theological Contexts
Historical-Cultural Context
Historical-cultural context refers to the historical circumstances, social and cultural dynamics, religious and political climate, and geographic setting surrounding both the events recorded in the biblical text and the writing of the text itself.
Literary Context
Literary context refers to the form of a passage and the particular words, sentences, and paragraphs that surround a text. There are several layers of literary context, including the passage itself, the verses surrounding it, its chapter, book, corpus, testament, and the whole Bible.
Theological Context
Theological context refers to what a biblical text reveals about God's nature and character (who He is and how He acts), His redemptive purposes (what He plans), and His historical activity (what He does), all moving toward their fulfillment in Christ.
Ten Questions to Discover Biblical Context
To discover the historical-cultural, literary, and theological context of a book or passage, you must focus on the identity and background of the authors and audience, the religious and political climate, and key events and social dynamics that informed how they governed themselves individually and communally. Below are ten macro and micro-level context discovery questions to consider using during your study:
What is the primary genre of the book or passage?
What subgenres, if any, occur within the text?
Is the author named? If so, what is their name and how are they described?
What was the writer's occupation, culture, and religious, political, and family (OCRPF) background?
Who were the author’s primary and secondary audiences? What is their OCRPF background?
What historical circumstances inform the author’s occasion and purpose for writing the text?
Are there other books or passages written by the same author, or texts that mention them? Where?
What events are unfolding in the passage in the lives of the author, audience, and larger society?
Who held religious and political authority, and where did those authorities overlap or conflict?
What does the text explicitly reveal or assume about the character and nature of God?
This list of questions is by no means exhaustive. However, using them to guide your research will yield valuable historical-cultural, literary, and theological background that can illuminate the meaning of the biblical text.
As you discover the who, what, when, where, and why of a passage, use those details to guide further research. Continue digging until you have developed a firm grasp of the ancient context shared by the author and the original audience. Then, only after you have exhausted your context research should you move on to the next phase of SCOIA, Observation.
Context is Crucial, but There is More Bible Study to Do
Doing thorough research on the historical-cultural, literary, and theological contexts of a book of the Bible and the particular passage you are studying is crucial and must be the first step of the Bible study process. Context serves as the guardrails for engaging in intellectually honest, accurate, and robust Bible study and will inform the remaining phases of the SCOIA process: Observation, Interpretation, and Application.
You can learn more by reading the related blogs in my How to Study the Bible series. However, if you are ready to dig deeper and receive comprehensive instruction on how to use the SCOIA method, you can sign up for my course: How to Study the Bible.
Editor’s Note: This is Part 1 of a 4-part series from Jessica Durrett called How to Study the Bible. Access the full series here.
