Keeping the Bible in Context
The Importance of Keeping the Bible in Context
Has anyone ever put words in your mouth?
You know, when they take something you’ve said, and twist it into an entirely different meaning than what you intended.
Frustrating, right?
I can only imagine that our Sovereign God isn’t pleased when we do the same thing to Him.
The last thing we want to do as Christians is misuse His words in the Bible.
That’s why keeping the Bible in context is so important.
“Context, context, context,” as they say.
The Bible in Context
When I first started reading the Bible from cover to cover this year, it was a bit of a struggle in the OT portion.
The many ruling kings (some good, mostly bad), the countless geographical references, expansive genealogies, and cringe-worthy barbaric cults were overwhelming to read about at times.
I needed help, and was fortunate enough to find it.
I’d like to share with you a resource I found for studying the Bible in context.
It’s an option you might want to consider, especially when reading through the Old Testament.
A Method for Understanding the Bible in Context
Here’s some simple steps that worked for me:
- Maps and photos
- Timelines
- Context source
Step #1: Visual Guides, Such as Maps and Photos
On your search engine, (I use duck duck go), search for a map of the Bible region or topic you’re studying (the Exodus route, for example).
I saved several colorful maps on my desktop so I can pull them out for easy reference. As a visual person by nature, the maps and photos are extremely helpful.
Step #2: A Kingly Timeline
As you read through the Old Testament, you’ll learn about the many kings of Israel and Judah, as well as other regions. It can be hard to track who’s who in the kingly successions so conduct a computer search for a timeline of the succession of OT kings to help you.
Step #3: Check Out The Following Website
The following resource is my favorite place for studying the Bible in historical context. You can find it here at https://enduringword.com/.
Go all the way down to the bottom of their landing page.
There, you’ll find a description for almost every verse in the Old Testament, and all of the New Testament.
I started out just using the pastor’s notes which you can find simply by clicking on the name of the Bible book you’re studying.
But, even better:
Click on a green audio icon that you see in the photo above. That click leads you to an engaging expository sermon for at least two Bible chapters a day. Pastor David Guzik’s engaging teaching style brings the biblical events alive as you follow along with him and take notes.
Reading the Bible from cover to cover this year has been an enriching experience.
Every day, I look forward to discovering what God is saying to us through His Word. If you think these steps may be helpful to someone else, please don’t hesitate to pass them on.
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* Enduring Word website – personal computer photo. Courtesy of The Enduring Word Bible commentary, Pastor David Guzik. © Copyright – Enduring Word. Retrieved from https://enduringword.com/
