Three Levels of Context Contextualization – Incorporating the text into your personal setting Text Surrounding a Passage Purpose of the book Purpose of the book Structure:Genre & Plan Structure:Genre & Plan Immediate Context Immediate Context Historical Context – Author, Recipient, Date, Situation.

Circles of Context Text Paragraph Section Pericope chapter Book Author Covenant

Dangers to Context Memorizing individual verses Attitude of quasi magical formula of verses (power verses worn as amulets) Concordance Work Claiming promises or commands not made to you. Axiom #2: Context is King (of interpretation)

Identifying the Purpose of a Book Sometimes it’s clearly stated (Jn 20:31; Lk 1:1-4; 1 Jn 5:13; Prov 1:1-6; Eccl 12:13) Sometimes it is implied: Selection or placement of details Selection or placement of details Hortatory or parenthetical comments Hortatory or parenthetical comments Occasion for writing: Jeremiah; Amos; Philemon, etc. Flow of thought

Special Consideration A book may have multiple purposes It’s purpose may be disputed Specialists, such as teachers, commentaries or even personal memorization, can help.

Structuralism: The Plan of the Book Authors structure their books differently: Some are meticulous (Mt, Lk/Acts, Heb, Rev) Some are meticulous (Mt, Lk/Acts, Heb, Rev) Others have little order (James, Prov., Psa). Others have little order (James, Prov., Psa). Outlining is the best way to see the order: Don’t strictly follow verse divisions. They come from the 13 th century and don’t always work well. Don’t strictly follow verse divisions. They come from the 13 th century and don’t always work well. Poor examples: Acts 8:1; Eph 5:21; Isa 53:1; 2 Cor 2:1 Poor examples: Acts 8:1; Eph 5:21; Isa 53:1; 2 Cor 2:1

Various Structural Arrangements Wisdom/Poetry : Psa., Prov., Ecclesiastes, Lamentations Letters : Rom., 1 & 2 Cor, Gal., Eph., Phil., Col., 1 & 2 Thess., 1 & 2 Tim., Titus, Philemon, Heb., 1 & 2 Peter, 1—3 John, Jude Cyclical : Judges, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs Cyclical : Judges, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs Chronological : Gen., Exod., Josh., 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chron., Ezra, Esther; or Geographical : Neh., Jonah, Acts Biographical : Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John Legal : Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Visionary : Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Revelation

Literary Devices Parallels: Genesis 1-2; Psalms; Lk 15 Inclusio: Genesis 37-39; Mk 11:12-25 Chiasm: Mt 13 Acrostic: Prov 31:10-31; Psa 119; 145; Lam 2 Parallelism: Lk/Acts Ascending/Descending: Judges

Identifying Contextual Parameters: Look for change and repetition Grammatical Clues Change in verb tense Change in verb tense Narrative Clues: Change in time, persons, or place Change in time, persons, or place Repeated term, phrase or proposition Repeated term, phrase or proposition Repeated thought Repeated thought Rhetorical Questions Rhetorical Questions Vocative, imperative, or hortatory Vocative, imperative, or hortatory Transitional conjunctions Transitional conjunctions