MikeBigg
Member
Well, all writing is done in a context and that includes historical context.
If you want to know what the person who wrote something was trying to say, you have to know the context in which it was written and the meaning the words had at that time.
Why the Bible should be any different is beyond me.
When reading your Bible, I expect you are aware of the context of many things .. for example, Matthew was written with a Jewish audience, so the accounts vary slightly.
Who was Jesus talking to when He said "you must be born again"? Who He was speaking to matters a bit.
Its the same with Paul's letters. Who were they written to, why were they written, what was the religious or political situation at the time.
These things matter and can inform the reader of what was being said.
The principle that it cannot mean now what it didn't mean then is a good principle.
There is no getting away from it - context matters.
Has this already been said here ... if you take the text out of context you are left with a con. I think there is some truth in that.
Kind regards,
Mike
If you want to know what the person who wrote something was trying to say, you have to know the context in which it was written and the meaning the words had at that time.
Why the Bible should be any different is beyond me.
When reading your Bible, I expect you are aware of the context of many things .. for example, Matthew was written with a Jewish audience, so the accounts vary slightly.
Who was Jesus talking to when He said "you must be born again"? Who He was speaking to matters a bit.
Its the same with Paul's letters. Who were they written to, why were they written, what was the religious or political situation at the time.
These things matter and can inform the reader of what was being said.
The principle that it cannot mean now what it didn't mean then is a good principle.
There is no getting away from it - context matters.
Has this already been said here ... if you take the text out of context you are left with a con. I think there is some truth in that.
Kind regards,
Mike
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