Context is King? A Simple Analysis of the Rising Abuse of Context

Context gives life to a text. A verse taken out of context, so to speak has been robbed of its intended meaning and has therefore, been made to be like a ball of gum that can be pressed and moulded to suit one’s ideas and presuppositions. Every faithful student of God’s word will surely tell you how a proper understanding and use of context is indispensable, if we indeed seek to communicate biblical truths that marry with the larger canonical context. 

It is therefore safe to say that, context is part and parcel of every biblical text. And if we’re being true to both our conscience and the Bible, a verse out of context is a sword in the hand of a villain! Not only are verses out of context dangerous to gullible followers but also to the bible itself! Because in running around with a verse out of context, those opposed to the bible find every reason to question the authenticity of the Bible as it will seem to contradict itself. 

Furthermore, verses out of context also make us irrational. Philippians 4:13 for example, is one of the most misused verses out of context. For it beats logic for one to shout all day long that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, only to miss church because it’s drizzling.

Having seen the indispensable purpose of context in shaping our interpretation and application of scripture in the previous blog post, I now wish to bring us to a sad reality of Satan’s employment of context to twist and misapply scripture. These he achieves through the following methods;

1. Use of a wrong, made-up historical context.

In ‭‭Matthew 19:24 for example the bible says, “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” The text above is very simple and clear. But on many occasions, I’ve heard a good number of people twist the Bible completely by offering a really weird explanation of what the eye of the needle is. Some claim that what Christ is talking about is not the literal needle but something different.

They’ve had to now think of the Jerusalem gate as having a really small window that one could go through if the gates were shut while they were outside the city. Yet by making this claim, those who hold such a view have not only offered a wrong historical context, but have also twisted the scripture and completely tampered with the weight of Christ’s Message to His church.

2. Use of a wrong historical/cultural context, to exempt ourselves from the Bible’s clear and universal commands.

This is so loud in the modern church, especially regarding the issue of Women Pastors.

For instance, those who claim that 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-12 does not apply today, suggest that these instructions were only meant for specific churches like those in Corinth and Ephesus because of the unique situations those churches faced, such as cultural practices like idol worship or disruptions during worship by women.

However, relying on historical context to limit the meaning and application of such passages distorts what the Bible clearly teaches. Furthermore, interpreting the Bible this way can lead to confusion about which teachings are meant for everyone and which were just for certain situations in the past.

While it’s important to understand the historical backdrop of biblical texts to grasp their original meaning, we must take care not to dismiss or reinterpret passages solely based on historical circumstances.

For sure, using context as a weapon to justify ignoring the Bible’s universal application within the church of Christ can cause significant harm. When we engage in practices that the Bible clearly condemns by citing a different cultural context, we risk undermining the Bible’s teachings.

To learn more about what the Bible says about whether women can be pastors, check out this article by forthegospel.org. They have done a great job at breaking down what the Bible teaches on this very highly controversial topic.

Conclusion

Medicines are good and help us win the numerous battles against diseases. But we also know that massive danger lies ahead in case we take an overdose of a particular medicine. In fact, we’ve heard of cases of people committing suicide using just an overdose of the very medicines we need for our wellness.

The goodness of the drug is therefore openly dependent on the correct prescription by the doctor and the patient’s discipline in obeying the prescription. Same applies to context.

If we go to the Bible with a wrong context or with a wrong motive behind the employment of a particular context. What we obtain is not an accurate interpretation of scripture based on context but rather a wrong interpretation based on a wrong context.

If you want to deepen your Bible study by learning how to correctly interpret the Bible, feel free to look through our Bible Study archives. There, you will find useful articles to help you on your journey.