There are five contexts that we must check our interpretation with: immediate, literary, historical, cultural and scriptural. Can you explain what each one focuses on? Can you explain the importance each context plays in doing accurate interpretation?

[Austin]

Immediate context: helps determine the logic that contributes to the passage.

Literary context: determines the logic on the message of the book in which it was written

Historical context: does our interpretation fit the historical context

Cultural context: regional appropriateness

Biblical context: does our interpretation fit the Bible

[Austin]

1) Immediate: does my interpretation make sense and does it add to the narrative around it.

2) Literary: Does my interpretation fit with the chapters message.

3) Historical: does mu interpretation fit into the history of that time period.

4) Cultural: Does my interpretation fit into the culture of that day.

5) Scriptural: Does my interpretation fit into the rest of the bible, do cross-reference checks back up my interpretation.

Each context must fit into one context to ensure an accurate interpretation.

[Austin]

Each context is important for accurate interpretation so we don’t misunderstand or misinterpret the writer’s intended meaning.

Immediate: the interpretation needs to make sense and contribute to the flow of verses and paragraphs around it

Literary: it needs to make sense in light of the message of the Book it’s written in

Historical: it has to fit the writer’s and reader’s historical situation

Cultural: it needs to fit the culture to which it was addressed

Scriptural: the interpretation can’t conflict with the rest of Scripture. It has to be in agreement with the rest of Scripture.

[Austin]

Our first step is to describe what the writer wanted his original audience to understand. Then we attempt to aplly it out our own situation. We must see if it fits into its immediate context (does it make sense with the verses around it?), literary context (does it make sense with teh message of the book it is written in?), historical context (does it fit in the writer’s and reader’s historical situation?), cultural context (does it fit into the culture that it was written?), and scriptural context (does it agree with what the rest of scripture teaches?).

[Austin]

Immediate- does it make sense with the flow

Literary- does it fit with the message of the book

Historical- does it fit the historical situation of the writer

Cultural- does it fit the culture it was addressed to

Scriptural- does it agree with what the rest of scripture teaches