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 – what was the original author trying to convey
literary, – how the genre or grammar impacts the topic
historical, – what impact does the location, time or other historical info have on the topic
cultural – how does the culture of the time help frame the topic
scriptural – how this particular passage fits in to the theme of the book

[Austin]

Literary – When we move from one biblical genere to another we have to adjust how we read each litery style. Historical – the BIble is God’s eternall Word written by human authors in a particular historical and cultural setting. It’s original messag was intended to address its original readers in their own specific setting. So, we as readers today, have interpret God’s message both as its writer intended his original reader to interpret it and we must interpret the historical message as to what it means to us it in our own time and culture. Cultural – When we attempt to interpret a text we must first put ourselves into the writer’s culture and not to force his writings into our present culture. Scriptural – when we interpret scripture we must understand the nature of the interpreter, the nature of the BIble, and the interpretation processes.

Faith in God and His Word are essential to the process of properly interpretation of Scripture. You must have faith in what the Bible says not doubting the contents was given to us by God Himself.

I find both processes exegesis and hermeneutic difficult and very challenging.

[Austin]

Immediate: On what the original author was trying to tell the original audience
Literary: On how the genre of the text influences the way it conveys meaning
Historical: On how the events taking place in and around the text affects its meaning
Cultural: On how the surrounding culture affected the text’s meaning
Scriptural: On how the whole canon of Scripture affects the meaning of the text

We can’t do “accurate interpretation” without referring to all of these.

[Austin]

Immediate- what is happening in text. Literary – the genre being used, historical- time and place in history, cultural- Norms , customs, laws, scripture – does it align with the verse, paragraph, chapter.

[Austin]

Immediate: examines what interpretation immediately jumps at us when we interprete scriptures
Literarary: examines word for word
historical: examines the historical background such as the times, people and places involved
cultural : examines the cultural practices prevalent at that historical moment
and scriptural examines both the exegenetic and hermeneutical inpretation and relating it to our current circumstances