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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?
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Immediate-Does our interpretation make sense and flow with the the surrounding passages?
Literary-Does it make sense in light of the message of the book its written in?
Historical-Does our interpretation fit with the writers and readers historical situation
Cultural-Does our interpretation fit the culture to which it was addressed?
Scriptural-Does our interpretation agree with the rest of what Scripture teaches? -
1. Immediate – does it agree with and contribute to the flow of the surrounding text?
2. Literary – does it make sense withing the book it is written in?
3. Historical – does it fit the writers AND readers historical context:
4. Cultural – does it fit the culture to which it is addressed?
5. Scriptural – does it agree with the rest of Scripture? -
Immediate – Does my interpretation make sense and connect to the surrounding verses/paragraphs?
Literary – Does my interpretation make sense according to the genre the message is written in?
Historical – Does my interpretation make sense with the historical situation of both the writer and reader of the time period?
Culture – Does my interpretation make sense and fit with the culture that is being addressed?
Scriptural – Does my interpretation make sense and agree with what the scripture teaches? -
Immediate…Does it make good sense and contribute to the flow of the verses and paragraphs around it?
Historical…Does it fit the writer’s and reader’s historical situation?
Cultural…Does it fit the culture to which it was addressed?
Literary…Does it make sense in light of the message of the book it’s written in?
Scriptural…does it agree with what the rest of Scripture teaches? The greatest guide to interpreting Scripture is Scripture itself. -
Immediate: the surrounding verses / paragraph
literary: the genre of writing (ex. poetry)
historical: time in history, encompassing technology, common knowledge, and powers of the day
cultural: family and community norms and traditions
scriptural: its place in the rest of the biblical narrative