The Path: Culture and Context

Welcome to Culture and Context, a blog that will flesh out the context of the PATH journal and other content that we study here at True North.

Knowing the context of what we are reading along with the culture of the Scripture’s intended audience are part of

exegesis, the practice of discovering the original meaning of a text.

The word exegesis means drawing out, from the Greek exēgeisthai, to lead out. The goal of correct exegesis is to interpret the meaning of the passage as it was intended for its original audience. 

Every Bible dictionary that I consulted stressed that novel or speculative interpretations are likely not correct examples of exegesis. You may have a divergent interpretation of a passage of Scripture or hear a false teaching that twists the text in a way you’ve never heard before... but unless you are an authority on ancient languages, you may need to do further research. We are fortunate to have commentaries published by generations of learned scholars and communities of experts who have studied Scripture using the principles of exegesis.

In our PATH journals, we use the SOAP method- Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Exegesis employs the steps between observation and application- observe what the passage says, interpret what it means, look for correlation as to how the passage relates to the rest of the Bible (that’s why context is so important!) and then discover how the passage applies to our lives.

Commentaries get a bad rap. Yes, it is good practice to read the Scripture first, on your own, and to listen for the Holy Spirit’s prompting, but as Justin would say, let’s be real. If you are newer to Bible study, you may not know how to listen. You may not understand the context of what you are reading, and not everybody owns a study bible. Bibles like the NIV and ESV Study Bibles have commentaries embedded in them- all those footnotes are comments! As you read Scripture regularly and consult the study notes or other commentaries after your reading, you will begin to understand the flow and rhythm of Scripture and will more easily understand what God is teaching you through His Word. There are lots of different commentaries available and you can find great deals at used book stores and on line. There are free Bible apps like Bible Hub and Blue Letter Bible, and Justin, the elders and some of us “gray haired” wisdom citizens would be happy to help you find a good commentary and other tools.

Another benefit of using commentaries is that they prevent you from imposing your own meaning onto a text. The term eisegesis refers to the mistake of reading into a text rather than deriving meaning from it. (https://ref.ly/logosref/IVPPocket.Eisegesis_(New_Testament_Greek) Eisegesis means to lead in to. It is the practice of taking a verse out of context and using it to make your point. Well-meaning as well as sinister teachers have taken Scripture out of context to mold peoples’ thinking or to justify questionable practices.

Here's a common and innocent example of eisegesis:

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. -Proverbs 22:6

We Christian parents cling to this one, hoping and believing that if we raise our children in a Christian home, they will love the Lord as adults and not turn their back on Him. A proverb, however, is not a promise or a guarantee. A proverb is a literary device that talks about a general truth. Scholars do not even agree on the translation of what the “training” means, because the phrase in the way he should go translates literally to upon the mouth of his way, with upon the mouth referring to following a command while the way could refer to a vocation, to morals, personality, conduct or choosing a path of wisdom vs. foolishness. Eisegesis will lead to incorrect theology.

Our PATH Journal has been in Numbers and is currently in Deuteronomy, and my next post will cover some context and culture of this last book of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. It is known in both Greek and Latin as “second law” because in Deuteronomy, Moses restates to the people of Israel the laws that God gave to them at Mt. Sinai. It is not simply a retelling, however, and this book is not just a secondary book. It is quoted more than 80 times in the New Testament, which means it is an important book; Jesus Himself quoted from Deuteronomy in His battle against Satan in the desert. It is also a book of transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua and it ends with the poignant death of Moses, who is allowed to see the Promised Land but not enter it.

Deuteronomy has a theme- has anyone found it yet? Here’s a hint- which of the laws does Moses focus on?

Works-cited and Resources

• Brown, William P. A Handbook to Old Testament Exegesis. First Edition. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2017.

• DeMoss, Matthew S. Pocket Dictionary for the Study of New Testament Greek. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001.

• Elwell, Walter A., and Philip Wesley Comfort. Tyndale Bible Dictionary. Tyndale Reference Library. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001.

• Got Questions Ministries. Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2002–2013.

• Grenz, Stanley, David Guretzki, and Cherith Fee Nordling. Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1999.

• Karleen, Paul S. The Handbook to Bible Study: With a Guide to the Scofield Study System. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987.

• Patzia, Arthur G., and Anthony J. Petrotta. Pocket Dictionary of Biblical Studies. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002.

• Reid, Daniel G., Robert Dean Linder, Bruce L. Shelley, and Harry S. Stout. Dictionary of Christianity in America. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1990.

• Stuart, Douglas. “Exegesis.” In The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, edited by David Noel Freedman. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

• Thompson, J. A. Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 5. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1974.

• Waltke, Bruce K., James M. Houston, and Erika Moore. The Psalms as Christian Lament: A Historical Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014.