How Do You Put Scriptures in Context?

16 December, 202315 December, 2023Marissa

A lot of times when we encounter something from the Bible, it’s an isolated verse or two. We read devotionals that focus on a couple passages. We do topical Bible studies and jump around between scriptures looking for ones that fit together. We listen to sermons that follow a similar pattern of linking connected scriptures together. And there’s nothing wrong with that. If you read a translation of the New Testament that highlights quotes taken from the Old Testament (like the NET, which puts direct quotes in bold italics and allusions to OT passages in italics), you’ll see that Jesus and the apostles frequently reference lines from much larger passages without explicitly addressing the context.

However, most of the people that Jesus and the apostles (at least those writing to Jewish audiences) were speaking or writing to were scripturally literate. In addition, they shared a cultural framework so familiar that it didn’t need to be explained, but which is very different than how many of us live today. Jewish people of Jesus’s time–both boys and girls–learned Torah (the law of God, and first five books of the Bible) as the main focus of their schooling up until age 13 (Metsämuuronen, 2019, “How Jesus Learned the Scriptures?”). Chances are, if these people heard Jesus quote a scripture they could automatically fill in the context because they knew where it came from.

Unfortunately, most Christians aren’t that Biblically literate today. We don’t have to memorize the Bible to contextualize it, though. We just need to know how to read and study it. If we hear or read someone quote an isolated passage of scripture, we write down the reference and then look up where it came from. We can study the historical context, read commentaries, and look up dictionary definitions of the Hebrew or Greek words that were translated into whatever language we’re reading the Bible. Since the 19th century, we have greater access to scriptures than anyone before, and about 80 million Bibles are being printed every year (“Best-Selling Book,” Guinness World Records). We could be the most Biblically literate generation, if we wanted.

Reading the Scriptures Around Scriptures

Most of the time, reading verses of the Bible in context simply means reading the whole chapter or book that the verse appears in. Paul provides a good example. Romans is one of my favorite books of the Bible, and I spend a lot of time studying it. It’s also one of the books that’s frequently quoted out of context, which can lead to distortions and misinterpretations. For example, let’s look at this verse from chapter 6:

For sin will have no mastery over you, because you are not under law but under grace.
Romans 6: 14, NET

I’ve seen people quote this verse and frame it as if law and grace are opposite things; as if God can’t use both. They say we don’t have to keep God’s law at all because we’re under His grace, which is a free gift that releases us from obligation to do anything other than believe in Jesus. But that doesn’t fit with the book of Romans as a whole, or even just surrounding verses.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires,and do not present your members to sin as instruments to be used for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead and your members to God as instruments to be used for righteousness. For sin will have no mastery over you, because you are not under law but under grace.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Absolutely not! Do you not know that if you present yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in righteousness?But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to, and having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.
Romans 6:12-18 NET

You can read the entire book of Romans, as well as the gospels to connect Paul’s teaching with Jesus, if you want the full context for these verses. But in this case, even just quoting a few verses before and after our example verse is enough to show that the interpretation saying we don’t need to obey God’s law is patently false. Without the law, we wouldn’t even have a clue what it means to sin or to obey God (Rom. 3:20; 7:7). Also, law isn’t the same thing as the Old Covenant (a common misunderstanding), and the law of God is still relevant to those under the New Covenant (Rom. 13:8-10). But you wouldn’t know that if you only listen to someone read a few isolated verses.

Sometimes, the context could be just a few additional verses. Other times, it’s an entire letter or many chapters. You might even be surprised by how big the context is. That happened to me when I did my study of Isaiah 40-66. I was trying to read the context for Isaiah 50:10, and realized that this entire final section of the book is one continuous message from God.

Image of a woman reading the Bible overlaid with text from 2 Tim. 3:16-17, NET version: "Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work." — Image by Pearl from Lightstock

Read The Whole Bible

Okay, I know it’s a huge book and Bible reading is becoming increasingly rare even among Christians (“Report: 26 Million Americans Stopped Reading the Bible Regularly During COVID-19”). But just sitting down and reading the Bible every day (or as close to every day as you can manage) is probably the best thing you can do to improve your understanding of scripture.

The more you familiarize yourself with the whole of scripture, the more you’ll start seeing links across the text and the better equipped you’ll be to understand individual scriptures within the context of the entire Bible. Also, you don’t have to limit yourself to reading chapter by chapter. I find it super helpful for understanding Paul if I can take the time to sit down and read a whole letter in one setting. For example, 1 Corinthians is framed around Passover, Unleavened Bread, and the Exodus story, but you have to read the whole letter and be familiar with Exodus to get that.

For much of the Old Testament, you can break it up into story arcs (like, reading all of Joseph’s story in one setting). Or you can just set a timer and read for 20 minutes, then stop wherever you are and pick back up there the next day. There are also plans designed to help you read the Bible in a year that you can find online if you’d like to follow along with a specific program.

For the Old Testament specifically, I recommend reading in the original Hebrew manuscript order. That organization just makes more sense. You can either jump around in traditional English translations to read in the original order, or pick up a Bible translation that uses that order. There aren’t many, but I know of three: A Faithful Version (AFV), the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)*, and Tree of Life Version (TLV)* (please note that links marked * are affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a small commission if you click on the link and make a purchase). Of those, the TLV is the one I personally use.

Finding Historical Information

Image of an open Bible, overlaid with blog's title text and the words, " We benefit greatly from the time we take to study the Bible and understand the context for verses that we read." — Image by Lamppost Collective from Lightstock

Another aspect to understanding the context of scripture is learning about the language, culture, and society at the time the Bible was written. Thankfully, there are many scholars who’ve done this work and published it in easily read books to help those who aren’t archeologists, historians, or experts in classical languages to understand the historical context for the Biblical writings. Here are a few of the many resources available, which I use frequently:

The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: New Testament* by Spiros Zodhiates — my favorite Greek dictionary
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament* (TWOT) by Laird R. Hariss, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke — my favorite Hebrew dictionary
Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible* by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien–an excellent resource for understanding the mindset of Bible writers and context for scripture
Relational Grace: The Reciprocal and Binding Covenant of Charis* by Brent J. Schmidt–an examination of what “grace” meant in a classical and New Testament context
Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus: How a Jewish Perspective Can Transform Your Understanding* by Lois Tverberg–one example of a book that helps us understand Jesus in His first-century Jewish context
*please note that these are all affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a small commission if you click on the link and make a purchase

If you don’t mind reading academic papers, there’s a wealth of scholarship available online for free. Use Google Scholar as your search engine, and you’ll find tons of articles published by experts in their fields. For example, I was curious about the times that Paul mentions other people helping him write his letters, and so I searched “apostle paul coauthors” and I found several articles addressing the question of co-authors, co-senders, and secretaries in relation to Paul’s writings.

If you’d rather listen or watch than read, I recommend subscribing to The Bible Project on YouTube and/or listening to their podcast. They do a ton of research into original languages and context.

With all of these writings, it’s important to remember that they’re a supplemental resource to the Bible rather than a replacement for it. If there’s a contradiction between what a human author says and a statement made in the Bible (particularly one that’s unambiguous and where there aren’t dramatically different translation options), then you always go with what the Bible states. People can make mistakes, and we’re all influenced by our own understanding, cultures, and backgrounds. That’s not to say humans never introduce errors into scripture (take the infamous Comma Johanneum, for example), but ultimately the Bible’s origin is God Himself and it’s much more reliable than human writings. We will benefit greatly from the time we take to study the Bible and understand the context for verses that we read.

Featured image by Chris Mainland from Lightstock

Song Recommendation: “Teach Me Thy Way O Lord” by Sarah Baute

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5 Self-Care Tips for Grad School

27 April, 202126 April, 2021Marissa

I’m getting close to the end of my second semester of grad school. It’s been a great opportunity to learn, to meet new people, to build skills, and to have fun. It’s also stressful. Course loads are different than in undergrad (which was almost 10 years ago for me). On top of that, you’re also teaching (or in my case tutoring), plus working other jobs, and right now you’re navigating all the Covid-19 stuff as well. Plus, there’s often other “life happens” sorts of things going on. By the end of the semester, people look half-zombie.

Everyone deals with stress, regardless of whether or not they’re in grad school, and self-care is something we all need to make time for. That “making time for” part can be particularly tricky, though, when you’re juggling multiple jobs, classes, research projects, and eventually a thesis. With that in mind, here are some of the self-care things that I’ve been doing during my first year of grad school. I hope others will find these tips helpful as well. Share any other tips you have in the comments!

1) Go for walks

This is one of the more time-consuming things on the list, but it’s also one of the ones that’s most helpful. A few times a week, I go walking for about half an hour. Not only does exercise help keep you physically healthy, it also gives you a short break from all the sitting and reading that’s so much a part of grad school. This ticks several boxes on the self-care list: exercise, giving your eyes a rest from studying, and giving your brain a chance to process everything you’ve been learning. You’ll likely find yourself more relaxed and better able to focus after taking a short walk.

2) Keep to some kind of a routine

Routines are a difficult thing to come by when your schedule is changing every semester and may even be different from one day to the next. Keeping something consistent can be a big help in making you feel like you have some control and stability in your life, which can help lower the anxiety that’s often such a big part of grad school. I’ve done this with my morning routine of prayer/Bible study, yoga, shower, and breakfast. You might find that a morning routine works for you, too, or maybe that it’s better to have a bedtime routine, or something that you do over a lunch break to help you re-center and focus.

3) Schedule a weekly reset

Resting one day out of the week has a long history in Christianity. Much of the world (even within churches) has moved away from a Sabbath, but there is still great value in taking God up on His offer of rest. Non-Christians can benefit from this principle as well by scheduling time every week for some more extensive self-care. Schedule something with a friend, do a mini retreat in your home, shut off your phone or email for a day. For me, I eat a nice meal Friday night (since Shabbat goes from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday), take a relaxing bath, play a low-stress game or read, then spend Saturday fellowshipping with other believers. After a long week of work, study, and life it’s so nice to be able to spend one day at the end of the week relaxing and resetting before starting it all over again next week.

4) Eat and sleep

Food and sleep are basic human needs, yet for some reason they seem the easiest to forget or push to the side when you’re in school. Dinner? That’s a snack between work and class, then maybe I’ll eat something at 9:00 tonight when I get home. Sleep? is that the thing where you fall into bed after writing like a maniac and hope you pass-out until your alarm goes off? I see the undergrads I work with skipping this self-care, I see my classmates doing it, and I catch myself doing it as well. I’m not as consistent about practicing this self-care tip as I should be, but most of the time I manage to make myself eat 3 meals a day and get 7 hours of sleep (which is what I’ve figured out I need in order to stay healthy and awake). Some of the best things you can do to take care of yourself are to eat as healthy as you can, don’t skip meals, and figure out how much sleep you need then make sure you get it as consistently as possible.

5) Say “no” when you need to

It’s good to say “yes” to a lot of the opportunities that come your way in grad school. But it’s also helpful to know when you need to say “no” and give yourself permission to do that. You’re human, and you can’t be on every committee, go to every conference, or re-adjust your schedule to convenience everyone in your life. If you’re not sure you have time for something, it’s okay to tell someone you need to check your schedule and get back with them, and then say “yes” or “no” depending on what you can realistically fit into your life. It won’t do you any good to take on more projects than you can complete successfully, or to say “yes” to something that’s going to rob so much time from something essential (like eating and sleeping) that you end up getting sick.

Takeaways

5 Self-Care Tips for Grad School | LikeAnAnchor.com — Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay

Grad school is fun and crazy, and I’m still figuring it out, but I am getting better at making sure I practice the self-care I need in order to stay physically healthy and mentally alert. When I take care of my own needs, then I can be more fully present for the things that I want and need to do, and for the people I want to work with.

Are you thinking about going to grad school? Currently in grad school? Survived grad school and moved on to something new? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Everyone (whether you’ve been to university or not) share your favorite self-care tips in the comments!

Featured image by Tiny Tribes from Pixabay

5 Tips for Academic Excellence

4 May, 20154 May, 2015Marissa

It’s finals week (or close to it) for many of the universities, so it seems a fitting time to talk about academics. Unless you’re just in school for the parties, most students want to succeed academically, and we can always use more tips for doing just that.

Different study and learning techniques will work for different people with different personalities and learning styles, but there are a few ideas that work across the board. These are my top five tips for achieving academic excellence, which I used all the time when I was studying at The Ohio State University. Share what works (or worked) for you in the comments!

1) Study Concepts

I think some of the best advice I received was to study with the goal of understanding the ideas behind a subject instead of just memorizing specifics. Knowing facts and formulas can get you through a test, but if you understand why the fact is true then you’re more likely to get high scores.

“B students” can answer questions; “A students” know why the answer is right (that’s not the only difference, but it’s an important one). With this method, you’re not cramming your head full of facts right before a test hoping you’ll pass — you’re studying the subject consistently, trying to really understand and learn it.

2) Take notes by hand.

There’s something about the act of writing things down that helps it stick in your mind. When I was in school, I’d take notes in lectures, while reading textbooks, and as a study aid when preparing for tests – especially for the subjects I struggled with.

This is partly because my primary learning style is “Read/Write,” but psychology studies indicate that it’s true for most, if not all, students. Students who take longhand notes do better on exams and have more accurate long-term recall of facts and concepts than students who take notes on their laptops.

3) Take breaks.

If you’re studying something you love, this isn’t so much of an issue, but for something you’re not passionate about your mind will start to wander. I had to discipline myself to sit down and study for a certain amount of time, then take a walk or work on something else for a few minutes before going back.

4) Sleep

You might think it makes sense to stay up late cramming for an exam or get a few extra hours of study in, but it may actually do more harm than good.

Sleep plays a critical role in thinking and learning. Lack of sleep hurts these cognitive processes in many ways. First, it impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving. This makes it more difficult to learn efficiently.

Second, during the night, various sleep cycles play a role in “consolidating” memories in the mind. If you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t be able to remember what you learned and experienced during the day (WebMD).

On WebMD’s list of 10 effects from lack of sleep, it lists forgetfulness, impaired judgement, and lower cognitive abilities — none of which is good for academic excellence. Know how many hours of sleep you need on a regular basis, and make sure you get it.

5) Talk With Teachers.

When I was in college, it helped me to get to know the professor a little. Some are happiest if you answer questions in a precise way, others will encourage more creativity in assignments. Knowing what they expect of you, and planning your responses accordingly, helps ensure higher grades. And it’s not just about improving grades — some of my most valued connections during my time at university were with faculty members.

Making time to talk with your teachers and ask a question or two lets them know you’re interested in their classes. They’ve spent many years studying the subjects they teach, and love it when students actually take their classes seriously. Be genuine — if you love the class, then it’ll be easy to talk about, but even if you don’t like a class, you can still ask honest questions like “Do you have any study tips? I really want to do well in your class.”