When studying the Bible, it is important to read from the understanding that the Bible was written FOR you, but it was not written TO you. Meaning, for instance, when Paul wrote his letters, he was not addressing them to 21st century believers in America. He was writing them to specific groups of people at a specific point in history who were dealing with very specific issues. With that said, the Bible is absolutely applicable to our lives today, and we can take what was meant for another group of people and apply it to our lives. However, the confusion comes when we read something and put our understanding of definitions, phrases and cultural contexts into the passage. For instance, when we read a scripture with a 21st century understanding of what a “schoolmaster” is, then we apply that understanding into a 1st century definition. This is where the twisting of scripture to fit our knowledge happens. Paul was a rabbi of rabbis, meaning he was the teacher of all teachers, the professor of all professors. He knew Torah forwards and backwards, left and right, up and down. Bottom line, the guy was very knowledgeable in all things Hebrew. If we do not have an understanding of Torah when reading his letters, we will not know exactly what he’s talking about. He even warns about this in the beginning of Romans 7. The same can be applied all throughout scripture. When we take a modern lens on an ancient book, we can insert our definitions and cultural concepts into scripture thus distorting the original intention and meaning.
When studying the Bible, there are a few questions that we need to ask ourselves in order to really understand what is going on and how to apply it to our lives accurately.
1. Who is the author talking to?
Identify the original audience. Is the letter written to Israel, kings, priests, gentile-believers, jewish-believers, etc? Who is being spoken to? Does it directly apply to me or am I taking something out of context? This kind of reading emphasizes that application comes after understanding the audience.
2. How would an ancient Israelite or first-century-Messiah-follower have understood this?
There are many words, phrases, play-on-words, customs, sayings and poetic ways of writing that the authors of the Bible use assuming their audience understands because, again, the Bible was written to THAT audience. How would that audience understand this passage? Before reading the verse through a modern lens, ask how it would have been heard by someone who knew and lived Torah and the Prophets, understood the temple and customs within, lived during the sacrificial system, and later on in the New Testament, had rabbinical teachings and cultural customs in addition to Scripture that were deemed important. Remember, the definitions of words in western society are not always the same as an eastern society. For example, the word “belief.” Belief to a westerner is ideological and something that happens internally. To an easterner, belief first happens internally but isn’t complete until there is external action to match the internal decision. Other examples include words like love, faith, light, life, and truth. These are all words defined in the “Old Testament.” In Yeshua’s time, the audience would have had deep understanding of what they meant BEFORE Yeshua even started his ministry.
3. What is going on in the historical and cultural context?
Identify what is happening socially, politically, and religiously in ancient Israel or the Second Temple period when reading. This includes customs, covenant expectations, Temple practice, and Jewish modes of teaching (parable, midrash, parallelism). What is going on in the chapters before this one? What is this group of people dealing with in their culture that would affect their walk with Yah? Who is the leader at this time? This may require extra-biblical books to study or simply seeking out a mentor that is knowledgeable in this area.
4. How does this passage uphold Torah?
Does it seem to contradict any other passage that I’ve read before? If we know that the Bible is one cohesive book and the infallible Word of God, then if something seems contradictory we must take a step back and evaluate. Is the source of confusion from my understanding or from the Bible? If it is a New Testament verse, since Yeshua and the apostles affirmed the Torah, we can ask how does the verse align with Torah commandments and principles? Does it clarify, deepen and/or properly align with the instructions in the front of the book? If God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and His Word remains true, how does this verse uphold that?
Once we view scripture through the correct lens – an eastern book written to an eastern audience – then it becomes alive in ways we’ve never seen before. We can now apply it appropriately to our lives with the understanding of its original meaning.
Lavah Ministries 