The Importance of Context When Reading the Bible

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Question:  Which of these center circles is larger: the one on the left, or the one on the right?

What do you think?

While the center circle on the left looks larger than the one on the right, the circles are actually the very same size.  What is the difference between the two circles that makes them appear different?  Context.

Context is the information around the center circles that helps you interpret them. Because the context around the circles is different, you actually interpret them differently.  In this case, the size and position of the outer circles tricks your eye into interpreting them to be of different sizes.

How does this apply to the Bible?

When you read a single verse of scripture (which happens far too often) you may not have enough information (context) to correctly interpret the scripture. You may have heard it said: "Never read a Bible verse! Instead, always read a paragraph at least."  This is why.  You must interpret the verse in the context of the passage.  Gregory Koukl from Stand to Reason has a great article on this, so I won't repeat it...just share it:

http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5466

Just the way our eyes are tricked by the circle exercise above, our minds can be tricked by seeing or hearing Bible verses in the WRONG context. This can happen when someone quotes scripture and doesn't apply the Biblical context, but rather puts it in the context of the point the author is attempting to convey. This can happen unintentionally, or perhaps even intentionally with a desire to deceive or pervert our understanding of scripture.

The solution is to go to the Bible --the source.  Attempt to understand the context in its original setting, THEN decide if the context provided outside of the Bible is accurate or mis-leading.  This is also why it is important to READ THE BIBLE!  Many folks try and cheat by reading books ABOUT the Bible.  There is a feeling that if a book quotes a lot of scripture, it is just the same as reading the Bible.  Not True!  Books that reference the Bible are great.  I read them all the time.  They often help me apply scripture to my life.  They offer insight and understanding.  BUT...don't take them for face value.  Go back to the source.  Make sure the author is properly applying context so that their center circle doesn't appear to be of a different size than the center circle in the Bible's context.

Blessings!

Study Bible Comparison

Here is just a quick comparison of my four main study bibles.  This not exhaustive by any means, but there are a few notable points about each that I will share in case it is helpful for those looking for a new study bible.

Here's the line-up, in order. The first study Bible I bought is on top, then the newest on bottom. I'm not sure, but it seems like the deeper I grow as a Christian, the bigger the Bible gets! Maybe one day I'll have a huge one like Ray Comfort! (and a back problem to go with it).



These are just my study Bibles _ which I tend to use for daily reading and church.  I've got others that mostly sit on a shelf (including a great comparative Bible with four translations side by side).  With the resources available on the Internet, I do most of my deep study online, although the Strong's Concordance gets some light every once in a while!  It was pretty cool having a look at my book shelf...I still have my first Bible, given to me by my mom and dad in 1979, when I went into first grade. It's KJV and blue! Classic.  Having a Bible most of my life, however, didn't make me a Christian any more than having athletic shoes made me an athlete.  That's another blog post for another day.

As you can see in the next picture, my first bible got tabs.  I needed some help getting around!  The second one was a house queen...it just became a home reference. The third got worked over hard. I really got to know that one (as you can tell), and the fourth...has been out of the house one time. It's brand new (and the reason for this blog).



All four bibles are from different publishers, and all in different translations, and with different features.

Bible	Publisher	Translation	Red Letter	Capital Pronouns	Page Format
Life Application Study Bible	Tyndale	NIV	Y	N	Paragraph, single column
NASB Study Bible	Zondervan	NASB	Y	Y	New line for each verse, 2 columns
Thompson Chain Reference	Kirkbride	NKJV	Y	Y	New line for each verse, 2 columns
ESV Study Bible	Crossway	ESV	N	N	Paragraph, single column

Now I am not going to try and weigh out the pros and cons of the various translations, but I will state that the ESV is becoming my favorite.  NIV has some questionable translation for me and I don't rely on it for doctrinal issues.  There...enough about that.

My new Bible (ESV Study Bible) is taking some getting used to.  It is the first one I have owned without red letter or capital pronouns. I get why, on both accounts, but still not something I am used to.  The other challenge for me is going back to a paragraph style bible.  It seems a bit slower for me to find an exact passage. Here is an example...

Yesterday, during service, our Pastor went into 1 Thessalonians 4:4.  I turned there, and for the first time realized how jumping straight to a scripture isn't as easy as it was with my Kirkbride Bible.

Here is a look at the Kirkbride page.  Can you find 4:4 quickly?



See how the fact that each verse has it's own line?  It's easy to just run down the left edge of the text and find "4".  Now have a look at the ESV Study Bible:



Not quite so easy, eh? (Even though verse four does actually start at the left edge...just a coincidence here.)  I decided to use this as an example because when I was turning to this verse in church, I realized how many numbers there are in that little section of chapter 4!  I see two 2s, two 3s, two 4s, and a 5 and 6. With this particular Bible, the notational numbers and the verse numbers are fairly well mingled together. The verse identifiers are bold...but it still takes some time.

So far, the rest of the Bible is outstanding.  The important issues, translation accuracy, doctrinal issues, and even the debatable issues are all very well presented. Those things are my primary concern.  I can live with the slower paragraph format.  Time will tell how I actually enjoy this Bible.  It's only been a few days since I bought it, so it is just getting broken in.

Right now, my perfect Bible would be this:

1. ESV Translation

2. ESV Study Bible Commentary, notes, and articles

3. Split verse format (1 or 2 column)

4. Red Letter

5. Capitol Pronouns for our Lord

6. Smyth Sewn

7. Highest quality paper

9. Gold guilding

10. Soft genuine leather cover

If I could find that combination, I would be a happy camper.  I haven't found it yet.  If you know of one, please let me know!  Thanks!