As you read the Bible, you may run across verses that make you wonder, “Well, that’s fine for them back in Biblical times, but does that really apply to me today?” And you’re not wrong to ask that question! Because the Bible was written thousands of years ago, the stories, expressions, and actions of the characters can often leave us confused.

So how do we know if a Bible passage is cultural or timeless?

Cultural truth = it is meant for those people, in that time period, and not for us today. 

Timeless truth = it is a message that transcends time and is applicable to us today.

This is actually a question we encourage you to ask from the CHARA Bible Study Guide. As you Apply any passage, you should be asking yourself, “What was expected of the original audience and what principles make sense for us now (is it a cultural or timeless truth)?”

Deciphering between if a passage is cultural or timeless can often feel like the hardest part of studying the Bible. So let us break it down with four questions you can ask that can help you easily identify if a Bible passage is cultural or timeless.

1. CULTURE – Is it tied to the customs or culture of their day?

• It may be CULTURAL if it reflects the original audience’s customs, culture, worldview, norms, or expressions of their day, and we are unlikely to find modern-day comparable situations.
• It may be TIMELESS if it applies to people anytime, anywhere, and the message is not tied to a specific custom or cultural norm of that historical period.

2. COMMON – Is the concept repeated throughout the Bible?

• It may be CULTURAL if it is mentioned once or rarely found in the Bible (whispered).
• It may be TIMELESS if it is a concept that is common and repeated throughout Scripture (shouted).

3. CONSISTENT – Is it consistent throughout the Bible? 

• It may be CULTURAL if there does not seem to be a uniform and consistent message or application throughout the Bible.
• It may be TIMELESS if that application and instruction is consistent throughout the Bible.

4. CORE – Is it central to the Bible’s core message?

There will be times when it may not be as clear as you want to know if a passage is cultural or timeless. When we apply the Bible to our life, we should always be careful to not build our theology, doctrine, or core beliefs on anything that is not a primary or core message that the Bible teaches. 

Interested in learning more about determining cultural vs timeless truths, check out this article.