The Insight of CONTEXT
INTRO TO EVERYDAY CHARA
At The Chara Project we’ve experienced joy in understanding God’s Word as we’ve learned to study and apply the Bible to our lives and we’re excited to pass on what we’ve learned! That’s why we created the CHARA Bible Study Method - to offer a simple and memorable Bible study method that will help all women, from any experience level and any background, understand and find joy in the Bible.
We’ve titled this study Everyday Chara, because these are simple-to-remember study tips you can apply to your everyday Bible study. Each study will walk you through a Bible study method, which follows the acronym CHARA: Context, History, Author, Read, Apply - with an insightful example that illustrates and teaches us why each one is essential.
This week we’re uncovering the CHARA Bible study method: CONTEXT. Join us in the conversation and check out this video as we chat about this week’s Bible study (also available as a podcast!).
DAY 1 - WHY CONTEXT IS IMPORTANT
This week we’ll be looking at how reading CONTEXT around a passage helps us better understand what the author was trying to say. We’ll start small and work our way out, making sure our interpretation holds true throughout the Bible. But first let’s look at why CONTEXT is important.
Let’s say your son hit your daughter and you tell them the Bible says to turn the other cheek (Luke 6:28). Next thing you know, your daughter submissively turns her cheek and her brother slaps her again! What happened? When two people hear the same verse, but interpret it differently, how do you know who is right? In this case, it’s not hard to determine who was NOT right! Let’s try another one. Read Luke 6:38. If you only read this verse, how might you interpret it?
Can you see how this verse has been interpreted in the following ways?
The more money I give, the more money God will give me.
God rewards those who have enough faith with ___________ (health, wealth, etc).
We need to be careful of any interpretation that turns our relationship with God into a transaction and implies God owes you a life that He never promised. When your life doesn’t turn out as you imagined, you may feel as if God Himself slapped you across the cheek! How might someone be crushed by believing these interpretations?
The Bible cannot be interpreted to mean something it was never originally intended to mean. This week CONTEXT will help us hear the original meaning of Jesus’ words in Luke 6:38.
DAY 2 - IMMEDIATE CONTEXT
When you read, “give, and it will be given to you,” (Luke 6:38) one question you should ask is, give what?
Let’s see if the immediate CONTEXT surrounding this verse can shed some light. Read Luke 6:37. What is this talking about?
Next, read the verses that come after. Read Luke 6:41-45. What is this talking about?
Now go back and consider verse 38. Does your first impression of what give means make sense here, sandwiched between these passages? What do you think give is referring to based on the immediate context?
Another question worth asking is what does Jesus mean by “do not judge” (vs. 37)? Notice it is followed by “do not condemn.” To condemn is to act as a judge and pronounce guilty. Does this help clarify what Jesus meant by judge?
Not only should we consider what Jesus DID mean, but also what He DID NOT mean. The world likes to remind Chistians not to judge, but the word is used loosely. Consider the difference between judging, condemning, and discerning. Is discernment needed for what Jesus taught next?
follow the right teacher (vs. 39-40)
remove sin from your life before addressing the faults of others (vs. 41-42)
rightly see fruit (vs. 43-45)
build a solid foundation (vs. 46-49)
DAY 3 - THE BOOK CONTEXT
You may have noticed that our verse this week, Luke 6:38, falls right in the middle of Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount. Today we’ll consider how this verse fits within the broader CONTEXT of Jesus’ teaching within Luke.
What Jesus taught His disciples in this section was contrary to what people thought would bring them happiness (vs. 20-26) and the opposite of how they felt like responding to their enemies (vs. 27-35)! The same is true today. Read Luke 6:27-35. Contrast how believers are supposed to act compared to how unbelievers act.
Jesus is calling His followers to a higher standard, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31, NIV). The Golden Rule. Don’t treat others the way they’ve hurt you, treat them better. Read Luke 6:35-36 in a couple translations, including the New Living Translation (NLT). As believers, who should our actions imitate and how?
Mercy is not getting what we deserve. The hardest thing to give someone who has deeply hurt you is mercy and forgiveness - when what they deserve is justice. What Jesus is asking here feels impossible and is only made possible when we fix our eyes on the One who forgave our offense. Read Titus 3:3-7. What is our offense? How did God show us mercy?
In light of today’s reading, what would you say Jesus wants you to give? What should you expect in return (vs. 23 & 35)?
DAY 4 - NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXT
We’ve been reading Luke’s shorter version of Matthew’s well known Sermon on the Mount. The natural next step to expand our CONTEXT to the rest of the New Testament, is to flip over to Matthew. We find these verses featured in the reference notes of a study Bible. Read Matthew 7:1-2 and Luke 6:37-38. What do you notice is the same? What is different?
In some ways Matthew's account adds clarity to Luke. Matthew doesn’t even mention the word give and he clears up any confusion on measurements. In Luke it may seem the amount you receive in return greatly exceeds, “running over,” the amount given. No wonder this is often taught to be speaking of money! But that would be reading into the Bible and making it say what we want it to say (eisegesis), instead of drawing out the original meaning by looking at CONTEXT (exegesis). Remember, the Bible can’t be interpreted to mean something different today then it meant back then. Read Matthew 7:1-2 again and try the New Living Translation (NLT). What is Jesus clearly talking about and what do you learn about the measurements given and received?
In some ways Luke’s gospel adds clarity to Matthew. Matthew’s account does not include “do not condemn” and may leave you wondering more what Jesus means by judge. Although one could still reason, He did not mean discernment by looking at context surrounding this passage.
DIGGING DEEPER (optional): You may also have noticed that Matthew’s account does not address forgiveness here, but he did earlier on in 6:14-15. You may enjoy reading and comparing these two accounts in Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6:17-49.
DAY 5 - BIBLE CONTEXT
Have your words ever been taken out of context and used to imply something you never meant? This happens to God’s Word all the time. Earlier this week we saw how one verse, Luke 6:38, could be taken out of CONTEXT and interpreted to say something it never intended - that God’s desire is for us to have a comfortable and prosperous life and if we show enough faith, we’ll receive it.
In order for this interpretation to be true, it would need to be true throughout the Bible. Scripture cannot contradict itself.
Let’s consider Jesus’ disciples. Surely, those closest to Jesus showed great faith. Read John 15:18-21, 16:1-3, 33. Before Jesus left, what did He tell His disciples to expect?
As followers of Jesus we should not expect to be treated better than Jesus Himself - “a servant is not greater than his master” (John 15:20). We must use discernment to identify any teaching that tells us otherwise. Read Acts 17:11. How did the Berean Jews use discernment to identify if Paul’s teaching was true?
A final word on discernment: In our study this week in Luke 6, Jesus asked us to do the impossible - to love our enemies. When everything in us cries out to judge and condemn, Jesus says forgive and love. This kind of selfless love is more than a feeling, it’s a choice. Sometimes our minds need to lead our hearts to obey. Read Philippians 1:9-11 in a couple Bible translations. Why should love and discernment work together?
Written by: Sarah West
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