10 Easy ways to find context in scripture

The following information has been transcribed from the video “10 Easy Ways to Find Context in Scripture” ¹⁾ by the Kingdom in Context YouTube channel

This short video will show you the practices I use to find context when reading scripture. And this has helped me to bring a ton of clarity to what I'm reading, and I hope that it helps you.

The first step that I use is finding the definition of a word. You've seen me do this in many of our videos and I'll sometimes even put the definition of that word from a dictionary or concordance on the screen. This helps you understand the term being used so you don't take it out of context.

The next step that I use is reading all the way through a passage. In some cases, if you just read one verse, or two verses, you may come to wrong conclusions, only to realize if you have read the entire passage or even the entire chapter you may quickly realize the awnser you're forming from that single verse.

The next concept I use is determining if the passage has figures of speach, an author will use a figure of speach such as a metaphor ²⁾ or a simile ³⁾ an allegory ⁴⁾ or an idiom⁵⁾ to help the reader make the text or the idea being expressed more relatable.

The next step I use is comparing the use of a word or term in other chapters in the book it's used. For example in Isaiah 9:6 people think the word father is speaking of the almighty God. But we see it's use in other chapters in Isaiah to help us understand the term father is being used as a ruler of the people. Specifically a king.

Isiah 9: 6-7
"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; 
and the government will rest on His shoulders; 
and His name will be called wonderful counselor, mighty god, eternal father, prince of peace. 
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, 
on the throne of David and over his kingdom, 
to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. 
The zeals of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this."
(NASB - Masoretic)

Isaiah 22: 20-22
"And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Chelcias:
and I will put on him thy robe, and I will grant him thy crown it power,
and I will give thy stewardship into his hands:
and he shall be as a father to them that dwell in Jarusalem, and to them that dwell in Juda.
And I will give him the glory of David;
and he shall rule, and there shall be none to speak against him:
and I will give him the key of the house of David //upon// his shoulder;
and he shall open, and there shall be none to shut;
and he shall shut, and there shall be none open."
(Septuagint - LXX)

Another concept I use is comparing the use of the word or term in other books. Let's look at Isaiah 9:6 again where many people take the term for father to mean the Most High God the Almighty. Yet we see that same term used of Joseph who is made king over Egypt under Pharaoh. It's a term used consistently in other books as a ruler, specifically a king of the people.

Genesis 45: 7-9
“God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, 
and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.
“Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; 
and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
“Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, 
‘Thus says your son Joseph, “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay.
(NASB 1995)

The next concept I use is determining if there are translator insertions in the text. Over the centuries various translators have looked at the text trying to make sense of it's original language to be translated into our language or another country's language. Many times they insert a word to make it sound appropriate for our language but that inserted word which is usually signified by italics will often change the meaning of the text or cause confusion about the doctrine being teached.

Another concept I use is figuring out who is the audience to which the passage was written. The beginnings of most of the books of the Bible, will have a salutation of the author to the people he's speaking to. This will let you know to whom the words were intended, and sometimes within a chapter it will let you know if the audience is changed that way we're not taking words meant for a specific person and try to apply them broadly, to us out of context.

add bible verses Another concept I use is determining who the author is or the speaker is during the passage. In Revelation chapter 1 the opening few verses, we see it's a revelation of Jesus Christ given to him by the Father and it's given to Jesus. Who He then sent his angel to communicate it to John. Further down that chapter descriptions of Yeshua in heaven (Rev 1:12-16) of his body and different parts of him (Rev 1:17-20) are being seen by John and this is being done via being in the spirit (Rev 1:10). This is a figure of speach that we see helping explain how the angel that was sent to John is communicating this message. 19 chapters later in Revelation 19 this context from Revelation 1 helps us understand why the angel reprimands John for trying to bow down and worship him and reminds him that this a testimony of Jesus given to him in the spirit.

Revelation 1:1-3
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, 
the things which must soon take place; 
and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, 
2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, 
and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
(NASB 1995)

Revelation 1:9-20
9 I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus,
was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, 
11 saying, “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: 
to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. 
And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; 
13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, 
clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. 
14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. 
15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, 
and His voice was like the sound of many waters. 
16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; 
and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, 
“Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 
18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, 
and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 
19 “Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, 
and the things which will take place after these things. 
20 “As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: 
the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
(NASB 1995)

Revelation 19:9-10
9 Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” 
And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” 
10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. 
But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and 
your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; 
worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
(NASB 1995)

Another concept I use is determining when the book or statement was written, in many of my videos you'll see me put on screen the date of a manuscript or a book. This is an advanced practice that requires you own back end scholarship and research, but it will greatly help you in navigating for clarity and context of scripture.

Another concept that I use, which is the core theme of our channel is determining the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. which is the central message of our Savior, He spoke of it over 44 times in the Gospels and it includes concepts and thematic elements layered all throughout the books of scripture. Understanding these thematic elements will greatly help you find clarity