Context is everything. Find out who is speaking (or writing), and to whom it is that this person is speaking or writing. Find out when (roughly) the passage of scripture that you happen to be studying was written, and try to find out where it was written as well. It’s hard to understand anything when you take it out of context, and you might even enjoy the discoveries that you make as you delve into the ancient cultures and environments that formed the backdrop (and informed the writers) of the Bible, the Book of Mormon, The Pearl of Great Price, and (less anciently) The Doctrine and Covenants.
"It will greatly help you to
understand scripture if you note – not only what is spoken and written, but of
whom and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with
what circumstances, considering what goes before and what follows." (Miles
Coverdale (1488-1569), in his introduction to his Bible translation (the first
complete English translation of the Bible to be put into print).
“All scripture should be studied in context” (Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1985, 686).
“All scripture should be studied in context” (Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1985, 686).
It is also important to gain an understanding of the context
of a scripture passage within the chapter, book, or book of scripture in which
it is found, and also to compare it to the what is taught in the rest of the
standard works and the teachings of living prophets. Furthermore, it is also
crucial to place what you read in the scriptures within the larger context of
the gospel as a whole. Doing so will help you to gain a better grasp of
scripture, doctrine, principles, and the gospel overall.
“Context clarifies and deepens
understanding of the stories, teachings, doctrine, and principles in the
scripture text… [and] gives life and relevance to the doctrine and principles
that are found in the [scriptures]” (New-Teacher
Training Resource: A Teacher-Improvement Companion to the Gospel Teaching and
Learning Handbook (2016).
There are at least three senses that are important when
discussing the importance of context in studying the scriptures (Scripture Study—The Power of the Word Teacher
Manual (2001), 30–32).
Immediate Context
Context Within the Text
The Larger Gospel Context
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| Jesus feeding the 5000. |
“[Immediate] Context consists of
circumstances that surround or give background to a particular scripture
passage, event, or story. Context includes historical, cultural, and geographic
setting; questions that prompted scriptural events; and so on” (New-Teacher Training Resource: A
Teacher-Improvement Companion to the Gospel Teaching and Learning Handbook
(2016).
For example, the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin,
and the prodigal son in Luke Chapter 15 are not meant to be taken alone. They
are best understood when read together, as they each represent a subtle
variation on a theme which, when taken together, culminate in a larger
principle. Furthermore, it will help you to understand these parables once you
know that Christ is speaking to the Pharisees, and that He is doing so in
response to their criticisms concerning His willingness to eat with publicans
and sinners. (For more on the meaning of these parables and the context in
which they were preached, see my article “The True Meaning of The Lost Sheep,The Lost Coin, and The Lost Son”).
“The Prophet Joseph Smith provided an important guideline about pondering and reflecting upon the scriptures. He taught: “I have a key by which I understand the scriptures. I enquire, what was the question which drew out the answer, or caused Jesus to utter the parable?” Thus, striving to understand the question that preceded a particular revelation, parable, or episode can assist us in obtaining a deeper understanding of the scriptures” (David A. Bednar, “Because We Have Them before Our Eyes,” New Era, April, 2006).
When you understand who the intended audience was for a
given scripture, it can help you to make sense of what you read, but more
importantly, it can help you to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning
which the author, or the one whose words are recorded by the author, may have
intended.
“It is important that students of
the scriptures understand to whom the message is being directed. Statements
that apply to one person or group often do not apply in the same way to others”
(Scripture
Study—The Power of the Word Teacher Manual (2001), 30–32).
Understanding the context of a scripture passage is so important
that the LDS Church recently released a manual which was intended to be a companion
to our study of the Doctrine and Covenants in Sunday School called “Revelations
in Context.” It is a good resource for a quick overview of the people, places,
and events that surrounded the revelations which have been recorded in the
Doctrine and Covenants. It is just as important to learn the context behind the
other three books of scripture which make up our standard works.
When you understand the immediate context of a passage of
scripture (who is speaking, who is their intended audience, what is taking
place, and where and when is it taking place?), you will find that the
scriptures will come alive in your hands. The people, events, and principles
described therein will gain a new vitality and personal reality for you, and
your grasp of the scriptures and the gospel will improve by leaps and bounds.
Jesus Christ will stun you with the simplicity and brilliance of His teachings,
Alma’s life and teachings will move you, and Nephi’s steadfastness will mean so
much more. You will be more inclined to change your life to live up to what you
learn in the scriptures because you will understand it better. I could go on,
but what I want you to know is that context is an important key in making the
scriptures real and vital as you study them.
Context within the
Text: Another sense in which context is important when studying your scriptures
involves taking the scriptures as a whole, and not taking an isolated scripture
out of context. Often, this can lead to mistakes and misconceptions concerning
the actual meaning and intent of the author.
“It is important to place scripture
in proper context. The word context comes from the Latin contextus or contexere,
meaning “to weave together.” Therefore, words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs,
and even larger works, such as chapters and books, can be part of a whole just
as a fabric is composed of individual threads woven together. Therefore, the
meaning of an individual portion of text must be understood in relation to the
work as a whole, such as a word in its sentence, a sentence in its paragraph,
and so on. The primary purpose of considering context, then, is to derive the
correct meaning and intent of the author. By relying on isolated passages
without giving due consideration to their context, misunderstandings and
misinterpretations may result. In religion, using a passage of scripture
irrespective of its context for the purpose of proving a preconceived idea is
called proof-texting” (Scripture Study—The Power of the Word Teacher Manual (2001), 30–32).
Proof-texting is lazy and intellectually dishonest, and can
only result in spiritual stumbling. It certainly doesn’t count as sincere
searching of the scriptures.
“Searching [the scriptures] for the
purpose of discovering what they teach as enjoined by Jesus is a far cry from
hunting through them for the purpose of finding passages which can be pressed
into service to support a predetermined conclusion. ‘Behold,’ said Alma, ‘the
scriptures are before you; if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own
destruction.’ (Alma 13:20)” (Marion G. Romney, “Search the Scriptures,”
Improvement Era, Jan. 1958, 26 in Scripture
Study—The Power of the Word Teacher Manual (2001), 30–32).
Don't be a "One Note Mormon/Christian." Lazy
readers learn one verse and then they think they understand the whole mind and
will of God. If everything you know on a subject comes from just one verse of
scripture, then you don't know as much as you think you do.
“The gospel might be likened to the
keyboard of a piano—a full keyboard with a selection of keys on which one who
is trained can play a variety without limits; a ballad to express love, a march
to rally, a melody to soothe, and a hymn to inspire; an endless variety to suit
every mood and satisfy every need. How shortsighted it is, then, to choose a
single key and endlessly tap out the monotony of a single note, or even two or
three notes, when the full keyboard of limitless harmony can be played” (Boyd
K. Packer, Conference Report, Oct.
1971, 9; or Ensign, Dec. 1971, 41, in Scripture Study—The Power of the Word Teacher
Manual (2001), 30–32).
There are almost certainly other scripture passages which
could change or expand your understanding, so search them out. As you do so,
you will find that the scriptures are best understood when taken as a whole.
Sometimes the overall sense and context that comes from having read the whole
book of scripture can teach you more than one verse alone. It is important to
consider the context in which a scripture is placed in order to discern the
true meaning intended by the author. Learn to appreciate the larger spirit and
intent of the scriptures, and not just the letter of a specific verse. For more
on this principle see Scripture MasterTip #11: Read More Than One Verse a Day.
“Only last Friday while putting
together some things for a presentation, I read part of it to some brethren
from BYU. I noticed they looked at one another at one place in my reading, and
I stopped and asked if there was a problem. Finally one of them suggested that
I not use a certain scripture that I had included even though it said exactly
what I wanted to convey. How dare they suppose that a member of the Twelve
didn't know his scriptures! I simply said, "What do you suggest?" He
said, "Better find another scripture," and he pointed out that if I
put that verse back in context, it was really talking about another subject.
Others had used it as I proposed to use it, but it was not really correct. I
was very glad to make a change. - Boyd K. Packer, Talk to the All-Church Coordinating Council, (18 May 1993).
Another way to find the proper context for understanding a
passage of scripture is by comparing it to the rest of the book in which it is
found, or by comparing it to other books by the same author.
“Students of the scriptures must
assume that individual books of scripture by authors inspired by the Holy Ghost
not only have purpose but logical and coherent organization. Therefore,
passages within the book should be studied and understood in the context of the
complete book. For example, Paul’s statements in Romans 3:28 and Galatians 2:16
say that man is justified by faith, not by the “deeds” or “works” of “the law.”
Careful study of both books by the same author, however, indicates that when
Paul used the phrase “the law,” in many instances he was referring to the law
of Moses, as contrasted with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He did not condemn
obedience to the principles and ordinances of the gospel but he went to great
length to explain that obedience to the statutes of the law of Moses or to the
gospel in general was insufficient to gain salvation without the mediation and
power of Jesus Christ” (Scripture
Study—The Power of the Word Teacher Manual (2001), 30–32).
2 Peter 3:15-17 And account that
the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul
also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in
all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things
hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they
do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore,
beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led
away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
There has been much confusion over many of Paul’s teachings
over the centuries, dating back even to Paul’s own day. I am nevertheless
convinced that much of this confusion might have been avoided by studying the
context in which Paul’s word were written, both immediate, as well as within
the text. A comparison of all of Paul’s writings would also have done much to
settle much of this confusion as well.
That said, Latter-day Saints have a special advantage when it comes to
making sense of scripture, and in determining the fuller sense of a passage and
its larger meaning within the gospel.
The Larger Gospel Context:
“Many doctrines and passages of
scripture can be correctly understood only in the context of the total gospel
picture, much like a single piece of a picture puzzle takes on meaning only in
the context of the completed puzzle” (Scripture
Study—The Power of the Word Teacher Manual (2001), 30–32).
“First: Instruction vital to our
salvation is not hidden in an obscure verse or phrase in the scriptures. To the
contrary, essential truths are repeated over and over again. Second: Every
verse, whether oft–quoted or obscure, must be measured against other verses.
There are complementary and tempering teachings in the scriptures which bring a
balanced knowledge of truth. Third: There is a consistency in what the Lord
says and what He does. That is evident in all creation” (Boyd K. Packer, Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled (Salt
Lake City: Bookcraft, 1991), 286–287.
One way in which this is particularly true has to do with
what is called Sensus Plenior. Sensus Plenior is Latin for the fuller
sense or meaning. It is generally used to refer to instances in which a passage
of scripture may have a fuller or larger meaning (usually as God intended)
beyond the immediate one intended by its human author. While this term may be
unfamiliar to you, many Christians rely on the Sensus Plenior of certain scripture passages to support even some
of their most central beliefs.
One of the best examples of Christian reliance on the Sensus Plenior of a text would be in the
so-called “Suffering Servant prophecy” recorded in Isaiah 53:2-12:
For he shall grow up before him as
a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor
comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire
him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with
grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we
esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet
we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded
for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of
our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep
have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath
laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet
he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a
sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken
from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was
cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was
he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his
death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet
it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt
make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his
days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of
the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my
righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore
will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with
the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered
with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for
the transgressors.
To whom does this passage refer? Mormons, along with the
vast majority of Christians, would tell you that this passage refers to Jesus
Christ, however most members of the Jewish faith would disagree. While they
might agree that this passage refers to the coming of a Messiah, most would
deny that the Messiah described in these verses is Jesus Christ.
How then do we know that this passage refers to Jesus
Christ? Most Christians have to rely entirely on what they hold to be the Sensus Plenior of the text, but
Latter-day Saints have a unique advantage: continuing revelation. Modern
prophets have verified that these verses do indeed refer to Jesus Christ, and
in doing so have confirmed the truth of what many Christians believe concerning
the Sensus Plenior of Isaiah 53:1-12.
At any rate, my point in all this is that it is important to
place scripture passages in their larger gospel context. What do other books of
scripture have to say about this passage? What do modern prophets have to say
about it? How does this passage relate or compare to other principles of the
gospel?
It would be impossible to gain a good sense of the larger
gospel context of a passage or doctrine without studying all four standard
works, as well as the words of the modern general authorities.
“The scriptures do not set forth
these doctrinal subjects in a comprehensive, organized list of rules, like the
Internal Revenue Code or [Robert’s] Rules of Order. For the most part, the
scriptural teachings on the various doctrines of the gospel must be gleaned
from a number of sources, each containing a less than complete account of the
subject. …
“If we were left to gain a complete
understanding of a gospel principle from what is mentioned in only one account,
for example in the Old Testament, we could well misunderstand in part and
stumble, even as many sincere followers of Christ did during the period we call
the apostasy. This required the restoration of the gospel in our own
dispensation. With that restoration came the Book of Mormon, another witness of
Christ, and an outpouring of revelations addressed to the needs of our day. …
“An accurate and complete
understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ requires us to use all of the
scriptures available to us. This explains why the Lord has commanded us to
‘search the scriptures’ (John 5:39). It also helps us understand why it is
dangerous to rest a firm conclusion as to a point of doctrine on a reading of
only one passage of scripture” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Studying the Scriptures,” 5–6,
in Scripture Study—The Power of the Word
Teacher Manual (2001), 30–32).
This is one of the reasons why scripture chains and cross
references are important study tools when approaching scripture. The church
provides excellent study supplements which are designed to help provide a
larger context for a passage by providing footnotes and appendices which
feature extensive cross-references and clarifications for practically every
verse in all four books of the LDS standard works.
“Cross-references (provided in the
footnotes and Topical Guide) are one of the best aids to putting given
principles in context of the gospel as a whole. President Thomas S. Monson, a
Counselor in the First Presidency, stressed the value of the Topical Guide and
cross-references in a Churchwide satellite fireside in 1985:
“Let me illustrate how the new
Topical Guide can be a blessing to each Latter-day Saint in his gospel study.
Some years ago, President Harold B. Lee opened one of our auxiliary
organization manuals and read to me a reference wherein the author had
speculated concerning the meaning of a passage quoted from the New Testament.
President Lee said, ‘If only the author had known his Doctrine and Covenants,
he would have known what the Lord had to say at a later time to clarify the
biblical account.’ Now there is no need for such confusion, for the
cross-references in the Topical Guide are designed to solve such problems.
Certainty has replaced doubt. Knowledge has overcome speculation” (“‘Come,
Learn of Me,’” Ensign, Dec. 1985, 47–48)” (Scripture
Study—The Power of the Word Teacher Manual (2001), 30–32).
However, with this in mind, let me stress that the study
aids provided in the LDS editions of the scriptures are not meant to do all of your
work for you when it comes to studying the scriptures, making connections, and
placing a scripture in context.
I will never forget a conversation I had some years ago with
a young man who was an active returned missionary. He noted that my scriptures were filled with
handwritten notes and cross-references that I had discovered while I studied
the scriptures. However, he then
informed me that he couldn’t see the value of finding/creating your own
footnotes/cross-references because “that’s what the church footnotes and the
Topical Guide are for.” WHAT! Basically, he thought the church footnotes
are all that we need! Talk about missing the point! The footnotes and cross references, and study
guides included in the LDS edition of the scriptures are meant to be just that:
guides! They are not intended to be exhaustive, and they certainly aren’t meant
to act as an intellectual crutch so we don’t have to do any work for ourselves
when we study the scriptures!
There is much to be discovered through your own study and
pondering of the scriptures. The church study aids are meant to facilitate your
own deeper study and inspiration, they are not meant to act as a substitute for
these things!
Another reason why it is important to have a good grasp of
the larger gospel context is because there are those who would attempt to use
the scriptures, or even the teachings of past prophets to justify actions,
attitudes, or ideas which are not in harmony with the true gospel of Jesus
Christ which the Church teaches. Often, there are those who attempt to use the
letter of the law to defeat the spirit of the law by twisting the meaning of
the scriptures, taking a verse out of context, or even twisting the words of a
modern prophet.
Often this takes the form of “The scriptures/teachings of church
leaders do not explicitly forbid such-and-such action or attitude; therefore,
it must be OK,” or “I don’t have to live such-and-such a principle because it
is not explicitly commanded by the Lord.” Beware of such efforts to wrest the
scriptures. Many have been deceived and have stumbled because they listened to such
legalistic nonsense.
When you know how to place a principle or an idea in its
proper gospel context, you will have an accurate measuring stick whereby you
can compare any idea to the teachings of the Lord and His servants, and which
will help you to discern good ideas from bad ones, and right ideas from ideas
that are “almost right” (but still wrong). Placing principles in a proper
context is a skill that will help you to keep from being deceived, therefore it
is crucial for your spiritual survival!
For more on the letter and spirit of the law and the dangers
of gospel legalism, see my article “How Gospel Legalism is Holding Latter-day Saints Back”
Conclusion
When you understand the immediate context of a passage of
scripture (who is speaking, who is their intended audience, what is taking
place, and where and when is it taking place?), you will find that the
scriptures will come alive in your hands. The people, events, and principles
described therein will gain a new vitality and personal reality for you, and
your grasp of the scriptures and the gospel will improve by leaps and bounds.
When you develop the ability to discern the context of that passage within the
larger text, you will gain a greater ability to find connections, themes, and
patterns in the scriptures. This also holds true when you study the scriptures
in the context of the gospel as a whole. Moreover, doing so will also help you to
avoid being led astray by those who would wrest the scriptures, take a
scripture out of context, or try to use the letter of the scripture to defeat
the spirit of the gospel. Most of all, being mindful of these three levels of
context will help you to understand the scriptures at a much deeper level than
you could otherwise, which means you will be well on your way to becoming a
scripture master!
**There are 21 Scripture Master Tips before this one! You can find them all HERE. You can start at the beginning with Scripture Master Tip #1: Just Do It! or
you can work your way backwards from here and start with Scripture Master Tip #21: Improve Your Reading Skills Overall.
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