The Cultural Context Commentary of the Bible: New Testament

All Scripture was given in a completely different context from ours, but if all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching (2 Tim. 3:16), then it must have some purpose for us. The question is: What is that purpose? (What teaching did God want to communicate to His people?). The cultural context helps us deduce what that purpose was.

It is important to understand that the Bible addresses themes and motivations like those we face today. Far from diminishing the Bible's relevance, understanding the situation in which it was given helps us make it more relevant (sometimes even uncomfortably relevant). It forces us to see that the people Paul dealt with were not simply conflictive and morally unstable; they were flesh and blood people who lived a reality similar to ours. To understand and apply the Bible well, we need two fundamental sources of information: one is the Bible itself, the other is an understanding of the cultural context of the passage we are reading.

Jesus (in Matthew 6:7, 8) tells us not to pray like the pagans. But how did the pagans pray? "Greek prayers would list as many titles as possible that the deity being prayed to had, hoping thereby to secure their attention. Typically, pagan prayers would remind the deity of favors one had done or sacrifices offered, attempting to obtain a response from the god on a contractual basis. Jesus bases effective prayer on a relationship of intimacy, not on a model of commercial partnership, which was closer to what ancient paganism followed."

Why does James (in James 2:6) assert that the rich oppress the poor and drag them to court? "Laws in Roman courts always favored the rich, who could initiate lawsuits against the lower classes, although the latter could not do the same against the rich... as in most cultures, affluent people naturally have legal advantages. They can present their cases more articulately or employ others to do it for them."

The Cultural Context Commentary of the Bible. New Testament is written in clear and non-technical language. It is the only one that provides, verse by verse, the important cultural context needed for responsible and enriching Bible study.