Historical-Cultural and Contextual Analysis

Chapter 3

Historical-Cultural and Contextual Analysis

Chapter 3 to 8 will discuss the followings• Historical Cultural Analysis• Lexical-syntactical Analysis• Theological Analysis• Literary analysis• Comparison With Other Interpreters • Application

Historical-Cultural and Contextual AnalysisThe meaning of the text cannot be interpreted with ay degree of

certainty without historical-cultural and contextual analysis.• What is the general historical-cultural and context in which the writer speaks?

Three secondary questions are to be asked1. What is the general historical situation facing the author and his audience? Livelihood, threats, concerns, parable of the good Samaritan etc. etc.2. Knowledge of what customs will clarify the meaning of given action? Feet washing, practices of Corban etc. etc. parable of the ten virgins3. What was the level of the spiritual commitment of the audience?Where do you find help1. Good exegetical commentaries2. Study Bibles, Hebrew-Greek Key word study bible3. Bible handbooks, , Lions Hand book of the Bible4. Bible dictionaries, New Bible Dictionaries5. Books related to customs and manners of the Bible times , The New Manners and Customs of Bible Times, by Ralph Gower (Moody Press)

Historical-Cultural and Contextual Analysis• Determining the specific historical-cultural context and the purpose

of the book?Three secondary questions are to be asked

1. Who was the writer? What was his spiritual background and experience? There are internal and external evidnaces

2. To whom he was writing? James 4:133. What was the writer’s purpose (intention) in writing this particular

book?Note the author’s explicit statement or his repetition of certain

phrasesObserve the parenetical (hortatory) part of the writing. Jn 20:31Observe points that are omitted or issues that are focused on

Historical-Cultural and Contextual Analysis• Developing the immediate context of the passage under consideration?• Prooftexting interprets verses without paying proper attention to their

context.• What are major blocks of material and how do they fit together into a

whole? i.e what is the outline of the book?• How does the passage under consideration contribute to the flow of the

authors argument? Mt.24, 25• What was the perspective of the author?• Is the passage stating descriptive or prescriptive truth? 1Cor 11:17-34• What constitute the teaching focus of the passage and what represents

incidental detail only? Prodigal son di not require a mediator.• Wis being addressed in this passage?