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Episode 2 Summary
- The Bible is a divine work of literature, inspired by God. It is reliable and true, but that doesn’t necessarily mean what we take away from it is also reliable and true.
- It’s important to understand what the words meant then and there (exegesis) and use that to learn what it can mean here and now (hermeneutics).
- This is why it is vital to place verses in context, so we don’t manipulate the text to mean something it doesn’t.
Discussion Questions
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Have you or someone you know ever used a verse out of context? Does the meaning of the verse shift when it’s placed in context? How so?
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Does being told to never read a single Bible verse surprise you? Does it make you uncomfortable? What are some verses that you tend to always see by themselves or out of context?
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Can you think of a verse that is only read in the context of modern day, the here and now? Why do you think people forget to consider the then and there?
Diving Deeper
Philippians 4
Read Philippians 4. We gave Philippians 4:13 a hard time in Episode 2, but it’s not a bad verse. It’s just a victim of consistent “out-of-context-ing.” Spend some time processing what Philippians 4:13 means in the context of its chapter. If you need to, read all of Philippians. It’s not very long, and it’s a wonderful letter!