I’ve made a page listing all the “Context Matters” posts I’ve written so far. You can find it here, or navigate to it from the menu anytime (OIA Method > Examples > Context Matters). I will keep this updated as I add new posts to the series.
8 Habits of the Excellent Bible Teacher
Whether you are a parent teaching your children, a small group leader, a Sunday school teacher, or a pastor, how can you strive for excellence? Professionals pursue continuing education, athletes need personal training, and academics submit to peer review. What does excellence look like for Bible teachers?
According to Andrew Hess, Bible teachers must develop 8 habits if they want to endure in bringing honor God in their teaching. The 8 habits are:
- Preparation
- Love
- Prayer
- Learning
- Mastery
- Limit
- Humility
- Gratitude
I appreciate Hess’s decision to call these “habits” and not “tips” or “behaviors.” The habits on this typically feel mundane, but the cumulative effect they will have over a lifetime would be difficult to overstate. Read Hess’s article to see why.
Check it out!
Context Matters: Valley of Dry Bones
Perhaps you’ve heard of Ezekiel’s vision in the valley of dry bones, where the Spirit of the Lord sets Ezekiel down and commands him to prophesy over the bones, and to the breath, so they might live. After a rattling sound, bone comes together with bone, flesh appears, and the dead come back to life, an exceedingly great army. You may have heard this story read from Ezek 37:1-10, with its accompanying interpretation: You are the dead ones, brought out of your sin and misery because of God’s Spirit giving you faith in Jesus Christ. Seems clear, right? Perhaps not so much.
Context matters. If we learn to read the Bible for what it is—and not as a collection of independently assembled inspirational stories—we’ll discover that some of our most familiar passages don’t actually mean what we’ve always assumed.
Caitlin Tobias (2014), Creative Commons
Remember What You’re Reading
We’re helped here by the historical context. The prophet Ezekiel was living in Babylon with the early Jewish exiles (Ezek 1:1). These people had been carried off before the nation of Judah’s final fall to Nebuchadnezzar. Ezekiel spoke of God’s glory departing the temple in Jerusalem (Ezek 10:1-22) and going to reside in exile with God’s people (Ezek 1:1-28).
Ezekiel prophesied to a broken people, who were devastated by the Babylonian conquest and captivity. They were too crushed even to admit that their own idolatry had caused this turn of events. Therefore they persistently resisted Ezekiel’s message (Ezek 3:7-11).
And to these defeated, exiled people, Ezekiel promises a coming day (Ezek 36:22-32). A day when God will vindicate the holiness of his name (Ezek 36:22-23). A day when he will sprinkle them with water to cleanse them from the filth of their idolatry (Ezek 36:25). A day when he will give them new hearts of flesh to replace their dead hearts of stone (Ezek 36:26). A day when he will put his own Spirit within them and enable them to obey him (Ezek 36:27).
Ezekiel leaves no doubt about when this day will come. It is the day when “I will take you from the nations…and bring you into your own land” (Ezek 36:24). The day when they “shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers” (Ezek 36:28).
The exiled people, dead in their idolatry, will be raised to new life when God restores them back to their land.
Read a Little Further
We’re also helped by the immediate literary context. It’s all too easy for us to read only Ezek 37:1-10, because it feels like it could have been written to us. But the next few verses remind us that, though this may have been written for us (1 Cor 10:11), it was not written to us:
Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.” (Ezek 37:11-14)
The Lord himself makes the interpretation clear to Ezekiel. There is no reason for us to be unclear on this ourselves. The dead bones coming back to life are a picture of the exiled people being brought back into the land of Israel, placed in their own land. A people without hope are resurrected to new hope.
Reflect on the New Covenant
Some might ask: “But doesn’t all that simply find greater fulfillment in the new covenant, when those dead in sin believe on Christ and are raised to new life?” And I would say: “Yes! Of course!”
But look at what we miss if we ignore the context of Ezekiel and jump right to today.
- The restoration after the exile was no minor blip on the timeline of God’s redemptive purposes. It warrants further theological reflection as the resurrection of God’s people.
- This means that the death and the resurrection of God’s people have significant corporate implications. These things are not only for individual believers, but also for the entire body of God’s people.
- This explains why the disciples were so baffled when Jesus took this key Old Testament idea of death and resurrection, and applied it to himself, an individual (Mark 9:9-10).
- We, too should expect some corporate implications today from our “death and resurrection” as those who are “in Christ.” For example, Ephesians 2:1-10 summarizes the theology of the Christian’s death and resurrection in Christ. But Ephesians 2:11-22 goes on to unfold the corporate implications of this theology in the community life of the church. Paul had far more in mind than the salvation of individuals.
Even if our intentions are good, let’s not miss what God has communicated about himself and his rescue of us.
Context matters.
For more “context matters” posts, such as the widow’s mite, the faith hall of fame, chief of sinners, and quick to listen, slow to speak—click here.
Reflecting on the Shortest Psalm
Gentle Reformation has a stimulating post with “Ten Short Truths About the Shortest Psalm.” The post gives much of the historical and biblical context for this psalm to help us understand it better. Though Psalm 117 has only 2 verses, much of the Bible’s teaching is contained within.
NIV Live: A Bible Experience
in the last few years, I have developed great joy in listening to the Bible. I listen to portions of it every day. Sometimes I like to listen to it while I follow along with the words. And sometimes I enjoy hearing it on its own. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out I actually spend more time listening to it than actually reading it.
This enjoyment has grown out of the fact that my smart phone makes it easier than ever before to have an audio Bible with me at all times. I subscribe to a podcast that follows a daily lectionary of readings. I have two complete audio Bibles (different translations) in my music app. And I eagerly backed Dwell, a Bible app designed from the ground up, just for listening.
With that background in mind, I’d like to tell you about something that has knocked my socks off: NIV Live: A Bible Experience. Calling NIV Live an audio Bible would be a little like calling the Superbowl a football game; while technically accurate, the label doesn’t quite capture the spectacle of the thing. Which is why, I think, the creators don’t call NIV Live an audio Bible; they call it A Bible Experience.
NIV Live presents an audio recording of the complete text of the NIV Bible. And everything about it attempts to draw you in to the experience.
- After stating a book’s title, the audio has no unwanted intrusions. No mentions of chapter numbers to distract you from the experience. Just the text.
- Dozens and dozens of readers. And many of the readers are professional voice actors. While I’m sure other such things exist, I had never heard an audio Bible treated with full, professional voice acting before I came across NIV Live.
- Each reader has a role, as though the Bible were a very long play. The same actor plays Moses, every time Moses speaks. Another actor plays Yahweh. Another plays Jesus. And so on, down to the most minor characters. It’s fascinating to listen to different gospels, and have the same actor playing Peter every time he speaks.
- Actors who read the role of an apostle also read that apostle’s letters. For example, the reader who plays Paul does both Paul’s dialogue in Acts and all of Paul’s epistles.
- There is one narrator who reads all Old Testament narratives. New Testament narratives are read in the “voice” of the author (Matthew, Mark, Luke (who also reads Acts), and John). The different literal voices of the gospels give each gospel a remarkably different feel.
- Not every reader is a professional. NIV Live employed many pastors to fill minor roles, and these are some of the most distracting parts. It feels mismatched to have someone act a role, while another person in the same scene is merely reading a text. But I can imagine hiring this many professional voice actors would have over-exceeded the available budget.
- Tasteful music. My first impression (Genesis 1 and 2) was that the music was distractingly repetitive and annoying. But once I got used to it, I came to love it. I found it very well placed to highlight the mood, a climax, or a transition in just the right way.
- Sound effects. Listening to the Bible was like listening to a movie. When we were in a city, I could hear (and therefore picture) the bustle of the busy marketplace. Battles were chaotic. Encounters with creation were framed accordingly.
I listened to the entire Bible in just over a month earlier this year. I couldn’t believe how fun it was to have the Bible not only read but also dramatized, without abridgment or interpretive summarization. If you think it would be too distracting to have the Bible dramatized in such a way, NIV Live might not be for you. But if you’re willing to try something a little different from what you’re used to, NIV Live provides an experience unlike any other.
One technical note: I prefer listening to my Bibles (or any spoken-word audio) at faster-than-normal speed. While NIV Live has a beautiful and fancy app, I can find no way to change the playback speed within the app. It is possible, but annoying to download the complete audio after purchasing it, because you have to download 66 files, one book at a time. But once you do, you can sync it with an audiobook app, which should enable you to change the playback speed.
Hone Your Ability to Focus on the Bible
If we can’t focus on anything, we won’t be able to focus when it’s time to read the Bible. Along those lines, Scott Slayton has a few suggestions well worth considering:
- Shut out distractions.
- Read actively.
- Read in a consistent place and at a consistent time.
- Hone your concentration in other areas.
Slayton fleshes out these principles in his blog post. They sound like simple principles, but in his blog post, Slayton presents some challenging applications that are worth considering.
Check it out!
Context Matters: Moses’ Shining Face
Perhaps you’ve heard of how Moses covered his shining face with a veil so people couldn’t see the blazing glory emanating from it. And perhaps you’ve also heard of the veil that now lies over people’s hearts that prevents them from being able to see Jesus in the Old Testament Scripture. These well-intentioned lessons might feel personal and impactful, but they have little to do with what the text of Scripture says.
Context matters. If we learn to read the Bible for what it is—and not as a collection of independently assembled inspirational stories—we’ll discover that some of our most familiar passages don’t actually mean what we’ve always assumed.
Yu-cheng Hsiao (2009), Creative Commons
Exodus 34
To set us straight with Exodus 34, we don’t need the context; we just need to observe more carefully:
As he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.
Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him. (Ex 34:29-35)
Perhaps my experience is atypical, but I have often heard people talk about how Moses used the veil to protect people from seeing the glory radiating from his face. But this is not what Exodus says. It says that he allowed them to see the glory when he spoke the words of Yahweh to them. And then he put the veil over his face until the next time he got a recharge from speaking with the Lord within the tent.
2 Corinthians 3
But some will argue that 2 Cor 3 says that Moses used the veil to hide the glory. And that that’s where we get the idea that the veil is a metaphor for people who can’t see Jesus in the Old Testament. A few verses seem to imply these things:
Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory… (2 Cor 3:7)
But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. (2 Cor 3:14-16)
Here is where we need help from the context.
First, notice the next clause in verse 7: “the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end.” Now this could mean that they could not gaze at the glory, and the glory was coming to an end—two separate thoughts. But look at where he goes next.
Second, notice the nature of the old/new contrasts. Old = condemnation; new = righteousness (2 Cor 3:9). Old = glory that became no glory; new = surpassing glory (2 Cor 3:10). Old = glory of what was being brought to an end; new = glory for what is permanent (2 Cor 3:11). These contrasts are getting at the superior glory of the new covenant. But that glory is superior primarily because it has no end. It is permanent. It will not fade.
Third, notice Paul’s clarification of what the Israelites saw. His point is not that they saw only a veil and not the glorious face of Moses. His point is that they “might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end” (2 Cor 3:13). In other words, Moses’ veil was never about hiding the glory from the people. It was all about hiding the fact that the glory was fading.
And by contrast, what we have in the new covenant is something permanent. Something unsurpassed. Something that will never fade, but will instead transform its subjects “from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor 3:18).
The Argument
I covered this in my Bible study of Exodus 34:29-35, but the train of thought is worth repeating here.
Paul uses this episode from Exodus to make a profound point about the glory of the New Covenant in Christ (2 Cor 3:1-4:18). If we assume that Moses’ veil was covering the glory itself (when it was actually concealing the fact that the glory was fading), we miss Paul’s point. Paul’s argument:
- The people he ministers to are themselves the proof of Paul’s recommendation from Christ (2 Cor 3:1-3).
- His sufficiency as a minister of the new covenant comes from Christ who makes him sufficient (2 Cor 3:4-6).
- While Moses’ ministry had a blazing, terrifying glory, it was always a fading glory (“the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end” – 2 Cor 3:7-11).
- Therefore, Paul is not like Moses, who tried to conceal the fact that his glory was fading (“Moses…put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end” – 2 Cor 3:12-13).
- Even today, the Jews fail to see the temporary, fading nature of the Old Covenant when it’s read to them (2 Cor 3:14-15).
- But when they turn to Christ, they finally see the Old Covenant for the fading and temporary thing it is. They behold the Lord’s face and become perpetually and increasingly glorious (2 Cor 3:16-18).
- This is why the people, whose reflection of Christ’s glory never fades but always brightens, are themselves the proof of Paul’s qualification for ministering this superior covenant (2 Cor 3:1-3, 4:1-15).
- This gives Paul tremendous courage to persevere when ministry is hard (2 Cor 4:16-18).
Conclusion
The veil conceals the fact that the glory of the old covenant is, and always has been, fading. Only by gazing on the unfading—no, the ever-increasing—glory of Jesus Christ through his Spirit, can the veil be lifted and people finally see the old covenant for what it is (fading).
Context matters.
For more examples of why context matters, click here.
The Problem With Bible Reading Plans
Writing for the blog of Southern Seminary, Joseph C. Harrod describes one common approach to Bible reading plans: reading one chapter at a time from different parts of the Bible. One famous reading plan does one chapter a day from Genesis, one from Ezra, one from Matthew, and one from Acts—then moving on from there each day through the Bible.
I have followed such a reading plan from a lectionary, for many years. I use this in addition to my annual read-through, as well as ongoing voluminous reading of whatever book I’m studying at the time (currently Isaiah). One benefit of the “various chapters” reading plan is that it keeps the whole of Scripture in the forefront.
But I’ve also seen a drawback to such reading plans: They train you to think only in chapter-long chunks, where you can easily miss the context of whole books. And Harrod identifies another drawback I hadn’t thought of: Such plans train you to think it takes a very long time to read through books. So, for example, Genesis takes almost 2 months (50 days) to get through, when, in fact, if you read only Genesis, you could finish it in 3.5 hours.
Harrod shows how even the longest books of the Bible can be read in about the same amount of time we’d take to watch an epic film or a sporting event. It’s worth devouring these books in one or two sittings. Harrod has some helpful insights in this first article on the problem with most Bible reading plans, and in a second article, he shows how you can read half the Bible in 30 minutes!
Context Matters: Chief of Sinners
Perhaps you’ve heard Christian leaders refer to themselves as the “chief of sinners.” Perhaps you’ve even said this about yourself. You might know the phrase comes from 1 Tim 1:15 KJV. Modern translations typically use “foremost” (1 Tim 1:15 ESV, 1 Tim 1:15 NASB) or “worst” (1 Tim 1:15 NIV, 1 Tim 1:15 CSB) instead of “chief.” I have no concern with the exact translation, but I often wonder if those using the phrase have taken heed of its context.
Context matters. If we learn to read the Bible for what it is—and not as a collection of independently assembled proverbial sayings—we’ll discover that some of our most familiar passages say something slightly different from what we’ve always assumed.
The Right Track
When people self-apply the label “chief of sinners,” they are not doing gross violence to this verse. Paul introduces the statement with, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance” (1 Tim 1:15). This suggests that the phrase was a common saying that people had spoken or heard, and it suggests that Paul was endorsing the truth of it.
Now it’s possible that the “trustworthy saying” was just the first part (“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”), and that Paul appended his own comment (“of whom I am the foremost”) to it. Or the entire statement could be the “trustworthy saying.” We’re not sure, because ancient Greek manuscripts didn’t have quotation marks to signal which part Paul was quoting, and which part was his own reflection.
But we can still confidently say that when Christians use the “chief of sinners/foremost sinner” language, they are honoring Paul’s wishes that this statement is “deserving of full acceptance.” This could be an appropriate view for children of God to take of themselves, as they become increasingly aware of the depth of their indwelling sin, and as long as it’s not merely false humility.
The Argument
But let’s also notice that Paul is making a rhetorical point.
There is a problem in Ephesus with false teachers, teaching “different doctrine” (1 Tim 1:3), speculating on mysteries in the Torah (1 Tim 1:4), and failing to understand the assertions they make so confidently about the law (1 Tim 1:7). They have missed the point of the law: love issuing from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith (1 Tim 1:5).
The law, you see, is a very good thing when you use it lawfully. It’s not for the good guys but the bad guys. It addresses whatever is contrary to sound doctrine, and it does so in perfect harmony with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God (1 Tim 1:8-11).
Case in point: Paul’s own testimony. He can think of no example more severe. He thought he was a good guy in God’s world, but in truth he was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent (1 Tim 1:12-13a). The law judged him as such, but the grace of our Lord overflowed for him in Christ Jesus (1 Tim 1:13b-14).
Therefore, the saying is trustworthy…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I [Paul] am the foremost.
But Paul received mercy for one primary reason: so Jesus Christ could display his perfect patience in the chief of sinners. Why would he do this? To make Paul an example to those who were to believe in Jesus for eternal life (1 Tim 1:16). This King of the ages, the only God, deserves all honor and glory forever and ever (1 Tim 1:17).
The Point
Paul never says his readers should think of themselves as the foremost sinners. He clearly says that he himself is the foremost of sinners (“in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example” – 1 Tim 1:16).
The point is that, in context, Paul is saying he occupies a unique place in redemptive history. He’s not using “chief of sinners” language to model self-effacing humility. He’s using it because he is truly hard-pressed to find any worse sinner than he was. Of course it’s a terrible thing to be a tyrannical oppressor and attacker of innocent people. But it’s even more terrible to do so in God’s name, believing yourself to be doing out of obedience to him.
And if King Jesus can rescue a guy like that, applying the law to his sin, and demonstrating perfect patience through the faith and love—he can rescue anybody. Even you. Even me.
By this charge, Timothy, and Christian leaders today, may wage the good warfare (1 Tim 1:18).
Context matters.
Rethinking Our Proof Texts
Mike Leake has some important thoughts about how and when to reconsider the way we use our proof texts. As a young believer, Leake often used Phil 1:6 (“he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion”) to support the doctrine of eternal security. While he hasn’t rejected that doctrine, he has reconsidered his use of Phil 1:6 to support it.
Why? Simply because the context of Philippians 1 strongly suggests this verse is not speaking to that topic.
And why ought we to be willing to do this: to back down from using some of our favorite verses to support our favorite teaching?
First, it matters because truth matters. We cannot be loose with the truth. If we teach a right doctrine but do it the wrong way with the wrong text we are training ourselves and our people that truth is fluid and that the end justifies the means. That will not only have an impact on the way we do theology, it’ll even have an impact on the way we live our lives.
Second, it builds trust. If people know I believe a certain doctrine but see that I’m willing to concede a particular point for the sake of the truth, then it ought to build trust for the places where I’m not willing to concede a point.
The point I’ve been making for weeks now, that context matters, is not about looking superior to other people, being argumentative, or splitting hairs. This is about hearing God’s voice and not confusing it with our own. This is a matter not only of what the Scriptures say, but also of how we know what the Scriptures say.
Leake’s post gives a great example of how to think (and re-think) through these things with a particular text. Check it out!
