The Context Principle

The Context Principle is that principle by which God gives light upon a subject through either near or remote passages bearing upon t-he same theme. T-his principle is sometimes called the PARALLEL PRINCIPLE.

Every verse in the Bible has something preceding and something succeeding it; something that goes before and something that follows after-with only two exceptions, and they are the first verse in the Bible and the last verse in the Bible. Apart from these two, every verse in the Bible has something before it and something after it. These verses are the context. That is what we call the preceding and the following verses.

Every scripture must be studied in the light of its relation to the place in which you find it. Never take a verse out of the Bible and study that way. Study in the light of what goes before it and what follows it. You have heard it said that the Bible can give aid to prove anything, but this is not true if you study it in the light of its context.

If we should disregard the context principle, we could prove that every student should go out and hang himself. Yes, we could. There was a woman who had her devotions by closing her eyes and opening the Bible at random, thus taking the first verse her eyes fell upon as the "light" for that day. That first time she opened it, her eyes fell upon the verse, "And Judas went out and hanged himself." She didn't like that one, so she closed her Bible and opened it again, and this time her eyes fell upon this verse, "Go and do likewise." Whew! She certainly didn't like that, so she tried once more, and her eyes chose this verse, "That thou doest, do it quickly."

Other examples of needing to know the context are:

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."

"That all things work together for good to them that love God."

"And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

"Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possessions."

Psalm 2:8-this is used as a great missionary text, but used as such, it mars the truth of that portion of the Scriptures.

"And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house"-Acts 16:31. This is the instruction given to one already under conviction-"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ"-Believe what? That He died for your sins? Yes, but that isn't all the Gospel. He rose from the dead! Complete the Gospel when you preach it! The resurrection is as important as the death of Christ. Joshua 24:15 -Most people think that this is a proposition offered to Israel, as to their choosing between God and the gods; but, the real meaning is that if they wouldn't choose the Lord, then they should choose a god from among the rest of the gods, gods which were helpless in defending themselves against the Lord God Jehovah! Mat 5:39-"Resist not evil"-Is this permission to sin? Titus 1:2-Some time ago a modernist preacher of the rankest sort used this text to prove there were more gods than One. I WOULD HATE TO STAND IN THAT FELLOW'S BOOTS WHEN HE STANDS BEFORE GOD FOR SUCH TREATMENT OF GOD'S WORD. That is an extreme illustration. This should bring to us the thought of being careful as to the text we choose. It is just as right to take two words and preach from them (without giving the true meaning) as it is to take a verse out of its context.

There is the NEAR context: Gen 35:2-This is explained by Genesis 34:26-29. Dan 8-This reveals the one and two-horned beast; the context explains. Eze 37-The Valley of Dry Bones does not mean THE CHURCH, for we learn by the context that it represents the entire HOUSE OF ISRAEL.   There is the REMOTE context:

You will find that some contexts are remote; that is, they are away from that portion of Scripture you are studying. The text may be in the Old Testament and the context will be found in the New Testament. GENESIS 18 declares that Abraham prays for Sodom, but Chapter 18 does not tell why he prayed just for Sodom; however, the answer is found in Genesis 14. Lot was there. Gen 37:25,28 gives us the record of the Ishmaelites and Midianites. We also find the Ishmaelites mentioned in Judges 8:24. All Ishmaelites are Midianites, but not all Midianites are Ishmaelites. For example: All Canadians are Britishers, but not all Britishers are Canadians. All Miamians are Floridians, but not all Floridians are Miamians. Gen 24:24-A woman of the third generation marries a man of the second generation.

Explanation is found in Genesis 18:11, 12. Jud 5:8 -AN UNARMED ARMY-Here is an army unarmed; there's not a shield or a spear in the 40,000 in Israel's army. Jud 3:16-Ehud made a dagger which had two edges. Jud 3:31-Shamgar had to use the ox goad in his attack upon the Philistines. In other words, the enemy came, and here was a warrior who had nothing with which to make war. Jud 14:5, 6 -Samson had nothing in his hand with which to slay the lion. He didn't have any weapon with which to defend himself. He was an unarmed warrior. Why all of this? It is a remarkable statement when you read of 40,000 men without weapons. It is explained to us in I Sam 13:19-22. In the days of Israel's liberty, we read of men who drew the sword, but in the days of their oppression, we read of ignoble weapons. Why? Because the Philistines said these enemies of ours will arm themselves, and the smiths will make weapons; so they kidnapped all the smiths, all the men who made arms for warfare, and carried them into Philistia.

So we read of men who had no sword to draw. David went out to war with a sling against the Philistines. Read I Sam 17:4; Jud 20:2-15 -Now you can see what comes from studying the context and how light comes to the Scriptures. II Chr 22:11, 12 -Joash was saved, hidden in the Temple as a babe, then, as a child for six years. How could they have hidden him for six years? The remote context explains. II Chr 24:27 reveals to us that the Temple was the most deserted place in the whole country.

II Ki 18:13-16 -- Hezekiah stripped the Temple and broke the treasury.Isa 39:2 does not tell from whence the wealth came. This is answered in II Chr 32:22, 23.Jn 21:15-"Lovest thou me more than these?" These what? Does He mean fishes? They were on the shore after eating the fish. This is answered by Mat 26:31-33 and Mk 14:27-29. Peter said before, "All these fellows might be ashamed, but not me." Therefore, the answer is, "Lovest thou me more than these disciples (do)?"Gal 3:20; Acts 7:53; Deut 33:2; Psa 78:17; Heb 2:2 -In all these "God is One," referring to the Abrahamic Covenant, of God making the Covenant alone. Thus, "God is one individual."Jer 32:4; 34:3 and Eze 12:13 declare, You'll die in Babylon; you'll see the King of Babylon, but you won't see the country (city) of Babylon. The answer is found in II Ki 25:5, 6, 7, which reveals that his eyes were put out before going to Babylon. Eph 4:6-Is this an argument for the Fatherhood of God of all creatures? It is answered in Ephesians 1:1 and Gal 3:26. We come to be the children of God through faith, the new birth. The context always sheds light upon the text.

Many times chapter divisions mar the context. Remember, chapter divisions are the products of man. God never dictated His Word in chapter form. Many times chapters break and divide the truth. Mat 16:28, 17:1-Not one of the disciples was to see death until the Son of Man should come in His Kingdom. And in six days this was fulfilled. II Peter 1:16-18-Peter was an eye-witness to the majesty of the King at the Holy Mount. Mat 19:30, 21:1-the first is just the beginning. Mk 2:23-28, 3:1-5-Link both together, or you miss the entire truth concerning Christ being the Lord of the Sabbath.

And remember, too, that verse division is also man-made: I Cor 2:9 completed with verse 10!

The context principle has an immeasurable value in what might be called a comparison or contrast of Scriptures. Dr. A. T. Pierson calls this the Comparative or Parallel Mention Principle; that is, comparing Scripture with Scripture. The value of this is set forth in I Cor 2:12,13-The last five words, "Comparing spiritual things with spiritual." You find spiritual things in the Bible, and that is what we are to do. That helpful passage is made even clearer by other translations: "Unfolding spiritual things spiritually." That is, when you want to unfold the Word of God, which is spiritual, let the Word of God interpret the Word of God-"Unfolding a Biblical thing Biblically," or explaining a spiritual thing in spiritual words. That is the way to study the Word of God. The Bible has the only message to a lost world, and we can only explain the Word of God from the Word of God. The Bible comes from God, and the only place where you can find God is in the Bible.

There are those who say we need an up-to-date "code"-rather, a "Twentieth Century" Book. But remember, sin has not changed, and God's dealing with sinners has not changed, and GOD HAS NOT CHANGED.

By the context we learn that where there is the ADVERSARY who accuses the brethren, so there is the ADVOCATE who defends the brethren.

Look at the Scriptures and notice the similarity between the Holy Spirit in Eph 5:8 and the Word of God in Col 3:16.

We have here practically the same thing, the melody of God in the heart. One injunction is to be filled with the Spirit, and the other injunction is to be filled with the Word; you will never be filled with the Spirit unless you are filled with the Word. They go together.

STANDARD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT	STANDARD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
1. "See how I delivered you out of bondage in the land of Egypt."	1. "See how I raised My Son from the dead." Death and Resurrection
2. "In bondage, the blood is on the door."	2. In Grace, the Blood of Jesus must be applied to the door of the heart.
3. The Holy Spirit goes from God to men, representing God.	3. The Lord Jesus goes from man to God, representing man.

 

  COMPARATIVE

1. Christ	1. Antichrist
2. Seed of the woman	2. Seed of the Serpent
3. Called the Lamb	3. Called the Beast
4. Exalts God	4. Blasphemes God
5. The Truth	5. The Lie
6. The Way and Life	6. The Way and Death
7. 3½ year ministry	7. Shall have 3 ½ year ministry
8. The Coming One	8. The Coming One
9. The Morning Star	9. Son of the Morning
10. A person of Power	10. A person of power
11. Has a city	11. Has a city

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