What Has Happened to Context?

Any preacher or theologian who is “worth his salt” knows that Scripture must be understood in terms of the word used in a given passage and the context of the verse, chapter, book, Covenant and the Bible as a whole. Failure in one of these areas results in a false interpretation.

Hundreds of cults, apostasies and even denominations have made their living twisting Scripture to mean whatever they need to support their theosophy. Each of them has dozens of passages that support their distorted “understanding” of the Bible. They will readily quote them to you and match you verse by verse. It’s as though it’s a contest to see who can quote the most Scripture to prove the truth of their particular doctrine.

Often they will proclaim that we are to let “Scripture interpret Scripture.” Then they go right on quoting their favorites, quite apart from the actual meaning of the passage. Often they will say something like, “The Bible has one interpretation; many applications.” That, of course, is false. The Scripture is about Jesus. If that doesn't excite you enough, I’m sorry for you.

The trouble is theologs tend to think of Scripture as a series of guidelines for right living. Now if you need a set of guidelines, there is none better than the Bible. But Jeremiah predicted and Paul reiterated that in the New Covenant, God’s Law would be written in our hearts. That does not negate Scripture, but it places it in a whole new context, that of revealing God’s character, His love of His creation and His plan for its redemption. That is the proper application of every verse of Scripture.

Let me give you an example. The book of Hebrews (which I believe to be Paul’s commentary on Romans written to Jews) contains a much used section referred to as “The Hall of Faith.” That would be chapter 11.

Indeed, it IS about faith, but not just general faith or faith in a generic God. Neither is it about faith in faith. It is not about trusting God in every situation, knowing that in His sovereignty He is working things out His way. It is about faith in, and only in, Jesus as the New Covenant’s High Priest.

From chapter 4 through chapter 10, Hebrews reveals to the Jews that the High Priest (Christ) they had been waiting on had come. Paul extols the perfection of that High Priest as being greater than even Melchizedek. The Jews would have understood both the context and the meaning of the reference to Melchizedek.

Hebrews proceeds like this. It proclaims the superiority of God’s new revelation (Christ). It tells us that Christ is superior to the angels, to Moses and to the Aaronic priests. Hebrews proclaims the superior sacrificial work of our High priest as a New Covenant, as a fulfillment of the Old Sanctuary or covenant and as the Better Sacrifice.

It goes on to call us to faithfully follow Jesus, entering the sanctuary with absolute confidence, to reject sin and to persevere in faith, even under pressure just as our for-bearers did.

All of this provides the context of chapter 11. Without it, chapter 11 is just another set of proverb-like sayings. In this context, Paul begins to explain what he meant by our for-bearers being preserved by faith.Hebrews 11 is not a change of subject, it is connected to and is an integral continuation of the truths laid out in chapters 4-10.

Hebrews chapter 11 is all about placing our faith not in some generic God, not in priests but in this High Priest who is Jesus. In other words, it is ALL about faith in, and only in, Jesus. It is not about God bringing us to a certain place, nor is it even about His sovereignty. It is about Jesus.

Here is the way it should be understood in the context of the book and the Bible.

1 Since God’s new revelation is the preeminent Priest of priests, Christ, we can be confident in our faith, which is the essence of everything we have ever hoped for and the evidence of the spiritual things we cannot see.

2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.Under the New Covenant, we may confidently have faith in God that through Christ He formed the visible universe.

4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”[a] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[b] considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. By faith WE can reason that God could raise Jesus from the dead.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning;[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

Abraham and each of the others listed, believed God and it (his faith) was counted to him as righteousness. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently believe God through Christ to provide for us our great salvation and HE is our righteousness..

Paul goes on to exhort us to live according to the New Covenant written on our hearts, encourages us to live as followers of Jesus, asks for prayer and makes some personal remarks, all to reiterate the New Covenant in Jesus Christ.

The point of all of this is to say that far too often we use Scripture to “prove” whatever point we are trying to make about our circumstances. That’s not the Bible’s purpose. It is not written about us, it is written about Him. It tells us how He has chosen to provide for our magnificent salvation in Christ.

As one of my favorite pastors USED to say, "It's not about you. It's not about me. It's all about Him."