Growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
A small example demonstrating the interaction of culture and text
Historical and cultural context matter in matters both big and small when it comes to reading and understanding the bible.
As the bible student Alan Hayward observed “Bible verses only make sense if you study them in their context, that is, their setting. You need to read the verses on either side of the verse in question. As I have pointed out on several occasions, you also need to make allowance for Hebrew idiom.”1 Continue reading “Culture and the Widow of Zaraphath”
Christ’s mission vs. Messianic ideals
Mark’s account of the transfiguration brings a brief climax to a section in which Jesus is trying to help his disciples to understand his true identity and mission. It serves to elevate Jesus above all other intermediaries between God and man, even the two great Jewish figures Moses and Elijah. Continue reading “The Transfiguration in Mark’s Gospel”
