Question:

I was reading Ezekiel 37 tonight about the valley of dry bones and it
really
really hit my heart and I started relating the prophecy to our world
today,
the college campus where I attended school, and even my own heart. Then I
started wondering: How do I know if I am taking the Scripture out of
context
and just making it mean what I want it to mean, instead of what God
intended
it to mean..? Does that make sense? How do I know if I am just being too
symbolic or emotional or just relying on my own human interpretation..? The
reason I am wrestling with this is for two reasons: 1) There was a lesson
Andy Flemming gave to the interns that one of my friends was telling me
about in which he pointed out how we must be careful not to take verses out
of context and make them mean what we want them to mean… 2) I have been
digging into the Old Testament much more these past 5 weeks and have been
drawing some intense parallels to my personal journey with God… And
honestly, WOW! There is some INTENSE stuff there and I am filled with this
longing that I can’t completely describe. I keep thinking: WHAT DOES THIS
MEAN FOR US TODAY? I just am seeing that God’s Words are so much powerful
that I ever realized and I want to take all that I am learning and just,
ya
know, run with it. But I don’t know how! So umm..what do you think
Kedron..?
Any thoughts/advice/guidance/tips..?
Answer:

Great question! When studying the Bible (whether you’re reading an entire
book or just a passage) it is always important to ask yourself the
following questions:

Who is the author of this book?
Who was it addressed to and what were the author’s intentions?
What does the passage literally say?
What is the immediate context?
What is the broader context?
What are other related passages to this scripture?
What is the historical and cultural background?
How does this scripture apply to my life or what can I learn from this?

Let’s look at Colossians 1:15-20 as a test case:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For
by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things
were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all
things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is
the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything
he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness
dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether
things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood,
shed on the cross.

Who is the author of this book?

The Apostle Paul was the author of the book (Colossians 1:1).

Who was it addressed to and what were the author’s intentions?

The book was written to Christians at Colosse (Colossians 1:2).

What does the passage literally say?

The passage speaks of Christ as being the “firstborn” over all creation,
and that everything was made by him and for him. It says that Christ is
before all things and everything is held together by Christ. From this
passage it literally says that he is the, “head of the body,” and the,
“beginning and the firstborn from among the dead.” It also helps to read
the entire chapter to understand this passage.

4. Are there any key words that need to be examined in the scripture
or entire book?

“Firstborn.” Some individuals interpret this passage to mean that Christ
is literally the firstborn, meaning that God created Jesus. However Christ
is not a created being. He was with God in the beginning (John 1:1), Jesus
is God in the flesh. When looking up the word “firstborn” which is the
Greek word Prototokos, one will discover it means “preeminence,” although
the word “firstborn” can mean the first one birthed in context this
scripture tells us that Jesus is the preeminent one ( i.e., the most
excellent one).

In the Bible God calls Ephraim, the son of Joseph, His “firstborn” in
Jeremiah 31:9. Since Ephraim was Joseph’s second son born after Manasseh,
it is evident again how Scriptures use this concept.

What is the broader context?

Paul is writing about the supremacy of Christ to the Colossians.

What are other related passages to this scripture?

Look up passages that speak of the supremacy of Christ such as John 1:1-14.

and Hebrews 1:1-4

What is the historical and cultural background?

You can always look in a study Bible or commentary. According to the
Archeological Study Bible, “Epaphras had just brought a report to Paul on
the situation of the churches in the Lycus Valley. Although much of the
news was good, certain matters concerned Paul. A brand of false teaching
had arisen in Colossee, but it is unclear whether this was a unified body
of false doctrine or an amalgam of errors, superstitions and
misunderstandings.”

How does this scripture apply to my life or what can I learn from this?

It’s amazing how powerful Christ is and grateful we should be to serve and
respect him. His example should always be the standard by which we live.

This is only a general guideline and shouldn’t be taken as an absolute but
the more you invest in material such as commentaries, Bible dictionary,
and etc. Hopefully this helps.

Kedron Jones