HISTORICAL - GRAMMATICAL METHOD

The fundamentalist Protestant Church considers this method as the only one.
that leads to the true meaning of the Scriptures. Sometimes it has been
called philological method, understanding by Philology not only the study
comparative of the words, but a total program to understand a piece
of literature, which includes linguistics but also history, cultural context and
literary criticism.
It is also called the literal method in contrast to the mystical method or
allegorical, and in other cases critical method, because it uses in the interpretation
Biblical methods and procedures characteristic of good scholarship.
The spirit of this interpretation method aims to discover the
meaning and the original intent of the text. Its goal is exegesis - to extract the
significado del texto - y noeiségesis- darle un significado.
It is very difficult for anyone to approach the Scriptures free of
prejudices and assumptions that distort the text. The danger of having concepts
preconceived theological concepts is that when interpreting the Scriptures those concepts
they tend to govern interpretation instead of interpretation correcting
our concepts. The biggest problem with theologians like Bultmann and
Tillich is that they have adopted certain theological and philosophical principles so rigid,
that find it difficult to accept an interpretation of a passage from the Scriptures
that is not satisfied with its system.
An illustrative example of how one's theological position can distort
the interpretation is the way the parable of the Ten has been treated.
Virgins (Matt 25:12). Arminian theologians use it to prove that the
Christians can fall from grace. Calvinists use the text to prove that
There can be professions of faith without really participating in salvation. Others.
they derive a doctrine of the Holy Spirit based on the fact that oil symbolizes
to said Spirit, while others see in the parable part of a program
prophetic yet to be fulfilled. However, we know that the parable
it is nothing more than a simple lesson on the concept of disposition and
spiritual warning for the meeting with the Lord.
In the study of the historical-grammatical interpretation norms, the order in
the way we will address those rules will not necessarily be the chronological order in which
The interpretation is made. The interpreter thinks and does many things at the same time.
time, and the important thing is to know the elements that constitute the method that
occupies us.

1. STUDY OF ISOLATED WORDS. Words are the units

of thought in our intellectual life and spoken or written expression. They are
the bricks with which we build our conceptual formulations, and everything
serious study of the Scriptures must engage in the study of these
basic units, as those Scriptures have been given to man in language
human
There are three important ways to study words from a perspective
from hermeneutics:
a) Etymological study. It is the study of words based on how they are formed.
they have formed. This study is mostly about interpretation
based on the original Hebrew and Greek texts, for which one can refer to the
lexicons and dictionaries, which are the result of years of study and research by
of scholars.
Although the etymological analysis of Greek and Hebrew words is valuable
limited, in some cases it is useful for compressing concepts. For example
we have the word 'bishop', derived from Greek  which in turn is a
combination of  what does on top of or above mean, and (  what does it mean to look
Observe. From there, bishop means 'a overseer, superintendent, or supervisor.'
The word 'apostle' comes from the prefix what it means outside of, or far from, and
what does sending mean. That is why an apostle is a messenger of a
official representative.
Sometimes we find in the Bible a family of words, derived from the
same root, such as "kopher", "kippur" and "kopporeth", which have been
translated as rescue, redemption, and atonement, and all are derived from the root
"kaphaf" which means to cover, and contains the idea of surrender or atonement.
covering the sin committed. This clarifies the concept of sin or sinner
covered by the blood of Christ, and typified by the blood of the sacrifices in the
AT.
b) Comparative study. It consists of the study of all occurrences of
a Hebrew or Greek word in the Scriptures through a concordance and to
by examining the contexts in which they occur, we can "feel" the connotation or the
meaning of that word. On the other hand, it can reveal how diverse it can be
the use of that word, and thus avoid leaving the interpreter with a concept
incomplete and premature of her. For example the words 'soul', 'spirit' and
"heart" has a great wealth of meanings in the Bible, and only a study
comparative can correct the superficial concept that many have acquired.
Acts 20.
Another way to conduct the comparative study of words is through
synonyms, for which there are synonym dictionaries both for the AT and for the
NT.
Noting which word or words a biblical writer uses as synonyms for
Another, can you clarify the meaning that this writer gives to the word about the
which we have doubt.
There are two parts of the NT that are rich in synonyms, like the passages in
Ephesians and Colossians where Paul discusses the same ideas; the passages in I
Cor., Eph. and the pastoral epistles in which Paul speaks about order
ecclesiastical, gifts and ministries, and of course the Gospels.
Examples of the use of synonyms are: Mat 20:21 - speaks of Christ 'sitting on'
your kingdom" and Mr 10:37 says "in your glory". So they are two identical concepts.
Matthew 13:9 uses the expression 'enter into life,' while Mark 9:49 says 'enter into '
the kingdom of God,” also indicating similar concepts.
c) Cultural study. The common meaning of a word is much more
important that the etymological for the purposes of the interpreter. In order to interpret
to correctly interpret the Bible, it is necessary to be familiar with the meanings that
words acquire meaning over time and under the influence of
cultural practice of a people, and what is the meaning given by writers
biblical.
We must remember that the Bible is a book conditioned by the cultural context of
man of the time or times in which it was written, and who uses the
connotations and meanings of the words specific to those times in their use
normal, common, and neither technical nor scientific.
We will consider the case of Greek words y what do they mean
house and home. However, between our concept of house or home, and the
The concept that existed in the first century of the Christian era has a difference.
This is an important point in the controversy over the baptism of children or
infants. One of the usual arguments is the mention made in the NT of
"baptism of the house," which means that the "house" or "home" includes the children, and that for the
so these were baptized and they must be baptized now too. Without
embargo, this test weakens or destroys if we consider that in the
New Testament times, the 'house' or 'home' eventually included the
animals that lived in it, so if we are consistent with the argument,
We should also baptize the pets at home.
Other examples are the 'supplications' mentioned in Heb 5:7, related to
the Roman custom of bringing an olive branch to the dignitary to whom one was going
ask for a favor, as a sign of sincerity, and when the Lord mentions that yes
"we are compelled" to carry a load for a mile, is referring to a
a well-known Persian custom, by which an official messenger could force
any resident of a locality to carry a load for a mile, or to fulfill
service that the messenger would command him. Hence, the teaching of Jesus is
that the Christian should not help only out of a mile of obligation, but out of a
second mile of love and grace.

2. STUDY OF WORDS IN THEIR CONTEXT. Although words

they are the units of thought and our spoken or written expression, these
they occur within a phrase or sentence, within a context, and many times
this context tells us much more about the meaning of the words than one
simple philological research.
For the understanding of the Scriptures and therefore for their interpretation, one must
The interpreter requires a general knowledge of grammar and syntax.
Each language has its own syntax, and when learning Hebrew or Greek, the student
learn the syntax of those languages, but the students who work only
in Spanish, they must have at least a general knowledge of the subject,
predicate, time, gender, participle, preposition, etc. The important thing here for the
A student of hermeneutics is a grammatical sensitivity, more than the
to learn an entire list of rules. And the best way to achieve that sensitivity
Grammar is a healthy habit of good reading, especially of literary works.
quality.
In considering the context, we must take into account the following
aspects:
a. The first context of any text is the Scripture as a whole. This is
what is implicit in the adage 'Scripture interprets Scripture'. The Bible
The entire is the "habitat" the "universe" of any particular passage. It establishes the
general perspective, governs the fundamental premises and sets the limits of the
meaning for the interpreter.
In the existing literature in the field of hermeneutics, there is a consensus
about the 'hermeneutic circle' or 'spiral', which can be expressed as: 'We can
to understand a particular passage only if we know what the whole Scripture
teaches; but we can only know what the whole Bible teaches by knowing the
meaning of its parts.
 b. The second context is the Testament in which the passage is found. Each
The Testament has its own characteristics. The diversity in the Scriptures is
in many ways greater than the unit. The interpreter has to face each
Testament with the mental attitude that corresponds to the essence, the composition,
the historical configuration and the place that this Testament occupies in the progress of
the divine revelation.
Some of the differences between the OT and the NT are as follows:
1) In the content: the Old Testament contains the promise, the New Testament the fulfillment. The Old Testament
it points to the coming of Christ in the future, the NT points to his sacrifice on the cross in the
The OT is the bud, the NT is the flower.
2) Regarding form: the OT is prophetic, while the NT is kerygmatic.
the apostolic. The OT is predominantly symbolic, while this symbolism
it is minimal in the NT.
3) In its language: The OT is written in Hebrew almost entirely except for
from some parts of Daniel and a few verses in Jeremiah and Ezra;
while the NT is completely written in Hellenistic Greek.
c. The third context is the particular book in which the passage is found. The
fact that the Holy Spirit employed prophets and apostles with their own
idiosyncrasies, their cultural and social backgrounds, gives each book a stamp
defined and different. Each one developed their thoughts differently.
according to the special circumstances and for different purposes, and with its
characteristic style.
Therefore, to understand many passages in Galatians, for example, the
the interpreter must be aware of the details of the heresy that had been introduced in
that church. To understand the Apocalypse, one must know something about history
from the martyrdom of the early church, because otherwise we may embark
in any kind of prophetic speculations.
Knowing Paul's purpose in writing the letter to the Romans and that of
In his epistle, Santiago resolves the apparent contradictions between
some passages from both epistles, such as Rom 3:24 and James 2:24. Knowing
the special circumstances under which Juan wrote his first letter,
we will understand your expression in 1 John 3:9 (they cannot practice sin = no
they can continue sinning as a practice). Likewise, we have the case of
apparent contradiction between Galatians 4:10-11 and Romans 15:5-6.
d. The fourth context is what precedes and what follows the passage. The material
what immediately precedes the passage or verse under study is like the radar
that guides the interpreter in their approach, and the following material is the radar that
the guide on your departure. Taking those materials into consideration, we have the
framework within which that passage must be understood.
For example, to understand the core teaching of the central section and
the end of chapter 3 of Romans, which in a way is also the heart of
salvation plan of the whole Bible, we must understand the reasoning that goes
developing Paul in the previous passages about sin and guilt of the
man, and what it says about faith and justification in chapters 4 and 5.
One of the most controversial chapters of the entire Bible in terms of context,
and what shows us the importance of this study is chapter 7 of Romans,
where our interpretation of this passage will depend on the concept that
let's consider the topic of context. Some argue that context
it deals with sanctification, and therefore Paul is describing his
pre-Christian experiences to demonstrate the uselessness of the law to achieve our
sanctification. There is a huge amount of literature written on the subject, and
the debate is not over yet.
In the study of context, the following must be taken into account
indications:
The first step in interpretation is to ignore the modern division into
chapters and verses" (Robertson).
2) The context can present harmonic parallelism (words or expressions
similar) or antithetical (opposite words or expressions) that help to clarify
the meaning of a dark word or expression. An example of the first case is the
"contract" made with Abraham and "promise" of Gal 3:17; example of
the second case is the antithetical expressions 'the wages of sin is death' and 'the
"The gift of God is eternal life" in Rom 6:23. Other examples we can...
find in Ps 7:13; Isa 46:11; 2 Tim 2:13.
Sometimes a statement should be taken in a limited or restricted sense.
when the context indicates it. E.g. 'Neither this man sinned nor his parents' in John 9:3; and 'the
the prayer of faith will save the sick” in James 5:15-16.
There are things in which the immediate context is the only thing that can clarify the
sense in which a given word is used: Mat 26:27-29; Ef 5:31-32.
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{"Rom8:1":"ThereisthereforenownocondemnationforthosewhoareinChristJesus.","Ez11:9":"AndIwil bringyououtfromthepeoplesandgatheryououtofthecountrieswhereyouarescattered,withamightyhandandanoutstretchedarm,andwithwrathpouredout.","2Cor3:2-8":"Youyourselvesareourletterofrecommendation,writtenonourhearts,[Link],writtennotwithinkbutwiththeSpiritofthelivingGod,[Link],butoursufficiencyisfromGod,whohasmadeussufficienttobeministersofanewcovenant,[Link],buttheSpiritgiveslife.","Gál3:3":"Areyousofoolish?HavingbegunbytheSpirit,areyounowbeingperfectedbytheflesh?","Gén2:24":"Thereforeamanshallleavehisfatherandhismotherandholdfasttohiswife,andtheyshallbecomeoneflesh.","Jn1:14":"AndtheWordbecamefleshanddweltamongus,andwehaveseenhisglory,gloryasoftheonlySonfromtheFather,fullofgraceandtruth.","Luc24:29":"Buttheyurgedhimstrongly,saying,'Staywithus,foritistowardeveningandthedayisnowfarspent.'Sohewentintostaywiththem."}
Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Blood in Mat 27:25; Acts 17:26; Eph 1:7; Jn 1:13; Heb 12:4
5) It is important to take into account the excursions in some passages, especially
in the Pauline epistles. e.g. Eph 3:2-21; Phil 3:18-21; Rom 4:2-3; 9:25-28
Each word can only have one meaning in a given passage. Although
this may seem superfluous, however there was in the past a trend of origin
allegorist who claimed that all should be used in interpretation
possible meanings of a word. And even to this day, many preachers with
the end of presenting original and unpublished sermons surprises their audiences
with similar manipulations. But this is a totally method
ungrammatical and arbitrary, which lends itself to many interpretations
mistaken, errors and even foolishness. In our common and ordinary speech
we use each word in a sentence with a single fixed or defined meaning, except
when we want to say something with intentional double meaning, something that is
condemned by the Bible itself.
The same applies in cases where a word is used several times in
the same passage. Normally no author uses a word in the same
context with two or three different meanings, as this would bring confusion. But
there are some exceptions to this rule, especially when the words are used in
figurative or symbolic sense; in these cases the context itself will
sufficiently clear the difference in meanings, as in Mat 8:22, 2 Cor 5:21
and others.
There are cases in which the immediate context does not help at all.
Ecclesiastes) Luke 12:49-59 - (13:1-9)

3. STUDY OF THE PARALLEL PASSAGES

This principle is virtually the same as the study of synonymous words,
it's just that it deals with passages and not isolated words. It's very rare to find
repetitions in secular literature, but one of the most notable characteristics
from the Scriptures is that it is repeated many times in one way or another, and
Logically, it is a great advantage for the clarification of many dark passages and
difficult. We must recognize in this again the divine providence for
our benefit.
There are three main types of parallel passages:
a. Verbal parallels. It is when the phraseology of a passage is similar to
the other. Two cases of verbal parallels can be presented:
1) Apparent parallels: when there is similarity in phrasing, they are the same, and
that there is no benefit from his study or comparison (Matthew 24:43 and Luke
12:39), or when the phraseology is similar but the concepts are different,
as in Psalm 91:12 and 1 Peter 2:8.
Real parallels: when there is similarity in phraseology and the concept.
expressed or the content is the same. Example of real parallels are all the
passages that mention the Son of Man; all references of Paul to the
meat (Greek,  I bear in my body the marks of Jesus
6:7, 2 Cor 4:19, y la frase “vestido de Cristo” en Gál 3:27, Rom 13:13-14 y Col
3:12-14; the phrase 'man after God's own heart' in Acts 13:22, 1 Samuel 2:25 and
13:14.
For this study, concordances and searching for the Greek word are very useful.
original.
b. Conceptual parallels. It is when two or more verses or passages in the
Scriptures have the same concept or teaching even if they do not use the same words.
words.
2 Cor 4:10, 11:23-35, Phil 2 and Heb 2 deal with the character of the
incarnation; Rom 3 and Heb 10 deal with atonement; 1 Cor 15 and Rev 20
they talk about the resurrection of the dead, and Mat 24 and 25 along with 2 Thess 2 deal with
about the same subject of the end of times. Concepts similar to 'love'
"covers a multitude of sins" from 1 Peter 4:8 is found in 1 Corinthians 13, Psalm 32:1 and
Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.
c. Historical and biographical parallels. It is when two or more books of the Bible
they recount the same events. Before interpreting any passage of type
historical or biographical, those parallel passages should be consulted to have a
more complete picture.
The study of the four gospels, especially the synoptic ones, will not give a
a more complete picture of the life and deeds of Jesus. The life of Paul is
reported in Acts, but there is also a lot of information provided by him
the same in their epistles. The books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles also have
a lot of historical material in common.
When consulting parallel passages, one should first look in the same.
book or in other books by the same author, then in the books of the same era, and
then in any other book of the Bible. This is because sometimes the meaning
the meaning of a word or expression varies according to the time in which it is used, the author who
employs, and still as we have seen before, according to the text or context in which
it is used.
For example, "works" in Romans and Galatians means the opposite of faith, it is the practice of
the ancient law as the foundation of salvation. In James, on the contrary,
it means the obedience and holiness produced by true faith. 'To repent'
In the NT, it is used in the sense of the sinner changing their mind, as conviction.
intimate and change of feeling regarding sin. In the OT meanwhile,
it has different meanings depending on the context, but never in the sense given in
the NT. For example, it is said that 'God repented,' which the authors never say.
It can be anthropomorphism.

4. STUDY OF LITERARY GENRE

There are special forms of expression of thought that cannot
to be understood through a common grammatical examination, and they are the figures of
diction or grammatical figures, literary figures, and literary genres. It is
undeniable the importance of the study of literary genres for the
understanding of the Scriptures, since much of them and in a certain sense all of them
Writing is expressed in a certain type of literary genre.
There is a critical debate about the genre of the Synoptic Gospels.
Some critics argue that the Gospels are pre-literary documents, and
They are simply disconnected collections of the facts and teachings of Jesus,
while their opponents insist that they are literary compositions, because
they differ greatly from ordinary literature due to the uniqueness of their material and by
originality with which this material was preserved by the Church.
There are three circles of literary genre in the Scriptures, each broader than the last.
than the previous one.
a. Figures of speech or tropes (they are the elegances of language that provide greater
energy and grace to the expression). A figure of diction can be a word,
a phrase or a complete sentence that is used by the author with a meaning
different from what would normally correspond to it. The figures of speech more
common are:
1) The metaphor. It is the comparison, resemblance, or parallelism between two things.
expressed implicitly: e.g. Amos 7:8; Psalm 18:2; Luke 13:32 - the Lion of Judah =
Psalm 71:3 = 84:11; the Lord as our shield and fortress.
Special types of metaphors are anthropomorphism (assigning human traits)
corporate to God, as in Ex 15:16, Ps 34:15, James 5:4), and anthropomorphism
attributing to God human emotions, passions, and desires as in Gen 6:6, Deut
13:17, Eph 4:30, James 4:5.
The simile consists of comparing one object with another that has it to a greater degree.
the same qualities and works like the metaphor, but making the
explicit comparison using the words 'like', 'similar to which'. E.g.
Ex 24:17, Dan 12;3, Mat 13:43.
3) The hyperbole is the intentional and evident exaggeration of an idea to
emphasize its importance, as in John 21:25, Matthew 24:2, Deuteronomy 1:28, Numbers 13:33.
Sometimes there is a combination of metaphor and hyperbole, as in Mat 7:3, or others.
figures among themselves.
4) Metonymy is to designate one thing by the name of another, based on the
conceptual idea of relationship, more than similarity, like when the cause is put forward
for the effect, the symbol for the symbolized reality, etc. Ex. 1Thess 5:19, Luke
16:29, Isa 22:22, Jn 13:8, 1 Jn 1:7.
5) Synecdoche, similar to metonymy, but based more on the relationship in
the physical or material aspect that conceptualizes. Changes the proper meaning of the
word for another figuratively by virtue of a certain connection existing. The part is put
for the whole or the whole for a part; the genus for the species or the species for the
gender; the individual for the class or the class for the individual, the plural for the singular
or vice versa. E.g. Daniel 12:2; Psalm 16:9; 1 Corinthians 11:26,27; Acts 24:5, etc. Luke 12:1
(Metonymy + Synecdoche).
 6) Prosopopeia (personification), when things are personified.
inanimate, attributing human deeds or actions to them. E.g. 1 Pet 4:8; Isa
55:12; Psalm 85:10,11.
7) Apostrophe directs words to deceased or absent people, or things.
inanimate or abstract as if they had ears and life. E.g. 2 Sam 18:33; 1 Cor
15:55; Revelation 6:16.
There is a huge diversity of figures of speech, such as ellipsis, the
paradox, irony, euphemism, brachylogy, litotes, interrogation, the
antithesis, the climax, etc. However, we want to insist that the most useful for the
student will have a particular sensitivity to these expressions and figures, and the use
of good comments in which such figures or language are explained
figuratively, instead of making an effort to memorize all the forms
existing and their names.
Literary figures are special and more extensive forms of literary expression.
generally used within the context of a larger work. E.g. parables,
allegories, fables, myths, and riddles.
A parable is a narration, within the sphere of what is possible or natural, that
illustrates principles that govern the spiritual sphere. This type of literary figure will be
studied in more detail in special hermeneutics, given its importance in the
teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2) The allegory is essentially an extended metaphor, or a set of
united metaphors, each representing a spiritual reality. It usually
to be so clear the allegorical nature, that it is almost impossible an interpretation
literalist or literally. It is in this detail (the impossibility of a
literal interpretation) that forces one to consider the passenger story as an allegory, it
what distinguishes our system of hermeneutics from the allegorist system that we have
studied previously, which in addition to having a logical, natural, and literal sense,
I wanted to see an allegorical meaning in each biblical passage. Galatians - Sarah and Hagar.
{"Jn 6:51-65":"John 6:51-65","Sal 80:8-13":"Psalm 80:8-13","Gál 4:21-5:1":"Galatians 4:21-5:1","Ez 17:3-10":"Ezekiel 17:3-10","Jn 15:1-8":"John 15:1-8","6:26-51":"6:26-51"}

The fable is a little-used allegory in the Scripture, in which some

circumstance is presented in the form of a narrative personifying things or animals
with the purpose of showing some moral lesson. E.g. 2 Kings 14:9, Judges 9:7-20
A riddle is a saying presented intentionally in obscure language.
proposed for the listener to resolve, without the purpose of teaching. Eg. Jue
14:14
5) An enigma is a statement intentionally presented in obscure language or
It is difficult to cover up the proposed truth. Luke 22:26; John 4:13-14.
A proverb is a saying or common phrase that expresses a general truth.
concrete form. Mat 15:26; Luke 11:10.
c. Literary genres. Each book of the Scriptures can be classified within
of some kind of literary genre or mold, and the works on biblical introduction
Scholars always try to specify this literary genre.
The Bible, being in reality a sacred library, is composed of books
of different literary genres, such as historical, biographical, poetic, prophetic,
doctrinal, apocalyptic, wisdom, epistolary, and a very particular genre and
unique in universal literature: the Gospels.
The genre that the interpreter attributes to a given book or passage will shape
inevitably its interpretation, which is why knowledge is so important
correct of said mold or literary genre. E.g. our exegesis of the Song of the
Cantares, one of the most controversial books in terms of genre, will depend
if we consider it allegorical, in which case it will represent the relationships between
God and man, or between Israel and God, or Christ and his Church, or Christ and the believer,
etc.; and if we take it in a literal sense (while recognizing the poetic material
what it contains), we would interpret it with the theological justification of sexuality
human (is being considered parabolic).
The drama of rationalist criticism is focused on this point as well.
to consider most of the books of the Bible as mythical or legendary,
including the Gospels.

5. STUDY OF THE CULTURAL BACKGROUND

Since the times of the Greek cultural peak and its influence on culture
from the Roman Empire, the Humanities or Liberal Arts were already considered as
important part in the preparation of every cultured man, and upon founding the
universities in the Middle Ages, the already classic seven Liberal Arts were the
curriculum base.
When the Renaissance emerged at the end of the Middle Ages, it produced the
great humanists who were the scholars of that period, scholars with a
tremendous passion for recovering the classical works of Greek and Latin authors.
However, they insisted that a study of the language was not enough, but that
it was essential to know the history and culture of those ancient peoples. For
Consequently, for them, Philology meant in addition to the study of words.
and the grammar, all the school-based research of the culture and the history of
classical period.
This concept of Philology was assimilated by Luther and Calvin even in those times.
of the Reformation and influenced its own systems of interpretation. The
the hermeneutics of the Reformers was both historical and cultural as well as grammatical.
Our own interpretation system maintains that same tradition.
The contributions of Archaeology to the understanding of the AT demonstrate the
intimate relationship that exists between the biblical books and the history and culture of the
time in which they were written. It is notable how many passages remained
dark and opaque even when the scholars came to know the words and the
grammar, but only after a century and a half of research and
archaeological discoveries have led us to understand the full meaning,
because the historical and cultural context has been discovered.
The knowledge of the cultural background also has a preventive function.
From the study of culture, one can decipher the original connotation of a
word, its 'usus loquendi'. Sects and heretical cults are generally a-
cultural; they impose on the Scriptures a meaning that aligns with their own
beliefs, their traditions or ideologies ignoring the culture of the writers
originals, thus violating a fundamental principle of interpretation. It is what
Christian Science teachers have given no value to the
historical-cultural studies of the ancient biblical world; and that is what they have done
theologians like Tillich, who despite knowing that historical and cultural background,
they have imposed a modern existential concept on the doctrine of atonement.
In the study of the historical and cultural background, we must consider the
following aspects:
a. Geographical context. Geography is the spatial context of the Bible. It is
very useful for the interpreter to know the weather, rivers, valleys, mountains, flora and
fauna and the seasons of the biblical lands. To understand the history well
the ten plagues of Egypt, the interpreter must know the geography of Egypt, its
flora and fauna; to understand the book of Acts, it is necessary to know the
geography of the regions covered by Paul in his travels. Many of the
passages and stories from the Old Testament become much clearer when we know the
geographic location of cities and towns.
There are also many geographical references in the book of Psalms and
references to the climate, flora, and fauna of Palestine ("the dew of Hermon that
descends upon the mountains of Zion,” Psalm 133:3; “the glory of Lebanon,” “the rose of
Sarón, etc.)
It is not necessary to insist on the topic as it is so obvious. Each event in the
Scriptures have their geographical location, and part of the task of interpretation of
These events consist of discovering as much as possible about geography,
because to a greater or lesser extent, it helps to understand the text.
b. Historical context. If each biblical event has its frame of reference
spatial or geographical, also has its historical or temporal frame of reference,
since these events occur in time and in history.
Thanks to the intense research conducted by scholars during more
of a hundred years, we now have an extraordinary abundance of historical material
in relation to the biblical documents, provided by the excavations
archaeological, the studies of clay tablets, inscriptions on the
monuments and papyri, the works of historians from the early centuries of the
Christian era, the discoveries in the pyramids of Egypt, etc.
The importance of historical context has been very well articulated by HH
Rowley with the following words: A religion that is rooted and
based on history, cannot ignore that history. Therefore, the
Historical understanding of the Bible is not something superfluous that I can
to set aside in biblical interpretation, leaving a whole body of ideas and
"principles divorced from the process by which they were born" (The Relevance of the
Biblical Interpretation.
A clear example of the importance of what we are considering and of the
absolute necessity of knowing the history to reach the depth of the text
biblical, it is the case of the crucifixion of Lord Jesus Christ. We need to know
historically how the Jews arrived at the place where they were located in the
time and space; the historical origin of the Jewish sects of those days (Pharisees,
Sadducees, Essenes, and Herodians); the Jewish legal system and the functions of
Sanhedrin; we need to know why the Romans were in Palestine; their
legal system and the political arrangements between them and the Jews: the historical origin of
the crucifixion and how it was administered by the Romans.
Another example is the book of Revelation, whose interpretation requires a
knowledge of the history of the first century of the Christian era. The ignorance of
this period of history, and the assumption that the book is simply a
a relationship of apocalyptic symbols disconnected from history, will make that
our interpretation may be impossible or wrong, or in the best of cases
very superficial.
c. Cultural context. We use the term cultural in its strictly literal sense.
Anthropological. Anthropologists divide the culture of a people into culture
material and social culture.
Cultural material refers to all the things, tools, objects,
housing, weapons, clothing, etc., that a given community uses in the time of its
existence.
 Social culture refers to all the customs, practices, religious rites,
etc., that a society observes in its social existence.
Here we meet again with a very large amount of material.
biblical text that requires a thorough understanding of the
different cultures involved. This data about the different cultures, is
you can find in the comments, biblical dictionaries, biblical encyclopedias,
and in specialized books on the subject.
We find many cultures in the Bible, and for their correct interpretation
We must recognize the specific culture that serves as the context for a given passage.
Gen 1-11 presupposes a Mesopotamian background, the story of Joseph in Egypt
and the exodus represent an Egyptian culture; Paul's travels presuppose a
Greco-Roman culture, and the culture reflected in the letter to the Colossians is a
a very different context from that of Hebrews.
The interpreter must investigate the cultural practice of every biblical event, such as
for example: the rites of puberty, the marriage and funeral rites, the
political structures, legal systems, family structures, agricultural practices
and commercial practices, the practice of slavery, the treatment of captives, systems
monetary and economic and religious practices. Paul's discourse in the
Areopagus (Acts 17) requires the interpreter to have at least a superficial knowledge of
Greek philosophy. Behind many Pauline references in Colossians there is a
philosophical-religious background.
The main purpose of studying the cultural context of the Scriptures is
help the interpreter understand the exact meaning that the words had for
the biblical writers, determine the 'usus loquendi', and therefore, know the
original meaning and connotation of a word, phrase or custom, and for
to be able to build in this way, your interpretation based on the literal meaning of the
biblical texts.
Revelation comes to man through a cultural form because God has
to come to the man in his concrete cultural environment, and speak to him in terms of
its specific culture. Otherwise, the revelation would have no meaning.
revelation is present in the Scriptures, within, with, and under the cultural,
in such a way that the cultural can never become revelation, but neither can it
it can be isolated from cultural forms.