"Historical Context" and the Word of God

 If you’ve spent time around children, you’ve probably noticed how creative and imaginative they can be. This is often wonderful, but sometimes it isn’t. Tell your child to do something he or she doesn’t want to do, and that child can invent the silliest excuses you’ve ever heard to try to convince you that your instructions are impossible to obey. The child might even pretend he didn’t hear you, or that he didn’t understand what you said.

When it comes to our Creator, it’s in our nature to morph into those same small children. When God, in His written Word, tells us to do something, it’s our human nature to invent the most outlandish excuses to try to weasel our way out of obedience. “Why, that’s so unreasonable! Why, that’s just impossible! Surely God didn’t actually mean that!” It’s in our nature to pretend we can’t understand our Creator’s plainest and simplest instructions. This carnal nature, of course, is exactly what God put us here to overcome.

Now, being adults, we tend to get far more elaborate in our excuses for disobeying God’s Word than children do. At their core, our excuses aren’t any more legitimate — or even more intelligent, if we’re honest with ourselves — but they’re far more elaborate. We put much more thought and effort into them.

Some of the most elaborate excuses people invent revolve around “historical context.” These folks, especially those who like to think of themselves as “intellectuals,” would have you believe that you can’t understand the plain words of Scripture without reading all about the historical context in which they were written. They’ll read a passage of Scripture they don’t want to obey (especially those written by Paul), and then produce all sorts of “historical context” that supposedly proves this Scripture doesn’t mean what it actually says. In fact, they’ll often try to convince you that the passage really means the exact opposite of what it actually says!

Biblical instructions on proper sexual conduct and morality in general? Gender roles? Men’s and women’s hair lengths? Divorce? Proper conduct within the congregation during worship services? None of that applies to us, these folks will tell you. They’ll invent some “historical context” or “cultural context” to say that these instructions were only for a specific group of people in a specific time and place, that they don’t actually mean what they say, or that they actually mean the opposite of what they say. Now, in every case, these folks have twisted and perverted this supposed “historical context” or “cultural context” just as badly as they’ve twisted and perverted the Scriptures themselves.

But here’s the thing: Brothers and sisters, God’s Word isn’t that complicated. You don’t have to be an “intellectual” to understand it. You don’t have to do a deep dive into the history books to understand what God is really trying to tell you. If someone is an intellectual or seems wise according to this world’s knowledge or has a PhD from some religious seminary, that doesn’t mean that person understands God’s Word! As the apostle Paul wrote,

26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,

29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. (1 Cor. 1:26-29.)

Now, there’s probably someone out there who will pretend that this passage, too, is hard to understand! Some pseudo-intellectual who will invent some misrepresented “historical context” to claim that Paul didn’t actually mean what he said. He’ll probably write a long-winded piece to explain it, too, for as Dwight Eisenhower once cracked, “An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows.”

But all jokes aside, let’s stop and think for a moment about what it would mean if we couldn’t understand the Bible without reading all the “historical context.” In short, it would mean that the Bible cannot be God’s inspired words as we know it to be!

The Reality of History

I love reading history, both ancient and modern, and have since I was a child. I’m a lifelong history buff. But the simple facts are, history isn’t the Word of God; the Bible is. “History,” as we know it, isn’t God-breathed or inspired; the Bible is.

As Paul wrote to Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God [lit. God-breathed] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16; NASB). And again, the apostle Peter wrote, “No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation [or origin], for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:20-21).

“History” falls far short of that standard. Several famous men, including Voltaire and Napoleon Bonaparte, declared that history is no more than a set of fables which men have agreed to accept as true. Voltaire put it this way: “All antient [sic] histories, as one of our wits has observed, are only fables that men have agreed to admit as true.” Others today, witnessing the bias and deceit in modern “news” reports, have commented, “If the news is fake, imagine how bad history must be!”

There’s at least some merit to this skepticism.

For one thing, most of history has been lost. Most of the records have been burned or destroyed in many wars and natural disasters, as was the library of Alexandria, or else simply rotted away with the passage of time. Outside of the Bible itself, our knowledge of ancient times relies primarily on the writings of a few ancient historians, combined with modern archaeological discoveries.

The ancient historians were fallible human beings with their own biases and prejudices, like us all. One of the most renowned and quoted ancient historians, Josephus, noted that the Greek historians contradicted one another about the details of many historical events (Against Apion, 1:1:3-4). He felt that the primary reason was that most of the records had been lost, or never existed, and that the Greek writers simply handed down what they had been told by others. Yet we might also note that Josephus’s accuracy, too, is sometimes questioned. He, too, was a human being with his own biases and motives.

As for archaeology, it also has its shortcomings. Though archaeologists have discovered many ancient records, these, too, were written by fallible human beings, often for political purposes. And though many ancient records have been discovered, many more have not and never will be. Only a tiny fraction of the ancient world has been uncovered by archaeological digs, or ever will be. And of that which has been discovered, much is subject to interpretation and debate.

In short, modern interpretations of ancient history aren’t a firm foundation for us to build doctrine on. Our understanding of history isn’t Divinely inspired and it isn’t infallible; it’s simply our best understanding of the distant past. It’s the most sense we can make out of the limited and imperfect information that’s available to us. When people use debatable reconstructions of ancient history to subvert Scripture, they place themselves above the Word of God.

Rock vs. Sand

Now consider the absurdity of claiming that you can’t understand the Word of Almighty God without debatable (and often wrong) interpretations of ancient history. It’s quite literally building on a foundation of sand! As Jesus Christ taught,

24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

25 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

27 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." (Mat. 7:24-27.)

Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and looks up their historical context in the history books of that day, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” No, He said, “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them.”

History can provide interesting details — this much is true. It can give depth to some of the descriptions and details given in the Bible — provided we don’t misuse it to corrupt and pervert God’s plain meaning! History can also show us how the prophecies in the Bible came true exactly as predicted, again and again and again.

But understanding God’s instructions for your life? You don’t need “history” for that. You don’t have to read Josephus, Herodotus, Tacitus, or any other ancient writers to understand the Word of God. You don’t have to read National Geographic or browse through archaeological reports to understand the Word of God.

God’s Word is sufficient to teach what God requires of us. Many have said, “The Bible interprets the Bible,” and they are correct. To the extent that we absolutely must have “historical context” to understand what it’s telling us, the Bible itself provides that historical context.

Timeless Instruction

God’s Word is for all people, all places, and all time. When Jesus Christ was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, He refuted each temptation with Scripture: “It is written…” (Mat. 4:3-11). Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus referred to and quoted from the Old Testament, the only part of the Bible then written. The living Word of God taught from the written Word of God. As Isa. 40:8 tells us, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”

Some will say the Bible wasn’t written to us, that it was written to others instead, and there’s a grain of truth to this. But though the Bible wasn’t written to each of us personally, it was written for us — for us and every other human being throughout history. Though it was written to the Israelites, God’s Word was written for us. Though it was written to the Corinthians, Galatians, and Romans, God’s Word was written for us.

The apostle Paul began 1 Corinthians 10 by recounting Israel’s struggles in the wilderness, admonishing his audience to learn from Israel’s example. He concluded with this summary: “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Cor. 10:11). Paul’s words ring no less true for us today. Israel’s example was written for our admonition. And, we might add, this very letter to the Corinthians was written for our admonition!

Again, to the Romans, Paul wrote, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). Notice! “Whatever things were written before were written for our learning.” God commissioned His Word to be written down specifically for you, me, and everyone else on this earth! Everything in it was written for our learning.

Yet again, in 2 Tim. 3:16-17, we find, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” This phrase “given by inspiration of God” literally means “God-breathed” in the original Greek. The Bible is literally God’s Word, spoken from His mouth and written down by His chosen human messengers.

That corresponds with 2 Pet. 1:20-21, where Peter reminded us “that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” No other writing on this earth, including the history books, can compare to the Word of God!

And since God gave us His Word for our instruction, He also preserved it for us and made it accessible to us. As Moses told the Israelites,

11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.

12 “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’

13 “Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’

14 “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it” (Deut. 30:11-14).

Our great God never changes. He is perfect in all His ways, and His character remains the same from one age to another. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. As we read, “For I am the LORD, I do not change” (Mal. 3:6). Again, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Num. 23:19). And again, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8).

That means that God’s Word is as unchanging as He is. Jesus Christ declared, “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Mat. 5:18). Likewise, the apostle Paul declared concerning the gospel which he received directly from God, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8).

God’s Word stands forever. It was written for us and every other human being on this earth. It came directly from God’s mouth to His human messengers, and He preserved it for us to this day. Like our Creator Himself, His Word never changes. Rulers live and die, generations come and go, nations rise and fall, but God and His Word remain the same from age to age. He is the Rock of our salvation, the Rock which never moves.

Now then, what sort of sense does it make to pretend that we need secular history books — most of them written by ungodly men — to understand the words of our Creator? Such a thing is ludicrous! Did God ever say, “Go read the history books to understand what I’m telling you”? No. No, He did not.

It’s just that we all have human nature which resists God’s instruction, “because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Rom. 8:7). As flesh-and-blood human beings who by nature rebel against our Creator, seek our own will rather than His, and trust our own judgment rather than His, it’s also in our nature to pretend that His instructions are hard to understand even when they aren’t.

A Place For History

To be clear, none of this means that history isn’t interesting. This doesn’t even mean it can’t enrich our understanding of Scripture, that it doesn’t reveal God’s hand in human affairs, or that it doesn’t show us how Bible prophecies came to pass. But it isn’t necessary for understanding God’s laws and instructions! God’s people in times past had no access to today’s history books, yet they still managed to obey our Creator, and so can we!

Do we have to know about the sun chariots in pagan mythology in order to understand what the Bible says about chariots dedicated to the sun (2 Kings 23:11)? No. It’s an interesting detail that gives us a visual of what the Bible was talking about, but we don’t have to know about that in order to understand that King Josiah was destroying every vestige of pagan worship as God had commanded him to do. And more importantly, these historical details don’t change the meaning of the text!

Do we have to know about the historical debate between the rabbis Hillel and Shammai in order to understand Jesus’ words about divorce? No, we do not. The text itself shows that some Jews believed a man could divorce his wife for just any reason, based on a misinterpretation of Deut. 24:1, but Jesus clarified that it could only be for sexual immorality. All the historical context that’s essential to our understanding is given to us right there in the text, as it is throughout the Bible.

And yes, we can read about that very debate in the Talmud as well. We can see historical record of a debate between the Jewish rabbis about whether Deut. 24:1 permitted a man to divorce his wife for any reason, or only for sexual immorality. This is interesting. It enriches our understanding of the times. It gives us a glimpse into the world of the New Testament. But these historical facts affirm Jesus’ words; they do not change them! Nor do they form the basis of our doctrine.

Historical context can be a useful tool, it can enrich our perspective of certain passages in the Bible, but it must never be used to change Scripture! It must never be used to subvert and undermine God’s instructions! It must never be used to establish doctrine apart from Scripture. To do so would be to put the writings of men above the written Word of God, which is idolatry. To do so would be, in effect, to deny that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God.

Conclusion

If someone attempts to use “historical context” to add to or take away from the Word of God, or to tell you that it doesn’t actually mean what it says, do not believe that person. If someone tells you that you can’t understand Jesus’ teachings or Paul’s writings without reading speculative interpretations of ancient history, and that Jesus or Paul didn’t actually mean what they said, do not believe that person. Do not exalt the writings and opinions of men above the Word of God!

The only context, that we truly can’t understand the Bible without, is Biblical context. The context of Biblical instructions within the text itself.

Wherever historical context is essential to understand what God requires of us, God’s Word itself gives it to us. God’s people, few in number though they’ve been, have understood and obeyed His instructions throughout history. They didn’t need modern speculations about “historical context” or “cultural context” to figure out what Jesus really meant or what Paul really meant. They simply obeyed.

Let us stop indulging our carnal human nature and trying to weasel our way out of God’s plain instructions. Let us stop inventing nonsensical and misinterpreted “historical context” to subvert God’s instructions. Instead, let us simply do what our Creator told us to do!