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<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"><title>Rule 3 - Interpret within the historical and cultural context</title><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.75.2"><meta name="keywords" content="Bible, Study, HowTo"><link rel="home" href="index.html" title="The Biblestudy HowTo"><link rel="up" href="h2-rules.html" title="Chapter�3.�Rules of Bible Interpretation (Hermeneutics)"><link rel="prev" href="h2-rules-context.html" title="Rule 2 - Interpret within the biblical context"><link rel="next" href="h2-rules-normal.html" title="Rule 4 - Interpret according to the normal usage of words in language"></head><body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">Rule 3 - Interpret within the historical and cultural context</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="h2-rules-context.html">Prev</a>�</td><th width="60%" align="center">Chapter�3.�Rules of Bible Interpretation (Hermeneutics)</th><td width="20%" align="right">�<a accesskey="n" href="h2-rules-normal.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr></div><div class="section" title="Rule 3 - Interpret within the historical and cultural context"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="h2-rules-hcontest"></a>Rule 3 - Interpret within the historical and cultural context</h2></div></div></div><p>

At first we are not asking <span class="quote">“<span class="quote">What does it mean to me?</span>”</span> but <span class="quote">“<span class="quote">What did it mean to the original readers?</span>”</span>; later we can ask, <span class="quote">“<span class="quote">What does it mean to me?</span>”</span>.

We have to take into account the historical and cultural background of the author and the recipients.</p><div class="section" title="Example 3A"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="h2-rules-hcontest-ex3a"></a>Example 3A</h3></div></div></div><p> <span class="quote">“<span class="quote">3 days & 3 nights</span>”</span> (Mt.12:40) have

led some to come up with a "Wednesday crucifixion theory,"

esp. the cult of Armstrongism. How could Jesus die on Friday afternoon and rise Sunday morning

yet "be raised on the third day" (Mt.16:21)? Exact meanings of "three" or "days" won't help explain the

apparent contradiction.</p><p>We need an historical tidbit: Jews counted any part of a day as a full day, as we would count buckets

of water (if there were six and one-half buckets of water, we would say there were 7 buckets of water even if one was only partly full). So to the Jewish

mind, any part of a day counted as a full day, and days started at 6 p.m. and ended at 6 p.m. Friday from 3

p.m. to 6 p.m. = day 1. Friday 6 p.m. to Saturday 6 p.m. = day 2. Saturday 6 p.m. to Sunday 5 or so a.m. =

day 3. Interpreting within the cultural context keeps us out of trouble.</p></div><div class="section" title="Example 3B"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="h2-rules-hcontest-ex3b"></a>Example 3B</h3></div></div></div><p>Gen.15:7-21. The historical context

is that cutting animals in two and then walking between

the pieces was the normal way of entering a contract in Abraham's day. Both parties walked between, taking

the pledge that dismemberment would happen to them if they didn't live up to their part of the contract. But

in this case only God goes thru, making it a unilateral covenant.</p></div></div><div class="navfooter"><hr><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="h2-rules-context.html">Prev</a>�</td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="h2-rules.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right">�<a accesskey="n" href="h2-rules-normal.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">Rule 2 - Interpret within the biblical

context�</td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top">�Rule 4 - Interpret according to the normal usage of words in language</td></tr></table></div></body></html>

context</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="h2-rules-context.html">Prev</a>�</td><th width="60%" align="center">Chapter�3.�Rules of Bible Interpretation (Hermeneutics)</th><td width="20%" align="right">�<a accesskey="n" href="h2-rules-normal.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr></div><div class="section" title="Rule 3 - Interpret within the historical and cultural context"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="h2-rules-hcontest"></a>Rule 3 - Interpret within the historical and cultural

context</h2></div></div></div><p>At first we are not asking

<span class="quote">“<span class="quote">What does it mean to me?</span>”</span>but

<span class="quote">“<span class="quote">What did it mean to the original readers?</span>”</span>; later we

can ask,

<span class="quote">“<span class="quote">What does it mean to me?</span>”</span>. We have to take into

account the historical and cultural background of the author and

the recipients.</p><div class="section" title="Example 3A"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="h2-rules-hcontest-ex3a"></a>Example 3A</h3></div></div></div><p>

<span class="quote">“<span class="quote">3 days & 3 nights</span>”</span>(Mt.12:40) have led some to

come up with a "Wednesday crucifixion theory," esp. the cult of

Armstrongism. How could Jesus die on Friday afternoon and rise

Sunday morning yet "be raised on the third day" (Mt.16:21)? Exact

meanings of "three" or "days" won't help explain the apparent

contradiction.</p><p>We need an historical tidbit: Jews counted any part of a

day as a full day, as we would count buckets of water (if there

were six and one-half buckets of water, we would say there were 7

buckets of water even if one was only partly full). So to the

Jewish mind, any part of a day counted as a full day, and days

started at 6 p.m. and ended at 6 p.m. Friday from 3 p.m. to 6

p.m. = day 1. Friday 6 p.m. to Saturday 6 p.m. = day 2. Saturday

6 p.m. to Sunday 5 or so a.m. = day 3. Interpreting within the

cultural context keeps us out of trouble.</p></div><div class="section" title="Example 3B"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="h2-rules-hcontest-ex3b"></a>Example 3B</h3></div></div></div><p>Gen.15:7-21. The historical context is that cutting animals

in two and then walking between the pieces was the normal way of

entering a contract in Abraham's day. Both parties walked

between, taking the pledge that dismemberment would happen to

them if they didn't live up to their part of the contract. But in

this case only God goes thru, making it a unilateral

covenant.</p></div></div><div class="navfooter"><hr><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="h2-rules-context.html">Prev</a>�</td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="h2-rules.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right">�<a accesskey="n" href="h2-rules-normal.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">Rule 2 - Interpret within the biblical context�</td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top">�Rule 4 - Interpret according to the normal usage of words in

language</td></tr></table></div></body></html>

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