Jason Nguyen
8/19/2011
Sacred Scripture journal
How do settings, author and history play a role in understanding scripture?
Settings, author and history play an important role in understanding scripture. In order to understand or explain the inspired Word of God, one must be able to understanding when was it written, the history behind the author who wrote it, and historical evidences suggesting certain cultural values that might affect the text. Without these factors, one will able to comprehend Scripture and understand it in a way that it is meant to be.
Settings are important in understanding scripture because if we know the settings, then we will be more likely to know why someone said something. For example, someone might say something that would seem offensive, but it also depends on the situation that will determine if it is offensive or not. Same with Scripture, some verses might seem to cross the line, but if we understand the situation in which it was said, then the verse can be interpreted in something that might be completely different.
The author also plays an important role in understanding Scripture. Understanding the history and personalities of the author means a great deal in understanding what he says or write. For example, someone who has a lot of humor and is making jokes constantly, then something that he says might be interpreted as a joke according to past experiences with this person. Same thing applies for the authors that wrote the inspired Word of God. Because God has to make his language simple for the human’s mind to understand, he has to explain his teachings in a custom that is closely related to the one that he is speaking to. Take Genesis as an example: Genesis was written by Moses who described the “perfect” place that Adam and Eve lived in as the Garden of Eden. Some people might take this literally and really believe that Adam and Eve really did live in the “Garden” of Eden. But according to Moses’s history, he spent...