Bridging the Cultural Gap Hermeneutics Bridging the Cultural Gap

Quote by John F. Johnson “Understanding the Bible properly requires that we clear our minds of all ideas, opinions, and systems of our own day and attempt to put ourselves into the times and surroundings of the Apostles and Prophets who wrote” (John F. Johnson, as quoted by Zuck, p. 77).

Definition of Culture “Webster defines ‘culture’ as ‘the total pattern of human behavior [that includes] thought, speech, action, and artifacts,’ and as ‘the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits . . . of a racial, religious, or social group.’ Thus culture includes what people think and believe, say, do, and make” (Zuck, p. 79).

Some Preliminary Questions That Help Bridge the Cultural Gap Who wrote the book? At what time was it written? What revelation had already been given by this time? What prompted the author to write the book? What problems, situations, or needs was he addressing? What is the message of the book as a whole? To whom was the book written, that is, who were the original readers?

Categories and Examples of Cultural Context Political (including national, international, and civil) Jonah’s reluctance to go to Nineveh. Religious The 10 plagues which God brought on Egypt (Exodus 12:12) Economic “For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And stripped men naked” (Eliphaz accusing Job in Job 22:6). Legal Law of the Medes and Persians in Dan 6 Agricultural Comparison of wicked to chaff in Psa 1:4 Architectural Lowering of the paralytic through the roof in Mark 2:1-12

Categories and Examples of Cultural Context Clothing The command to “gird the loins of your mind” in 1 Peter 1:13 Domestic Foolishness of the 5 virgins who took no extra oil for their lamps in Matt 25:1-13 Geographic Going up to Jerusalem (even when it is to the South) Military “They mock at kings, And rulers are a laughing matter to them. They laugh at every fortress, And cheap up rubble to capture it” (Hab 1:10). Armor of God in Ephesians 6

Categories and Examples of Cultural Context: Social

Sources for Cultural Background Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias Commentaries Specialized books such as The New Manners and Customs of Bible Times The Bible Itself

The Issue of Culture in Application Are some passages of the Bible limited to that day by their cultural setting and therefore not transferable to our culture, or is everything we read in the Scriptures normative for us today? If some passages are limited to the setting of their own day, how do we determine which are normative and which are not? Exercises are p. 91.

Zuck’s Principles for Determining “Transferability” Some situations, commands, or principles are repeatable, continuous, or not revoked, and/or pertain to moral and theological subjects, and/or are repeated elsewhere in Scripture, and therefore are permanent and transferable to us. Examples: Capital punishment Trust in the Lord (Pro 3:5-6) Command to be humble (e.g. 1 Pet 5:6)

Zuck’s Principles for Determining “Transferability” Some situations, commands, or principles pertain to an individual’s specific non-repeatable circumstances, and/or non-moral or non-theological subjects, and/or have been revoked, and are therefore not transferable to us today. Examples: Paul’s command to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:11-13 to bring his cloak and scrolls. The Lord’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his firstborn son (Gen 22). The Mosaic Law code The Bible is its own authority, including the authority to set limits on practices which are limited for a time or particular situation and which are not.

Zuck’s Principles for Determining “Transferability” Some situations or commands pertain to cultural settings that are only partially similar to ours and in which only the principles are transferable. What are the principles that remain binding for: The holy kiss Not eating meat sacrificed to idols

Zuck’s Principles for Determining “Transferability” Some situations or commands pertain to cultural settings with no similarities but in which the principles are transferable. The sinful woman with the expensive perfume Moses’ removal of his sandals Head coverings for women

Guidelines for Determining Whether a Practice Is Culture-bound or Transcultural See if the behavior in the biblical culture means something different in our culture (e.g. head coverings, holy kiss, foot washing). If the behavior does mean something different, determine the timeless principle expressed in that practice (submission, friendliness/affection, humility in service). Determine how the principle can be expressed in a cultural equivalent.

Next Week: Bridging the Grammatical Gap