Context and Biblical Interpretation

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Did William Branham understand the importance of context as it relates to biblical interpretation?

The importance of context

There is an old joke that there are 3 important concepts when it comes to biblical interpretation: context, context, and context.

Francis Chan, in his book "Multiply: Disciples Making Disciples" outlines the importance of context:

Every text belongs to a context. Every chapter, paragraph, sentence, and word derives meaning from its relationship to the words, sentences, paragraphs, and chapters around it. This is true in reading ordinary books, and it is certainly true in reading the Bible.

Consider the simple word 'ship'. We all know what the word means (and even if we didn’t, we could easily find its definition in a dictionary). But 'ship' means different things in different contexts. How do you decide whether 'ship' is referring to a large boat or to the process of sending something? You look at the context. This isn’t a complicated process, but it is absolutely essential in determining the meaning of the word.

We don’t usually think about this because reading words in their context is second nature to us — it probably hasn’t even occurred to you that you’re thinking in terms of context right now, as you read these sentences. As you read, you are deciding what these words mean based on the words around them. When you run into an ambiguous word (like the word “read” in the last two sentences, which could be taken as past or present tense, depending on the context), you automatically choose the appropriate definition or tense based on the context.

The point of using these simple examples is to highlight an essential aspect of studying the Bible: in order to understand a particular word, verse, chapter, or book, we need to consider it in light of its context. Too often, verses are read and quoted in isolation. While this is not necessarily wrong, it greatly increases the chances of misinterpretation.

Here’s a helpful way to get the point across: when studying Scripture, think apple rather than orange. Typically, when you eat an apple, you take a bite out of the whole fruit. When you eat an orange, you break it into isolated pieces and then eat the pieces individually. Whenever we read a verse, we should be mindful that we are taking a thought (a “bite”) from a larger story. Always keep in mind that every verse is connected to a chapter, a book, and the entire Bible.

Quotes of William Branham

24 A text, you know, is a wonderful thing, but the context is what makes the text magnified, you see. The…It’s the context of the text. So, in this, we—we…Today, we just come in and, wherever, just—just let it go for a little while, and trust the Lord to help us.

  54-1212 - He Swore By Himself

47 Now, that’s the way it is with God. Not because you know so much, but because you love Him, and He loves you, set down and read His love Letter. And He will just speak to you right between the letters. The real context is in the text, and the context is revealed by the Holy Ghost. Oh, that would make a Methodist shout. Think of it, brother, how that is. That’s right. See? It’s a love Letter, a love affair between you and your Maker. And He will reveal it to you as He—as you have need of.

  56-1209E - Jehovah-Jireh

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