(This brief discussion is taken mainly from Grasping God’s Word by Duvall & Hays)

Context may be described as “discourse that surrounds a language unit and helps to determine its interpretation; the set of factors and circumstances that surround a situation or event” – Advanced English Dictionary. To the Bible student, context is the neighborhood in which the verse or passage lines.

One context that is often overlooked is the context of the reader – the world from which the reader approaches the text. We as readers of the Bible are not by nature neutral and objective. We bring a lot of preconceived notions and influences with us to the text when we read. These “pre-text” influences must be recognized and evaluated, lest they mislead us in our search for the meaning of the text.

When we read a story from the Bible, we often do not keep in mind two facts: (1) the story was written long ago from a culture that differs, often markedly, from our own; and (2) we tend to fill in any gaps in the text with our Americanized point of view. The impression we are, therefore, left with can be a distorted one. It is a perspective that is often blurred by our preunderstanding.

“Preunderstanding” refers to all of our preconceived notions and understandings that we bring to the text, which have been formulated, both consciously and subconsciously, before we actually study the text in detail. Preunderstanding includes specific experiences and previous encounters with the text that tend to make us assume that we already understand it.  Preunderstanding is formed by both good and bad influences, some accurate and some inaccurate. It includes all that we have heard in Sunday school, at church, in Bible studies, from our parents, and in our private reading of the Bible. It may be formed also by hymns and other Christian music, pop songs, jokes, art, and non-biblical literature, both Christina and secular. It is a disappointing fact that most writers of Christian songs and books are not seminar-trained. While well-intentioned, they can easily produce within the body of Christ mistakes that can lead to deep-seated inaccuracies in our minds.

“Preunderstanding” can be seen as a euphemism for “prejudice.” Prejudice is a preformed opinion, usually an unfavorable one, based on insufficient knowledge, irrational feelings, or inaccurate stereotypes. “Prejudice” is another word for ignorance. People can be very protective of their prejudices. Sadly, these negative terms rightly describe the mindset of many Christians.

Our approach to preunderstanding, however, does not suggest that we read and interpret the Bible in a completely neutral manner, apart from any foundational beliefs, such as faith. Total objectivity is impossible for any reader of any text. Neither is it our goal. Striving for objectivity in biblical interpretation does not mean abandoning faith or trying to adopt the methods of unbelievers. Trying to read the Bible apart from faith does not produce objectivity.

We define preunderstanding and foundational beliefs as two distinct entities that we deal with in two quite different ways. We must let our preunderstanding change each time we study a passage. We submit it to the text and then interact with it, evaluate it in the light of our study, and, one would hope, improve it each time. Foundational beliefs (e.g., The Bible is the Word of God. The Bible is trustworthy and true. Salvation is by faith, not of works.), by contrast, do not change with each reading. They are not related to particular passages but to our overall view of the Bible.

In addition, in the light of this study on preunderstanding, there is the impact culture has upon us. One of the most powerful, yet subtle, aspects of preunderstanding is that of culture. Our culture may be defined as a combination of influences of family and national heritage. We learn culture from our mothers at the breakfast table, from the kids on the playground at school, and, of course, from the media. Culture is a mix of language, customs, stories, movies and television, jokes, literature, and national habits. Certainly, our culture has a tremendous influence on how we read and interpret the Bible. Our culture tends to make us skew the text as we read it, twisting it to fit with our cultural world. Everyone is influenced to some measurable degree by the culture of which he or she is a part.

An important aspect of culture is that it can vary somewhat, even within the same city. If, for example, you grew up on an inner-city, blue-collar, Catholic home with both parents, or an inner-city, broken family with a single parent or no mother or father present at all, and no mention of religion, your culture would surely differ in many respects from that of someone who grew up in a suburban, white –collar, Protestant home with parents interested only in materialism and the impressions made on others of like mind; yet you would still share many of the same cultural influences. However, even though the people of these diverse situations would share some common cultural features, black, white, Asian, and Hispanic cultures would still differ significantly. And once you move out of North America, you would encounter even more drastic differences in culture. As we all seek to understand God’s Word, it is important that we acknowledge and identify the cultural influences at work in our heads and lives.

Finally, it should be recognized that our preunderstanding of any given passage may indeed be correct.  Not all cultural differences are prohibitive. The problem, however, is that when it comes to us modern-day Americans reading ancient Scripture from a Hebrew or Greek context, our preunderstandings tend often to be incorrect. Until we study the text seriously, i.e., methodically, we simply do not know whether our preunderstanding is accurate. It is very disappointing to recognize there are some who actually assume their preunderstanding is always correct. This abrasive attitude is nothing short of pride. Even more alarming, because of our preunderstandings, we can often become close-minded to any understanding of the Bible that conflicts with our own preconceptions and the status quo of our own culture. Our egos tend to make us protective of our preunderstandings. As has been wisely said, “Pride does not listen; it knows.” It is doubtful we can ever underestimate the destructive effects of pride.

In conclusion, in order to properly interpret Scripture, we must constantly keep in mind the problems we as readers bring to the text, the cultural baggage, and preunderstandings that we must deal with as pretext issue. In addition to this essential awareness, the objectivity we desire can be learned and improved upon through desire and experience. We are hindered by the human problems we all share, but we do not have to be permanently imprisoned by them. Consistently following the methodology of sound hermeneutics, coupled with the humble, Christ-honoring desire to be diligent students, we can become solid interpreters of God’s Word.

^NAS  Mark 4:9 And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

– Professor Thomas A. Rohm