Week Two - Thursday - Understanding Theological Context

For some people the word Theology sounds intimidating.  It shouldn’t be.  It simply means a word about God.  When we talk about the theological context of a Bible passage, we’re talking about the way the passage fits into the broader message of the Bible.  

Andreas Kostenberger defines Theological Context this way:

“We are not just looking for the historical facts but also asking questions about what stories, or practices, or institutions tell us about God, or about ourselves as human beings, or the world in which we live.  We also are asking about the development of those ideas over time, as God revealed truth progressively in the development of the biblical story.”

It is absolutely crucial that we get our theology right because it basically means thinking in the right way about God, ourselves, others and the world.  We can’t live godly lives without the right theology.  Right thinking lays the essential foundation for right living.  As we learn more about theology from the Bible - right thinking about God - we learn more about how to live FOR God the way He wants us to.

Let’s look at the way an understanding of Theological Context helps us interpret a Scripture passage.

• Read 1 Corinthians 5:1-8 in your Bible:

• What term did Paul use to describe Jesus in verse 7?

Writing to the Corinthians about the seriousness of sin within their midst, Paul emphasized that sin no longer had a place in their lives because Jesus had been sacrificed to eliminate their sin!  In verse 7 he calls Jesus “Christ our Passover.”  To understand the importance of this word picture, let’s get a better understanding of the meaning of Passover.  This was an observance God initiated as He delivered His people from Egypt.

• Read about the inauguration of the Passover Feast in Exodus 12:1-16.
• What was the role of each element in God’s Instructions for Passover? (Note in your journal)

• The Passover Lamb:
• The Blood:
• The Unleavened Bread:

Preparing to leave Egypt, the Israelites had no time to leaven their bread.  The blood of the Passover lamb placed on the doorposts of their homes, protected them when God passed through Egypt to strike the firstborn.  From that time on, the Jews were to remember God’s deliverance by celebrating the Passover meal together every year.  

• Now read John 19:5-18.

• When was Jesus Crucified?

Jesus was crucified on the day of preparation: “Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" (v. 14 E.S.V).  This is referring to the preparation for the Sabbath of Passover week, which was Saturday (see John 19:31). This means that Jesus was crucified on the day the Passover meal was celebrated. 

• Now, Reread 1 Corinthians 5:1-8 in light of these background passages.

• What did you learn from Exodus 12:1-16 and John 19:5-18 that helps you understand the passage in 1 Corinthians?

• Describe the way Paul used the following images:

• The Passover Lamb or Sacrifice:
• The Blood:
• Leaven or Yeast:

Paul points to Christ as the spotless lamb, the Passover sacrifice.  He was given as the replacement for our sins and their punishment.  Because the yeast was left out of the unleavened bread, the Jews came to see yeast as a symbol for sin.  Therefore, Paul also used the term leaven or yeast to represent sin.  Because Jesus died for our sin, Paul said we honor Christ  as our Passover Lamb, not.. “not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (vs. 8)

·         How does this word picture of Christ as our Passover help you understand the Gospel message better? Make note in your journal..

·         Take a few moments to thank God that Jesus’ sacrifice for sin is your Passover!