Historical Background

1
Historical Background

• 1. History Politics, Dates, Individuals

2. Culture Social customs, mores, traditions
3. Environment Topography, weather, flora, fauna.
This would include Dress, food, homes, weddings,
funerals, dance, mourning, tools, literature,
war, etiquette, agriculture, employment,
taxation, religion, holidays, economics, etc.
2
Pauls Culture Shock Today

• Relationships between men and women

Egalitarian, communication, sexual openness
Politics
Democratic, freedom, capitalism
Popular Culture
Dichotamized entertainment time money
individualism vs. Corporate identity shame/honor
3
Why be concerned about this?

• 1. Axiom 4 A passage cant mean what it never
  meant.

2. Christianity is Historically based.
3. It helps you read the Bible in color instead
of black and white.
4. You cant understand the NT without
understanding the OT.
4
3 Sources for Investigation

• 1. The Bible Itself.

2. Modern Bible Tools
- Bible Dictionaries
- Bible Encyclopedias
- Bible Atlas
3. Historical Works
- Apocryphal Books
- Greco-Roman Writers
- Jewish Writings
- Early Church Fathers
5
Project 4

• Highlight specific items in your text that you
  think will require historical research. In the
  margins write out the kinds of historical
  questions you would want to have answered about
  your text. Then, using a Bible dictionary or
  encyclopedia, wrote a brief paragraph about each
  circled item.