אבנימ

Biblical Hermeneutics Part Second Chapter 7

Continuing his development of the grammatico-historical method of interpretation, the author now takes up the interpreter’s task of discovering and applying Context, Scope and Plan in a particular book or section of Scripture. He defines Context as the connection of thought which runs through any given passage being considered as a whole. Scope is the author’s purpose in writing, and Plan is the arrangement of his material in pursuit of these ends. Due to their interrelationship, Context, Scope and Plan need to be studied together.

Normally the interpreter should seek first to ascertain the Scope, which in some cases is formally stated as in Romans and John, while in others it requires careful study of the contents to determine. In cases of the latter, study of the Plan of a book goes hand in hand with discovering its Scope. Upon completion of this the interpreter will be prepared to deal with immediate and remote contexts within a passage, studying connections of thought against the backdrop of the author’s purpose and organization of themes.

The importance of this discipline cannot be overstressed. Many passages of Scripture simply cannot be properly comprehended apart from their contexts, immediate and remote. The author’s intended points will often be missed if the context in which they are set forth is not understood.