5 Minute Bible

short | crisp | provocative

Past posts

 

Posts by category

Browsing Posts in Context

E100-39: 1 Kings 16:29 – 19:18: The big fight at Mt Carmel

June 10, 2010 2 comments

Banana plantation at the foot of Mt Carmel

Since this is a gripping, but well-known, story what I’ll try to do in this podcast is show you how a bit of context (see here for more on context and understanding the Bible).

I’ll also tell you God’s two nicknames, in some religious traditions knowing all a god’s names is really important, in Hinduism the god Vishnu has 1,000 names, in Islam there is a tradition that God has 99 names. Yahweh the God the Bible talks about has kicknames as well as formal names!

Forrested crest of Carmel from the Eshkol Tower of Haifa University

A couple of photos to illustrate the geography
:)


Right-click here to save the podcast for this audio

1 Kings, Context, E100 none

E100-24: Joshua 3:1 – 4:24: Crossing the Jordan

May 20, 2010 No comments

In spring it becomes a torrent, today's river is depleted by water taken by modern pumping stations for cities and irrigation

For today’s reading there are historical (standing stones) and geographic (the Jordan river) information that is important, and perhaps better communicated by pictures and words, rather than words alone. So here are some relevant pictures, with brief captions…

Even today the Jordan valley has (in places) dense bush, making it a strange and dangerous place for people more used to dry pastureland. Photo Wikimedia.

Ancient monoliths (like these from Tel Gezer in the Judean Shephelah) are still impressive. Photo Tim Bulkeley

They were often erected in rows or circles, they still cause us to wonder why they were raised.



E100-24: Joshua 3:1 - 4:24: Crossing the Jordan [ 4:45 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Context, E100, Joshua none

Reading the parable of the Big Feast in context (Luke 14)

April 13, 2010 No comments

As part of my seminar on Bible abuse at Easter Camp I talked about how a couple of sorts of context (cotext or social setting and culture) help us understand Jesus parable of the Big Feast (Luke 14:16ff.) more sharply. This podcast is a quick version of that focusing on questions of context.

 

Reading the parable of the Big Feast in context (Luke 14) [ 5:19 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Context, Jesus, Luke, Reading none

Being Ideal Readers: 2 putting it all together

March 3, 2010 No comments

In part two we get drawn to the hymn in Phil 2 and discover not only what Jesus’ disscension is all about, but also get to understand the talk of us being gifts in Eph 4:11-13 better. (If you have not listened to part 1 do listen to that first.)

Being Ideal Readers: 2 putting it all together [ 5:30 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Context, Ephesians, Jesus, Philippians , , , ,

A Text without contexts is dumb! 2: Text without cotext is dumb

August 15, 2009 No comments

For the second part of this “A text without contexts is dumb” series we’ll think about cotext, the text that surrounds a text, providing context. The biblical examples come from Psalms and Ephesians. You might want to listen to Part 1 here first ;)

 

A Text without contexts is dumb! 2: Text without cotext is dumb [ 5:00 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Context, Ephesians, Psalms , ,

Amos 7:14 presuppositions and rhetoric

September 4, 2008 No comments

Amos 7:14 is a striking problem for interpreters, not least because what Amos is reported as saying to Amaziah seems to contradict what he is reported to be doing in the rest of the book. This makes it fertile ground for us to incorporate either our presuppositions or rhetoric into the text.

(I use the NIV and Grasping God’s Word) as examples in this but do not intend disrespect for the translators or authors, just to suggest they are human too!
Duvall, J. Scott, and J. Daniel Hays. Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible. 2nd ed. Zondervan, 2005 is an excellent book, which we plan to use as a textbook for a course I’ll teach next year :)

Amos 7:14 presuppositions and rhetoric [ 5:13 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Amos, Context, Reading , ,

A Text without Contexts is Dumb!

April 27, 2007 2 comments

This latest one is aimed at real beginners in biblical study and addresses why multiple contexts are important for reading/hearing texts, particularly the Bible.

 

A Text without Contexts is Dumb! [ 4:43 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
A Text without Contexts is Dumb! [ 4:50 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Context, Culture, Genesis, Psalms , , ,
Powered by WordPress Web Design by SRS Solutions © 2012 5 Minute Bible Design by SRS Solutions