Saints intro sampler - Flipbook - Page 28
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CO NTE X T
Before you begin your study, we will start with the context of the story we are
about to read together: the setting, both cultural and historical; the people
involved; and where our passage fits in the larger setting of Scripture. All
these things help us make sense of what we’re reading. Understanding the
context of a Bible story is fundamental to reading Scripture well. Getting
your bearings before you read will enable you to answer the question What
am I about to read?
YEARS AGO, the TV series Lost sucked me in. I had to see the show all the
way through even though I lost interest long before the show ended—I needed
to justify the significant investment of time I’d put into the early seasons. Also, I
was determined to find answers to all my lingering questions. Surely, I thought,
the creators of Lost would finally bring clarity to my confusion.
Part of the plot was introducing new people as “the others.” The new characters, “the others,” had a dual purpose. They helped the writers of the show start a
new plotline while at the same time making a broader statement about humanity:
We tend to reject people we don’t understand.
I bring up “the others” from Lost because I want to hedge off any assumptions
you and I might make about Nicodemus, the Pharisee we are about to study. It’s
possible we might come to the Bible assuming that the Pharisees = all Jews = all
legalistic.
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