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STUDYING CONTEXT The Bible is not a legal code book where one simply looks here for this law and over there for that one. The Bible sometimes deals with nations, while at other times it deals with individuals. It deals with Jews, Gentiles, and Christians. Some Bible statements are aimed at Old Testament Jews under the law, while others are aimed at Christians in the New Testament or even people in the coming Great Tribulation. Some Bible statements can only be understood by reading whole verses, instead of just catchy words and phrases, and some cannot be understood without reading multiple verses. Those who refuse to pay careful attention to the context in which words and phrases are used will not develop a good understanding of the Bible. Let’s observe a few examples of common errors made by those who ignore the law of context:“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Mat. 24:13)This verse is often used to teach that no one can know for certain that they are saved because we haven’t yet endured unto the end, and only those who do so can be saved. The people who teach this don’t seem to know or care that they have created a Bible contradiction with their doctrine. I John 5:13 says that we may “know” that we have eternal life, and I John 3:14 says we have “passed from death unto life.” We aren’t waiting to endure to the end of anything. Christ endured for us at Calvary, and we trust Him as our Saviour.So what about enduring unto the end? Well, the context of that statement is the future Great Tribulation. Jesus said in Matthew 24:21, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” The “end” that some have to endure unto is the end of the Great Tribulation, not the end of their lives. Everyone endures unto the end of his life, yet not everyone is saved! The “end” in the verse is the same as “the end” of Matthew 24:3, which began the chapter: “. . . what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Not everyone endures unto the end of the world, since they die before Jesus comes, so the statement cannot be for anyone other than those who will be living in the Great Tribulation just before Jesus returns. This is made clear in the very same chapter: “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then (not now) shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Mat. 24:30) None of this has happened yet, so no one today is enduring unto the end, nor are they commanded to do so. The “end” of Matthew 24:13 concerns a period of time that hasn’t yet come. Ignoring time context is a big mistake in Bible study.Let’s look at another example. Paul wrote to the Corinthians and said“He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself . . . I would that ye all spake with tongues . . . For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God”There you have it. The Scripture seems quite clear on the matter: God’s will is for you to speak in unknown tongues. At least that’s what the charismatic preachers want you to think because that’s how they handle the verses. Let’s look at the verses again in their context and see a whole different picture:“He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.” (I Cor. 14:4)He’s selfish for wanting to speak in unknown tongues since this only makes him feel good about himself and helps (edifies) no one else. It’s better to edify the church than to edify self.“I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.” (I Cor. 14:5)No explanation needed. The verse is clearly not encouraging anyone to speak in unknown tongues.“For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.” (I Cor. 14:2)A man that speaks in unknown tongues is speaking confusion because no man can understand him. God doesn’t understand him either, as far as the speech is concerned, but God does know his heart, so in that sense he is speaking unto God. God knows what’s going through his heart and mind at the time even though the foolish words mean nothing. The verse is not saying that God wants anyone to speak in unknown tongues.Respecting context is absolutely essential to understanding the Bible. Matthew 7:1 (“Judge not, that ye be not judged.”) has an entirely different meaning when extracted from its context (Mat. 7:1-5), and, taken from its context, it even contradicts other Scripture, such as John 7:24, I Corinthians 2:15, and I Corinthians 6:1-5. The command “Thou shalt not kill” (Exo. 20:13) refers to murder only, not to self defense, war, capital punishment, or the killing of animals and plants for food. I recently had a Roman Catholic woman quote John 6:53-55 to me in an effort to justify the Roman Catholic Mass and its false doctrine of transubstantiation. This is where Jesus said, “. . . Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.” This woman believed she was saved simply because she “eats” and “drinks” Jesus every Sunday at Mass. She had not considered John 6:63, and didn’t appreciate it when I showed it to her. John 6:63 is where Jesus makes it clear that the above verses are to be taken spiritually, not literally: “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Context makes all the difference, and those who ignore context never grow much in their understanding of the Scriptures.