A Step-by-Step Process for Understanding God’s WordSample

Note Similarities and Differences between Then and Now

In light of the verses we explored yesterday, we can conclude that while some biblical commands are morally binding for all believers everywhere, others were intended only for a specific individual or group at a certain point in time.

This doesn’t mean that these verses aren’t still helpful or inspiring for us today, but it does mean that we don’t have to (and aren’t supposed to) follow every command in all of Scripture exactly as it was written to its original audience.

So how do we know which commands do or don’t directly apply to us today? We don’t want to simply guess, following some rules while abandoning others and hoping we’re right.

While we will likely never fully understand every command we see in Scripture, we can dramatically increase our chances of correctly understanding the Bible’s instruction if we consider the similarities and differences between when the words were originally written and when we’re reading them now.

For example, we might ask questions such as:

• Did this passage's events occur in the Old Testament or the New Testament?
• Had Jesus died on the cross yet?
• How much of the Old Testament law did the original audience have, know, and understand?
• How much of the gospel message did the original audience have, know, and understand?
• Did the original audience have the Holy Spirit to guide them?
• What were the cultural expectations, social norms, and societal pressures at the time?
• Does the Bible’s command differ from the cultural expectations at that time? If so, how?

While you may not be able to answer all these questions, the more information you can learn about a passage, the better equipped you’ll be to determine the original author’s or speaker’s intended message so you can figure out how a passage of Scripture applies to you.

Read Matthew 19:16–30. What did Jesus say that the man must do to get eternal life? What similarities and differences exist between the rich man in Matthew 19 and us today? (Hint: Where is this story in the Bible in relation to Jesus’ death and resurrection? What does the man’s reaction in verses 18–22 tell us about his priorities?) Do you think Jesus’ command in verse 17b still directly applies to us? Why or why not? If not, what main idea should we get from this passage?