Questions tagged [cultural-analysis]
Understanding the culture which an author wrote for/to is often key to understanding a text's original meaning.
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In the Gospel of John, did the Jews disbelieve or misunderstand the Lord Jesus Christ?
Several times during the narrative provided by the Gospel of John the Jews attempt to kill the Lord Jesus Christ.
For example:
John 5:17-18
17 But He answered them, “My Father is working until ...
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Did David and Saul have different afterlife theologies?
On the one hand, one could arguably say that David seemed to have believed that the dead were unconscious, based on what he said in Psalm 146:4 (YLT):
His spirit goeth forth, he returneth to his ...
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What are the theological implications of Paul's continuing identifying himself as a Pharisee in Acts 23:6-10 despite being an Apostle of Christ?
Acts 23:6-10 (ESV):
6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to ...
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What is the logic behind the Jews' reasoning which led them to conclude that Jesus was "making himself God" in John 10:22-39?
John 10:22-39 (ESV):
22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered ...
user38524
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What is the intended image of "pierced my hands and feet" in Psalm 22:16?
I sometimes struggle to understand how some of the NT authors describe OT passages as messianic prophecies. One of these is from the 22nd Psalm.
Psalm 22:16 NASB (emphasis added)
For dogs have ...
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John 7 - What were the religious / culture demographics of "The Galilee"? [closed]
Closely Related:
- Matthew 4 - How Should Galilee of the Nations be Interpreted?
- Was Nazareth a joke town?
1. Question, Historical Context:
What were the religious / cultural demographics of "...
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Does 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 support my beliefs in head coverings?
I believe that any woman who prays without her head covered & looks up is disgraceful to God & any man who wears ANY kind of head covering & looks down while praying is disgraceful to God. ...
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What is the meaning of the reference to 'stones' in Ecclesiastes 3?
Ecclesiastes starts with a series of contrasts, most of which are easy to understand. However one reference is less obvious (at least to me) - the 'stones' in verse 5a:
1 For everything there is a ...
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How old was Samuel when Hannah took him to the temple?
In 1 Samuel 1:24 we read:
After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of ...
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In 1 Corinthians 11:4 why does Paul consider it a dishonor for a man to cover his head when praying or prophesying?
Why does the apostle Paul consider it a dishonour if a man prays with his head covered in 1 Corinthians 11:4?
NIV-UK Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonours his head.
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Why did God appear as a firepot and torch to Abram?
So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”
Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves ...
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The Ten Commandments were based on the Code of Hammurabi?
A topic that was discussed among peers was that the Ten Commandments of Christian and Jewish faith were based off the Code of Hammurabi.
I looked into the Wikipedia article and was informed that ...
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Is there any ambiguity in Luke 2:5 to whether Mary and Joseph were already married?
From a comparison of various translations of Luke 2:5 it seems there might be some ambiguity in this verse as to whether Mary and Joseph were married by the time they were traveling to Bethlehem. Some ...
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Sandals and Holy Ground
In Exodus 3, Moses is commanded to take off his shoes because he is standing on holy ground, yet before him is appearing an Angel of the LORD, not God himself (in contrast to Exodus 19 an onward where ...
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In the New Testament, What is the Origin of "Believe In" and "Believe Into"?
Is there any Extra-Biblical source, (in Classical Greek, or Semitic sources), or a syntactical rule, behind the construction: ["πιστεύων ἐν" and "πιστεύων εἰς" + "Some Leader"]* — Or, is this ...
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What position in society did the teachers of the law hold?
Matthew 23:27-28 (NIV):
27"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on
the outside but on the inside are full of the ...
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Was 'σκύβαλον' (skubalon) profanity?
In Philippians 3:8, Paul uses the word σκύβαλον (skubalon), which is usually translated as "dung" , "garbage", or "rubbish". I've heard that this was considered an impolite word with much stronger ...
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Whose faith is the subject of Hebrews 11:11?
Πίστει καὶ αὐτὴ Σάρρα δύναμιν εἰς καταβολὴν σπέρματος ἔλαβεν καὶ παρὰ καιρὸν ἡλικίας, ἐπεὶ πιστὸν ἡγήσατο τὸν ἐπαγγειλάμενον (Hebrews 11:11, Westcott and Hort)
The traditional translation of Hebrews ...
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How did authorities know that Paul was really a Roman citizen?
A previous answer to a different question ventured into the territory of my question here, quoting from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (which in turn, cited from some commentaries) that ...
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How did the medium of Endor suddenly realize that Saul had fooled her?
Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”
“Bring up Samuel,” he said.
12When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and
said to Saul, “Why have you ...
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Is the church at the time of the book of James meeting in synagogues?
In James 2:2 (YTL)
for if there may come into your synagogue a man with gold ring, in gay raiment, and there may come in also a poor man in vile raiment,
or in ASV
For if there come into your ...
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What was the relationship in ages between Jesus and his disciples?
There are a few texts in the gospels which give some flavor of Jesus' relationship with his disciples (citing the NIV here):
Matt 10:24 -
The student [μαθητὴς] is not above the teacher [διδάσκαλον]...
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What did Martha most likely mean by "the last day" in John 11:24?
John 11:22-27 (ESV):
22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise ...
user38524
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What is the logic behind the Jews' reasoning which led them to spontaneously stone Stephen to death?
Acts 7:51-60 (ESV):
51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not ...
user38524
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Could the symbolic gesture of shaking off dust in Matthew 10 and Acts 13 have been steeped in some Jewish culture?
Matthew 10:14 NASB
14 Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.
Acts 13:51 NASB
51 But they shook off the dust ...
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Which hermeneutical trump card wins in 1 Timothy: audience, cultural context, historical reference, or translation?
I have read books gifted to me or web articles from searches that each play a "trump card" to win the day for their 1 Timothy interpretation. See Pandora's Pulpit by Roger Sapp or The Junia ...
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Are the multiple mentions of Gentiles attending synagogues on Sabbath in Acts evidence that the Gentiles are to keep the Sabbath?
Acts 13:42-48 (ESV)
42 As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. 43 And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to ...
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How do Hebrew sacrificial traditions compare with other cultures? [closed]
In the book of Leviticus, the people of Israel are given a number of instructions regarding when and how to perform sacrifices to God.
I have often found that cultural context is extremely valuable ...
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