Why reading verses in context is important

Before we get started, please read my previous article, here; Why I don't write about private revelation, and check out my latest on Locals, here; I finished the French course on Duolingo. And hey, I have written a book, you can find out more about that here and here

I was reading the Mass readings earlier, and I was thinking about two things. One, why don't we read the entire passage sometimes, and two, what if someone misses the context? I was thinking about this, because one of the readings during Mass this past Sunday, and since one of the readings included 1 Peter. Sixth Sunday of Easter. So, it got me thinking about 1 Peter 3:21 (a verse that those of us that believe in baptismal regeneration often appeal to), I thought about WHY it's important to know the context of these verses. I mean, yes, it says, “baptism now saves you”, but, unless you read it in context, you're not going to know why, or Peter's reasoning. Now, on the topic of baptism, I have written a lot. In fact, this is kind of a follow up to this article. But, I would say that the single topic that I've focused on more than any (besides, of course, the Bible itself), is baptism. As seen here, here, here, and here. That's because I think those that hold to believer's baptism are ignoring the clear text of scripture. I'm not going to get into it here, because this isn't about baptism per se. If I give them 1 Peter 3:21 (which, by the way, I think Colossians 2:11-14 is a better defense of baptismal regeneration), I need to mention WHY. It's why people get the born again discourse wrong, because they miss what happens immediately AFTER it in the text (which, by the way, is also about baptism, Get born againl). So, let's go ahead and read the text in context. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with his angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him (1 Peter 3:18-22). So, do you see something? You know that baptism saves you, as the ark saved Noah and his family from the Great Flood. You've now got the context. You know it's not just because of the water, but an appeal to God. So, what other verses can we dig into? Well, let's look at a verse that's not only taken out of context, but is actually referencing the Psalms. Romans 3:23. What does it say? “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. (That's not the only verse, by the way, let's keep reading), let's start with v. 24, “And are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation, by his blood to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be the justified of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:24-26) And, here's where some people try to read their own theology into Paul. “Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded By what kind of law? By a law of works? Now, but by the law of faith, For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” (Romans 3:27-28). Notice something? Paul doesn't say, “choose to get baptized, because believing baptismal regeneration is a work” (yes, I've heard that argument, never mind that Paul believes in baptismal generation, as shown in Colossians). v. 23, by the way, is a reference to Psalm 14. I guess the point I'm trying to make is this, don't just take someone's word for what the Bible means, read it for yourself, and read it IN CONTEXT. A lot of people will read Romans 3:28 without readings the other two chapters of Romans, but, it's quite clear from the context that “works of the law”, refers to the Mosaic law. And that, my friends, need to know the Bible, in context.

Now, if you're wondering why we don't read things altogether sometimes, yeah, I don't know. A period is better than a comma, in my opinion.

Adam Charles Hovey is the founder of the Catholicism, news, and whatever community on Locals, if you'd like to help him out, go here.