CONTEXT

We have built so much of what we believe on many eisegeses of Scripture and very little on the exegesis of Scripture; that's why the faith becomes confusing, abusive, and exploitative. To read in context is not merely reading the verses preceding and succeeding a particular verse but reading in context with and to culture and customs, the who, what, where, and whys of the context of what's being read. I believe the biggest mistake is when believers take the stories of the Bible, especially as they relate to the Old Testament stories, and make a doctrine out of them or specific aspects of those stories. We try to live a life of the culture and customs of the society of that story. Woven in each story are teachings and articles of faith and how they are applied in each particular story. While there is nothing wrong with the eisegeses of a story, one must be very careful not to allow it to bleed into false teachings like "prosperity gospel" or longstanding traditional doctrine, which I refer to as "traditional apostasies." Jesus said to the Pharisees and the scribes that they nullify the word of God by their tradition that they, not God, have handed down and that they create numerous other similar traditions that undermine God's word (Mark 7:13). Even Ezekiel warned of such prophets, preachers, pastors, and teachers in Ezekiel 22:28 when he said:

"And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity and divining lies unto them, saying, ‘Thus saith the Lord God,’ when the Lord hath not spoken."  And so, the error of the Church has been and is allowing the ideology of countryism, capitalism, colonialism, churchism, and celebrityism to be that by which God's word is contextualized.

Now unto him that is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Be well and stay blessed,

Ray Mingo