Hermeneutics
Bridging the Cultural Gap
Quote by John F. Johnson
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“Understanding the Bible properly requires that
we clear our minds of all ideas, opinions, and
systems of our own day and attempt to put
ourselves into the times and surroundings of the
Apostles and Prophets who wrote” (John F.
Johnson, as quoted by Zuck, p. 77).
Definition of Culture
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“Webster defines ‘culture’ as ‘the total pattern of
human behavior [that includes] thought, speech,
action, and artifacts,’ and as ‘the customary
beliefs, social forms, and material traits . . . of a
racial, religious, or social group.’ Thus culture
includes what people think and believe, say, do,
and make” (Zuck, p. 79).
Some Preliminary Questions That
Help Bridge the Cultural Gap
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Who wrote the book?
At what time was it written?
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What revelation had already been given by this time?
What prompted the author to write the book?
What problems, situations, or needs was he
addressing?
What is the message of the book as a whole?
To whom was the book written, that is, who
were the original readers?
Categories and Examples of Cultural
Context
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Political (including national, international, and civil)
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Religious
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Law of the Medes and Persians in Dan 6
Agricultural
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“For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause,
And stripped men naked” (Eliphaz accusing Job in Job 22:6).
Legal
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The 10 plagues which God brought on Egypt (Exodus 12:12)
Economic
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Jonah’s reluctance to go to Nineveh.
Comparison of wicked to chaff in Psa 1:4
Architectural
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Lowering of the paralytic through the roof in Mark 2:1-12
Categories and Examples of Cultural
Context
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Clothing
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Domestic
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Foolishness of the 5 virgins who took no extra oil for their
lamps in Matt 25:1-13
Geographic
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The command to “gird the loins of your mind” in 1 Peter
1:13
Going up to Jerusalem (even when it is to the South)
Military
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“They mock at kings, And rulers are a laughing matter to
them. They laugh at every fortress, And cheap up rubble to
capture it” (Hab 1:10).
Armor of God in Ephesians 6
Categories and Examples of Cultural
Context: Social
Sources for Cultural Background
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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
Commentaries
Specialized books such as The New Manners and
Customs of Bible Times
The Bible Itself
The Issue of Culture in Application
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Are some passages of the Bible limited to that
day by their cultural setting and therefore not
transferable to our culture, or is everything we
read in the Scriptures normative for us today?
If some passages are limited to the setting of
their own day, how do we determine which are
normative and which are not?
Exercises are p. 91.
Zuck’s Principles for Determining
“Transferability”
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Some situations, commands, or principles are repeatable,
continuous, or not revoked, and/or pertain to moral and
theological subjects, and/or are repeated elsewhere in
Scripture, and therefore are permanent and transferable
to us. Examples:
Capital punishment
 Trust in the Lord (Pro 3:5-6)
 Command to be humble (e.g. 1 Pet 5:6)
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Zuck’s Principles for Determining
“Transferability”
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Some situations, commands, or principles pertain to an
individual’s specific non-repeatable circumstances, and/or nonmoral or non-theological subjects, and/or have been revoked, and
are therefore not transferable to us today. Examples:
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Paul’s command to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:11-13 to bring
his cloak and scrolls.
The Lord’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his firstborn
son (Gen 22).
The Mosaic Law code
The Bible is its own authority, including the authority to
set limits on practices which are limited for a time or
particular situation and which are not.
Zuck’s Principles for Determining
“Transferability”
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Some situations or commands pertain to cultural settings
that are only partially similar to ours and in which only
the principles are transferable. What are the
principles that remain binding for:
The holy kiss
 Not eating meat sacrificed to idols
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Zuck’s Principles for Determining
“Transferability”
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Some situations or commands pertain to cultural settings
with no similarities but in which the principles are
transferable.
The sinful woman with the expensive perfume
 Moses’ removal of his sandals
 Head coverings for women
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Guidelines for Determining Whether
a Practice Is Culture-bound or
Transcultural
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See if the behavior in the biblical culture means
something different in our culture (e.g. head
coverings, holy kiss, foot washing).
If the behavior does mean something different,
determine the timeless principle expressed in
that practice (submission, friendliness/affection,
humility in service).
Determine how the principle can be expressed
in a cultural equivalent.
Next Week: Bridging
the Grammatical Gap