Preserving Bible Times (PBT) is a faith-based ministry with a vision for preserving and presenting Biblical Truth through the integration of the Biblical text with its visual, historical, geographical and cultural context. Our endeavors include the development of streaming and other digitized materials that highlight the contextual issues found in “familiar” passages of Scripture, bringing the Bible alive in fresh, new ways for this and future generations.

Self-Guided Tutorial and Methodology
for Integrated Biblical Context

Getting Oriented – Biblical Geography

Get James Monson’s Regions on the Run for a good tutorial on biblical geography. Done seriously, it can take 100 hours to process. Or consider an introductory approach to biblical geography by reading Geobasics in the Land of the Bible. Both of these tutorial options on biblical geography can be obtained on the www.biblicalbackgrounds.com website.

Getting Oriented – Biblical Frameworks

Get Doug Greenwold’s “The Five Story Lines of Scripture” where he teaches this framework perspective to the Teaching Directors of Community Bible Study. This is an essential framework for understanding the Bible from 30,000 feet. It’s available on the PBT website www.preservingbibletimes.org.

Getting Oriented – Seeing the “Pieces”

Jim Martin has two books that provide a nice contextual overview (different from an in-depth applications perspective) of hundreds of Bible/Gospel passages. It’s full color, 8 ½ X 11 inches in size, and each two-page spread gives you a great map, usually a close up and a distant shot of the site, often a museum biblical artifact that relates to the site, and a written overview of the main geographical, historical and cultural issues resident in each passage (again, you have to come up with your own implications of those facts). Many have found these books to be a wonderful visual resource and overview on the general contextual issues resident in each passage. The Visual Guide to the Bible book and The Visual Guide to the Gospels book are available at Amazon and various Christian book distributors.

Getting Oriented – Integrating the Narrative and Restoring the Passage

Consider reading Kenneth Bailey’s book Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes (Amazon). Then read Doug Greenwold’s eBooks – Encounters with Jesus, The Rest of the Story, Making Disciples Jesus’ Way, Those Prodigal Sons, That Good Samaritan, Becoming a Judean Shepherd, and Zechariah and Elizabeth to see how the implications, insights and applications start to expand from restoring a passage back into its original integrated contextual understanding. Remember: The pursuit of an integrated contextual understanding of a passage is foundational if we are to discern the Spirit’s timeless, intended (original) meaning of the passage.

More on Gospel Culture

Consider reading Alfred Edersheim’s book The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. It’s a 100+ year old classic that takes some plowing through, but is often worth it. It is available online from multiple sources. Also consider reading Joachim Jeremias Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus, another classic.

Other Contextual Resources

Depending on your appetite and interest, there are a goodly number of helpful books that focus on some different aspects of biblical context. By going to the FAQ’s section of the PBT website www.preservingbibletimes.org, and opening up the link “What Other Contextual Resources are Available,” you will find additional recommended resources for digging deeper into biblical context.

PBT’s Preferred Passage Contextual Restoration Methodology

1) The View from 30,000 Feet – “The Five Story Lines of Scripture”

2) The Context of the Era

a) The prevailing Worldview – how they thought
b) Cultural norms – how they functioned and behaved

3) The View from 5,000 Feet – The Author’s Themes & Motifs, Luke e.g.,

Bringing Compassion and Mercy to Those Deprived of It
Developing a New Community, Giving People a New Beginning:
New Disciples Being (Re)made
Kingdom of God Being Established
Remaking and Pulverizing Paradigms
Establishing His Authority
Restoring the Covenants…and More

4) The View from Ground Level – Specific Context for the Passage

a) Where are We? A Geography Question with Implications
b) What Happened Before? – A History Question with Implications since the past is always the prologue to the present passage.
c) What Cultural Clues are We Given? – More Implications
d) Any Literary Issues? – Parallelisms, Idioms, Remez & Word Meanings. What teaching cluster (pericope) might this be a part of?

5) Visual Context: What Does the Site/Surrounding Area Look Like?

Proximities, Sight Lines, Terrain, Soil, Rainfall, etc.

6) Restoring the Narrative by Integrating all the Contextual Pieces

Expanded Insights, Applications and Meaning – Don’t Forget the “Bermuda Triangle of the Soul” Themes as You Retell the “Familiar” Story.