How can we read a passage in context?

from the old testament

• Considering the different levels of context for Jeremiah 29:11 can illustrate the importance of context: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
• The text around this verse, Jeremiah 29:10–14, refers, in part, to God’s plan to restore Israel after a seventy-year exile to Babylon and the promise of restoration after judgement (Jeremiah 29:10). So it's a corporate promise to Israel (Jeremiah 29:14). So, the initial context teaches that this is an expression of hope for Israel based on God’s restorative promises.
• Understanding why the promise was needed means expanding the context to Jeremiah 27–29. That larger context reveals that God was punishing Israel by exiling them to Babylon (Jeremiah 27:1-7), telling them to accept that discipline (Jeremiah 27:6-8), and exposing the false prophets who were giving them hope of avoiding that punishment (Jeremiah 27:12, 17, 28:2–4, 11).
• Why was Jeremiah writing? God used the prophe to communicate that while God was going to punish Israel (Jeremiah 1:10), “after seventy years" he would "punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, . . .  making the land an everlasting waste” (Jeremiah 25:12). Jeremiah 29:11 fits in as part of the hope to Israel that though they were being expelled, that their enemies would not go unpunished.
• Why was Israel in this predicament? Expanding the context to all of Scripture that comes before shows that God promised Israel blessings for obedience and curses for rebellion (Deuteronomy 28–30). Israel’s history was marked by rebellion (Judges 2:11–15; 2 Kings 17:7–8; 21:10–15). While God had meted out lower-level discipline (Judges 3:8; 2 Kings 13:3; Amos 4:6–11), Jeramiah's day was the time to expel them from land, as He warned would happen (Deuteronomy 28:36, 64). However, God's everlasting promise through Abraham still applied(Genesis 12:2–3; 15:5–6; 17:7). Jeremiah 29:11 was an expression of that promise, reminding them that, while they were being disciplined, God still had plans for them.

from the new testament

• Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” The verse is often interpreted as a promise of personal achievement, but when read it context, it becomes Paul's endurance in God's will.
• The immediate context is Philippians 4:10–13, where Paul is thanking the Philippians for a gift (Philippians 4:10). He tells them he has learned to be content whether in plenty or in want (Philippians 4:11–12). That is, the immediate context shows that Paul was talking about how Christ had strengthened him to be content in all circumstances, i.e., “all things” refers to enduring circumstances.
• Why does Paul mention his contentment? The larger context is Philippians 3:2–14 where Paul said that he had gladly lost everything to gain Christ (Philippians 3:7–8) and was pressing on, striving towards maturity (Philippians 3:12–14). Philippians 4:13, then, is another expression of his maturity through Christ.
• How does Philippians 4:13 fit into Paul’s overall message? Philippians 1:12–18 indicates that Paul was in prison and suffering even from so-called brothers, but that situation allowed him to further the gospel. Indeed, he indicated to suffer is to be like Christ (Philippians 2:5–11). So, Philippians 4:13 continues to highlight and color Paul’s life of suffering for Christ, and how it brought him joy (Philippians 1:18).
• Expanding outward to other letters, Paul wrote, we can see that suffering in Philippians was not new. Paul often suffered (2 Corinthians 11:23–28; 12:9–10). Those examples help readers appreciate Paul's hard life and how Christ used it.
• We could even expand further to see how Christ also suffered, not just in death (Philippians 2:8) but in life (Hebrews 5:8). He did everything in perfect obedience to the Father (John 6:38). Paul was following in Christ’s footsteps of humble servant ministry. In all this, he learned that “can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).
• Scripture enlightens other scripture, proving once again that God's word is "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

implications for today

Getting into a car with a stranger can be dangerous if you're hitchhiking but mundane if you've ordered an Uber. Context matters. This applies to Scripture, too, but many struggle to read the Bible in context. In part, it’s because people commonly read or quote small just one or two verses of Scripture. Interestingly, verse numbers were added only about 500 years ago. For most of Christian history, readers had to know the context of a Scripture verse to find a specific passage.

The other reason Scripture is often taken out of context is practical: Reading the Bible is harder than what most are used to today. The newest parts of Scripture are approximately two thousand years old, so we're far removed from the cultures it came from. Besides that, it was written in different languages. Many people, even believers, may know a few Bible verses but may have never read the entire Bible.

It's worth the effort to do so, though, because its author is God. Making a daily habit of reading Scripture is a start, even if it's just one chapter a day. A good study Bible can provide some historical context. In our tech age, light research is at our fingertips.

So how do we read in context? Start close and then zoom out: first, read the verses immediately surrounding the passage to understand the immediate flow of thought. Next, expand to the chapter and book to see the larger argument or story, consider the author’s other writings, and finally, compare with Scripture as a whole—each “ring” of context illuminates the meaning and guards against misinterpretation. Grab a good commentary or Bible encyclopedia to help you understand relevant cultural and historical aspects of the text.

Like a stone thrown in a lake, a verse of Scripture isn't just one splash but is surrounded by ripples of context than can enrich our study of God's Word. Each ripple matters because missing the context can turn truth into a trap. Reading Scripture in context isn’t just about knowledge; it’s about discerning God’s heart accurately and letting His Word shape your life with the depth and clarity He intended.