Perhaps the most frequent question we hear is, “How do I learn to read the bible to understand it in it’s original context?” That’s why we wrote a free e-book called The #1 Mistake Most Everyone Makes Reading the Bible. In it, we unpack six lenses of context: historical, cultural, geographical, visual, linguistic, and literary. In this mini-series, Lenses of Context, we’ll explore each lens, citing specific examples of how that particular lens amplifies the meaning of the Text. In episode one, we unpack how the surprising history of the ancient city of Sardis informed Jesus’s warning to the church there in Revelation 3:1-6. By the end of this episode you’ll be equipped with a set of five questions to ask any passage you’re reading in order to understand the historical context.

• What was your biggest takeaway from the teaching? 
• What are some other passages or stories where you’d really like to know more about the historical context to help you understand the Bible better? 
• Why do you think our first impulse when reading the Bible is typically, “What does this mean for me, now” rather than “What did this mean for them, then?” 
• The city of Sardis trusted in the height of their walls and became complacent. What are some of the ways we often “fall asleep” and begin trusting in ourselves rather than being awake and alert and trusting in God? 
• How will you begin living out the truths of this teaching this week?  

• Understanding Biblical Kingdoms and Empires by Paul H. Wright
• The Baker Book of Bible Charts, Maps, and Time Lines edited by John A. Beck
• Behind the Scenes of the Old Testament edited by Jonathan S. Greer, John W. Hilber, and John H. Walton
• The New Testament in Its World by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird

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