This week’s studies will require a computer and internet connection. The number of great Bible study sites has grown and deepened to the point where a student of the Bible needs only a laptop and access to do the same depth of study that once required a large library with $1000’s of dollars worth of books. When you think about it, all study of writings involves, at the most basic level, an understanding of how to get at the meaning of words. All words have nuances of meaning which would have been understood completely by original language hearers, but requires some fun CSI work for those of us who are not 1st Century Greeks or 7th Century B.C. Hebrews. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll limit our work to just two websites and explore the ways these can be used to deepen your understanding of the Word. Set these two sites on your browser, and we’ll jump back and forth between the two as we study seven passages this week. These sites are: www.BibleGateway.com and www.biblehub.com.
Type or click on the Bible Gateway link above and when the screen appears, type 2 Corinthians into the open white box in the middle of the screen. Click on 2 Corinthians and you will be taken to chapter 1; clicking the single arrow box above words 2 Corinthians will allow you to move forward one chapter at a time, and clicking the double arrow box will move you forward to the NEXT BOOK in the Bible. Let’s go just one chapter forward to 2 Corinthians 2. Read the chapter and notice the context. When you get to verse 14, write down a few context notes like you did last week. “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.”
Historical/Cultural Context:
Situational Context (who is speaking, who is listening, and why would these words be important to the hearers?)
Grammatical Context (how do these verses fit into the flow of Jesus’ sermon?)
There are three words in this verse that represent interesting keys to understanding what the passage means (these I’ve underlined). How do we find out what they mean? One way would be to look at how other translators have translated the passage into English. To view dozens of other translations, click on the box just right of the 2 Corinthians box (it probably has the words “New International Version” in it). There you’ll find a long list of versions, translations and paraphrases; click on the next option in the list, and the click the “Search” box. Make a list of how five or six of these different versions translate the phrase “triumphal procession” from 2 Corinthians 2:14. (NOTE: make sure each time you select a new version to click the “Search” button)
Example: The Message: “perpetual victory parade” Amplified Bible:
What do you think Paul had in mind when he wrote the phrase “triumphal procession”?
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.