Biblical Reference Guide
Updated: 5 days ago
Foreword to the Reference Guide
The New Testament did not appear in a vacuum. God revealed his Word through real people living in a real world under Roman rule, within the culture of Second Temple Judaism, and at a time when Greek was the common language of the eastern Mediterranean. The writers assumed their readers understood many customs, places, institutions, and historical events unfamiliar to many readers today. This guide offers a brief overview of the first-century religious and cultural world. While it is not exhaustive, understanding this background can clarify difficult passages, illuminate familiar ones, and help us read the New Testament as its original audience would have understood it. The historical and cultural setting of Scripture does not determine its meaning, but it often helps explain its language and context. I hope this guide will serve as a useful reference as you study the New Testament and deepen your understanding of the Word of God.
