Attached is a fillable pdf to finish up. These are meant to help us develop habits of studying scripture in an interpretive way.
Read the below instructions:
WORD & WAY COLLECTIVE
5-Minute Cultural Context Drill
Entering the Word → Walking the Way
“Scripture was written for us, but not to us.”
— Word & Way Collective
This exercise trains readers to:
- Enter the ancient world of the text (Word)
- Discern God’s intent within that world (Way)
- Carry truth forward faithfully (Walk)
Time required: 5 minutes
🧭 THE WORD → ENTER THE WORLD
Minute 1 — Locate the Moment
Read the passage once without interpretation.
Answer briefly:
- Speaker:
- Audience:
- Setting (place / situation):
Summary Sentence:
This passage occurs in ______________________________
Minute 2 — Identify Cultural Signals
Scan again and note anything tied to:
- Social roles
- Economic realities
- Religious practices
- Power structures
Key cultural assumptions present in the text:
🛤️ THE WAY → DISCERN THE PURPOSE
Minute 3 — Original Audience Question
Ask the controlling hermeneutical question:
What problem did this text address for them?
(Check all that apply)
- ☐ Survival
- ☐ Honor / Shame
- ☐ Covenant Faithfulness
- ☐ Authority / Power
- ☐ Fear / Hope
- ☐ Community Order
Primary issue addressed:
Minute 4 — Acknowledge the Cultural Distance
Note where the text feels foreign or difficult.
Ancient World Reality:
Modern World Reality:
(This step prevents misapplication.)
🚶♂️ THE WALK → CARRY THE TRUTH FORWARD
Minute 5 — Extract the Timeless Principle
Do not import ancient practices directly.
Carry the truth, not the form.
Because God values:
His people today are called to:
✍️ REFLECT (Optional)
One sentence of obedience or awareness: