If I declare at the beginning of class that today’s subject is a “trunk,” what will be the heart of our discussion? Will it be the nose of an elephant, a torso, the back of a Buick, the base of a birch, or the attic storage container? Why would you not know? It would be virtually impossible to know the answer to my question unless I provide additional information. What do you need in order to answer the question? You must have additional information. For example, could you answer the question if I said, “Today we will talk about the trunks at the zoo.” Now you can know today’s subject. To answer the question pertaining to which trunk will be discussed, a little context is required. All it took in this case was one sentence which supplied just enough information to confidently answer the question.
So it is with Inductive Bible study. Context is key. Context is king. If asked what the biblical word “save” means, you probably will speak of forgiveness of sin and going to heaven. But remember, Peter cried, “Lord, save me! (Matthew 14:30). We might think he was asking for forgiveness unless we honor the Word of God with proper respect by acknowledging content. Then we rightly conclude Peter was asking for physical deliverance from drowning. Context is key. Context is king.
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