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How to Study the Bible Contextually (Part 4)

Understanding Scripture in Its Proper Context

March 25, 2026•28:34
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About this episode

In Part 4 of the How to Study the Bible series, we dive into one of the most important principles of biblical interpretation: context. It's easy to take a verse and make it say what we want—but true Bible study requires us to understand what God actually meant. In this episode, Dillon and Pastor Drew break down how to study Scripture by looking at the immediate context (verses around a passage), the chapter context (the flow and theme of a chapter), and the book context (the purpose and message of the entire book). We also discuss why Scripture should shape our beliefs—not the other way around—and how to avoid common mistakes like cherry-picking verses or reading the Bible superficially.

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Key takeaways
  • Studying the Bible contextually means not cherry-picking a verse and making it say what we want it to say, but allowing our lives and beliefs to be shaped by the word of God rather than shaping the word of God to fit our beliefs.
  • The first step is the immediate context: Philippians 4:13 is one of the most commonly misused verses, because in context Paul is discussing contentment, enduring hardship, and spiritual strength in suffering, not unlimited achievement.
  • Dillon McCurdy argues that consuming scripture broadly and studying it deeply go together, since general Bible knowledge without study leaves a surface view, and study without general knowledge leaves you unable to see where a passage fits in the whole narrative.
  • Preaching and studying through whole books of the Bible keeps you from hiding from the verses you don't like — the ones that point a finger at your chest rather than the ones that end up on a coffee mug or a pillow.
  • The next step is the chapter context — learning chapter themes and what each kind of book is doing (Paul's epistles giving doctrinal and logical arguments for practical problems, the gospels revealing Jesus through signs, teaching, and parables, the psalms as emotional responses or worshipful songs) — and outlining chapters and taking notes is worth doing even for people with no teaching outlet, since mature believers should want to teach others and you can't share what you don't have.
  • The third step is the book context: each book was written on purpose and for a purpose, so knowing that Matthew presents Jesus as king, Mark as servant, Luke as son of man, and John as son of God changes how you read individual verses; Old Testament portraits like Amalek representing the flesh are real but can't be manufactured, and tend to come through prayerful, worshipful study rather than sentence-diagramming.
  • Both hosts land on a balance — none of the Bible was written to me, but all of the Bible was written for me — and Drew Rogers adds that bouncing your conclusions off a pastor or spiritually respected friends either confirms them or gets you back on track.
From the conversation
"We're studying the Bible contextually, simply meaning we're not going to cherry-pick a verse and make it say what we want it to say."Drew Rogers
"We go and we look for verses that either appease our conscience or give us justification in our actions, and that's not what the Bible's meant to be or meant to do. It's supposed to change us, not us go and justify our behavior from it."Dillon McCurdy
"Part of the reason why I preach through books of the Bible is you can't hide from the verses that you don't like."Drew Rogers
Scripture referenced
  • Philippians 4:13
  • Matthew 6
  • Romans 8
  • John 17
  • Romans 1-3 (chapter-by-chapter flow of the book)
  • Exodus 17 (paraphrased) — Israel fighting Amalek after leaving Egypt, hands up and hands down
  • Hebrews 4:12 (paraphrased) — the word is alive, still sharp, still cutting
  • Matthew, Mark, Luke, John — the distinct emphasis of each gospel
  • Acts — the opening chapters walked through in a missions conference session
  • Joshua and Judges — parallels drawn between the people groups and modern struggles
Mentioned in this episode
  • Charles Spurgeon — Dillon McCurdy references his idea of having a "full tank" of information, noting he may not be quoting it exactly
  • John Wilkerson — pastor who walked through the chapters of Acts at a missions conference; told Dillon McCurdy he picked it up by teaching through the book and repeating it
  • "The God Who Hears" — where Drew Rogers gives the example of Israel fighting Amalek as a picture of the flesh
  • Rogers City Baptist Church — Drew Rogers's church in upper lower Michigan
  • The Tanakh (the law, the prophets, and the writings) — the Old Testament framework Drew Rogers uses when reading for a book's purpose
  • Verse-of-the-day apps — mentioned as a common starting point for wanting to research a verse further
  • John Calvin, Martin Luther, John Knox — named as the reformers in the discussion of what "Protestant" means
  • Henry VIII and the Anglican church — the Irish reference point for "Protestant" that surprised Dillon McCurdy
  • St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin — visited on Dillon McCurdy's trip to Ireland
  • inthemidstpod.com — where the show points listeners for more resources, episodes, and updates
Discussion questions

Take it further

  1. Drew Rogers describes the difference between shaping our beliefs by the word of God and shaping the word of God to fit our beliefs. Where have you seen that second thing happen, in yourself or around you?
  2. Philippians 4:13 was the example of a verse taken out of context. What other verses do you hear used this way, and what does the surrounding passage actually say?
  3. Dillon McCurdy says consuming scripture and studying scripture can't be separated. Which of the two are you currently doing more of, and what would it take to strengthen the other?
  4. Drew Rogers talks about the verses nobody stitches on a pillow. Is there a passage you tend to avoid, and why?
  5. The episode suggests outlining chapters and writing notes even if you have no place to teach. What would keep you from doing that, and is it a good reason?
  6. Drew Rogers says Old Testament portraits shouldn't be made up, and that he finds them while prayerfully reading rather than while hunting for them. How do you tell the difference between a pattern you found in the text and one you brought to it?
  7. The closing advice is to bounce what you're seeing off your pastor or friends who are in the word. Who is that person for you right now?
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