{"id":199,"date":"2022-11-23T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-23T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reflectivebiblestudy.com\/gospeladventure\/?p=199&2022"},"modified":"2022-11-21T17:00:25","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T00:00:25","slug":"the-context-is-critical-luke-17-20-37","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reflectivebiblestudy.com\/gospeladventure\/the-context-is-critical-luke-17-20-37\/","title":{"rendered":"The Context Is Critical: Luke 17:20-37"},"content":{"rendered":"
Focus Passage: Luke 17:20-37 (NIrV)<\/div>

\u00a020<\/sup> Once the Pharisees asked Jesus when God\u2019s kingdom would come. He replied, \u201cThe coming of God\u2019s kingdom is not something you can see just by watching for it carefully. 21<\/sup> People will not say, \u2018Here it is.\u2019 Or, \u2018There it is.\u2019 God\u2019s kingdom is among you.\u201d <\/p>\r\n

\u00a022<\/sup> Then Jesus spoke to his disciples. \u201cThe time is coming,\u201d he said, \u201cwhen you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man. But you won\u2019t see it. 23<\/sup> People will tell you, \u2018There he is!\u2019 Or, \u2018Here he is!\u2019 Don\u2019t go running off after them. <\/p>\r\n

\u00a024<\/sup> \u201cWhen the Son of Man comes, he will be like the lightning. It flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. 25<\/sup> But first the Son of Man must suffer many things. He will not be accepted by the people of today. <\/p>\r\n

\u00a026<\/sup> \u201cRemember how it was in the days of Noah. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. 27<\/sup> People were eating and drinking. They were getting married. They were giving their daughters to be married. They did all those things right up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. <\/p>\r\n

\u00a028<\/sup> \u201cIt was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking. They were buying and selling. They were planting and building. 29<\/sup> But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven. And all the people were destroyed. <\/p>\r\n

\u00a030<\/sup> \u201cIt will be just like that on the day the Son of Man is shown to the world. 31<\/sup> Suppose someone is on the roof of his house on that day. And suppose his goods are inside the house. He should not go down to get them. No one in the field should go back for anything either. 32<\/sup> Remember Lot\u2019s wife! 33<\/sup> Anyone who tries to keep his life will lose it. Anyone who loses his life will keep it. <\/p>\r\n

\u00a034<\/sup> \u201cI tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed. One person will be taken and the other left. 35-36<\/sup> Two women will be grinding grain together. One will be taken and the other left.\u201d <\/p>\r\n

\u00a037<\/sup> \u201cWhere, Lord?\u201d his disciples asked. <\/p>\r\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0He replied, \u201cThe vultures will gather where there is a dead body.\u201d <\/p>\r\n

Read Luke 17:20-37<\/a> in context and\/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!<\/p><\/div><\/div>\r\n

In our journal entry for today, let’s uncover an idea that is central to effective Bible study by looking at the details in the passage we are focusing in on. Near the end of our passage are some verses that many read and use to form the belief of a \u201csecret\u201d rapture (or a secret return of Jesus to take His followers to heaven). However, when we looking at the broad context of this passage, and the surrounding verses, this understanding is not likely, because everything leading up to this climax refers to something that is far from \u201csecret\u201d and far from being contained in a specific location.<\/p>\r\n

While we\u2019ll save looking at these details until another journal entry, the principle I want to point out in this journal entry is this: In order to have a strong, effective Bible study that leads us to Biblical \u201ctruth\u201d, we must start by reading all passages within their context (both scriptural context and cultural context)<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

If we do what many people do, and pull out the last several verses of this passage, we can easily see a description of something that is not accurate when looked at in the broad context.<\/p>\r\n

Multiple times, this passage refers to when Jesus returns, and how it will look from our perspective, as well as giving historical examples of those who Jesus was talking to would be able to understand. We get the picture that this will be a global event, will be very earth-shattering, and not everyone will be ready.<\/p>\r\n

It is very easy for someone to pick and choose passages out of their original contexts, and have the Bible say something it was not meant to say. For example, perhaps we place the following verses together in sequence:<\/p>\r\n