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Next, the preacher must try to understand the historical and cultural background of the passage. He needs to know what events were taking place behind the scenes during the time the passage was given. Also, a clear understanding of the culture, their social and religious practices, and the political climate of the times are indispensable to a clear interpretation of the biblical passage. There are many resources available to the man of God for this kind of study.

As we study the background of the passage, we want to determine several matters about the passage. This means that we must ask the passage some questions.
• Who wrote the passage?
• Who was he writing to?
• What problems were they facing?
• Why did he write to them?
• What problems did he address?
• Where was he when he wrote?
• Where were his readers?
• What issues did he address?
• When did he write them? What time of year was it?
• What was happening politically?
• What was happening religiously?
• Who was ruling?
• Is there a sin to avoid?
• Is there a promise to claim?
• Is there a command to obey?
• Is there a lesson to learn?
• Is there a blessing to enjoy?
• Is there a new thought to see?
• Plus any other questions you can think of!

We must come to the text with any questions we might have. Our purpose is not to find fault with the Bible, but to ask the passage just the right questions so that it opens to us and yields to us its treasure. When we ask the right questions, the Bible will give us the right answers!

Do cross-reference work. The Bible has much to say about every subject. Take the time to see what the Scripture says about your theme. A useful tool for this kind of work is a book called The Treasury Of Scripture Knowledge by R.A. Torrey. It contains over 500,000 cross-references and parallel passages. Often the insight you need is just a cross-reference away!

Also, the preacher should look for the theological and Christological significance of the passage. The Bible is a book of theology. Our job as preachers is not just to do a good exegesis of the passage, but we are to find the practical teachings in the text that apply to the people who hear us preach. It is not nearly enough to do good background research, but we must bridge the gap between then and now. We must bring the Bible into the modern era for our hearers. The Bible is far more than a history book.  It is a book filled with life-changing principles that must be exposed. If we, the men of God, stop our preaching with a mere exegesis and history lesson on the text, then we have failed to preach the Word of God. Our job is to see how the passage in question speaks to our lives and to the lives of those who hear us preach.

Last of all consult the commentaries. Why last? Because the same God who gave insight to the men who penned the commentaries can give the insight to you if you will pay the price in the study that they have paid! However, after you have done your legwork, look at what other men have to say about the passage you are studying. It may be that the author has some background information or theological insight that will help you in the proclamation of the Word of God.

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