According to the American Heritage Dictionary online, one of the definitions for background is: “The circumstances and events surrounding or leading up to an event or occurrence (American Heritage).” I believe this is a good general definition of what “background” in the context of learning the history surrounding the New Testament means.
There are several reasons why someone should spend time studying the world in which the New Testament was written. One of the most important reasons is that God values wisdom and knowledge and says over and over again throughout scripture that we are to seek them out. So, we are being good stewards of our minds by studying and learning about the things God has been involved in. When I read the Bible, it is alive with historical facts, data, and culturally relevant information. It would be easy to just read the pages, get Christian doctrine, and learn about how we are supposed to live, but we would be missing a piece of the puzzle.
Learning about the history and why people chose to do the things they did back then strengthens our faith. In Chapter 4 of “A Survey of the New Testament” by Robert H. Gundry, it talks about the great lengths early Christians went to in order to maintain the message of Christ by setting up strict criteria as to which books were part of the New Testament and accurately copying them. It goes on to ensure us that our current Bibles have been compared to the ancient texts and do not have a large enough degree of error to change the meanings (Gundry 80-85). This ensures us that the message that Christ came to preach is the message that we are still getting today.
Finally, it helps us to know that Scripture is accurate and historically sound. This is important because some people consider the story of Christ a folktale passed on through generations. They have not studied the historicity of the scriptures in order to see their accuracy. However, if you take the time to look, you can see they have been verified over and over again throughout history.
So, by learning the background information about the New Testament we are pleasing God by seeking knowledge, strengthening our faith, and building confidence. This in essence will allow us to be more comfortable sharing our faith with others because we will have a stronger foundation on which to stand.
