Lesson 2 | The Context of Cfs
Parallel Passage Cf Context
In the next four steps, we will consider what checking the context looks like for each of the four types of cross-references.
The Bible is a glorious story written in beautiful fashion and a variety of styles. It contains narratives, songs, wisdom, parables, letters, visions in fantastical imagery, and more.
The Bible is also true history, recording realities that matter.
And if Christ has not been raised [as a historical fact!], your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. —1 Corinthians 15:17
Remembering both of these truths is crucial for rightly handling parallel passages. On the one hand, each passage is a part of its own book, with a particular occasion and initial audience in mind. On the other hand, we are most certainly interested in rightly understanding what each passage communicates about hard facts—historical realities in the past, present, and future.
For this reason, the following should NOT be our aim in considering parallel passages:
- To “fix” your passage of study There is nothing wrong with any book of the Bible and so we never want to compare two accounts in order to figure out which is right—they are always both right!
- To study the “real” story Each passage is inspired by God and worthy of consideration on its own terms. So we are not to handle parallel passages like a criminal investigator handles witnesses. In a criminal investigation, all that is important is piecing together the incident that took place. The witnesses are simply a means to that end. But not so with the Bible, where each book is individually inspired by God to train you for righteousness. Or, to put it another way, the Bible would not be improved if its parallel passages were sliced together into a single reading, and so we should not attempt to do so! It is perfect as-is.
Instead, we ought to consider parallel passages for these reasons:
- To keep us from wrong inferences Often, we suppose that a passage implies something beyond what it explicitly says. Parallel passages can help keep us from doing so incorrectly. (See below for an example.)
- To understand each book’s purpose and message better Sometimes observing what each author includes or leaves out in his telling of history can help us see what he is doing more clearly.
Example
Consider what Jesus says in Mark 3:28-30.
28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Looking at this passage alone, it would be reasonable for me to infer that saying something negative about Jesus is the definition of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. After all, verse 30 begins with the word “for” introducing what is clearly the basis for why Jesus is speaking of this “eternal sin.”
But while this conclusion may be reasonable, it is not right. This is made evident when we look at a parallel passage cross-reference.
Notice how Matthew’s retelling of this incident adds a detail absent in Mark: “whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven.” This cross-reference keeps us from making a wrong inference in our study of Mark. For, whatever blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is, Matthew’s account makes clear that it is not simply speaking badly of Jesus.
When to Explore Parallel Passage Cross-References at Length
Our example yielded quick help to our study of Mark, but often this is not the case with parallel passages. Typically, comparing parallel passages takes a long time as there are many things to note: differences in how things are phrased, skipped portions, ordering discrepancies, and more. Is it worth it? Absolutely. But given the time required, you will need to choose wisely when you have that time to give. What you do not want is to spend so much time comparing a parallel passage that you neglect to properly study your passage of focus.
Finding Parallel Passages
You already know that parallel passages are frequently included within the ESV cross-reference system. However, since their gray dot is not distinguished from other types of cross-references, they can be difficult to find quickly. A better way, if you are on the search for parallel-passage-type cross-references, is to use the subheadings provided by the Berean Study Bible (BSB)—another English Bible version available on Biblearc.
To add this Bible version, click the gear icon button within the passage chooser.
