One of the simplest and easiest ways to study the written context is to read it and summarize the author’s message. This can be done quickly. If you are teaching or preaching, you should study the written context more carefully. You should at least observe the following: • The historical setting of the author and first readers. • The kind of literature (genre) used (poetry, prophecy, letter, history, descriptive, story, teaching, etc.). • References to the culture that may affect the meaning of the