A great deal of the Bible is quite understandable by itself. To grasp much of the Bible we don’t need tons of background, familiarity with ancient languages, or an advanced degree in archaeology. Then we approach other passages where we need the collective wisdom from the church’s scholars to open up the fuller meaning.

We’re at such a place today. John chapter 4 speaks much louder of God’s grace when we review some background information. First, the history between the Jews and Samaritans was vicious, with grievous wrongs having been committed by both groups. Second, this text is full of puns that aren’t obvious in an English translation. Consequently, reading English we don’t understand why the woman doesn’t immediately catch the drift of Jesus’ words. Third, we need to know — without t…