How Pastors Can Benefit from Studying Archaeology

Understanding Context

There are a lot of ways that archaeology benefits the pastor. For one, it encourages them as they read about Scriptures to see connections between texts that they’ve read for years and things that have actually been found in the ground. That’s encouraging to people, and when they can share that encouragement with others, that’s wonderful. The main way we can be encouraged is to understand what’s going on culturally in the Bible. We find our ability to understand the world that much better.

The real job of the pastor is to help their people understand Scripture and then apply it in their lives. And the better pastors understand it, the better they can convey that understanding.

The real job of the pastor is to help their people understand Scripture and then apply it in their lives.

Concrete Examples

And then on the practical side of things, I find that when I preach and teach, it's difficult to come up with illustrations. Illustrations are helpful to wake people up.

ESV Archaeology Study Bible

The ESV Archaeology Study Bible roots the biblical text in its historical and cultural context, giving Bible readers a framework for better understanding the people, places, and events recorded in Scripture.

They’re also there to help people understand the text that much better, and archaeology is a great go-to for pastors as they’re thinking of how to involve people in the text.

David Chapman (PhD, University of Cambridge) is professor of New Testament and Archaeology at Covenant Theological Seminary. He is also the author of Ancient Jewish and Christian Perceptions of Crucifixion. He presents research and lectures worldwide.