On my first day of my Intro to New Testament class, the professor said this:
A text that has been disembodied from any historical context is nothing but a pretext for you to say whatever you want.
A.J. Levine's words on Monday are very true. We don't all have to be scholars with Ph.D.'s, but a quick look into the cultures that produced the documents we like to use as trump cards is well worth it. At a minimum, such an examination will prevent us from saying something stupid.