Appendices

Appendix A: Exegesis Guidelines

Pages 275-280 Presuming the text is read in English

Reflect on presuppositions that impact interpretation of a passage.

1. Read passage and note familiarity with it
2. Note how you’ve heard this passage interpreted before
3. Intertext—what other passages comes to mind to help you interpret?
4. Jot any foreign terms or ideas
5. Ask for God’s help to hear the passage on its own terms

Identify social-world context: the sociohistorical, political, and religious contexts

1. Identify the author, audience, date, and purpose of the Bible book
   1. Example: For the study of Ephesians, it would be important to identify that the letter is quite likely a circular letter written for a variety of churches, not only or primarily for Ephesus. The evidence for this is the omission of “at Ephesus” in the earlier manuscripts, as well as the general nature of Paul’s comments at 1:15; 3:2; and 4:21. This would account for the more general nature of the letter.
2. Note any historical, cultural, or religious issues that need more research.

Identify genre: the literary category of the writing being studied

1. Identify the literary form or forms in the text
   1. Example: If you are studying a Gospel text, note if the text is strictly narrative or if it includes other kinds of material, such as parable or genealogy.
2. Consult secondary sources to learn about these forms
   1. Example: For a study of Ephesians, it would be important to know the basic parts of an ancient letter (epistle) and to recognize the necessity of identifying the purpose of a Pauline letter as well as analyzing the argument of the letter.

Identify the text and literary context: the text to be interpreted and its literary surroundings

1. The whole book
   1. Read entire book a few times to get an overview
   2. Outline the book
   3. Provide your own “title” for each section
   4. Notice the major themes of the book
   5. Determine the stated or implicit purpose(s) of the book
2. The larger section
3. Immediate context
4. Reassess the boundaries of your passage to ensure that your are dealing with the entire thought unit

Carefully study the text using appropriate methods and tools

1. Outline the passage
2. Map the passage
   1. Note repeated words/phrases/ideas
   2. Identify comparisons and contrasts
   3. Study relationship of ideas through the passage
   4. Identify key ideas
   5. Identify any references to other biblical texts
   6. Research key words and phrases
   7. Consult exegetical commentaries for comparison with your results and for additional insights

Summarize the keys ideas of the text

Integrate conclusions with larger biblical-theological story

1. Revisit any biblical texts that were referenced
2. Ask how those texts fit into the overarching story of God’s work in humanity and creation
3. Ask how the author builds on and contributes to said story

Delineate relevant implications for today

1. Preaching/teaching application: recast your summary into a sermon idea
2. Theological application—what does this say about God?
3. Personal application—ask God to change the way you think and live through what you have studied.

Rethink presuppositions: Are we being transformed?

1. Review your notes from first step. Note how they may have changed and why they did.
2. Has other interpretations of the same passage impacted how I interpret it?
3. Has studying this passage closely and prayerfully brought transformation in terms of thinking, being, and/or doing?

Appendix B: Historical Criticism

Pages 281-283 Historical criticism is analysis of the Bible that focuses upon what has been called “behind the text” issues, such as the traditions, sources, and oral forms that were used by the biblical authors as they wrote. It usually deals with authorship, dating, audience, and general studies of the time period the biblical text was written. Here are three movements within historical criticism:

Source criticism

Source criticism, arising during the nineteenth century, focuses on delineating and describing the sources that underlie the final form of the Bible. Analyzing the overlap between the synoptic gospels to determine which gospels were used as sources for the others is the task of source critics.

Form criticism

Reaching its height in the early twentieth century, form criticism seeks to identify the various oral forms that preceded Bible books and the ways in which Israel or the church used these forms in their life and worship. A common example is applying form criticism to the Psalms and prophetic literature since they were circulated orally before being written down.

Redaction criticism

Redaction refers to the editing of source material by biblical authors. One goal is to identify the author’s literary and theological contribution to the shaping of the traditional material inherited and what their emphases say about their audience.

Appendix C: Parallelism in Hebrew Poetry

Pages 284-285

1. Synonymous Parallelism
   1. A is essentially parallel in meaning to B with a shift in nuance between the two. Together A and B expresses a unified idea (e.g., Ps. 20:1).
2. Antithetical Parallelism
   1. A is a contrast to B (e.g., Ps. 20:7).
3. Synthetic Parallelism A is more loosely related to B in one of the following ways:
   1. Statement/Reason (e.g., Ps. 28:6)
      1. B gives reason for A (often connected by “because” or “for”)
   2. Statement/Question or Question/Statement (e.g., Pss. 6:5; 119:9))
      1. A or B is a question
   3. Statement/Refrain (e.g., Ps. 136:1-26)
      1. Refrain (B) is repeated throughout the psalm section
   4. Progression (e.g., Isa. 40:9; Ps. 1:3)
      1. B extends or develops the thought of A
   5. Specification or Explanation (e.g., Pss. 18:24; 72:9)
      1. B explains or makes more specific the thought of A
   6. Statement/Result (e.g., Ps. 81:12)
      1. B provides the result or purpose of A (often connected by “to” or “that”)

Appendix D: Epistles: Following an Author’s Flow of Thought

Pages 286-288

Basic Guidelines

1. Use either NASB or ESV to follow connecting words
2. Divide passage into clauses
3. Identify and underline connecting words that begin each clause
4. From clause to clause, identify relationships between clauses by examining connecting words
5. Keep entire analysis on one page

Galatians 5:1 example: 1a It was for freedom that Christ set us free; 1b therefore keep standing firm (result) 1c and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. (negative-positive)

Logical Connections: The most common types of logical relationships between ideas or clauses in English are listed below. They are typically identified by the connecting word that introduces the second clause or thought.

Appendix E: How to Go about Topical Studies

Pages 289-290

1. Determine if Scripture speaks to the proposed idea or topic.
2. Determine how Scripture speaks to the proposed idea or topic (i.e., directly or indirectly).
3. Are there key texts that address the topic as their primary point?
   1. If so, choose the text as your focal text. Concordance search can help with this.
   2. Carefully study the text to get its main idea.
   3. Could be helpful to select several secondary texts to support ideas from the primary text.
4. If there are no key texts, choose some texts that deal with the topic as a secondary issue.
5. If choosing a broad biblical topic, consider studying one author’s take on that topic rather than selecting verses from across Scripture.
6. Recognize the value of not finding what you were looking for. It’s easy to assume the biblical “answer” rather than coming to learn what Scripture has to say for itself.