Write an outline of a passage
Tim Stephenson
- 3 minutes read - 434 wordsThe aim of this exercise is to produce a simple structural outline of a passage, breaking it into its natural major and minor divisions so that the flow/logic of the passage can be seen clearly. This is an important skill, and (in my view) a vital part of understanding the Bible. It will help you better appreciate the text and will improve your preaching and teaching. A good sermon or Bible study takes its structure from the structure of the passage.
There’s no set method here, so find your own. You might print out and mark up the passage with highlighters or use the ‘numbered list’ function on Word to produce a structured list of summaries. Here are the key tasks:
Read the book
Ideally, you should have read (or listened to) the whole book recently. If you haven’t, do that now. It won’t take as long as you think. This is to make sure you have a sense of the broader context in which your passage sits.
Read the passage
Read the passage at least twice, once quickly for the general flow, and once more slowly, to get a sense of its shape by attending to logic, plot, setting, characters, themes, etc. Note its overall ‘shape,’ whether a rise-and-fall or logical/narrative progression.
Notice structural elements
Note down elements of the passage that indicate movement/plot. Are these ‘major’ movements or ‘minor’ ones, in your opinion? If you’re marking up the text, you might number the key points or scenes. Look out for changes in scene or topic. Notice and highlight connecting phrases such as ‘therefore,’ ‘however,’ ‘but now,’ or ‘after this.’ Notice any repetitions, contrasts, parallels, chiasms, or other structural features. NB. Ignore any paragraph breaks in the English text. Ignore the boundaries set by your lectionary (or your lecturer). If you think the boundaries lie elsewhere, move them (Deut 19.14 does not apply here!).
Outline it
Arrange the sections of the passage into a structure. You can do this is the form of a bullet-pointed list (A, B, C, etc.) or – if you’re feeling more creative – a mind map, narrative storyboard, or sequence of images. Indicate verse numbers for each section. The point is to have a clear and concise summary of the flow of the passage. NB. Different approaches may be more suited to different genres of the NT texts. The logic of a more non-linear book like Hebrews or Revelation, for example, will be different to the logic of Romans, or the narrative flow of the gospels.
For more help, read M. Gorman Elements of Biblical Exegesis, chapter 5.