PART ONE: RESEARCHING THE TEXT

The work done at this level is preparatory to writing the exegesis paper. Thorough notes should be taken so that the important information and concepts can later be included in the paper. Survey the General Historical Context:

Read the Scripture through Several Times.
If you are preparing a series of sermons or lessons through an entire Biblical book, you should read the entire book through in a single sitting. The same is true if you are preparing only one or two sermons or lessons from a short book of Scripture. If you are preparing a single message from a longer Biblical book, you may not have ample time to read through the entire book several times, in which case you at least need to read the logical unit before and after the passage you are exegeting. On your second, or later reading, take notes on the following subjects.

• Discover everything you can about the recipients of the book. Include such matters as their status (Jews, Gentiles, or a combination), their relation to the author, and their socioeconomic status.
• Discover everything you can about the purpose.
• Note special emphases or concerns that emerge in the text.
• Write an annotated outline of the book. (This is done only when you are working on sermons or lessons through an entire book.)

Check Your Observations against the Secondary Literature.
In this step you will compare your preliminary observations with the information found in the following kinds of sources:

• A Comprehensive New Testament Introduction
• A Reputable Content Oriented New Testament Survey

Confirm the Limits of the Passage:
Make sure the passage you have selected is a genuine, self-contained unit. If you are exegeting only a single sentence, that sentence must still be placed into its own paragraph or pericope. If you have studied Hebrew and/or Greek, you should go to the Hebrew or Greek texts and compare the unit breaks there with the unit breaks in the NASB or NRSV. Where these differ, you will have to decide what the basic unit is.

Become Thoroughly Acquainted with Your Text:
If you are capable of using Hebrew or Greek, you should begin with step A. below. If you use English only, begin with step C. below.

Make a provisional translation of the text.
The goal here is to become thoroughly acquainted with the content of your paragraph. Your efforts may be assisted by use of:

• Sakae Kubo, A Reader's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Berrien Springs, Mich.: Andrews University Press, 1971).
• Fritz Rienecker and Cleon Rogers, A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982).
• Max Zerwick and Mary Grosvenor, A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament : vol. I, Gospels-Acts ; vol. II, Epistles-Apocalypse (Rome: Biblical Institute Press, 1974, 1979).

Make a provisional list of exegetical difficulties.
Following is a list of the kind of items that you will note for special study:

• Textual issues: Are there any textual variations that will make a difference in how a person understands the text?
• Grammatical issues: What matters of grammar surfaced in your translation? Are any noted in the translational aids?

Read the paragraph through in several translations.

• You should use at least six different translations of the passage and make copies that you can mark. As a baseline, use the KJV, NASB, and the NIV. Then get at least three other modern translations for comparison. You might choose from GNB, RSV/NRSV, NEB/REB, Phillips, JB/NJB.
• Mark the differences between your translations. Either use colored markers on the photocopies, or, better, make a list of the differences and supporting translations at every point.
• Determine which of the differences is exegetically significant, that is, which ones make a difference in meaning. Whenever translations have significant differences between them, it is a sure indication that some exegetical difficulties lie behind the differences.
• Try to determine whether the differences are matters of textual criticism, grammar, or lexicography.

Analyze Sentence Structures and Syntactical Relationships:
It is of vital importance that you have a good sense of the flow of the argument or story and that you recognize the basic structures and syntax of each sentence. The best way to go about this is to write the entire passage out in some structured form. Such a process provides three advantages: first, you are forced to make tentative grammatical decisions; second, it enables you to visualize the structure and recognize any patterns; finally, it provides a tentative outline of the argument.

• Make a sentence flow.
  You will find instructions on how to do this in chapter II.1 of:
  Gordon D. Fee, New Testament Exegesis rev. ed. (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993).
• Make a sentence diagram.
  Students who have never learned to make a sentence flow may feel more comfortable diagraming the sentences of the passage. The advantage of a diagram is that it forces you to identify the grammatical relationship of every word in a sentence. The disadvantage is that dealing with only one sentence at a time may result in a failure to visualize the whole passage and the logical flow of the argument. You will find help with this procedure in a basic grammar like:
  Harry Shaw, Errors in English and Ways to Correct Them, 2d ed. (New York: Barnes & Noble, 1970).
• Establish the Text:
  Students who have not had courses in Hebrew and/or Greek with a section on using the Critical Apparatuses will be limited in their ability to accomplish this task. With careful study from the following resources, they will, however, be able to make educated textual decisions with the help of information provided in good critical commentaries. To gain an understanding of the process and principles involved, consult:

  William R. Scott, A Simplified Guide to Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia 3d ed. (North Richland Hills, Texas: BIBAL Press, 1987), pp. 18-24.

  Ernst Wurthwein, The Text of the Old Testament 2d ed. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995), pp. 107-132.

  Kurt Aland and Barbara Aland, Test of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism; 2d ed.;trans. By E. F. Rhodes (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.,1989).

  Gordon D. Fee, New Testament Exegesis rev. ed. (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993), pp. 81-91.

  "The Textual Criticism of the New Testament," in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, ed. By Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979), vol. 1, pp. 419-433.

  J. Harold Greenlee, Introduction to New Testament Textual Criticism (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964), pp. 107-113.

  Bruce M. Metzger, The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration; 2d ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1968).

  _____________________, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (New York: United Bible Societies, 1971), pp. xiii-xxxi.

  Most textual variants will not significantly impact the meaning of the text. Only those which do significantly impact the text's meaning should be included in the formal paper once you begin to write it.

• Analyze the Grammar:
  The analysis of the grammar of a text should ideally be done based on the Hebrew or Greek text. However, students who have not taken Hebrew or Greek will have to work with the English Translations and with credible commentaries. The English only student can and should learn the nature of Greek grammatical decisions as well as those who know the language by careful study of the following sources:

  James A. Brooks and Carlton L. Winbery, Syntax of New Testament Greek (Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 1979).

  William D. Chamberlain, An Exegetical Grammar of the Greek New Testament (New York: Macmillan Co., 1961).

  A. T. Robertson and W. H. Davis, A New Short Grammar of the Greek Testament ; 10 ^th ed. (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1933; repr. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1977).

  The following steps should be followed in analyzing the grammar:

  • Isolate the words and clauses that require grammatical decisions between two or more options.
    • Determine the case of nouns and pronouns and why that case is used. The cases which most frequently involve significant decisions are the genitive and dative.
    • Determine the tense (with primary focus on kind of action), voice and mood of verb forms. Some of these verb forms have important significance for interpretation.
    • Decide the force or meaning of conjunctions and particles. This area is far too often overlooked.
    • Decide the force or nuances of prepositions.
    • Determine the relationship of circumstantial (adverbial) participles and infinitives to the sentence.
  • Be aware of the options.
  • Consult the grammars.
  • Check out the author's use elsewhere.
  • Determine which option makes the best sense in the present context.
  • Determine which grammatical decisions need discussion in your paper.
• Analyze Significant Words: An exegesis should not become a series of mini word studies.
  • Isolate the significant words in your passage that need special study.
    • Make a note of the words which you know in advance or determine by context to be "theologically loaded."
    • Watch for words that will clearly make a difference in the meaning of the passage, but which seem to be ambiguous or unclear in meaning.
    • Watch for words that are repeated, or that emerge as motifs in a section or paragraph.
    • Watch for words that might have greater significance in the context than might be observable at first.
  • Establish the range of meanings for significant words within their context. One or more of the following four steps will assist in this task.
    • Consider the value of studying the "history" of the word. This involves studying the meaning of the word in periods earlier than the New Testament period through its evolution into the New Testament period.
    • Establish the range of meanings found in the Greco-Roman and Jewish literature contemporary with the New Testament.
    • Determine where and how the word is used elsewhere in the New Testament. How does this author's usage compare in frequency and meaning with the usage of other New Testament writers?
    • Consider the author's usage of the word elsewhere in his own writings. What is his range of meanings? Does he use other words to express the same or similar ideas?

    Analyze the context carefully to decide which or the range of meanings is the most likely in your passage.

• Research the Historical-Cultural Background: This stage of study involves a variety of concerns including: the meaning of persons, places, events, etc., mentioned in the passage; the cultural -social milieu of the author and his readers; the customs and practices of the author or speaker and his readers or listeners; and the thought world of the author and his readers. You will need to determine which of these issues need to be elaborated on the basis of what may not be obvious and what makes a genuine difference in the meaning of the text.

  A. Old Testament Literature:

  1. Research the historical background.
  2. Research the social setting.
  3. Research the historical foreground.
  4. Research the geographical setting.
  5. Try to date the passage.

  B. New Testament Literature: In analyzing the Historical-Cultural background of New Testament materials, it is helpful to consider the various types of literature separately.

  1. Gospels:
     1. Consider the possible life settings in the ministry of Jesus. This relates particularly to the sayings or teachings of Jesus. The best way to approach this task is to identify the audience. In light of the content of the saying, to whom was it most likely spoken originally?
        1. To disciples?
        2. To the crowds?
        3. To the Pharisees?
        4. Is it best understood in the context of conflict?
        5. Is it best understood in the context of discipleship?
        6. Remember, this is speculative, and one should err, if he/she errs, on the side of caution.
        7. This is not the primary aim of exegesis, but the life setting of the event in the life of Jesus is a part of discovering the meaning of the text.
     2. Recover the meaning of the text in its present literary context in the Gospel.
  2. Acts:
     1. Who are the main characters in the narrative?
     2. What are these characters doing in the narrative?
     3. Are there any other persons, places, or names that should be explored in a Bible dictionary?
  3. The Epistles: It is especially important to remember that the New Testament Epistles are occasional documents. What we want to do is to try to reconstruct or discover the situation which is addressed in the text we are exegeting.
     1. Read for details.
     2. Make a list of everything in the text that gives insight into the identity of the audience and their situation.
     3. Make a list of key words and repeated phrases which indicate the subject of the section.
     4. Write a paragraph that summarizes all the information you have discovered in a coherent fashion.
  4. The Apocalypse:
     1. Recognize both the epistolary and prophetic/apocalyptic elements in Revelation.
     2. The letters and visions depicting the church's suffering reflect the history of the author and his readers.
     3. The visions of God's wrath against the persecutors of the church reflect a tension between history and eschatology (placing temporal judgement against the background of eschatological judgement.
  • Research the Literary Context:

  A. Old Testament:

  1. Examine the literary function of the passage in the larger unit or book in which it is found.
  2. Notice how the passage fits in the section of the book where it is found. Is it well integrated? Is it one of many similar passages? What is unique about the passage?
  3. Notice the degree of detail in the passage. Does its details give a clue to a particular historical or cultural setting? Does the passage present a particular perspective?
  4. Consider the authorship of the passage. Does identification of the author assist a person in following the logic of the passage?

  B. New Testament:

  1. Gospels: Analyze the pericope in a Gospel synopsis.
     1. Selectivity: Is this pericope found in other Gospels or is it unique to this Gospel? Is its inclusion related to one or more of the known special interests of the Evangelist?
     2. Arrangement: Is the pericope found in the same context in the other Gospels in which it is found? If it is different, does this provide a clue to the writer's special purpose or interests?
     3. Adaptation: Has the Evangelist added or changed anything in the pericope? If so, are the changes merely stylistic? Do the changes reflect the author's interests or unique emphases?
  2. Acts: Analyze the narrative or speech from these perspectives.
     1. Arrangement: What is the point of the narrative or speech? How is it related to what has just been narrated? How does it function in Luke's total narrative?
     2. Adaptation: Are there any peculiarities in the narrative or speech compared to other narratives or speeches in Acts that may give clues to Luke's special interests here?
  3. Epistles: It is critical in analyzing the literary context of the epistles to think paragraphs. The argument of the epistle must be traced throughout the section of the epistle paragraph by paragraph.
     1. Logic and Content: Write out the logic and content of the paragraph you are exegeting. In your own words, write out briefly what the author has said and how his argument develops.
     2. Content and Argument: In another few sentences, explain how this content contributes to the argument. What is the intent or purpose of this paragraph in the author's argument or flow of thought?
  4. The Apocalypse:

PART TWO: WRITING THE EXEGESIS PAPER

I. BACKGROUND STUDIES: This section is where you will accomplish the task of setting the historical sitz em leben . Give a thorough presentation of the major views related to each of the following issues. Close each section with your conclusion about each issue.

C. Authorship

D. Recipients

E. Date

F. Occasion/Purpose

II. LITERARY STUDIES:

A. Contextual Setting:
Tell the relationship between the text you are exegeting and the verses that immediately precede and follow them. The text you are exegeting should comprise a literary unit, or a major part of one. The relationship we're referring to here is between this literary unit and the ones comprised by the verses immediately preceding and following it.

B. The Form This Text Takes:
Tell whether this textual unit takes the form of poetry, narrative, parable, miracle story, theological or doctrinal instruction, practical or ethical instruction, etc. Then determine whether the text should be interpreted primarily literally or primarily figuratively.

C. Verse by Verse Analysis:
Break the verse down into significant words or phrases. Start each new verse on a new sheet of paper. Provide significant insights on these words and phrases from at least five critical/ exegetical commentaries. Start a new line for the insights from each new source. Look for such information as word meanings, grammatical construction, syntax, and significant variant readings. The purpose of this section is to try to determine to the best of our ability what the writer intended to convey to his original hearers or what this text meant to its original hearers or readers. Be thorough without getting lost in insignificant or irrelevant minutiae. Do not footnote this material. Simply include the author's name or a shortened form of the title of the commentary in parentheses after the insight.

III. APPLICATION OF THE STUDIES: This is the section where you will try to complete the hermeneutical task.

A. The Purpose of the Text:
Based on the literary studies you have completed, state in your own words what you believe was the author's purpose in writing the text. (What issues or concerns was he addressing? What concepts actions and/or feelings did he intend to elicit from his readers/hearers? This should take about one or two paragraphs.

B. The Central Message of the Text:
Based on the literary studies you have completed, take one or two paragraphs to tell what you believe the main message of the text is. This is where we are attempting to state the timeless truth of the text. This the principle or interpretation which speaks to all people regardless of their historico/socio/cultural setting. Remember, there is one interpretation, but many applications

C. The Contemporary Application of The Truth of the Text:
In one or two paragraphs, state in your own words what this text has to say to us today (Christians, the church we serve, our society). There may be numerous applications of the passage to the contemporary scene.

IV. BIBLIOGRAPHY: The bibliography should follow a consistent form, but it is not necessary for it to follow Turabian. Beside each entry note the authors name or shortened form of the title of the commentary as used in the Literary Studies section of the exegesis.

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