Category: Tools

Tools I have developed for the local Church. These posts are primarily focused on tangible resources.

sermon structure
How to Effectively Structure a Sermon

How to Effectively Structure a Sermon

By |

No one taught me how to structure a sermon or a teaching. I was given a limited amount of tools for studying a text, and I was told the importance of preaching. But the question of how to effectively structure a sermon was not answered for me. So, through reading and listening to a wide variety of preaching, I found a number of different ways to create an orderly sermon.

There is certainly not “one way” to structure a sermon. But there are a number of patterns or “archetypes” used by preachers both present and past. In this post, I want to give you a handful of ways to structure a sermon. There is no perfect way, in fact, I would recommend thinking through sermon structure each time you preach. Depending on the text, the length of the passage, the type of literature, and other factors, one structure might be preferred to another.

I will first define three important terms that I will use to analyze sermon structures. Then, I will present two general sermon structures from two different structures derived from the New Testament Epistle. Finally, I will present a few sermon structure “archetypes” I have analyzed by listening and reading the great expositional preachers through history.

Definitions: Doctrine, Application

The distinction between doctrine and application is one of the most important concepts to think through. In order to even begin to think about sermon structure, you must understand the vital difference between doctrine and application. Essentially, doctrine describes reality. It is a declarative statement from the Lord about what the world really is like. Application, on the other hand, gives the readers/listeners how they should live in light of this reality. It is an imperative statement which commands some response.

For example, if I said “It is raining outside,” that is a declarative statement. I am making a claim about reality. If I followed this up with “You should bring an umbrella” I am now making an imperative statement. In light of the reality of rain, I tell you that you should bring an umbrella. Most of the time, doctrine and application are connected with a “therefore”. Because something is true, you should do something.

Scripture is full of doctrinal teaching and application. But different authors go about this in different ways. The two main different ways which are helpful when thinking about sermon structure are what I will call “Paul style” and “Peter style”. I will first go through each of these styles before looking at how preachers in general often structure their sermons.

Sermon Structures Derived from Scripture

Doctrine-application structure

Even though there are exceptions, Paul favored introducing doctrine first before application in his epistles. Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians all have a pretty “predictable” structure. Paul spends the early chapters of the book piling on doctrinal, declarative, objective spiritual truths. He builds on these truths throughout the book until he reaches a “therefore.” This “therefore” transitions from the first half of the books which is primarily declarative to the second half which is primarily imperative.

Romans 12 is a great example. For 11 chapters, Paul goes through doctrine and truth and spiritual reality. Then, in Romans 12, Paul transitions to imperatives with a “therefore”.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Romans 12:1, ESV emphasis added

How does this help you structure a sermon? The way Paul structures his epistles is one of the foundational sermon structures you could choose from. Essentially, a “Pauline” sermon structure might look something like this

  1. Introduction
  2. Expound, analyze, and argue doctrinal truth
  3. Take that doctrinal truth and command a certain, necessary behavior from your congregation in response to it

The “logical progression” structure I discuss at the end of this post borrows from Paul’s typical flow. Essentially, since all application should arise from doctrinal truth, sermons which use a “Paul style” strictly separate doctrine and application. Moreover, this type of structure focuses on presenting doctrine first before transitioning to any sort of commands.

The benefits of this structure include:

  • Clear division of doctrine and application so they are not confused
  • Complete focus on either doctrine or application rather than switching from one to another
  • Logical order of doctrine then application based on that doctrine

Apply-as-you-go

The other major ordering of doctrine and application you see in the New Testament is common in the general Epistles. I call it the “Peter style” even though the ordering is found in Hebrews, 1 John, and James. In 1 Peter, Peter does not wait until the end of the letter to transition to application. Peter applies doctrine as he goes. Throughout 1 Peter, you read a doctrine and then almost immediately see it applied.

For example, halfway through 1 Peter 1, the text transitions from discussing the salvation and inheritance the Church has received in Christ to a call to holy living.

It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:12-13, ESV emphasis added

So, a “Peter style” sermon structure does not move from doctrine to application, but from one point to the next. A sermon using this organization would look like this:

  1. Introduction
  2. Expound doctrinal truth 1
  3. Apply doctrinal truth 1
  4. Expound doctrinal truth 2
  5. Apply doctrinal truth 2
  6. Repeat until finished

As you can see, each point is applied as you go through the teaching. This style has several benefits:

  • Gives readers/listeners practical application as the sermon progresses
  • By applying doctrine as you go, each application is directly tied to whatever specific doctrine it arises from

There is more that could be said on the different ways to divide doctrine and application. But understanding the two general Biblical relations gives a helpful context for analyzing the sermon structures of great preachers.

Sermon Structure Archetypes from Great Preachers

There are four general patterns I have seen in how preachers order their sermons. I have ordered these four archetypes from most “text driven” in structure to most “preacher driven” in structure. “Text driven” refers to how much of your sermon structure is derived directly from the text while “preacher driven” refers to how much of your sermon structure comes from your own opinion on how the sermon should be ordered.

Running commentary

The first archetypal sermon structure I have encountered is what I will call the “running commentary”. Calling it a “structure” might be deceiving, however, because it is almost a non-structure. Your sermon starts at the beginning of the text and ends where you decide to end for that week. Its characteristics are simple:

  1. Introduce & read the whole passage
  2. Read a small section of the passage
  3. Explain what it means
  4. Move on to the next small section
  5. Explain what it means
  6. Repeat until complete

As you can see, there really is no formal structure to this type of sermon. The preacher simply works through the passage word by word, line by line and explains it and applies it as he goes. If you choose to preach using this method, you probably don’t even think about “sermon structure”. You simply go through the text and give your commentary to the congregation as you go.

There are definite positives to this method:

  • Every single word of a passage is explained to some degree
  • You can devote more focus to studying a text rather than figuring out how to structure your sermon
  • The length of the sermon can easily scale based on how large a passage you choose

There are some drawbacks to the “running commentary” method, however:

  • It is easy for your sermon to lack emphasis
  • You can focus so much on individual words or phrases that you “miss the forest in the trees”
  • Your sermon can sound more like a class teaching rather than heralding the word

I would argue this method is most helpful for dense passages of Scripture like prophecy or the Epistles. Passages which have a definite logical argument or inherent structure can benefits from having the “running commentary” approach applied. The thoroughness of this method makes it applicable to the most complicated and detailed portions of Scripture.

Text-determined structure

This method is still based on the text, but gives a more defined structure to your sermon than the “running commentary” method. Essentially, you look at whatever passage of Scripture you are expounding and find any transitions, shifts, or sections that are contained within it. You then use these divisions to form the backbone of your sermon. In the end, your sermon structure looks like this:

  1. Introduce the text and its main divisions
  2. Read, expound, and apply the first section
  3. Read, expound, and apply the second section
  4. Repeat until all sections of text are preached

This method I call “text-determined” because you are letting the logical, grammatical, or textual breaks of a passage determine each section of your sermon. In this way, your sermon structure is still determined by the passage of Scripture itself, but you are extracting an outline from the passage instead of just walking through the passage.

If I had to summarize this method, it is making the outline of your sermon the outline of the passage. To apply the “text-determined structure” you should outline the Bible passage you are preaching early on in your study. From there, you already have a rough sermon structure into which you can add any application or further exposition.

This method has a lot of advantages:

  • The flow of your sermon follows the flow of the passage
  • Sermon structure is easily seen by your congregation in the text itself
  • Your sermon’s transitions are based on real transitions within the text
  • Outlining the passage does “double duty” by also becoming the headings of your sermon

Some drawbacks to this method include:

  • Not every text or literary type easily breaks into a defined structure
  • Depending on the length of your text, your sermon can have too many points
  • The structure of the text might not be an ideal structure for understanding the meaning of the text

What is great about the “text-determined” structure is how applicable it is to different literary types and text lengths. I think it particularly shines when preaching through Psalms (which often have clear transition points), Epistles (which have logical and grammatical features which are easy to use as transition points), Proverbs, and prophetic writings. I would argue in most cases, this structure should be your default.

Clearest communication structure

This sermon structure is less “text driven” and more “preacher driven.” It is similar to the “text-determined” structure, only with another step to it. You find the transition points of a passage and outline it. However, then you order whatever sections exist in the text in an order you as the preacher think makes the most sense. You essentially pick whatever headings or points you think the text makes, and then order your sermon based on what you think makes the most sense to your listeners. A “clearest communication” sermon would look something like this:

  1. Introduce the text and the main points you will preach on
  2. Give point 1, show where it exists in the text, expound, apply
  3. Give point 2, show where it exists in the text, expound, apply
  4. Repeat until done preaching the passage

In this method, you are not making the outline of the text the outline of the sermon. Your sermon outline, though based in the text and your study of it, is decided by you, the preacher. You think through what the most clear way to preach the text is and you let that concern for clarity drive how you order your sermon. In the end, you decide what the “organizing factor” is within the text, whether that be the main points of emphasis, the main characters of a passage, or the events of the passage. In this method, you must make a sermon structure apart from whatever structure already exists in the text.

There are some definite benefits to this method:

  • You can make the emphasis of the passage the clear emphasis of your sermon
  • Your congregation is in view as you study and prepare to preach
  • This method allows you to reduce a long or complex passage into a few central points

As with all methods, there are some drawbacks too:

  • Your sermon structure can become arbitrary or foreign to the text itself
  • It can be less clear to the congregation where you get each point you make
  • You can spend too much time focused on how to present the text rather than what the text says

The “clearest communication” structure really shines with narrative sections of Scripture and long passages of Scripture. I have written before on the difficulties with preaching narrative. Unlike poetry or logical argumentation, narrative does not always have a clear structure to extract. Therefore, having the “clearest communication” structure in your toolbox will help you when you have to summarize large portions of Scripture or when you have to deal with texts that don’t have clear or equally sized divisions.

Logical progression structure

This final sermon structure is the most “preacher driven” and has the least connection to the structure of the text you are preaching. The “logical progression” structure fits any sermon on a given passage of Scripture into three categories: definition, exposition, and implication. The structure is as follows:

  1. Introduce and read the text
  2. Define key words in the text
  3. Summarize the doctrinal truth from the text
  4. Expound on this truth by connecting it with other Scripture
  5. Draw out logical implications and applications of the doctrinal truth to your listeners.

This structure follows the “what does it say, what does it mean, how do I apply it” flow of a typical “inductive Bible study.” The Puritans often used this structure when they preached.

Some benefits of this structure include:

  • Clear, predictable flow for the congregation
  • Covers all major aspects of studying and applying a text
  • The sermon builds logically from the verse itself to the listener
  • The last thing your congregation hears is how the text applies to their lives

The drawback so the logical progression structure are:

  • Forces you to fit the nuances of a text into arbitrary categories
  • Treats all types of literature in the Bible the same way
  • Demands you reduce all of a passage into a single, definite proposition

I personally really enjoy this way of structuring a sermon. It particularly shines in expounding Epistles or smaller statements found in other Biblical literature. I do think this structure is not as effective with narrative passages or larger sections of Scripture in general. But if you are teaching only a verse or two, I highly recommend preaching like the Puritans did.

Conclusion

Structuring a sermon is a difficult but necessary task. There are a number of ways to order your teaching and no one way is the best fit for every type of literature of Scripture. My hope is that after reading this post, you have a few more sermon structures to pull from in the future. One of the highest privileges of a preacher is presenting the truth of the Bible clearly to the congregation. Keep thinking through ways to better communicate God’s truth to others.

For tools to help you in your sermon preparation, check out the Bible Study Tools page. If you need help thinking through sermon application, use these series of questions the Puritans used. I used some of these sermon structures in my own preaching, which you can find here.
Iterative Bible Study: How to Slowly Understand a Text

Iterative Bible Study: How to Slowly Understand a Text

By |

I am convinced many people have the wrong view of Bible study. They think Bible study is simply a matter of sitting down, looking at a text, and understanding it almost immediately. This mentality works for certain texts that are clear in interpretation and application. But when confronted with more difficult texts, an “understand this text in the first read through” mentality can become very discouraging. The solution? Something I like to call “Iterative Bible Study.”

How I came up with this concept

What is an “iteration”?

There are three sources I used to come up with this concept: my engineering background, the Feynman technique, and a quote I read on non-fiction writing. I am personally surprised the word “iteration” is not used more often in Christian circles. It is a word used all the time in STEM fields, and it is a helpful concept to apply to other aspects of life. What does the word “iteration” mean?

Iteration is the repetition of a process in order to generate an outcome. The sequence will approach some end point or end value. Each repetition of the process is a single iteration, and the outcome of each iteration is then the starting point of the next iteration.

“Iteration”, Wikipedia

This concept is used in mathematics and computer programming all the time. But once you take this definition and apply it to Bible study, it becomes a powerful tool to understand a difficult text of Scripture. Iteration is a sort of incremental action you repeat until you reach the goal. Each time you repeat, you learn a little more.

Feynman’s method for learning

Where the idea of Iterative Bible Study really started formulating in my mind, however, came after reading about Richard Feynman. Feynman was an incredibly interesting person, but what stuck out to me was his method for learning new things. He learned by following a simple cycle (or you could call it, an iterative process).

Visual representation of Feynman Technique

Essentially, Feynman would start with a topic and try to explain it at a child’s level. Why a child’s level? Because if you can’t explain something clearly and briefly without resorting to too many complicated words, you probably don’t understand the concept that well yourself. After trying to explain a concept or topic at a child’s level, Feynman would make a note of where his knowledge was lacking. Then, Feynman would go to try to acquire the knowledge he lacked.

This process was then repeated until he could clearly articulate a complex concept clearly. Now, Feynman used this technique as a physicist. But as I read about his method, I couldn’t help but think this is a perfect way of approaching Bible study. The best part of this technique is helps you clearly see what you know and what you don’t know. Once you see what you don’t know, you have the starting point for the next round of study. Feynman used an iterative process to learn and it is a powerful tool that needs to be applied to Bible study.

A quote on non-fiction writing which also helped me

A final source which helped me formulate this idea of “iterative bible study” is a quote found in the book Tools of Titans (I don’t particularly recommend this book. Some parts were helpful but on the whole I would suggest Christians not spend their time reading through this volume.”

You don’t have writer’s block when writing non-fiction. It is you not having enough research to write with power and knowledge on that topic.

Tools of Titans

The quote comes from an interview with a non-fiction writer. Essentially, anytime you start struggling to write something in non-fiction, that is evidence you need to cycle back and do more research. Not being able to communicate a concept indicates you yourself do not understand it fully. That sounds almost exactly like what Feynman said.

How does this quote apply to Bible study? Gaps in communication are caused by gaps in understanding. As you work through a Bible passage, if you cannot clearly communicate what a part of that Bible passage says, you likely have more study to do. Iterative Bible Study is about cycling back through to fill those gaps in understanding.

You don’t need to have all the answers write away when studying Scripture. But you do need to note those places where you don’t understand a text. Then, you need to cycle through to answer those questions.

A Visual Aid

Before actually going through a step by step walk through of Iterative Bible Study, I want to provide an easy visual reference. Seeing the concept is easier than reading it described.

Iterative Bible Study Visual AidDownload

What is “Iterative Bible Study?”

Now I will walk through each step one by one. It is important to note there is a number of ways you can use the concept of “iterations” in your personal Bible study. I have designed this tool to mainly focus on studying the text from the get go. In other words, these steps are for when you just start looking at a text of Scripture.

Step 1: Read through the text

This is an obvious first step but a necessary one to state. Whether you are studying a verse or a longer passage, the first step is to read through the text. Start noting any clues you find that the author has left for you. Particularly focus on the flow and structure of the passage. What are the repeated phrases? Where are the changes in tone?

I personally find it helpful to underline and circle any key components of the passage as I go. I draw arrows in between connections and note any important textual features directly in my Bible. If you prefer not to write in your Bible, I recommend using a notebook or computer to write out the important things you see as you go through.

Step 2: Write out a rough outline

Now that you have some initial insight into what the passage says, it is time to start writing an outline. I give an example of how to do this later on in this post. Essentially, you are looking at the passage and organizing the pieces of it under heading. Oftentimes, an outline takes the following form:

  1. Main point 1
    1. Sub-point 1a
    2. Sub-point 1b
  2. Main point 2
    1. Sub-point 2a
    2. Sub-point 2b
  3. Etc.

Let the structure of the text determine the structure of your outline. Don’t stress too much about getting everything right immediately. This is only a rough outline. You have to see what you know before you can see what you don’t know.

Step 3: Write questions you want answered into the rough outline

This is truly where Iterative Bible Study begins. Now that you have your rough outline, you start injecting questions you have into the outline itself. If you don’t understand a certain part of a passage or the passage brings out a question you have, write that underneath the corresponding heading. It will look something like this:

  1. Main point 1
    1. Sub-point 1a
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1a
      2. Question 2 about Sub-point 1a
    2. Sub-point 1b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1b
  2. Main point 2
    1. Question 1 about Main point 2
    2. Sub-point 2a
    3. Sub-point 2b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 2b
  3. Etc.

As you can see, you can have questions about main points, and sub-points. You can have several questions about one point or no questions about a point. Putting your questions in bold is probably a good idea so you can distinguish between what is from the text and what is a question you have.

It is also important to note, you don’t just have to put questions into the outline. You can also note key terms you need to define, metaphors you need to study to understand, or other passages you think are relevant to the text at hand.

This is the most crucial part of Iterative Bible Study. If you don’t figure out what questions you have or what the gaps are in your understanding of a passage, you will not make progress.

A good rule of thumb is if you cannot explain a certain point of a Bible passage to a 1st grader, you probably have some gaps in your understanding of that point.

Step 4: Go back to the text and other Scripture to answer those questions

Now you get back to work. By writing the questions and knowledge gaps you have, you have revealed the next steps you must take for your Bible study. Go back to the text you are studying or search other parts of the Bible to answer the questions you have. If you singled out terms you need to define, using a software such as Blue Letter Bible is helpful.

You might have noticed you are now approaching the text a second time. This is your first iteration. You are using your first look at the text as a way to see what else you need to study to understand God’s Word. As you work to answer the questions you wrote out in Step 3, I find it helpful to put the answers right back into the outline.

  1. Main point 1
    1. Sub-point 1a
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1a
        1. Answer 1
        2. Answer 2
      2. Question 2 about Sub-point 1a
        1. Answer
    2. Sub-point 1b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1b
        1. Answer
  2. Main point 2
    1. Question 1 about Main point 2
      1. Answer 1
      2. Answer 2
    2. Sub-point 2a
    3. Sub-point 2b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 2b
        1. Answer
  3. Etc.

You can see that your outline is now filling up. Even in a single iteration, you should have a much better understanding of the passage you started studying. Simply by identifying questions you have and gaps in your knowledge of a passage, you were able to direct your Bible study. Iterative Bible Study is all about making little steps forward in your understanding of a text.

Step 5: Repeat Steps 3-4 until satisfied with your study

Now, the reality is your further study could have revealed more questions you have. That is perfectly fine. The whole point of Iterative Bible Study is to keep asking questions and getting them answered. If after your first round of study you still have questions, repeat Steps 3-4 until you are satisfied. If you go this route, your outline might start looking like this:

  1. Main point 1
    1. Sub-point 1a
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1a
        1. Answer 1
          1. Follow-up question for Answer 1
        2. Answer 2
      2. Question 2 about Sub-point 1a
        1. Answer
    2. Sub-point 1b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1b
        1. Answer
      2. New Question about Sub-point 1b
  2. Main point 2
    1. Question 1 about Main point 2
      1. Answer 1
      2. Answer 2
        1. Follow-up question for Answer 2
    2. Sub-point 2a
    3. Sub-point 2b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 2b
        1. Answer
  3. Etc.

The hope is that in your second round of going through Steps 3-4 you have less questions and gaps in your knowledge. You can repeat this process until you are out of time to study, until you understand the passage, or until you are satisfied with the current depth of your Bible study.

Why is Iterative Bible Study helpful?

Now that you have seen how to do Iterative Bible Study, the question remains of why you would choose to approach a text this way. Certainly this method of Bible Study is one of many. I believe, however, that Iterative Bible Study is one of the best tools you can have in your toolbox when seeking to understand a text. Three benefits come to mind of adopting this method:

You don’t have to get everything completely right the first time

I have met many Christians who freeze at certain passages of Scripture. Whether because the passage is long and difficult or they are afraid of misinterpreting a text, I believe a lot of Bible Study is quenched because of fear. And somewhat rightfully so: God’s word is powerful and must be interpreted properly.

However, I think such a fear also comes from not knowing how to start. Even more than this, a lot of Bible Study doesn’t happen because people don’t know where and how to start.

Iterative Bible Study helps because there is not a pressure to get the passage completely right the first time. The whole point of starting your study is to see what parts of a passage you understand and which parts you do not understand. This method gives you a clear, easy way to start studying a text. And from there, it gives you a path forward to progressively seeing what God’s word is saying.

Helps you distinguish between what you know and what you don’t know

Clear thinking is important for Bible Study. And nothing helps you think clearer than distinguishing between what you know and what you don’t know. Iterative Bible Study gives you a powerful method to seeing what things you know and what parts of a passage you need to work at further to understand.

If you don’t know what is missing from your understanding, you won’t know where to look. By putting questions directly into your outline, you not only see what you need to answer, you also see what parts of the passage are causing you the most difficulty. Simply putting questions into a rough outline helps you think more clearly.

Gives you more questions to answer with each iteration

A lot of Bible Study is simply asking the right questions of a text. Not all your questions will be relevant, not all your questions will get answered in the ways you expect. Iterative Bible Study forces you to constantly ask questions of the text and then seek for answers from Scripture. This process allows Scripture to interpret Scripture because you are seeking answers to your questions by going to the Bible.

The more questions you have, the more Bible you will read. The more Bible you read, the more it shapes your thinking. That process is built into Iterative Bible Study and once you get in the habit of asking good questions of Scripture, the more rich your study will become.

An example of Iterative Bible Study

Before closing this post, I think a brief example of this method is helpful. I am actually currently using this method to prepare a sermon on Romans 1:11-12.

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Romans 1:11-12, ESV

So after reading the text, the first step is to create a rough outline.

  1. Paul long’s to see the Church in Rome
    1. Why? To impart some spiritual gift to strengthen the Church
  2. Paul wants to be encouraged by the Church in Rome
  3. The source of this encouragement is each other’s faith

The outline pretty basic, but it breaks down the two verses a bit. Now, I start adding the main questions I have into the outline.

  1. Paul long’s to see the Church in Rome
    1. Why? To impart some spiritual gift to strengthen the Church
      1. What is the definition of “strengthen”?
      2. What is the definition of “spiritual gift?”
      3. Why is encouragement called a “spiritual gift?”
      4. How does mutual encouragement of faith strengthen a Church?
  2. Paul wants to be encouraged by the Church in Rome
    1. Why is mutual encouragement important to Paul?
    2. What do Paul and the Church in Rome have in common?
  3. The source of this encouragement is each other’s faith
    1. How can someone’s faith be an encouragement?
    2. What is the definition of “encouragement”?

You see that even from a short outline, questions cause the study to build outward. Some of the questions are a little redundant, but that is okay at this stage. This outline is not the outline for the sermon yet, it is simply a tool to aid my Bible Study.

The next step is answering these questions by studying Romans 1:11-12, other passages of Scripture, and using a tool to help me define the words I need defined. I would then start adding those answers to the outline.

  1. Paul long’s to see the Church in Rome
    1. Why? To impart some spiritual gift to strengthen the Church
      1. What is the definition of “strengthen”?
      2. What is the definition of “spiritual gift?”
        1. “Charisma” -“a divine gift” points to the origin of the gift
      3. Why is encouragement called a “spiritual gift?”
        1. The encouragement of other believers is a gift from God
      4. How does mutual encouragement of faith strengthen a Church?
        1. Strong faith sets an example (Abraham)
        2. Strong faith points us back to God (Hebrews 11)
        3. Seeing faith in action in someone’s life encourages us to stay the course
  2. Paul wants to be encouraged by the Church in Rome
    1. Why is mutual encouragement important to Paul?
      1. Paul’s letters are full of encouragement to local Churches (1 Thess 5:11, Phil 2:1, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
      2. Scripture contains a number of “tools” to help Christians grow…one of those is encouragement
      3. Church in Rome was a minority, persecution was coming
    2. What do Paul and the Church in Rome have in common?
      1. Same fundamental need
      2. Need righteousness from Christ
      3. Same ethical implications from Gospel
  3. The source of this encouragement is each other’s faith
    1. How can someone’s faith be an encouragement?
      1. Strong faith sets an example (Abraham)
      2. Strong faith points us back to God (Hebrews 11)
      3. Seeing faith in action in someone’s life encourages us to stay the course
    2. What is the definition of “encouragement”?

I didn’t bother answering all the questions for this example, but you get the point. Now I could go back through and ask further questions of the text. With each iteration, my outline fills out and my understanding grows. But you see that even after one iteration, the depth of my understanding of Romans 1:11-12 has grown by leaps and bounds.

In conclusion, Iterative Bible Study is a powerful tool to add to your personal Bible study. It gives you a place to start even when studying the most difficult of texts. You can slowing understand a text and then move on to meditating on how it applies to your life.

Want more Bible Study Tools? Check out the Tools page. Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram so you won’t miss out on tools like this one.
Get to the Core of a Bible Passage

Get to the Core of a Bible Passage

By |

Open up your Bible to any text. Immediately, you as a reader are confronted with a textual forest. Complex arguments. Poetic language. Parables and Proverbs. Narrative. What is your first step to understanding this text? How do you get to the core of a bible passage?

In many ways, analyzing a Bible passage is like doing detective work. And the Biblical authors have left you a bunch of different clues to help you understand the truth God is communicating. This post will go through a list of those different clues. By knowing what to look for, you won’t miss important clues the author gives to help you out.

1. What style of literature is the passage?

This first clue the author gives you is essential to interpretation. Books have been written on the different literary types of the Bible and how to approach each type. If you have taken a literature class growing up you are familiar with different literary types: poetry, narrative stories, plays, etc. One of the things which makes Scripture difficult to interpret sometimes is there are several different literary types contained in it.

Your first step to understanding the Bible passage is simply to identify the type of literature you are dealing with. Does the passage record a historic event? Then it is likely narrative. Does the passage discuss the future using metaphorical language? Then it is likely prophecy. Does the passage fit within a stand-alone book with a sender and a receiver? Then it is likely a letter.

Discerning the type of literature of a Bible passage sets your expectations as a reader. A narrative passage which says “He ate locusts and wild honey” you might take literally, while a passage of poetry which declares God’s word is “sweeter than honey” must be understood as a metaphor.

2. What is the structure of the passage?

After figuring out the type of literature, it helps to examine the structure of the passage. What I mean by this, is simply to look at what happens in the passage. Are there distinct sections in the passage? Or does it all flow together? Are there different “scenes”? Is there a break in flow or a something unexpected which appears in the passage? Look in particular for any shifts in tone or focus.

Answering this question can be difficult at the start. You might need to look at other clues in the passage before answering the question. But understanding the structure of the passage helps you see the “big picture”. Oftentimes, if you just straight into defining words or breaking down metaphors, you end up losing sight of the passage as a whole.

Each part of the passage contributes to the whole. Don’t get overly focused on any one part without understanding how it fits into what the author is saying

3. Is a word or phrase repeated?

This is one of the easiest things to look for and might be one of the most helpful. Looking for repeated words and/or phrases helps you discern what is the emphasis of this passage? One of the common pitfalls you can make in your Bible study is emphasizing whatever you think is important without asking what does the author think is important?

Repetition is a simple clue Biblical authors leave to say “Here is my point! Don’t miss this!”

Now, not every repetition emphasizes the “main point.” But oftentimes a repeated phrase should clue you in to how you should interpret a passage. For example, the other day I was reading through Genesis 39. It is the passage which describes Joseph as a slave in Potiphar’s house and then getting sent to jail after getting falsely accused. As I read, I noticed the passage kept repeating the phrases “The Lord was with Joseph,” “The Lord blessed Joseph” and kept mentioning “Joseph’s authority”.

Just from seeing those repetitions, I could start interpreting the significance of the passage. The author is trying to emphasize Joseph’s success was a product of God’s blessing. What specifically did God bless Joseph with? Authority. More study needs to follow to understand the text fully, but let textual repetition shape your thinking early on in your study.

The text often repeats what is most important.

4. Are any emotional words used in the passage?

I have elsewhere argued that figuring out the emotion an author is trying to convey is vital. Passages of Scripture aim to have a definite effect on the reader. The Bible wants to change the way you think and act, but it also wants to shape your emotions. One of the ways to discern what the author wants you to feel is to look for “emotional words”.

What I mean by “emotional words” are adjectives, verbs, exclamations, or other words which strongly point towards a particular emotion. If I yelled out “ow”, you would immediately assume a negative emotion. If I say “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!” there is a strong positive sound to the phrase. “There is no fear of God before their eyes”, on the other hand, sounds like a negative appraisal.

The emotional words in a passage help you hear the author’s tone. You have had this experience before if you have ever written someone an email. Because you cannot show the recipient your facial expressions, you have to choose certain words to convey positive, negative, or neutral emotion. It is the same thing with Biblical texts. The emotional words in a passage give you a clue to how you should feel after reading it.

5. Are there any important words to define?

You often don’t have time to go through and define every single word in a bible passage. Nor is it always helpful to do so. A lot of times, the essential reality a text is pointing to is dependent on a few key words. Sometimes those words are the repeated words in the passage or the emotionally charged words. But as you read through the passage, ask yourself after each sentence “do I understand what this means? If not, is there a word that, if I understood it, I would understand the passage?”

Key words are exactly that: words that unlock your understanding of the sentence or phrase. If a sentence is using simple words that you understand at first glance, maybe there are no key terms to define. But if you run into a sentence that you have to read through multiple times to understand, there may be a word that you could define. A good practice is to simply list out those key words and then go through one-by-one and define them in their biblical context.

Oftentimes, if you don’t understand a bible passage, you really just don’t understand a few key words. Study those, and you’ll understand the whole passage.

It is important to use an online tool like Blue Letter Bible or software like Logos to define the words. What you really want to do is understand what the word could mean in the original language, and then see how it is used throughout scripture. Whatever you do, don’t simply use an English dictionary to define the key words. If you do this, you are translating a translation. Original languages are vital for this step. Better to go to a commentary which discusses the original languages than an English dictionary.

6. Are there any metaphors in the text and what do they mean?

Metaphors are essential to communication. Bible passages make frequent use of metaphors regardless of the genre. I consider understanding metaphors to be so crucial to understanding scripture, I created a whole tool to help you understand them. I invite you to go read that post if you want a deeper understanding of how to get your mind around a Biblical metaphor.

For the purposes of this post, you must know how to identify a metaphor. This is where knowing the type of literature comes into play. If you are studying a Psalm or prophetic literature, expect more metaphorical language. Metaphors simply explain a complicated, abstract concept by comparing it with a concrete, easily understood concept. A righteous man is compared to a tree. God’s word is compared with gold and honey. Locusts become a picture of God’s judgement.

You will not fully grasp a Biblical text until you identify the meaning of its metaphors.

7. Is anything contrasted in this passage?

Contrast often goes hand-in-hand with metaphors. A contrast is simply taking two things and emphasizing their differences. A good example is Psalm 1. In this Psalm, the righteous man is contrasted with the wicked man. You as the reader are meant to see the differences between the two. Another classic example of a contrast is at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus contrasts a wise man who builds his house on a rock with a foolish man who builds his house on the sand.

When analyzing contrasts, ask “what differences should I be seeing between these two things?”

8. Are there any if-then statements?

The fancy title for these is “conditional clauses.” If this thing happens, then this other thing happens. If-then statements are found throughout the Bible. It is helpful to divide them up between the “if” and the “then”. The “if” answers what needs to happen and the “then” answers what will happen as a result. Sometimes the words “if” and “then” appear in the passage, other times they do not. You have to be discerning and thoughtful to notice if a condition is present.

For example, the verse “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” might not seem to be an if-then statement. But you could rewrite the verse as “if the Lord does not build the house, then those who build it labor in vain.” You see that the originally verse is actually a conditional clause in disguise. Be on the lookout for if-then statements in whatever bible passage you are studying. Oftentimes, an if-then statement will hold the key to interpreting the passage.

9. Are there any logical arguments in the passage?

In the future, I will write an extensive post on logical arguments and how to analyze them. Suffice to say, logic is a tool you must have to read and grasp any text. Biblical authors use logical arguments explicitly and implicitly in their writings. A logical argument draws a conclusion from premises. In other words, a logical argument wants you to accept something as true because of other things which are true. I highly recommend every Christian take a course or read a book on logic. The payoffs to your Bible study will be exponential.

There are a number of words which indicate premises and conclusions. I will give you them in a different post. For now, look for the word “therefore.” “Therefore” is a word which almost always indicates a conclusion. And where there is a conclusion, an argument is almost certainly nearby. So look for logical progressions, arguments, & conclusions. They often reveal the point of a passage.

I will go as far as to say you cannot study the Bible without understanding logic. It is fundamental to understanding language & communication.

Conclusion

There are dozens of ways Biblical authors communicate truth. Some are easy to understand but most require thought and work to grasp. This post has given you a few important parts of bible passages to look for. There are certainly more. But if you start your Bible study looking for the clues given in this post, you will most likely have a much easier time understand the author’s intent. Understanding a bible passage takes time, but if you are equipped with the right tools and know what things to look for, you will always find a truth about the Lord to excite you.

Interested in applying a Bible passage? Check out these tools for sermon meditation and important application questions.
4 Helpful Steps for Breaking Down Biblical Metaphors

4 Helpful Steps for Breaking Down Biblical Metaphors

By |

Biblical metaphors can be incredibly difficult to understand. What does it mean when Jesus says believers are “the salt of the earth?” How is God’s word a “lamp unto my feet?” In what way are our “sins like scarlet?” Almost every passage of Scripture uses metaphorical language to communicate truth.

Therefore, you have the ability to interpret and understand biblical metaphors if you are to understand large chunks of Scripture. Not everything in Scripture is a metaphor. Identifying what is and isn’t a metaphor is also a crucial skill. But once you identify a metaphor in a Bible passage, you must have right tools to grasp what the metaphor means.

I have attached a worksheet below to help you think through and analyze biblical metaphors. Oftentimes, when you break a bible passage into its components, you will start seeing metaphorical language. This tool will help you unpack that metaphors significance.

Biblical Metaphors WorksheetDownload

If you want to know how to use this worksheet or you aren’t sure what a metaphor really is, keep reading. In the following sections I will first give a helpful definition of “metaphor” and then walk through the different steps you use in the worksheet to understand it.

Understanding how to interpret Biblical metaphors will increase the depth of your Bible study and decrease mistakes you make when studying a text.

What is metaphor?

The Equation

One of the more helpful non-Christian books I have read recently is “I is an Other: The Secret Life of Metaphor and How it Shapes Our World” by James Geary. I highly recommend reading through it if you are able. No book will make you think through metaphor and its use in language more than this volume.

The basic definition given in this book is a metaphor compares something you don’t know with something you do know. In other words, you compare two completely different things to reveal something about those things. Oftentimes, metaphors compare something abstract with something more concrete.

For example, “sin” is abstract, hard to understand. But when it is compared with “scarlet”, you can start to understand the word “sin” better. It is a stain. It is somehow related to the color of blood.

Metaphor uses a simple equation: X = Y. X is something you don’t understand. Y is something you do understand. By setting these two things in relation to each other, truth and reality are communicated more clearly.

This might seem incredibly complicated. But trust me, you use metaphor on a daily basis (and in almost every sentence). For example, when was the last time you said to someone “I see what you are saying?” That is a metaphor. You cannot literally “see” with your eyes words that someone speaks to you.

In this example, you are using the metaphor “seeing = knowing”. “Knowing” is abstract. What does it mean to know something? But “seeing” is pretty easy to understand. You “see” things all the time. By making “seeing” equal to “knowing”, you better understand what “knowing” means.

Metaphor is a way of communicating something difficult to understand by using something easy to understand. It takes characteristics of one thing and gives it to another.

Why is this important? The Bible uses metaphor everywhere. In parables, in proverbs, in poetry and in prophecy. You cannot get away from it. God has graciously chosen to reveal truth to us using metaphor. This makes the truth easier to grasp and understand.

Two Pitfalls to Avoid

There is one more comment to make before moving on to how you break down biblical metaphors. Just because the Bible is full of metaphorical language does not mean every single passage is a metaphor. Do not fall into the trap of spiritualizing and allegorizing every single text of Scripture. The Bible is full of enough obvious metaphors without you adding more to the text.

Understanding what metaphor is and isn’t becomes important in passages like Galatians 4 where Paul compares the law and the promise to Ishmael and Isaac. Metaphors use real things. Paul is not saying Ismael and Isaac weren’t real people. He is comparing real people with real abstract truths (law and promise).

Metaphor does not make everything into an allegory or spiritualize every single verse. Metaphor takes one real thing and compares it with another real thing.

With those caveats in mind, let’s move on to using the Biblical metaphors worksheet to understand some texts in Scripture.

Steps for understanding Biblical metaphors

Step 1: Set up equation

On the top of the worksheet, there is a section to write down the metaphor and the Bible reference. When you are studying a passage of Scripture, see if there are any key metaphors in your text. Remember, a metaphor takes one thing and explains it in terms of another.

An example of a key metaphor is “The Lord is my Shepherd.” If you were studying Psalm 23, you would write that metaphor at the top of the worksheet. God is being compared with a shepherd and since you know God is not literally a shepherd, you should immediately recognize the Psalmist is using metaphorical language.

Another example is “the fruit of the Spirit”. The Holy Spirit does not literally make believers into a fruit tree. Therefore, Paul is comparing the work of the Spirit to fruit metaphorically. In this case, you might write “Work of Spirit = fruit” at the top of the worksheet.

I often try to write the metaphor in the form of X = Y. Since I have an engineering background, it helps for me to visualize what the metaphor is actually comparing. But if you find equations scary, just write down the sentence in the text which you think contains the metaphor.

Oftentimes, the first half of the sentence gives one part of the metaphor and the second half gives the other part of the metaphor. That is the case in the metaphor “though your sins be like scarlet”. Sin is the first part of the metaphor, and scarlet is the second part.

Step 2: Describe characteristics

After you write down the metaphor itself, the next part of the worksheet has you write down the characteristics of each half of the metaphor. Ask yourself “What words would I use to describe the first half? What words would I use to describe the second half?”

For “the Lord is my shepherd”, the first half of the metaphor is “the Lord” and the second half is “shepherd.” So first ask yourself “What words would I use to describe the Lord?” Write them down on one side of the worksheet. I normally shoot to have 3-5 different words. Next, ask “What words would I use to describe a shepherd?” and write them on the other side of the worksheet.

The purpose of this step is simply to understand the components of the metaphor. If you don’t know what is being compared, you won’t be able to understand the significance of the comparison.

For the metaphor “the fruit of the Spirit,” I would it into “the Spirit” and “fruit.” Under “the Spirit” I might write “part of the Trinity,” “dwells inside believers”, and “empowers believers.” Then, under “fruit”, I might write “grows on a tree,” “sweet”, and “variety of different types.”

Once you are satisfied with your understanding of each half of the verse, move on to the next step.

Step 3: Compare & contrast

Now that you understand each half of the metaphor, ask yourself “How is the first half of the metaphor similar to the second half? How is it different?” In the worksheet, first write down the similarities between the two things before writing how they are different. In the previously mentioned book on metaphor, the author says “a good metaphor is like a good detective story…its solution shouldn’t be immediately apparent in advance.”

This step is where you “solve the mystery” so to speak. Once you think through the similarities between the two different things being compared, you start to understand what the metaphor is getting at. The author also says “every metaphor has strengths and weaknesses and can break down.” This is why you ask in what ways the two parts of the metaphor are different: you can see where the metaphor breaks down.

In the example of “the Lord is my shepherd,” the similarities you might write down are “the Lord cares for His people like a shepherd cares for his sheep,” or “the Lord provides for His people like a shepherd provides for his sheep,” or “the Lord leads His people like a shepherd leads his sheep.” Some obvious differences are the Lord does not have an occupation as a shepherd. Nor does God physically care for physical sheep.

In the example of “the fruit of the Spirit”, some similarities could be “the work of the Spirit in your life produces something like a tree produces fruit,” or “the Spirit produces positive effects in your life just like fruit is normally a tasty, positive thing.” Obvious differences are the work of the Spirit isn’t physical like fruit nor is it visible or consumable in the same way fruit is.

These are just brief examples. Take your time on this step and do not rush. This is where the real work for understanding biblical metaphors happens. If you spend enough time on this step, the point of the metaphor will usually show itself clearly. Once you have written down the similarities and differences, you are ready to move on to the final step.

Step 4: Succinctly summarize

You have found the metaphor, thought about the metaphor and (hopefully) solved the metaphor. Now, it is time to summarize what you’ve understood. Looking at the similarities and differences you found, try to answer this final question “What truth is this metaphor trying to illustrate, clarify, or make memorable?” Try to write one or two sentences at the most at the bottom of your worksheet.

For “the Lord is my shepherd” example, look back at all the similarities and differences. There are a lot of similarities I proposed. If I had to summarize them all, I would write “The Lord is our shepherd in that His people are completely dependent on Him, and He provides completely for His people.” That one sentence captures most of the similarities and avoids any of the differences.

In “the fruit of the Spirit” example, I would summarize the similarities with “The work of the Spirit is like fruit in that the Spirit produces a definite, good and visible effect in a believers life. There are a variety of good effects and they grow with time.” These two sentences capture the similarities of the work of the Spirit and fruit. It also incorporates a difference: the fruit of the Spirit should be visible, just not in the same way literal fruit is physically visible.

Now that you have your summary, you can see the metaphors importance in whatever text you are studying and you can also succinctly summarize your study to another believer.

You can also take your summary of the metaphor and start thinking through the applications it has to your life.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have now done an in depth study of a biblical metaphor. This type of method is incredibly useful for prophecy, parables, proverbs, and poetry in Scripture. But metaphorical language is also sprinkled throughout the Epistles and even in Narrative passages.

The important takeaways: find the metaphor. Break it down into two halves. Compare and contrast those two parts. Then summarize your findings.

I truly believe understanding Biblical metaphors more clearly will take your Bible study to the next level. Even though metaphorical language can be scary, the method laid out in this post and in the attached worksheet gives you an easy step by step process to understand the metaphor before you.

Metaphors aren’t the only thing to look for in a Bible passage. If you want more important things to look for in a Bible passage, see this post.

Found this tool useful? Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram and share it with friends. Also check out other Bible Study Tools I have created.
How to Disagree Well in Your Local Church

How to Disagree Well in Your Local Church

By |

Disagreement among Church members can be a very difficult thing to navigate. Oftentimes I ask myself “how can I disagree well with this person?” By “disagreeing well” I simply mean voicing clearly the specific points of disagreement so that the conversation can continue in a profitable and unified way.

What is the alternative to disagreeing well? Just go to the comments section of almost any online video or discussion forum. Answers are not given thoughtfully. Answers are given harshly.

I worry that sometimes a worldly spirit of disagreement enters the Church. This worldly spirit emphasizes proving yourself right rather than teaching and being taught by others.

And such a spirit is dangerous for any local Church. Paul says as much in Ephesians:

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Ephesians 4:29, ESV

Even in disagreement, your goal should be “building up” and “giving grace” to the Church member you disagree with.

So, the question of how to disagree well is a vital one for each member of the body of Christ.

Now, a thorough Bible study on this topic would yield a wealth of insight. But for this post, I want to share a tool I personally have found helpful to keep in mind when disagreeing with anyone.

The tool is from one of my favorite non-Christian books of all time: How to Read a Book by Mortimer Alder. The book has a wealth of information and gives essential tools for reading and understanding a text.

For this post, there is a useful section which describes how to critique a book after you have read it. The main point of this section is not just saying “I don’t like the sound of that.” Rather, you learn to specifically and profitably think through where you disagree with the author. It is an incredibly helpful section not just for reading, but for life in general.

In this post, I am going to go through each of the different ways to disagree well. I give a visual aid below for you to reference. I pray this tool will help foster more profitable disagreements in your local Church.

How-to-Disagree-Well Download

Make sure you understand the other’s position

The first step to disagreeing is to make sure you understand what you are disagreeing with. This may seem like a simple step, but it is often overlooked.

If you disagree with someone without understanding their position, you risk several things.

  • First, you might not have an actual disagreement.
  • Second, you might misrepresent the other’s position.
  • Finally, you might disagree with something that isn’t integral to their argument.

I’m sure you have experienced each of these before. Perhaps after an extended (possibly heated) back and forth with someone, you come to find out that you didn’t actually disagree. You were merely using different terms.

Or perhaps someone has levied critique after critique on your position without bothering to ask whether they were representing your position accurately. This is also called a “strawman” fallacy.

Equally common is someone disagrees with a small, side part of your argument. A conversation over an important issue then becomes sidetracked over an assertion that has little effect on your conclusion.

In each of these cases, when you misrepresent someone else’s position, the conversation can become heated and unprofitable. As a Christian disagreeing with another Christian, the effects can damage your fellowship or witness.

The solution: before you disagree, understand.

To disagree well, understand thoroughly

There are a couple ways to make sure you accurately represent someone’s position.

Restate it in your own words

This is the simplest but maybe most impactful thing you can do to disagree more profitably. Simply say to the other person directly “So, if I understand you correctly you are saying…(Insert position here)…Am I representing your position correctly?”

If you cannot express the other person’s position in a sentence or two, you either do not understand their position or they have not explained their position effectively and clearly.

In either case, until you can restate the other person’s position in your own words, do not start bombarding them with your disagreements.

Ask a clarifying question

Another helpful way to make sure you understand the other person’s opinion is to simply respond with a good question. This has two good effects:

  1. It shows you were actually listening and have some level of understanding
  2. The question itself once answered will further clarify the other person’s position

Jesus asked good questions all the time. A great example of this is in Luke 20 where Jesus asks the priests and elders if John the Baptist’s baptism was from God or man. The question itself revealed the priests and elders hearts.

When you think you understand someone’s position, ask more questions. If you think you have asked enough questions, try a few more.

Who knows: maybe the very point of disagreement you have with another will be answered simply through asking a question.

What question are they trying to answer

This isn’t something you necessarily have to say out loud to another person. But for your own thinking, it is helpful to frame what another person is saying in terms of what question they are trying to answer.

For example, let us say you are discussing Eschatology with a fellow believer and find yourself disagreeing. After asking good questions and summarizing the other person’s position in your own words accurately, you should think “what are we trying to answer here? What is the question beneath this conversation that we are both trying to answer?”

Perhaps it is how to interpret the 1,000 years passage. Maybe you are trying to figure out what the relation between the Church and Israel is. Whatever the case, knowing what fundamental question you are seeking to answer will help you discern whether your disagreement is meaningful or not.

For example, if in the course of your disagreement over Eschatology the other person made an off statement about the structure of the Church, you should not necessarily voice that disagreement right away. Knowing what fundamental question you are answering will weed out the smaller disagreements so you can key in on one or two major ones.

A lot of unhelpful disagreements in the local Church happen because you focus on every little are you disagree. Focus on the essential rather than the side issues.

Having done all of the above, you are now in a much better position to voice your disagreement. Your disagreement will now be based on the other person’s actual position and will focus on the key disagreements.

Are they lacking important information?

Mortimer Adler puts it like this:

To say that an author is uninformed is to say that he lacks some piece of knowledge that is relevant to the problem he is trying to solve…you must be able to state the knowledge that the author lacks and show how it is relevant, how it makes a difference to his conclusions.

How to Read a Book, pp 154-155

Is there a point the other person makes that would change if they had more information? This is a type of disagreement that often happens amongst believers. Your brother or sister might have a compelling argument, but fail to remember a crucial Bible passage or verse.

The key thing to do here is to lovingly, graciously show them that passage of Scripture. Perhaps even say “how would you understand this passage in your argument?”

Oftentimes, average Christians don’t make omissions willfully. The Bible is a vast and complicated book. You and I can’t hold every single verse in our head. Therefore, you and I need other people in the local Church who will remind us of verses we might have forgotten.

Christians should welcome having our opinions and conclusions corrected by the Word of God. Most often, this correction comes from another believer.

If you are disagreeing with someone who loves the Lord and has a high view of Scripture, there is no reason sharing Bible verses with them should lead to heated confrontation. Do so lovingly. Take them to the Word. And then let the Bible correct their understanding if it needs correcting.

Are they asserting something that is incorrect?

To say that an author is misinformed is to say that he asserts what is not the case. His error may be owing to lack of knowledge, but the error is more than that…The author is proposing something as true or more probable what is in fact false or less probable…This kind of defect should be pointed out, of course, only if it is relevant to the author’s conclusions. And to support the remark you must be able to argue the truth or greater probability of a position contrary to the author’s.

How to Read a Book, pp 155

In the first response, you disagreed because of a Scripture passage which was not taken in to account. In this response, you disagree how a Scripture passage was interpreted in the other person’s argument.

An argument is built off of a series of assertions which are either true or false. Think of them as building blocks in a tower. If one of your building blocks is damaged, it can cause the whole tower to fall. So it is with an argument.

If an assertion is made that is false and it is crucial to the argument, gently show the other person why their assertion is false and what the corresponding true position is.

As previously stated, when talking among believers oftentimes this takes the form of discussing an interpretation of a passage of Scripture. If a Scripture is crucial to an argument and is misinterpreted, you will likely have to address why that interpretation is wrong and what you think the proper interpretation is.

This is incredibly common during the normal life of a Church. It is one reason good hermeneutics (how you study the Bible). That is one reason I developed a Bible study tool to help make sure you properly interpret Scripture.

Any Biblically sound argument is based on sound interpretation of each text in that argument.

Did they make a logical fallacy?

To say that an author is illogical is to say that he has committed a fallacy in reasoning. In general, fallacies are of two sorts. There is the non sequitur, which means that what is drawn as a conclusion simply does not follow from the reasons offered. And there is the occurrence of inconsistency, which means that two things the author has tried to say are incompatible.

How to Read a Book, pp 156

This disagreement focuses not on what information exists or what assertions are made. Instead, this disagreement focuses on how that information or those assertions are strung together to reach a conclusion.

Even though there are countless logical fallacies, Adler’s two large groups (non sequitur and inconsistency) are helpful and memorable. A Non sequitur jumps to a conclusion without sufficient evidence. Inconsistency asserts two contradictory things to be true.

Addressing this type of disagreement in the Church can potentially become the most heated in my experience. In this case, you are not offering additional texts or pushing back on a textual interpretation. You are instead asking “do those texts together lead to that conclusion?“

I think one of the reasons this type of disagreement can become contentious is it is more personal than the previous two. Both of the previous disagreements were focused on the texts themselves. This disagreement is saying “you personally have come to a conclusion by your own mental error.”

Tread humbly and carefully when critiquing someone’s logic. Remember: the goal isn’t to be right or to feel smart. Your goal should be to lovingly correct your brother or sister in Christ for their own edification.

Questions like “does that follow from text?” or “can those two assertions be made at the same time?” are incredibly helpful. But wield them wisely and tactfully.

Is their analysis incomplete?

This type of disagreement is a little different from the previous three. If you have any of the previous three disagreements, you can disregard someone’s conclusion. This final disagreement merely judges the completeness of an argument, not the quality of the argument itself.

Adler explains:

To say that an author’s analysis is incomplete is to say that he has not solved all the problems that he started with, or that he has not made as good a use of his materials as possible, that he did not see all their implications and ramifications, or that he has failed to make distinctions that are relevant to his undertaking.

How to Read a Book, pp 159

For this type of disagreement, it is helpful to remember what question you originally were seeking so solve. Has your brother or sister’s argument answered that question thoroughly? If not, you can help them expand it or address an area that needs more thought.

This also comes in handy when thinking about the application or the “so what” of a Biblical text. If the argument is sound but the implications are not fully explored, help your brother or sister think through them.

The Puritans had useful questions to ask to solve this problem. I recommend you commit them to memory so you can help others in the Church think through important Biblical implications.

It is important to note here that all human’s are finite. No one’s analysis is going to exhaustively represent all of Scripture. Only bring this type of disagreement up if it is helpful for the conversation. Don’t show off for no purpose by expounding a hundred meaningless implications other people haven’t thought of.

I find this type of disagreement most often comes up in leading small group discussion. It helps to restate the person’s thoughts in your own words and then add maybe one other important thing they forgot. Don’t list out everything you may want to add.

One of the biggest blessings of the local Church is sharing our Biblical knowledge with each other. You can know more of the Bible within a community of believers than you can on your own.

Do you like having tools like this? Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram to never miss one.

Check out my previous tool which will help you apply Scripture to your life.
6 Application Questions Used by the Puritans

6 Application Questions Used by the Puritans

By |

It can be difficult to apply a Biblical text to your life. Oftentimes, at the end of a Bible study or personal Bible reading, the question becomes: “So now what?” These Puritan application questions will help you answer that question.

I found these questions listening to an excellent lecture series by J. I. Packer on the Puritans. Packer also wrote several good books on the topic (See here and here).

One of the main points that stuck with me was the Puritans measured a great preacher not only by his skill in exposition. For the Puritans, being a great preacher meant you drew great application from the text.

Even more helpful, Packer discussed the Puritan application questions preachers would use. I immediately took notes because I most often hear people in the Church struggling with application.

I discussed how important it is for your Bible study to change your life in a previous post where I gave a simple method to study Scripture. In this post, I will give you the Puritan application questions and discuss how to answer them.

I have attached a visual aid to remember the questions below if you want something to help you remember them. Print on a 5 x 7 and stick it in the cover of your Bible for easy reference.

6 Application Questions Used by the PuritansDownload

Summarize the main point

The first step in Puritan preaching is always to extract the doctrinal truth from your text. This takes careful study of all the components of the passage.

You can’t begin to apply a text you have only begun to study.

Once you have extracted all the details from a text, one of the most useful things you can do is summarize the main idea, main truth, or primary reality of the text. If you can’t distill a text of Scripture down into one sentence, you have one of two problems:

  1. You chose to long a passage of Scripture
  2. You don’t yet understand the passage and its significance

The Puritans would often take only a few verses at a time in their sermons. This would guarantee each sermon dealt with only one main doctrinal truth at a time.

Now, certain types of Biblical literature (such as Narrative) might benefit from studying larger chunks. I have discussed elsewhere some of the particular difficulties with Narrative. However, even when teaching a longer passage, you should know how all the details fit together to serve the main goal of the passage.

What is the essential truth of the passage? If someone asked you “what is this passage about,” what is the first sentence that comes to mind?

The reason you can’t neglect this step is the Puritans used “if-then” logic in their application of texts. All the questions I will go through take the form of “if (this truth from the text) is true, then what else follows?”

Some of the questions I used in my sermon meditation workbook can be helpful on this step if you are having trouble seeing the main truth of a passage. Once you have the main truth, idea, doctrine, or reality written out in your own words, you are ready to start using the Puritan application questions.

What following truths does this imply?

This first question takes the form of “if this is true from my text, then what further truths are implied?” It is simply connecting your current passage’s truth with a further truth. The Westminster Confession of Faith puts it this way:

VI. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men.

The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647), Emphasis added

The bold section in the text above is what you are trying to do with this first application question. It doesn’t mean you pontificate on the text or introduce human reason only. Rather, you look at your text’s truth and ask “in light of the rest of Scripture, what other truths must also be true if this is true?”

Think of this question as “connecting the dots”. When you complete a “connect the dots” puzzle, you draw connections which together make up a larger picture. That is what this question is trying to do. By connecting your current text with other truths and passages of Scripture, you get a larger picture of what God is calling you to do and be.

For example, if you were studying Psalm 2 and summarized the main idea as “God has set up Jesus as His anointed King to judge the nations,” you could reason from this: “Therefore, Jesus has all authority in your life and in mine.”

In other words, “Jesus is King” is the truth from Psalm 2 and “Therefore, submit your life to Him” is a necessary further truth from Psalm 2.

Of all the Puritan application questions, this one relies most heavily on logic, and deduction. It also requires an ability to connect your text with other texts in Scripture.

In fact, that is how you check to see if the further truth you deduced is valid: check it with other Scripture. In the Psalm 2 example above, you find in the rest of the Bible calls to submit to Jesus’ authority. Therefore, you can be confidence your reasoning is valid.

Logic and reason are tools to understand the Bible, but they must be submitted to the text.

I think that one of the great lessons I have learned from reading the Puritans is how to think well and think carefully but still conform your conclusions and reasoning to the Biblical text itself.

This question is the most difficult Puritan application question. It will take practice to use it effectively. But one of the great skills for every Christian to develop is to fit particular truths in context with other truths in Scripture.

Oftentimes, it is seeing multiple truths together that gives you a clear picture of how you need to live out a particular text.

What errors does this contradict?

The second question is easier to understand. It takes the form of “if this is true from my text, then what errors does this contradict?”

Or to put it another way: “if what this passage says is true, what cannot also be true? What must be false? Are there any beliefs that can’t exist alongside this truth?”

This application question targets wrong thinking and wrong belief. You can compare the truth of the passage to your own personal beliefs, the beliefs of the culture, or other philosophies. If you are preaching, this is an excellent opportunity to address how your text corrects common wrong thinking in your congregation.

Compare the culture’s deeply held beliefs to your text. Then, let your text expose any errors that exist.

For example, if you were studying the text “Everyone who desires to live a godly life will be persecuted,” an error that this passage contradicts might be the prosperity Gospel. Or it could be America’s idolization of comfort. In fact, your own heart might be holding erroneous beliefs that Scripture calls you to repent of.

A key part of application is simply letting Scripture expose your own heart. Let the Bible correct you and lead you to repentance from wrong thinking and wrong belief.

What good works does this require?

This third question takes the form of “if this is true from my text, then what good works are required?” This is simply calling you to meditate on how your passage calls you to righteous action.

If you are studying a passage that gives a command, sometimes this question is easy to answer. But oftentimes, the more you meditate on a passage, the more good actions or behaviors you realize are required by your text.

What commands must be obeyed in this passage? What actions glorify God or exalt Christ in the passage?

The key is to not only look at the good works you must do. You must also remind yourself of the power the Holy Spirit gives you to accomplish them. This will keep this application question from becoming moralism or self-empowered works.

Bible study isn’t about mere behavior modification. But a good Bible study will conform your behavior to Christ.

For passages that don’t have an explicit good work, sometimes it will take some thought to answer this question. Sometimes, the good work required is simply worship of God, praise for Christ, or thankfulness for the Gospel.

Generally, however, even in descriptive passages there are examples or implicit calls to proper behavior. That is why it is crucial to study the text deeply before trying to apply it. The deeper your study, the more profound the application.

What should you stop doing because the passage forbids it?

This next question is the opposite of the last one. This fourth question takes the form of “if this is true from my text, then what should I stop doing because this passage forbids it?” In other words, what actions, behaviors, or lifestyles are revealed as sinful in your passage?

This is the “put off” application questions. It helps you identify what behaviors should not be part of your identity in Christ. If you answered the previous question, you should already know what behaviors your passage calls you to “put on.”

Your Bible study is not complete without repentance. Put off what the passage declares as sin and put on what the passage reveals as right

Oftentimes, if you can’t think of what good works a passage requires, you can identify the wrong behaviors the passage condemns first. Then, think of the opposite of that wrong behavior, and you have the good work.

The Bible gives commands both negatively and positively. Your application should therefore include things to stop doing, and things to start doing.

What encouragement does this passage offer?

This fifth question takes the form of “if this is true from my text, then what encouragement does this offer?” It is one of my favorite questions in this list. The question is pointing to “how does this passage increase my hope in God? My faith in His future mercy and provision?”

Take Hebrews 11 as an example. Certainly their are behaviors to correct based on the passage. But fundamentally, the passage is an encouragement to its readers to develop enduring faith. And each example given is part of a “cloud of witnesses”.

Don’t only leave your Bible study depressed. See what encouragement and hope the text gives you.

Now, there are some sobering texts in Scripture. Texts that deal directly with sin and rebellion. But that is another reason to always read the Bible with Christ in mind. Sometimes, the text’s encouragement is nothing more than a reminder of how great a Savior Jesus is.

I would say of all the Puritan application questions, I found this one most helpful. It is generally easier to see what behavior or thinking must be modified after studying a text. But sometimes it is easy to miss the encouragement the Holy Spirit is giving you through a Bible study.

Where do you stand spiritually in light of this passage?

This sixth and final question takes the form of “if this is true from my text, then where do I stand spiritually in light of this?” This question is very all-encompassing and I take it as a way to make sure you didn’t miss anything from the other questions.

This question turns the mirror squarely on you. You see the way you should think, act, and be encouraged by the passage. Now the question is: are you presently conforming to all these?

This is the most personal and oftentimes convicting parts of applying a text. It takes you out of the abstract and calls you to take stock of your spiritual state.

Ask yourself is my life today reflective of these truths? If not, how can I repent so tomorrow my life conforms to this text?

And this isn’t about mere behavior modification. It is self-examination based on Scripture. After this question, much prayer should happen because God alone can transform your life.

Notice: this is the only question that has the word “you” in it. The other questions help you work out a texts application. This question calls you to act on what you have learned.

Puritan Application Questions: Conclusion

Bible application can be difficult. Oftentimes, it comes down to simply asking the right questions. The Puritan application questions are some of the best you can use in your personal Bible study or sermon preparation.

If you want a reminder of these questions, scroll up to the top of the post to get a visual aid.

As a final note, one of the best ways to understand how to use these Puritan application questions is to read Puritan sermons. You will start to see patterns in how Puritan preachers apply a wide variety of texts.

I personally recommend reading some of John Flavel’s sermons. I have been reading through his sermons on Jesus Christ which are part of his compiled works. The sermons are a masterclass in how to apply Scripture to your listeners.

Visit the “Tools” page for more helpful resources for you and your Church’s Bible study and application. Do you have any application questions you use? I would love to hear them!
How to Break a Bible Passage Into Its Components

How to Break a Bible Passage Into Its Components

By |

Approaching a new passage of Scripture is daunting. There are many details, cross-references, and truths packed into each paragraph of the Bible. How can you proceed? You must break the Bible passage into its components.

This tool will help you extract and organize the details, background, and context of a passage of Scripture.

Personal Bible study can be overwhelming if you don’t have an idea of what you are even looking for in a Bible passage. In my job, I use this tool to help make sure I don’t miss any information. It also works wonders in Bible study or sermon preparation.

The tool is known as “the 5 Ws, H, & SW” (of the Seven Ws). They are 7 simple categories which help you understand what the Bible passage is saying.

For those of you who didn’t want to read this long article or who want to have a visual reminder, I have attached a graphic below. It gives the 5 Ws, H, & SW along with the corresponding questions. Print it out on a 5 x 7 sheet of paper and stick it in your Bible for easy reference.

Bible Passage Components: Seven Ws of Personal Bible StudyDownload

In the following sections, I will go through each of the seven categories.

Bible Passage Components: The 5 Ws, H, & SW

Who

When breaking a Bible passage into its component parts, you first start with the subject. For those of you who are a bit rusty on your grammar, this simply means you find out the speaker of the passage, the audience, and the characters contained in the passage.

The speaker

The speaker of the passage is usually easy to identify. For example, if you are reading an epistle by Paul, he is the speaker.

Sometimes, you only know who the speaker is in general terms. For example, in the Psalms, certain Psalms don’t have an author called out. In that case, simply say the speaker of the passage is “the Psalmist”.

Why is knowing the speaker important? One of the most important parts of Bible study is understanding the author’s intent. That is simply why the author wrote the book or the passage you are studying.

Identifying the speaker in the passage is the first step to understanding the purpose of the book.

If you don’t know where to start, identifying who is the speaker of the passage is a good first step in your Bible study.

The audience

Once you know who the speaker is, an obvious next step is determining who the speaker is communicating to. This is the audience. A lot is made in Bible study books about “the original audience.” I think you can easily get too focused on the historical and geographical details of the audience if you aren’t careful.

List who the audience of the book is and then list characteristics of that audience you find in the passage or the book as a whole.

For example, if I was reading the book of Galatians, the audience is clearly the Church in Galatia. However, that does not tell me very much and is therefore not very helpful in understanding the passage.

If I were to do a quick survey of Galatians, however, I could start understanding characteristics of the Church. They are listening to false teaching. In turn, they are getting tempted to add the works of the law back into the Gospel message.

Why is the audience important to know? If you don’t know the original audience and their characteristics, application either becomes difficult, impossible, or straight up wrong.

Spending time on filling out the characteristics of the original audience will help you understand the purpose of the passage and how it applies to your life.

To do this, oftentimes you will need to skim through the book and start listing out any verses that discuss something about the original audience. Again, don’t get too caught up in extracting every historical or geographical tidbit about the original audience. You oftentimes will get so stuck in the details that you never end up getting to the actual Bible passage.

The characters

The passage won’t always have this component. But when you are studying narrative (like many of the Old Testament books & the Gospels) or parables or even much of Wisdom Literature (Proverbs, Song of Songs), listing out the main characters of a passage is important.

(In fact, I have elsewhere argued that you can organize a sermon around the main characters in the passage. To hear me apply this, listen to my recent sermon on Numbers 14. Or you can read my series of posts based on that sermon.)

You deal with the characters in a passage very similar to what you already did with the audience. Simply extract the characters and then list their characteristics.

For example, if I was do extract the “characters” from the parable of the sower in Mark 4, I first list out the four different types of soil and the sower.

Next, I would write the characteristics of each of those types of soil and then the characteristics of the sower. Don’t make up characteristics for their own sake. Just write down what the passage says.

Think of your favorite movie. You could not only name the main characters, you could also describe them. Do the same for the Bible passage you are studying.

Why is this important? Oftentimes seeing the characteristics of the main characters in a passage helps you understand what the author/speaker is trying to highlight.

In our example of the parable of the sower, listing the characteristics of the soils helps you see that only the final type of soil (the good soil that grows a plant that bears fruit) is emphasized as good.

Once you have the speaker, the audience, and the characters of the passage pulled out, you can move on to the next category. Don’t rush the “who”, though.

A good grasp of who is in the passage will keep you from misinterpreting and misapplying the passage later on.

What

The next step in breaking a Bible passage into its components is to extract what is happening in the passage. The three pieces of information I like to get from this step are what is said, what is done, and what is felt.

What is said-the pieces of the passage

This simply means you list out the key points, arguments, or speeches in the passage. The bible passage components you extract in this section will depend on the type of Biblical literature you are studying.

But in general, read through the passage and reduce what is said into a few main points. Oftentimes, to do this well, you will have to outline a passage. I will go through outlining in a later post.

For example, when I was studying for my post on Psalm 1, I broke up what is said into a couple sections. The first section is a contrast between listening to the unrighteous and listening to God’s word. The second section gives metaphors to picture the righteous and the unrighteous. And the last section gives both groups’ final destiny.

Listing out what is said will help you see the main points of the passage.

For Paul, you might spend time mapping out his arguments. For a Psalm, you might focus on the repetition and metaphors used. Metaphors also show up throughout Scripture and are important, but sometimes difficult to interpret. I designed a whole separate worksheet to help you understand biblical metaphors.

Regardless, make sure you either list out or summarize everything in the passage. If you leave you information, you may come to wrong interpretive conclusions.

Often it is what information you leave out that has the biggest effect on your Bible study. Don’t leave important details unexamined.

What is done-the flow of the passage

As before, how you answer this question depends on the type of Bible passage you are studying. If you are examining a narrative text, simply list out the key parts of the plot.

For example, when I was studying Numbers 14, I looked at the important plot points: Israel reacts in fear, Jacob & Caleb call them to repentance, God pronounces judgment, Moses mediates, etc.

If you are going through a Psalm or an epistle, this question helps you think through the flow of the passage. What are the steps of the argument? What does the author do with the components?

Look at the movement of the passage. How does it flow and progress?

Why is this important? If you only know the pieces of the passage and not how they fit together, you will often struggle to find the author’s main point. Seeing what is done in the passage enables you to see better the point the author is making.

What is felt-the emotion of the passage

This is often overlooked. Tone is crucial to understanding the passage. Is the author worshipful or angry? Reflective or direct? This question is not about what you feel about the passage, it is examining the tone of the words in the passage itself.

Answer this can be difficult or easy depending on the passage. Sometimes, the author specifically calls out emotion or uses words that strongly suggest a particular emotion. Other times, you must think a little deeper to get to what emotions exist in the text.

Look for any emotionally charged words in the passage. Is this passage painting a positive or negative picture?

You might ask why this step is important. I would argue you cannot accurately apply a text without understanding the emotion it is conveying. You don’t want to walk away happy when studying a passage meant to make you fear.

The emotion of the text should guide your emotions when you leave the text.

Again, it isn’t about asking what you personally feel about the text. That is conforming the text to your emotions.

But, when you understand the tone of the passage, you can subject your own feelings to the text.

Where

The “where” of the text can take many forms. Think of it as understanding the context of whatever passage you are studying. The three questions to ask are where is this passage taking place geographically, where is this passage in the argument, and where is this passage in the book as a whole.

Geographically

I don’t think I need to say much in this section. This is simply placing the passage in the physical world. Where is this taking place? Where are the main characters when this letter or poem or prophecy was written?

For example, if you are studying a passage and Israel is in Babylon, you are in a very different part of Israel’s history than if they were in Egypt.

Don’t write this section off as meaningless detail. Oftentimes, the geography of the passage gives you insight you might not expect. For example, the joyful nature of the letter to the Philippians becomes more astounding when you realize Paul was in jail when writing it.

The geographical context of a passage helps you picture the passage as something tangible. These were real people, real historical events. Not just abstractions on a page.

It is important not to spend all your time answering this question. But understanding where the main characters are is certainly helpful.

In the argument

This mainly applies to discourses and the epistles. Simply look at your passage or verse and try to understand what it adds to the overall argument.

Previously you looked at the flow of the passage itself. For this step, you are simply looking at the flow from a little higher vantage point.

Is your passage the conclusion of an argument? An application of a truth previously presented? An assumption which is a foundation of what follows?

Not every passage has the same or an equal role. Finding where it occurs will help you discern its importance.

Why is this important? You want to emphasize what the text emphasizes. If the passage at hand is giving a reason for hoping in Christ, you don’t want to treat it like a command. If your passage is the conclusion of an extended argument, you want to emphasize it and see how it follows from what came before.

In the book as a whole

This simply moves the vantage point even higher. In order to answer this question, you need to have some insight into the structure of the book you are studying.

For example, I have been teaching 2 Corinthians in my Church’s Sunday School. There are essentially three larger sections in 2 Corinthians: Paul describes the ministry of reconciliation, exhorts the Church to participate in sending money to the Jerusalem Church, and defends his apostleship.

When I study any given individual passage in 2 Corinthians, I always think through which section of the book my passage is in. Depending on where it occurs, my passage’s tone and purpose is vastly different.

In the high level break down of the book, where does your passage occur? This might be a good time to get a commentary which has outlines of the book.

Again, don’t get stuck in the details. You don’t need to understand every single part of the book you are studying. But if you broke the book down into 2-6 categories, which one would your passage fit into?

When

This section only contains two questions to answer: When was this written? and When does it occur in redemptive history? The former is connecting your passage to time, the latter is understanding it within the canon of Scripture.

When in time

Answering this question can take many forms. For example, if you are studying a Pauline epistle, you can ask what year Paul wrote this or when in Paul’s ministry he wrote the epistle.

As when you understood where geographically a passage occurs, finding out the time in which a passage occurs gives further context. The temptation here is to go into far too much detail.

Remember, you are a faithful student of God’s word. Not a historian.

That said, the time in which a passage occurs sometimes is included by the author. Therefore, it must have some relevance to your study.

The Bible took place in time, even though it is timeless truth.

I think there are two dangerous extremes you can go to: treat the Bible as if it is purely a historical book or treating it as if it is merely abstract truth without any real history.

So don’t fall into either of these. Understand when in time your passage occurs, but don’t let that be the most important thing you take away from the text.

When in redemptive history

Of all the Bible passage components, this is one of the most important ones and yet one of the most difficult ones to extract. Answering this question gets easier and easier the more time you spend in Scripture. The more familiar you are with it.

When your passage occurs in redemptive history will majorly affect your interpretation. An easy example is whether your passage occurs in the Old Testament or the New Testament. Is the author looking forward to the coming of the Messiah, or looking back on Jesus’ death and resurrection?

The Bible tells one complete story of God’s glorious redemption in Christ. Where is your passage in this story?

Has the law been given yet? Is Israel in exile? Has Pentecost occurred? I would argue you need to have some idea of where your passage occurs in redemptive history to have any hope of proper interpretation.

I would recommend getting a good Biblical Theology book or commentary that focuses on the whole Bible for answering this question.

If you can’t answer this question immediately, don’t worry! It takes a lifetime of study and reflection to learn how the complexities of Scripture fit together.

The key is with each new passage to ask this question so you learn a little bit more about the Bible as a whole even as you focus on an individual section.

Why

The “why” of a passage builds on the bible passage components you found in the “what” section. The order is important. Don’t try to figure out why the passage says what it says until you understand its main points in context.

Why is this said?

The Bible is not a book in want of purpose. Sometimes understanding the purpose of a passage takes time, but it is always there. You should look at the context of the passage before you ask why something is said. Oftentimes, the context will help you see its significance.

Why something is said often depends on where the passage is in context, in the flow of the book, and where it occurs in redemptive history.

Oftentimes, if you answered the what, where, and when questions, you can answer why something is said fairly easily. It is important to note sometimes the author tells you explicitly why he says something. Other times, you must deduce it.

Keep in mind every time you leave what is explicitly said in the passage you are making an interpretation. Make sure your interpretation is based on other Scripture and does not contradict other Scripture.

This is the foundational principle that the Bible is self-interpreting and internally consistent. Now, in practice, this can be very difficult to see, especially for some texts. But do not rush to answering why a text says what it says. Be patient.

Why is this done?

Like the discussion above, if you have done your work answering the where and the when questions, you can often easily interpret the purpose of an event.

Sometimes, however, the author tells you why something is done. For example, Jesus does many miracles in the gospel of John. But John doesn’t leave us to ask why Jesus did them: John calls these miracles “signs.” Their purpose was testifying to Jesus’ deity.

But things can also be done because of sin, jealousy, or wrong choices. If you were to ask why Saul tried to kill David, you would likely get one of these negative answers.

Why is this felt?

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” This sentence evokes a peaceful, confident emotion. Why does the Psalmist feel this way? That is the type of question you should answer at this point.

Again, don’t close your Bible and reflect to yourself in order to answer this question. Scripture is self-interpreting. Go ask the rest of the Bible or the rest of the passage why something is felt.

The “why’s” of the Bible are best answered by the Bible itself.

Most interpretive mistakes come from trying to understand a particular passage without the looking at it in light of other Scripture. The emotion of the text is important. Therefore understanding the purpose of that emotion is also important.

God has given you all you need to study the Bible inside the Bible.

And that includes emotions contained in the text.

How

Previously, we have focused on merely collecting and interpreting Bible passage components. Now, we let the text examine our own hearts. You meditate on the text and asking yourself how should you think, how should you feel, and how should you act if this passage is true.

How are you to think?

The Bible corrects wrong thinking. It corrects wrong thinking about God, about Jesus, about yourself, about others, about the world we live in.

So, a simple question to ask at this point is how does this passage correct, inform, or disrupt your thinking? Once you have broken down the bible passage components, organized them, and understood there purpose, you don’t stop there.

Ask yourself, “if this passage is true, what thoughts do I have which contradict that truth?”

Oftentimes, you and I conform Scripture to our thoughts, not the other way around. This first “how” question gives you time to examine what you think about God, yourself, and the world.

If what you think contradicts the truth, replace your thoughts with God’s thoughts.

How are you to feel?

I once read an excellent little article on “Six Short Rules for Young Believers.” It is a very helpful read, but one quote in particular bears mentioning here:

“Never believe what you feel, if it contradicts God’s Word. Ask yourself, Can what I feel be true, if God’s Word is true? and if both cannot be true, believe God, and make your own heart the liar. (Rom. 3:4; 1 John 5:10, 11).“

It doesn’t get much more practical than that. You spent much time figuring out the emotions contained in the text you are studying. Now, turn it on yourself: do you feel the same?

Do you hate your sin? Do you feel the same love for the Lord as this passage? It is easy to treat our own feelings as sovereign, as the measure of our reality.

Feelings come and go. God’s word stands forever.

That is one reason for my series called “Happy?” You and I so often let our feelings define our reality. But if you look at God’s word, understand it, and let your feelings be rooted in truth, your life will transform.

How are you to act?

The Bible isn’t merely concerned with behavior modification. But it is concerned with faith-based obedience.

Are there imperatives you should follow? Are there examples to emulate? When you break down a Bible passage into its components, you often see clearly what action you should do.

If you rush to application on the other hand, oftentimes you focus too much on surface level behavior modification.

Let your actions be faith-driven and scripture-informed. Don’t stop at mere external obedience. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” and “whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”

Your Bible study should have a definite impact on your life. So often, we study and nothing about us actually changes. As James said, you need to be a doer of the word, not merely a hearer.

The mark of a good Bible study is it leaves a mark on your life.

I mentioned when discussing my sermon mediation booklet that one of my favorite quotes is “men grow tired of hearing the word only after they have grown tired of putting it into practice.”

The same is true of Bible study.

If your life isn’t being transformed by the word of God, don’t be surprised if your study becomes boring or unfruitful.

Breaking a bible passage into its components isn’t enough. It must change you once you understand it.

So What

The last section focused more on personal transformation. The “so what” of a passage is thinking through the implications the passage has on your life in different spheres. These are three questions which are worthy of prayer and meditation. Only you can answer them.

What are the implications for your family?

You might be single, a husband, a wife, a mother, a father, or a child. How does this text touch upon your roles within the family?

Keep in mind not every text deals directly with family. Most don’t. That is why I call these “implications”.

An implication is simply saying “if this is true, what further thing follows.”

In this case, what does the truths of your passage call you to within the context of your family?

What are the implications for your work?

Most of us, myself included, spend most of our day most of the week working a 9 to 5 secular job.

Therefore, it is crucial you let scripture transform where you spend most of your time: at work.

Don’t think that the Bible doesn’t address your work or how you work or where you work. There are often many implications for your 9 to 5 which follow from a truth of Scripture.

As you go throughout your work day, meditate on a truth from your Bible study. You will be surprised at how often it informs what you do, think, and feel as you work.

What are the implications for your corporate worship?

Finally, think through the implications of how this passage helps you and equips you for service in the Church. Your local Church should be a fundamental part of your life.

Oftentimes, the Bible speaks most directly and constantly to this point. How you worship God corporately and interact with fellow believers is incredibly important to the Lord. There are great blessings in belonging to God and His people.

Don’t leave your study until you think through how the text changes your interaction with your local Church.

If you want further questions to apply your text, use the application questions Puritan preachers used. They are incredibly effective and helpful to fully understand the effect a text should have on your life.

Do you like receiving Bible study tools? Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram to receive updates whenever a new tool is published.
3 Important Tips for Preaching Narrative

3 Important Tips for Preaching Narrative

By |

I was recently asked by my Pastor to preach for evening service. Even though I know the difficulties of preaching narrative, I decided to preach on Numbers 14.

One of the difficulties with preaching and studying the Bible is the variety of literary types it contains. 

You can’t preach Exodus like you would Paul. 

Psalms is very different from Revelation.

This fact is compounded because you can have different types of literature in the same book.

That being said, I think narrative is particular challenging for preaching. I think we all have heard a sermon from Old Testament (OT) narrative or the Gospels which left us thinking “Where on earth did the preacher get that point from?”

Nevertheless, there is a lot of narrative in scripture, and God wants it preached. So, as I personally prepare a sermon on OT narrative, here are a few of my thoughts on preaching narrative:

1. Understand where your text fits into the flow of the book

The best way to preach through narrative is to simply preach through the whole book. Context always matters and there is nothing so dangerous as ripping a “story” out of its flow.

As soon as the preacher loses the narrative’s context, you can pretty much use any story in scripture to make any point you want.

You never want to lose the author’s purpose in recording a historical moment or a specific parable. 

To preach my text, which comes in the middle of Numbers, I need to understand not only my immediate text. I also need to understand what comes before and what comes after.

View your text as a piece of a larger puzzle. Not as a complete painting on its own.

What is the overall purpose of the book as a whole? Where does your text fit into the narrative?

What important events came before? What important passages come after? How does your text uniquely contribute to the overall point the author is making?

The old saying “don’t miss the forest for the trees” rings true when preaching narrative. Don’t start with your particular text.

Spend as much time understanding the book before you dig into any passage in particular.

When actually preaching the sermon itself, you must verbally fit your passage into the narrative. You don’t have time to describe the whole book, but you should be able to connect your passage to what comes before and after in a couple sentences.

How I plan on doing this for my sermon is simple. Spend a couple sentences describing how Exodus and Leviticus lead up to Numbers. Then spend a couple sentences talking about the flow of Numbers up to my text.

Additionally, towards the end of the sermon, one of my final points is connecting the narrative to what comes ahead in Numbers.

Don’t make your listeners think your text is an island. Give them a survey of the surrounding terrain first and frequently remind them.

I would contend most abuse of Biblical narrative comes from neglecting this rule. For New Testament (NT) Epistles, you can get away with isolating arguments. You can specifically key in on certain prophecies.

But narrative is all about context. Each story is selected for a purpose. If you haven’t found the narrative’s purpose yet, study the whole book before you study your passage.

2. Give your sermons some backbone

How you structure a sermon is always important. There are so many styles to preaching and so many ways of outlining a specific passage.

Do you walk through the text and give commentary? Do you distill the text down to a central point? Do you take a text and show how its truth is developed in the rest of scripture?

Regardless of how you preach other texts, I recommend organizing your sermon on biblical narrative by extracting several main points/observations.

Narrative has a lot of detail.

Setting.

Main “characters”.

Plot.

Dialogue.

If you just went through and commented on each detail, the sermon would be very long and very ineffective.

Sermons of biblical narrative can easily become meandering and generalized. The solution?

After completing your study of the passage, consider the three most important things in the passage.

You can key on the most important people. You can key in on three important textual observations you made. You can key in on three different plot points that drive the narrative forward.

Of course, you don’t have to use “three”. But the less central points you make, the easier it will be for your listeners to follow you.

After getting the three most important things in your passage, organize the rest of your points and applications under those headings.

I will use the example of my Numbers sermon. The chapter contains an incredible amount of information.

Israel is afraid. Joshua and Caleb rebuke them. God expresses anger. Moses mediates. God forgives. God declares punishment. Etc. etc.

After doing my in depth study, I have to ask myself “what is the most effective way to preach this information?”

Your goal should be clarity. Make God’s truth manifestly clear to your listeners.

There are a couple ways I thought to present the information. But I think I will structure my sermon based around the three main “characters” and how they relate to God: Israel, Joshua/Caleb, and Moses.

Giving your sermon on Biblical narrative a clear structure helps organize the details of the passage to your listeners.

If I were to instead try to comment on the entire passage as I read it, the risk of complicating the passage rather than clarifying it.

Clarify, don’t complicate.

Now, you might object by saying my choice to structure my sermon was arbitrary. After all, the book of Numbers isn’t organized by “character.”

But preaching is different from reading. If I were simply reading the text or even writing a commentary on it, I might not organize the information this way.

But preaching involves interpretation. And your interpretation of the text is clearest when it is presented clearly.

Structuring your sermon around what you think is most important in the narrative will aid you as you lead your congregation to the central truths the author is making in this passage.

Remember: only do this step after you have already understood the context of your passage. If you simply rip a chunk of the narrative out of context, your organization of its contents might be completely wrong.

Don’t let your listeners get confused and bogged down by the narrative. Show them where to look and what to see.

3. Let the application naturally rise from the text. Don’t rush it

Preaching narrative can often lead to misapplication. You compare you listeners to David. You think the point of Esther is to be a woman of faith.

The danger of misapplication is everywhere in the Bible, but narrative can sometimes hold the most danger.

As a rule be incredibly patient drawing out application from narrative.

Sometimes proper and valid application takes more time with narrative than other passages. After all, when Jesus simply says “Love your enemies” or when Paul says “pray at all times” at the very least you know an imperative is given.

Often, narrative does not present application in the form of commands. Thus you must ask good questions and meditate on the text and its place in scripture before giving application in the form of commands to the congregation.

I designed a tool to help you ask yourself good questions after listening to a sermon. Use some of the questions as you consider what the passage is calling its readers to do.

But beware of quick and simplistic application with narrative. Make sure they come from scripture and not your own “first take” on the text.

Here the first rule is again revealed as important: unless you understand your passage as a piece in the rest of the narrative, you are in danger of misapplication.

For example, let us say when coming up with applications for my Number sermon, I did not read further on in the book of Numbers.

My passage ends with Israel getting kicked out of the promised land because they try to enter it without the Lord.

If I stop there, I miss the fact that at the start of Numbers 15, God again repeats that Israel will in fact make it into the promised land.

I would also miss God causing Balaam to bless Israel later in the book.

In short, without the overall flow of Numbers, I would fail to focus in on the faithfulness of God. How “when we are faithless, He is faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”

That truth is encouraging. Practical. It highlights God’s covenant love.

And it is not the application I would immediately jump to from reading the text.

If an application is forced, it will seem forced to your listeners. You don’t make the Bible impactful. It already is.

Therefore, when preaching narrative be sure to mediate deeply on your passage in its biblical context. The richest applications in biblical narrative take time and patience.

Oftentimes, you need the right tools to do this well. One of my favorite sets of application questions comes from Mark Dever. Use this “application matrix” to get your mind and heart meditating on the text.

But remember: your application will only go as deep as your knowledge and internalization of the text.

Rushed study leads to rushed application which leads to your listeners minds rushing out the door.

Don’t just tell them how the text applies. Show them how the applications of the text naturally rise from the passage.

In the end, preaching narrative takes a lot of thought and work. But with a lot of prayer, patience, and applying the above tips, you can display the glory of God’s narratives to your listeners.

Click here to listen to my Numbers 14 sermon or here if you want to start reading through it. Want to contact me to share your thoughts or comments? Reach out here.

children's handout for church
Helpful Children’s Handout for Sermon Notes

Helpful Children’s Handout for Sermon Notes

By |

My wife created this children’s handout for my Church. It was long overdo. When the pandemic hit, my Church had to shut down for a while. Once we re-opened again, certain ministries were limited.

Since we did not have anyone to teach Children’s Church, all the kids at my Church sat in the main service.

Now, I entirely am of the conviction that families should keep their kids in the main service with them. But I recognize not everyone has that same conviction. For some families, not having children’s church was difficult.

So, my wife who has a visual design background went to work. The result: a handout kids can take into the sermon to help them stay focused.

The goal is to get every single person in the family engaged in corporate worship. Now, even with children’s church happening again, some families still opt to keep their kids in the main service. We have to replenish these children’s handouts frequently.

I recommend printing them on a larger sheet of paper (17 x 11 in).

That way the kids have plenty of space to color and write. Even if you don’t use this actual handout, I hope it inspires someone in your body to design one for yourself.

There is nothing more rewarding than using your professional skills to bless the body.

My wife’s background made her ideal for projects like this. She could bless the body and do it well since she went to school for visual design.

It convicted me of what skills has the Lord developed in me professionally that I need to leverage for the cause of Christ.

Whether it is a handout, fixing something in the physical building, or teaching, keep looking for ways to bless your body with your skills.

I hope this Children’s handout blesses your body as it did mine.

Kids Sermon NotesDownload

If you want a sermon meditation tool designed for adults, see here.
An Incredible Tool for Applying Sermons to Your Life

An Incredible Tool for Applying Sermons to Your Life

By |

Applying sermons is always on my mind. I have listened to countless sermons over the years. Some inspire me. Some stick with me.

Others, I forget before I am hardly outside the Church doors.

Perhaps you have have a similar experience. Often times, Sunday Morning Sermons can feel more like a ritual. A box to check.

You were not meant to listen to sermons passively. God’s word should have a definite impact on your life.

The reality for me is after Sunday service, my mind immediately goes to practical things like talking with other Church members or what I’m eating for lunch.

I was convicted on my need to be applying sermons after reading a small book. The book is called “Duties of a Christian Fellowship” by John Owen. One quote really stuck out to me:

“…men grow tired of hearing the word only after they have grown tired of putting it into practice.”

Church members should take personal responsibility for applying sermons their Pastor’s preaches.

Rather than passively listening to preaching, I knew I needed to meditate on the sermon. Mull it over after service. Examine myself with it. Bring it before the Lord to see how He wants my life to change.

So, I designed a workbook for myself. Every week I summarize my Pastor’s main points and then ask myself several questions.

The questions themselves I gleaned from not only the Owen’s book I mentioned above, but also this great book on being a Church member.

Even though I originally made the workbook for myself, I showed it to my Pastor. He thought it was a good idea, so we had copies printed for every Church member. We posted it on our Church website too. Now, I make it available for you.

Use this resource for personal sermon application, family devotions, and small groups at your Church.

Sermon Meditation WorkbookDownload

If you want further questions to ask yourself after a sermon, the application questions Puritan pastors used are incredibly helpful.

Interested in a similar tool but for kids? Click here to view the kids sermon notes my wife designed.