A SIMPLE GUIDE TO

BETTER BIBLICAL
EXEGESIS
Or How NOT to Write a
Boring Exegesis

Clare Miller
Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 3

HOW BORING IS YOUR EXEGESIS? 4

EXEGESIS: WHAT IS IT ABOUT? 5

“IT WAS MRS WHITE IN THE LIBRARY WITH THE COAT HANGER” 6

THE DETECTIVE PROCESS 7

STEP 1: EXAMINE THE CRIME SCENE 8

STEP 2: CHECK FOR CLUES 12

STEP 3: INTERROGATE THE WITNESSES 16

STEP 4: CONCLUDE YOUR CASE 19

WRITING UP YOUR EXEGESIS 22

A FEW POINTS ABOUT STYLE AND STRUCTURE 25

THE ADVANCED STUFF 26

FINALLY: DON’T FORGET 28

A Simple Guide to Better Biblical Exegesis Spurgeon’s College

INTRODUCTION
This guide is for every first, second or even final year theology student who has an
exegesis assignment to hand in. Too many biblical exegesis assignments are dull to read
and full of irrelevant facts. Read this guide if you would prefer to avoid boring your
tutor.

Not sure if you have an exegesis assignment? An assignment which asks you to discuss
the meaning of a biblical passage (or two) involves exegesis. Sometimes you will also
need to do some exegesis as part of another assignment.

This guide will not discuss what the word exegesis means or consider the theology. You
can search online if you are interested or read a textbook.1 In addition these guidelines
focus on doing an exegesis in English. For Greek or Hebrew/Aramaic exegesis you will
need many different skills on top of these, so you will definitely need a more advanced
guide.

Even if your assignment is due in three days and you have not even looked at the
passage yet, you have time to read this short guide.

1
E.g. Gordon D. Fee, New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors, 3rd edn
(Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002);
Douglas Stuart, Old Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors, 4th edn (Louisville:
Westminster John Knox Press, 2009).

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HOW BORING IS YOUR EXEGESIS?

So, you think you know how to write a non-boring exegesis?

Before you stop reading this guide, just check the list below…

Things which will bore your reader:

 A long description of the author, where he lived, his home life and his personality –
without telling us how this is relevant to the passage.

 Detailed discussion of the date of writing or audience, without giving any clues to its
relevance to the passage.

 As above, for historical background.

 Context of any kind which is not linked to the meaning of the passage.

 Discussion that might be relevant to the passage, but you do not explain how.

 Any information or discussion that is basically irrelevant.

 Six paragraphs of introduction and context, then two paragraphs on the passage
itself.

 Theological statements which are not backed up with Bible passages.

 Theological statements which are irrelevant to the meaning of the passage.

 Preaching at them.

Yawn…

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EXEGESIS: WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

Too many students treat exegesis like a fact-finding mission. But facts by themselves are
boring (especially if we have heard them 100 times before) or irrelevant, or likely both.

Exegesis is not primarily about the author, the historical background or the audience
(although all of these are important), but about the passage – what does it say and what
does it mean?

But beware: meaning is a strange, slippery thing – grasp it too tightly and it will slip
through your fingers. Just when you think you have everything tied up neatly, something
will come along that makes you question everything. Be confident, but hold your ideas
lightly. Be humble. A passage will mean different things to different people: the author
writing it, the different sets of people hearing / reading it, theologians throughout
history, church tradition, and you yourself. Just to name a few. And that is not even
touching on the question of what God may be saying.

Sometimes people talk about exegesis as being about discovering the ‘original meaning’
or ‘author’s intention’. But let us face the facts: if there was an ‘original meaning’ we are
never going to completely know it – the best we can do is to make an educated guess.
The authors of the biblical texts are so far away from us – in time and distance and
culture and worldview – that we are fooling ourselves if we think we can ever be
completely confident of their original intentions. So remember, there is no ‘right answer’
in exegesis – this will delight some of you and terrify others. (But this also does not
mean that every answer is right!)

Doing exegesis is all about making an argument for what YOU think it means. And it
makes sense, in a biblical essay, for your argument to be based on the Bible. In other
words, not what your Pastor taught you, or your experience, or your particular brand of
theology. Even better, your argument should be based first of all on what this
particular passage actually says, perhaps supported by other parts of the Bible which
are connected to it. Of course, it is useful to take a wider look at the context – where the
passage sits in a longer discussion, who the author was writing to, what their theology
was – it all provides clues to help us understand the meaning of this particular passage.

The reader is not looking for your theological views, or latest Scriptural enthusiasm, and
certainly does not want to be preached at – tell them what the passage says and what
you think it means. And by all means inspire them along the way!

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“IT WAS MRS WHITE IN THE LIBRARY WITH THE COAT

HANGER”
Doing exegesis should make you feel something like a detective with a crime to solve.
You examine the crime scene, determine the facts, apprehend the culprit, explain their
motive – and finally make a watertight argument for your case in court. Your reader
needs convincing beyond reasonable doubt that you have solved the case.

So, like Monsieur Poirot, 2 engage those ‘little grey cells’, and remember:

 Keep a close eye out for clues, even in unlikely places.

 Ask lots of questions.

 Ignore strange behaviour at your peril.

 Do not be led astray by red herrings.

 Act like a professional: give your readers confidence that you know what you are
doing.

 Tell the story.

 Make a strong case.

 Provide evidence for everything you say.

 Do not waste your reader’s time.

Above all, convince us – and do it with style!

2
Hercule Poirot is a famous (though fictional) Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie.

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THE DETECTIVE PROCESS

A good detective starts at the crime scene and works logically to ensure they do not
miss any clues. In doing exegesis you should also follow a logical process, starting with
an in-depth look at the passage and making sure you have all the evidence you need to
present a watertight case.

Here are the suggested steps for this process:

Step 1: Examine the Crime Scene – get familiar with the passage and note the
issues.

Step 2: Check for Clues – look carefully at the words, structure and background of
the passage.

Step 3: Interrogate the Witnesses – find out what the commentators say and
decide who you agree with and why.

Step 4: Conclude Your Case – use the evidence available to decide what the passage
means.

The following sections will cover each of these steps in more detail.

Of course, once you have worked through these steps, you will also have to present
your case in writing, but we will come back to this step later…

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STEP 1: EXAMINE THE CRIME SCENE

In this step your job is to become really familiar with the passage. Read it through
multiple times and find out what the issues are. By the end of this process you should
know the passage really well and have started to identify the main issues.

In this first step, stick to looking at the passage for yourself rather than going straight to
the commentaries. What do you notice? What looks interesting or complicated? What do
you want to find out?

Useful tools for this stage:

1. A print out of your passage

 Use a ‘literal’ translation3 like the NRSV or NASB, or else the NET, ESV, HCSB (all
available online).

 Print out the passage double-spaced with large margins, so that you can add your
own handwritten notes and annotate the text.

2. Access to the internet

 Biblehub.com is a useful site for quickly comparing translations and finding cross
references.

 Net.bible.org is the home of the NET Bible, which is most useful for its translators’
notes.

o Remember to keep a careful note of any information you find out online so that
you can reference it in your essay.

Things you DO NOT need (yet):

A big pile of commentaries

3
‘Formal equivalence’ translations focus on keeping the word order and grammar structure the
same as in the original text.

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A. The first read-through

 Read through the text slowly.

 Make underlines and comments as you go.

 Notice interesting things.

 Notice difficult things.

 Write down your questions.

 Highlight verses which do not make sense.

 Check for repeated words or ideas.

 Check the variations in translation for each verse by using the Bible Hub website4
and note down any significant differences (e.g. in word choices or ideas).

 Underline any connecting words (e.g. ‘therefore’, ‘and’, ‘so that’, ‘however’) and try to
understand how the ideas in the passage are connected.

 Try to paraphrase the passage in your own words.

You should repeat these steps until you feel that you cannot discover anything new.

B: Look at the context of the passage

 If you are unfamiliar with the book, look up the basic facts online or use a Bible
overview book (though do not rely on web sources for any detailed commentary –
you cannot trust their accuracy).

 Either read the whole book (if it is short), or find a decent summary, so that you
know what is going on.

 Read the passage that comes before yours and note down what is going on.

 Read the passage that comes afterwards and do the same.

4
http://biblehub.com

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C: Find the issues and controversies

If you have been given the passage in an assignment, it is likely that there is something
a little difficult or controversial there. Do not be scared – this just gives you more to
write about! It is worth checking for the existence of these issues yourself before getting
too deep into the commentaries (but do not worry about solving everything just yet).

 Note the main questions / difficulties you notice in your passage.

 If you can, try to note down the main alternatives / arguments that you see, or have
a guess. Variations in the different translations can sometimes alert you to the
options.

 If you get stuck and are not aware of any issues, try searching Google Books for the
verses or key phrases, or asking your tutor for a clue.

 Remember when searching online that not all the discussion you find will be helpful!
Be careful not to rely on online sources – refer back to reliable commentaries and
books to back up ideas. There are plenty of ‘fringe ideas’ out there!

By the end of this process you should know the passage really well and be familiar with
its context. You should also be aware of some of the interesting and difficult things in
the passage, and have some questions you want answering…

D: Look at some shorter Bible commentaries

Now that you are really familiar with the passage yourself, it is time to get an expert’s
view. Although commentaries will play an important role in Step 3, you should have a
preliminary look at this point, to check that you are not missing any important
information on the context, or key ideas.

 Start with a shorter commentary / overview and note down any relevant details on
the context that you were not aware of.

 Note down any relevant facts.

 Has the commentator made any useful points in their summary?

 Make a note of anything you find out, or useful quotations, and do not forget to
write down the page numbers.

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o Tip: Take a photo of the page to keep a record (and do not forget to get a picture
of the book cover and title page too).

Remember that you do not have to agree with a commentator’s opinions, although you
should take them seriously – they have probably done a lot more reading than you!

Hopefully you have already managed to identify the tricky bits of the passage. A decent
commentary should alert you to the difficulties in a passage, but forewarned is
forearmed: knowing that a particular verse is controversial you will not be fooled when
a commentator glosses over an explanation or provides just a single viewpoint. Be alert!

We will return to interacting with commentators in the section ‘Interrogating the

Witnesses’.

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STEP 2: CHECK FOR CLUES

So, having examined the crime scene, and with the basic facts of the case before you, it
is time to take a closer look. You should now be intimately familiar with the passage and
have identified the main questions and issues. Now the real work begins.

Digging into the text is all about asking questions. It can be tricky to leave your
assumptions to one side, but try to come to the text with an open mind.

What clues can we discover to the meaning of the passage?

Make notes on the following sections as you go along but, remember, not all the clues
you find will be relevant to your final case. Just because you researched something, it
does not mean that it needs to be part of the final essay. Sometimes it is worth
following an interesting trail away from the crime scene, but do not waste your time – or
your reader’s. Focus!

Literary Clues
Are there any significant literary clues which help us understand the ideas in the passage?

Remember that you do not need to write at length about all of these questions, unless
they affect the interpretation of the passage.

Genre and tone

How does the genre affect how we read the passage? (E.g. should we read poetry in the
same way as history?)

Questions to consider:

 Is it poetry or prose? How can you tell?

 If prose, is it a historical account, or a story, or a personal letter?

o What evidence do we have for this?

 What seems to be the general purpose of the book (e.g. encouragement / argument
/ establishing doctrine)?

o What evidence do we have for this?

 Does the passage appear to be addressing a specific situation or speaking more

generally? Is it establishing a new doctrine or arguing against opposing ideas?

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 How forceful is the argument and does this affect how we read the passage?

o E.g. does the passage use hyperbole (exaggeration)? Other rhetorical devices?

Literary features

What clues in the structure and wording of the passage help us to understand what the
passage may be trying to convey?

Clues to look for:

 Repeated words or phrases

 Unusual words or phrases

 Parallels or contrasts

 Quotations

 Chiasms (a-b-c-b-a)5

 Rhetorical questions

 Metaphors and similes

 Connecting words (therefore, but, however…)

 Emphasis

 Ideas ‘stacking up’, or energy/tone building up to a climax

 Irony and jokes (e.g. puns)

 Words/phrases which mark structure – e.g. inclusio / ‘bookending’6

 Allusions – wording that deliberately echoes other biblical passages without directly
referring to them

Identifying the interesting words and structures helps us to understand what the
passage may be trying to convey, but also helps to point us in the right direction for the
next two sections – understanding the context and themes.

5
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiastic_structure
6
Bookending/inclusio is when the same word/phrase/idea starts and ends a section. See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclusio

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Literary and historical context

 Are there any words or phrases which echo other biblical passages?

o Use a Bible with cross references or look up the verses on a website like Bible
Hub7 to make this task easier.

 Are there any words or phrases which are significant / interesting because of their
use in the surrounding culture?

o You will need commentaries to help you with this.

o The NET Bible website8 can also be helpful for identifying/explaining interesting
Greek/Hebrew words (though remember to reference anything you find out).

o Note that in an exegesis in English you do not need to explore details of the
Greek/Hebrew wording, but a commentary (or website) which points out the
interesting Greek/Hebrew words may help you to identify and explore connected
passages – or understand contemporary ideas.

 Is there anything significant about the historical context of the book (e.g. events at
the time it was written, or aspects of the contemporary culture) which relates to the
ideas in the passage?

o You will probably need a commentary for this, but do not be afraid to do your
own research on the contemporary culture/history if you need to – get a broader
view by searching online and find extra books if it is relevant.

o Remember that you do not need to write in depth about the historical context if
it is not directly relevant to understanding the passage. Stay focussed.

 What further clues help us to understand the proper context of the passage? For
example:

o Is an idea repeated or a theme picked up from earlier in the book?

o Does the passage belong to a larger section? For example, is it part of a narrative
/ argument / series of prophecies, etc.?

o Does the passage present the conclusion or summary of an earlier argument, or

the introduction of a new idea?

7
http://biblehub.com
8
https://net.bible.org

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o Does the author expand on the theme in another book in a way that helps us
understand this passage? (But be careful not to get too distracted from the
content of this passage).

Start by simply identifying the wider context of the passage – connected passages in the
same book, the ideas and themes picked up from contemporary culture or other
biblical texts – and noting down the connections, before you move onto the next
section. Try to get an idea of where the passage fits into the surrounding context before
you begin to dig into the themes and ideas more deeply.

Themes and Context

Ignore the chapter headings and read back through the previous chapter(s). Try to
explain how this passage fits into the book as a whole and what its purpose is.
Remember that not all these questions will be relevant, and you do not need to write
about things which are not interesting.

 Does the passage belong to a longer narrative?

o How can you tell?

o Are there any similarities / differences between this passage and the rest of the
section? Is this relevant?

o Why is this passage here?

 Is this passage part of an ongoing argument?

o Where does the argument begin?

o What are the main points of the argument so far?

o What key themes are in view?

o What key words and ideas are mentioned?

o How is this passage connected to what came before? Look for connecting words
or repeated ideas. Does this passage start a new train of thought?

 Or is this passage the start of a new section?

o How can you tell?

o How is this passage connected to what comes after it?

Note down the various themes and ideas from any other connected passages or
contemporary ideas (from the previous section on the context).

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STEP 3: INTERROGATE THE WITNESSES

By this point you may feel that you have all the clues you need and you know how to
solve the case. But do not forget that plenty of other people will have things to say
about this case: things they have noticed, ideas they have. If you do not listen to what
they say you will probably end up missing something important.

Commentaries
A good exegesis engages with the ideas of different commentators. Commentators will
disagree on the meaning or significance of various verses and they will interpret words
and ideas differently. It is important to be able to explain these differences, but
remember that above all we want to know what you think and why.

Sometimes you will disagree with what a commentator says – that is totally fine. But you
must convince the reader that you have listened to all the arguments, be able to explain
the differences, and then persuade them to believe your ideas by backing them up with
evidence from the passage.

 Find a range of commentaries, books and articles which discuss the passage.

o Include some with different, even contradictory, viewpoints.

o Remember to include some which you disagree with – apart from anything else,
it gives you more to write about!

 Quotes from commentators can be really helpful to support or illustrate your ideas,
but the highest marks come from interacting with other scholars.

 Identify any disagreements on the passage and be able to describe the range of
views clearly and briefly.

o Make sure you understand the arguments of those you disagree with! Your goal
is to be able to describe their arguments in a way that they would approve.

 Compare and contrast the different views.

 Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each view.

o It is important to recognise the strengths of those arguments you disagree with.

Can you learn anything from them?

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 Explain whether you agree or disagree with the ideas of different commentators and
explain why. Do not be afraid to criticise someone’s argument, but remember your
opinions are worth little without evidence to back them up.

The most successful exegeses will include critical engagement with a range of other
views.

Translations
Bible translators make different decisions about how to translate words and ideas, and
for a variety of reasons. Reproducing the exact word order from the Greek or Hebrew
would lead to unintelligible English, so all translators must make choices about how to
faithfully represent the text. They vary in how much they lean towards word-for-word
translation (formal equivalence) or translating ideas (dynamic equivalence),9 whether to
stick to traditional terms or update wording for a modern audience. All these choices
involve interpretation, and therefore different translations will represent different
perspectives on the meaning of the text.

You should have already noted any major translation differences in Step 1. Now you
should compare and contrast these perspectives just as you did the commentators.

 Compare the passage in different translations, e.g. NIV, NRSV, NKJV, Good News
Bible. Read it in a different language if you are able.

 Note any major differences in the translation.

o To what extent does the use of different words change the implied meaning of
the passage?

o Does their choice of words give any clues to the translator’s underlying
assumptions about the meaning of the text?

o Do you agree / disagree with any of the assumptions made by the translators?

9
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_and_formal_equivalence

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Tips for Finding Commentaries Online

If you do not have access to a large library, here are some ideas for other places to find
biblical commentary for free online:

Spurgeon’s College Electronic Resources – a large collection of ebooks and electronic

journals are available through the Spurgeon’s library.

Online Commentaries – available for free on most Bible websites, these tend to be older
classics (out of copyright) and should not be solely relied upon, since they will not be
aware of modern scholarship and debates.10 One modern exception is the IVP New
Testament Commentary Series which is available for free online at biblegateway.com.11

Google Books12 – all kinds of books and commentaries can be ‘previewed’ on Google
Books, together with a very useful full-text search. Try searching for particular Bible
references.

Google Scholar13 – the place to search for journal articles, many of which can be read
online for free. Try searching for particular Bible references or phrases.

Christian Classics Ethereal Library – a collection of historic Christian resources.14

IMPORTANT:

Remember to keep a careful record of where you find information, particularly

quotations. Ensure you reference these in your essay, following the Referencing
Guidelines.

10
A useful list of online commentaries: http://deeperstudy.com/link/commentaries.html
11
https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/ivp-nt/toc
12
https://books.google.co.uk
13
http://scholar.google.co.uk
14
http://www.ccel.org

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STEP 4: CONCLUDE YOUR CASE

At this point you are likely to have a large pile of notes and quotations, etc. Before you
start writing your essay you need to pull all your notes and thinking together and begin
setting things out in a logical way. To make a convincing case, you will need to do two
things: first, summarise the passage, and then provide a detailed explanation of its main
points, structure and words.

This is the point at which you should discard anything irrelevant you discovered. Be
focussed and precise, and remember that you need to back up all your points with
evidence from the passage. Engage with the views of other commentators as you go
along.

Write notes/bullet points on the following sections so that you are ready to put
everything together in your essay plan.

A Summary of the Passage

Look at the passage as a whole and use the clues you have already discovered. How
would you summarise it?

Consider:

 What are the main ideas / arguments?

 Is there one overall idea the author is trying to get across, or one particular
argument?

o How can we tell what the main idea is?

o This is where the literary clues you discovered can be helpful (e.g. structure,
repetition).

 Are there any other key words and major themes?

 When you consider the themes of the passage, is there anything significant by its
absence?

o For example, the key biblical themes often have words and ideas commonly
associated with them, e.g. salvation with justification, forgiveness, new life; law
with Moses, commandments, rules. Often the things which seem to be ‘missing’
in a passage are equally as interesting as those which are present – and perhaps
reveal our own assumptions.

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 What are the most interesting / controversial things about the passage?

A Detailed Look
You will need to decide what structure will work best for presenting the detail of the
passage. With a short passage it can be helpful to go through the passage verse-by-
verse, or you may want to structure your argument around the theological ideas –
whatever you choose, make the structure clear and remember that you will need to be
able to explain it.

Whatever structure you choose, make sure you include an explanation of each verse (or
section) and a detailed look at the words and ideas. You should also explain how the
ideas are linked together and how they fit into the larger passage or context.

At this point you should jot down your points in a logical way (along with any
clues you have found), using headings and bullet points – this will help to form
your essay plan later.

A. Explain the words: what do they mean?

Of course, you do not need to explain every word in the passage, but make sure you
cover anything relevant or interesting that you discovered. Commentaries are useful for
pointing out any significant words, but do not rely on a single book for an explanation
(especially since they may not all agree) – do some digging around and thinking for
yourself. Use dictionaries or commentaries; search online for further clues.

Be prepared to explain your conclusions and explain them with evidence from the text.

Things to consider:

 Some terms / ideas may be better understood as phrases, rather than individual
words (e.g. ‘works of the law’).

 Mention any significant alternative translations (the Bible Hub website15 will show
you many translations of a verse on one page).

 Are words defined earlier in the book or section?

 Does the historical or cultural context give clues to understanding particular terms?

15
http://biblehub.com

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 Careful: words are shaped by their textual context. They do not always mean the
same thing in different places and authors sometimes adopt words to fit new ideas.
But it is worth being aware of the usual meaning.

 Remember, if there is a range of possibilities and you are choosing one particular
interpretation, explain: why have you chosen this? What evidence supports this
interpretation?

 In the same vein, are words being used in ‘new’ or surprising ways? Sometimes a
variation in meaning – or a change of use – is where the interest is (e.g. Paul and the
word ‘law’).

 Are there terms which we may understand differently in our contemporary culture
(or in light of church history / biblical theology) than the original readers/hearers?

 Why do you think the author might have chosen a particular word? Does a word or
phrase seem to reference an Old Testament passage, or evoke an earlier theme?

 Is a word or phrase repeated or emphasised? Do they appear at a particular point

for a reason, or appear in a particular order?

B. Highlight the connections

Next, it is time to explain in more detail how the ideas are connected in the passage.

 How are the words and phrases linked together? How does one idea follow another?

 Is the argument written in a flow from a to b to c (look for ‘therefore’s)? Or are there
many related ideas which point to a central concept (look for ‘and’s)?

 Are there any ideas which are difficult to understand? Or contradictory statements?
Anything which seems controversial or seems to go against something you
previously thought?

 Is there anything else surprising about what the author says?

When you are trying to make sense of ideas, remember to read more than one
commentary. For difficult passages – and even the ‘easier’ ones – it is unlikely that
everyone agrees on the interpretation. And make sure you explain which interpretation
you prefer and why.

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WRITING UP YOUR EXEGESIS

Finally you have reached at the point where you are ready to present your case. You
have the facts and witness statements at your fingertips, and a strong, logical case
prepared. But remember that it makes a lot of difference how you present your
argument. If the process of doing exegesis is like being a detective, writing an essay is
like being a lawyer bringing a case in court. And just as in any court room, there are
certain rules and procedures you need to follow, and it is important to present yourself
smartly and act like a professional. However convincing your argument, if you present it
poorly you will not persuade anyone.

In particular, think carefully about how you will introduce your argument, and the best
way to sum it up – these are what your reader will remember most clearly. Just as a
prosecutor leads with their conclusion (“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, today I will
prove to you beyond reasonable doubt that John Smith is guilty of murder in the first
degree…”), tell your reader right at the beginning what the answer is. You may have
acted as detective and lawyer, but you are not writing a detective novel! Do not leave us
guessing at the culprit…

An essay plan: an example for a short exegesis

NOTE: You do not need to use these headings – these are just for the benefit of sketching out
a plan. Also, you do not need to present your points in the same order as the bullets below.

For your own essay plan you should write out the main points of your case in bullet points
under these (or similar) headings.

Introduction (1 or 2 paragraphs)

This is the most important part of the essay and you should spend time getting this
right. An introduction will give your reader confidence that you know what you are
talking about and entice them to read further. Remember to explain why the passage is
interesting or significant, and give the main points of your argument.

 Very brief summary of the passage and context.

o You can include brief details of the author, genre and purpose of the book here,
e.g. “Paul writes to the church in Corinth to address various problems that have
arisen among them, including church divisions, moral issues and wrong
theology…”

 Very brief summary (e.g. 1 or 2 sentences) describing what the passage is about.

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 Brief description of any strange, difficult or interesting things in the passage, i.e. why
is it worth discussing?

 Description/explanation of essay structure (what to expect in the essay).

General context of passage (2 – 3 paragraphs as necessary)

 Introduce your passage in the context of the book, e.g. “This is the third and most
divisive issue that Paul raises...”

 Explain any relevant (and necessary) background ideas or concepts.

 Describe any historical context that seems necessary to making sense of the
passage.

CAREFUL: There are always plenty of things you could write about here, but remember
to stick to what is relevant and interesting. If you write about the historical context,
make sure you link it to the passage.

LENGTH: Do not let the introductory material take over, with the background/context
becoming half your essay! Keep it concise and relevant, and move onto the passage as
soon as possible. If needed you can pull in contextual information later during the
verse-by-verse analysis.

Introduce the passage in its immediate context (1 – 2 paragraphs)

 Describe your passage in the context of the surrounding argument.

 Introduce the main ideas / argument.

 Describe the genre / tone of the passage if relevant.

Verse-by-verse (bulk of essay)

This is often the most logical way to structure an essay on a short passage. If you
choose a different structure, make sure you do not skip any key ideas or verses.

 Explain the words.

 Explain the flow of the passage / argument.

 Use the literary clues you discovered to explain what you think the passage means.

 Explain any historical context / biblical links as needed.

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 Describe any controversies; analyse and critique the comments of other

commentators.

Summary (1 or 2 paragraphs)

 Sum up the main ideas of the passage.

 Comment on the significance of the ideas and arguments.

 Have you come up with any fresh interpretations?

 Did you have any assumptions / bias that affected how you read the text? Did you
change your mind about anything?

Contemporary relevance (1 or 2 paragraphs, optional / could be combined

with conclusion)

 Describe the impact of the passage on theology / church history.

 Explain whether you think the passage is relevant / significant today. Should it be
more so? Why?

Conclusion (1 or 2 paragraphs)

 Sum up your understanding of the passage and the key ideas.

 Resist preaching.

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A FEW POINTS ABOUT STYLE AND STRUCTURE

 Use plain English and avoid flowery phrases. We want to be impressed by your
ideas, not your command of the thesaurus. Avoid unnecessary jargon, long words
and foreign terms. Aim for something that is easy to read.

 Each paragraph should develop a single idea, or add a further point to your
argument. If your essay title is a question, make sure it is clear in each paragraph
how you are responding to it.

 Connect your ideas with transition words and phrases.

 Make an essay plan before you start writing. Use a bullet point for each
paragraph.

 Pay special attention to your introduction and conclusion. Your introduction

should introduce your argument and entice your reader to read on. Your conclusion
should convince your reader, reminding them how many good points you made.
These are the most important parts of the essay to get right. Remember this well-
known formula:

1. Tell them what you will tell them

2. Tell them

3. Tell them what you just told them

 Check, check, check your work! Mistakes do not just look clumsy – they distract
and confuse your reader, slowing down their reading. The more mistakes they are
noticing, the less they are paying attention to your excellent ideas.16

16
One helpful tip is to put your essay aside for a couple of days and then proofread it again. You
will suddenly notice a lot of mistakes that were invisible to you before, when you were too close
to the writing process.

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THE ADVANCED STUFF

Level 6 and Master’s students should be analysing the text in more depth, but the same
basic questions still apply in terms of the material you find: is it relevant? Is it
interesting? Remember: do not be boring!

Intertextuality
Intertextuality concerns the relationship between this text and other passages in the
Old and New Testaments. Whereas previously you may have noted the links to other
passages, at this level you should be starting to analyse their significance.

First, identify any significant relationships between this passage and other texts.
This could be texts written by the same author, or those elsewhere in the Bible.

 Does the author quote or reference any other Bible passages?

 Are there any unique or significant words which are used elsewhere?

 Are there any words, ideas or themes which seem to refer to other passages
indirectly (allusions)?

Now assess the significance of these intertextual relationships.

 Is the relationship / allusion deliberate? Is the author likely to be aware of the

connection? (For example, the author could not be referring to a book which has not
yet been written!)

 For a quote or allusion, does the passage seem to use the text in a different way
than its earlier meaning or context?

 Does the original context of the quote or allusion affect how we understand the
present passage? How can you tell?

Biblical Theology
 What contribution does this passage make to biblical theology more widely?

 To what extent does it develop key biblical ideas? E.g. our understanding of God,
salvation, holiness, law, covenant, end times…

 What influence has this passage had on later thinking, inside or outside the church?

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Textual Variants
Textual variants are minor variations in the original text that is available to us, e.g.
between various Greek and Hebrew manuscripts (called ‘textual witnesses’). Because we
have so many ancient manuscripts of the Bible, in some places there are variations
caused by inaccurate copying or added/changed words. Textual criticism is the study of
these variants with the intention of discovering the earliest version of the text.

 You will need to have a copy of the passage in its original language, e.g. in a copy of
a Greek New Testament.

 Is there any significant variation between the major textual witnesses?

o Does this variation affect the meaning of the passage?

For more information on textual variants, you should consult a handbook on textual
criticism, e.g. The Text of the New Testament by Bruce M. Metzger and Bart D. Ehrman
(Oxford: OUP, 2005).

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FINALLY: DON’T FORGET

 Question everything! Especially your own opinions.

 Tell us what you think the passage means and why.

 Make an argument. Present a compelling idea. Convince us.

 Back up your points. Convince your reader with evidence from the passage or other
experts.

o Which Bible reference confirms what you are saying?

o Which book/article is this fact from?

 Be relevant and interesting. Remember to link facts to your main argument.

 Interact with others. Pay attention to different viewpoints. Engage with other
sources and tell us whether you agree and why.

 Do not skip the difficult bits!

 And remember to ask God for his revelation…

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