LESSON 7 • Guide to New Testament Bible Study (Exegesis)

Overview

Step 1: General Historical and Literary Overview. Read the document at one sitting. After reading, go back and make notes on the recipients, purpose, special concerns, and emphases and make a general outline. In one or two paragraphs describe what was going on, what the book is about and why it was written. Now read a general article on your book in a Bible Dictionary or New Testament Introduction. Never consult a commentary until the last step (step 8). It will kill any original ideas you generate.

Step 2. Limiting the Text. Study a self-contained unit of thought. Compare the paragraph divisions of several translations, especially modern ones. Why/how do they differ? Note syntax and punctuation options in various versions. Watch for differences in wording. Observe textual problems (check Bible notes). 

Step 3. Historical Analysis. Make a list of historically descriptive statements telling what was going on. Also include implications (indirect statements) and corrective admonitions. Make a list of repeated ideas or phrases. Write a paragraph reflecting on your historical statements.

Step 4. Literary Analysis. This is a key step. Write a paragraph on the unit you have chosen as to why the author says what he does at this point in his argument. How does it function in his argument? What point is he making? Trace the argument of the entire section, paragraph by paragraph. In addition, make a simple diagram of the verses under study. Find the main idea and supporting data.

Step 5. Analysis of Words and Phrases. Watch for words or phrases being repeated. Use a concordance to see how the words function in other places. First check in the same chapter, then in that section, then in the entire book, then in other writings by the author, then in the rest of the NT. Especially watch for word clusters—other words and phrases your word is found with. If you find these word clusters in other places (in a similar context) you have found the “mother-lode.” Write a short paragraph on what you discover. 

Step 6. Summary. We started out broad and funneled down. Now invert the funnel. Look at the text in a general way. Reflect on steps 1, 2, and 4. Focus on the key ideas found in the text and especially step 4. Write a paragraph describing what is going on (historical situation, circumstances, etc.), including the key ideas.

Step 7. Application. Make sure the summary of step six contains the key elements of the original argument. Next, determine a parallel situation in the modern world and describe the modern situation in terms of the original one. Make generalizations based on principles found in the text.

Step 8. Check Commentaries. This step must be last since it allows you time to develop informed judgments about the text that you can now bounce off the commentary.

Approaches to Various Types of NT Material

Gospels
1. Identify the specific type of material. Is it a parable? Apocalyptic saying? Poetic? 
2. Use a Synopsis. How do the various writers treat this story or event?
3. Why is this particular story here? Is it in the same context in the other gospels?
4. How does the author change or modify the saying? How does it show his special interests? His emphases?

Epistles
1. These are all written to a specific problem or situation.
2. Note the different parts of a letter. Is your passage in the thanksgiving or prayer section? In the formal greeting? Is it part of the body proper? In the close?
3. Try to discover why the author wrote as he did. What problem or problems is he trying to solve?
4. Especially with epistles think paragraphs! Trace the argument of the book, paragraph by paragraph. Ask not only what he is saying, but why does he say it in this particular place? How does this paragraph help his argument? How does this paragraph relate to what he has just said and to what follows? 

Acts
1. Research the historical questions. Who are the main characters? Look up persons, names, places, etc. in a Bible Dictionary. Check an Intro. to NT.
2. Trace the progress of the gospel.
3. Why did Luke write this material?

Revelation
1. Read on the meaning of “apocalypse” and “apocalyptic” in a Bible Dictionary.
2. Determine the source or background of the image or vision—from the OT? Used elsewhere in Revelation? Standard apocalyptic imagery?
3. See the visions as wholes. Do not press for details—they are much like parables. The details may not mean anything—“stage furniture.”
4. Determine the historical context—note: persecution of Christians, emperor worship, etc. Why was Revelation written?

Tools for Bible Study
1. Bible Dictionary
2. Concordance
3. Commentaries (use last of all)
4. Introduction to the NT
5. Synopsis

Application of the Exegetical Method 

Step 1. We will start with an epistle since they are the easiest. Read in one sitting. This is hard for us to do since we usually read a few verses in daily Bible readings etc., so start with shorter epistles at first such as Jude, 3rd John or Philemon. Watch for big ideas. You will see things you have never seen before! Questions are a big part of this method. At this stage we are not just looking for facts, but trying to get into the skin of a book—so be a participant—dialogue with the book. Read the epistle several times. Things start jumping out at you! Write a paragraph on this step but be tentative. Major problems develop if you get too specific too soon. Imagine a funnel. 

Step 2. The objective is to determine a block of material that may be studied as a unit. Work on one block or unit at a time. This is one of the most ignored ideas in Bible study! Tools: Multiple version Bibles are very helpful or just lay out several versions. 

THINK PARAGRAPHS. This is hard to do with the KJV—you need a modern version. Look at several versions. Why does one have a shorter or longer paragraph? Do they include more than one idea in a paragraph? Note: punctuation makes a huge difference. Why does one have a period and another a question mark? 

Look for textual variants (noted in most modern versions). Examples: Eph. 1:1 “in Ephesus” not in some; also Rom. 1:7. See the ending of Mark, Jn. 5:4, Acts 8:37, and Jn. 7:53-8:7. Notice words that are not synonyms—may indicate a real difference in the versions. Make a note of these and other things you observe.

Step 3. The objective is to reconstruct the historical situation the Biblical writers addressed. Make a lit of historically descriptive statements—use “there was/there were type statements. Describe the situation and NOT the author. Do not write: “the author said” or “Paul said.” EXAMPLE: DO NOT SAY: PAUL SAID IN GALATIA SOME DID NOT TRUST HIM. RATHER SAY: THERE WERE SOME IN GALATIA WHO THOUGHT HE WAS A LIAR. 

Practice on 1 Corinthians 8. The NIV has four paragraphs. Take one at a time. Make historical statements for each and write a short paragraph. If uncertain, use may or might type statements. Note: some paragraphs are theological and not historical—write no statements from these. 

Examples of historical statements: There were those with knowledge, there was a knowledge that puffed up, there was food offered to idols, there were those who ate food offered to idols, there were those with a weak conscience, there were those being destroyed by those with knowledge, etc.

You may end up with 30-40 such statements in a long paragraph. Some may overlap. Read over these—combine similar statements—and write a paragraph based on this information. Example: “There is a problem between knowledge and love in the Corinthian church. Some function out of knowledge that there is only one God, resulting in false pride. Love is best because it builds up the body of Christ.”

Step 4. Although your exegesis focuses only on one paragraph (or verse within the paragraph) you must fit the verse or the paragraph into the broader discussion. You must try to understand the argument of the whole section paragraph by paragraph. LEARN THE FUNCTION. Ask: on the basis of what the author has said up to here, why does he say this now? For example: in Philippians Paul spoke of the need for humility and unity so he uses the Christ Hymn in Phil 2:5-11 to reinforce and illustrate his argument.

Try to boil a paragraph down into one sentence. Example: Phil. 2:5-11. “Because of a lack of unity Paul shows that they needed to be humble and obedient like Christ.” This text functions as an example of the kind of attitude they should have. Paul in the following paragraphs gives several other examples of those who like Christ have the type of selfless attitude needed in the Philippian church. In 2:17 Paul uses himself as an example, then Timothy in 2:19-24 and finally Epaphroditus (who was so selfless that he almost died). Paul also gives some bad examples: in chapter 3 it’s the Judaizers, and in chapter 4 its two women Euodia and Syntyche. If you cannot figure out the function of a paragraph you do not understand that paragraph.

Step 5. The main objective is to determine the meanings of particular words and phrases that may contain special or technical ideas not immediately obvious.

How do you recognize special or technical words? They may not look strange or mysterious at first glance. Note: I am not talking about geographical names or people (use a Bible Dictionary for these).

Special words are often those frequently repeated. Example: in 1 Corinthians 8, special terms are “weak” and “strong” not referring to physical strength but to those strong or weak in conscience with regard to food offered to idols. Other technical words in chapter 8 include love, knowledge, etc. Note: the meanings are determined by the way they are used in that chapter and not by how they are generally defined. 

A key tool is the concordance. Do not just look up words but look for word clusters. Check 1 Corinthians to see other places where Paul uses knowledge/love together. For example, in 1 Corinthians 13:2, 8 they occur together in contrasting statements. 

Step 6. The main purpose of the summary step is to get you ready to make application to a modern situation. That is why the funnel is inverted so you can see the broad picture. 

It is important here to pick up the main elements of our passage and not the details. So, in 1 Corinthians 8 the key ideas are knowledge, love, weak, strong, concession, etc.; in Philippians 2 the main words are humility, unity, self-sacrifice, obedience, etc. 

Last, write a general paragraph with these main elements in it. You will have many more details than these, but only stress now the main elements.

Step 7. The objective is to bring the main point of the passage to a bear on a contemporary situation. One of the main weaknesses in Biblical application is the tendency to generalize too much and never get specific. That is, we stay too much in the top part of the funnel.

The elements of step 6 will appear in the application. If you leave these chief elements out, then you will be very general in the application. Conversely, if you include them you get more specific. For example, if you do not know in 1 Corinthians 8 who the weak and strong are, you will make a very general application.

Find as closely as possible a parallel situation in the modern world. You will not find a situation that is exactly parallel (eg., few today eat meat offered to idols)—but look for those that are similar or analogous. Observation: 1 Corinthians 8 needs to be applied where a difference of conscience exists. Today, some grow up in different situations and have different views on mixed swimming, etc. Is it possible to see how 1 Corinthians 8 could apply today where people grow up in different situations and their conscience is different? 

A real life situation. A friend took a group of campaigners from Harding to Germany where it is common for German Christians to drink beer and wine. The German church decided not to drink these beverages while the students were there because of 1 Corinthians 8. This is, then, a modern scenario where people’s conscience differed because of their background. For the German Christians to have beer with their meals is like those in the southern U.S. having iced tea with theirs. In like manner, some Christians could eat meat offered to idols because their conscience had been shaped differently from others. At issue is whether the German Christians would press for their liberty on the basis of knowledge or make concessions for the sake of others. Some may argue that drinking is wrong whether done in the U.S. or Germany. However, while I don’t drink as a matter of personal conviction, I can see how for the German brethren it could be a matter of conscience. They would be the “strong” in light of 1 Corinthians 8. I also understand that some items will not be neutral to everyone and are taken to be either right or wrong, for example, instrumental music.

Another example. Some do not believe in supporting orphan homes from the church collection. What if a brother holding this view came to the elders demanding a change? The elders say ok and put up a box in the foyer marked “donations for orphans’ homes.” The brother comes back and says I am offended by this arrangement also. Clearly, if other methods are tried and nothing satisfies the brother then we have moved off of 1 Corinthians 8 and moved over to other texts dealing with such a brother.

Another example. A brother does not believe members can have a potluck in the church building because it offends him. They say, ok we will set up tables and eat outside under the trees. The brother then says that still offends me because we cannot eat on church property period.

Key: if you do not understand what is going on in 1 Corinthians 8, the text will be applied to situations where people are merely offended by what you do, rather than it being a matter of conscience where they leave the church and go back into paganism. It is clear as a bell what the conscience had to do with in 1 Corinthians 8. It is ok to generalize the application of the text as long as you do not stray away from the original function of the text. For example, a person could generalize that love is superior to knowledge and then define Christianity only in terms of love saying that everything we do must be determined by love and knowledge is shut out.

Exhortation. This Bible study method may appear to be cumbersome, but as you learn to use it you can analyze many passages in 20-30 minutes or less. Being a good interpreter is like learning to play the piano—it is a skill taking time and practice. The more you practice, the better you will get. Not all of the steps apply every time—there may be no textual variants, etc. I hope that by using this simple method of Bible study you will become a sharper interpreter of the word. No more pressing task is before us today than that.


Dr.Paul Pollard