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Rightly Understanding God’s Word: More Principles of Context, by Craig S. Keener

| July 10, 2004 | no comments

 

Outlining to Get the Flow of Context

Outlining the structure of a book or passage can often help a person follow the flow of thought. Some texts break down easily into an obvious structure. For example:

  1. Ephesians 5:21-6:9
    1. Thesis statement: 5:21: Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ
    2. Wives and husbands (5:22-33)
    3. Children and fathers (6:1-4)
    4. Slaves and slaveholders (6:5-9)
  2. Matthew 5:21-48
    1. Angry enough to kill (5:21-26)
    2. Coveting others sexually (5:27-30)
    3. Unfaithfulness by divorce (5:31-32)
    4. Integrity better than oaths (5:33-37)
    5. Avoiding resistance (5:38-42)
    6. Loving your enemy (5:43-47)
    7. Conclusion: Be perfect like God (5:48)
  3. Matthew 6:1-18
    1. Thesis statement: 6:1: Do righteousness only for God to see, or you lose your reward with him.
    2. Do charity secretly (6:2-4)
    3. Pray secretly (6:5-15)
    4. Instructions for prayer (6:5-8)
    5. Sample prayer (6:9-13)
    6. Elaboration on forgiveness (6:14-15)
    7. Fast secretly (6:16-18)

    One could also subdivide 6:5-13 as follows:

    A     Don’t pray like (hypocrites, 6:5)
    B     Pray like this (secretly, 6:6)
    A’    Don’t pray like (pagans, 6:7-8)
    B’    Pray like this (Lord’s prayer, 6:9-13)

  4. Psalm 150
    1. Where to praise God (everywhere, 150:1)
    2. What to praise God for (his works and character, 150:2)
    3. How to praise God (with all available instruments, 150:3-5)
    4. Who should praise God (everyone, 150:6)
  5. Psalm 1
    1. The way and blessing of the righteous (1:1-3)
      1. They do not enjoy sinful company (1:1)
      2. They think on God’s law (1:2)
      3. God will bless them with success (1:3)
    2. The way and judgment of the wicked (1:4-5)
      1. The wicked will face judgment (1:4)
      2. The wicked will not enjoy righteous company (1:5)
    3. Summary
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Category: Biblical Studies, Summer 2004

About the Author: Craig S. Keener, Ph.D. (Duke University), is F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is author of many books, including Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts (Baker Academic, 2011), the bestselling IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, The Historical Jesus of the Gospels, Gift and Giver: The Holy Spirit for Today, and commentaries on Acts, Matthew, John, Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, and Revelation. In addition to having written more than seventy academic articles, several booklets and more than 150 popular-level articles, Craig is is the New Testament editor (and author of most New Testament notes) for the The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. He is married to Dr. Médine Moussounga Keener, who is from the Republic of Congo, and together they have worked for ethnic reconciliation in North America and Africa. Craig and Médine wrote Impossible Love: The True Story of an African Civil War, Miracles and Hope against All Odds (Chosen, 2016) to share their story. sites.google.com/site/drckeener. Twitter: @keener_craig

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