Literary Forms

The Bible is written in three primary literary forms:

·         Story Form

·         Instructional Form

·         Figurative Form

Story Form:

Greater than sixty percent of the Bible records a narrative or historical account of an event.

This includes:

·         The Gospels

·         Acts

·         Genesis

·         Numbers

·         Judges

·         And more

Observing Story Form:

The main features of the story form are people, places, events and emotions.  Treat the text as a detective would treat a crime scene.  Ask Who?  What?  Where?  When?  How?  Find the relationship between the people.  Try and understand the human emotions they would have been feeling.  Place yourself in their position and relive the event.  These events were real!

Instructional Form:

These are recorded Biblical instructions such as Paul’s letters to the various churches, or Jesus’ teaching during the Sermon on the Mount.  All of the epistles are instructional form.   

Observing Instructional Form:

The main features of the instructional form are ideas, words, verbs, topics, grammar and sentence structure.  After outlining the various topics within the teaching, note any repeated words, look for transition words or for words that compare/contrast each other.  These are to be taken literally! 

Figurative Form:

These include Poetry, Prophecy, and Parables.  They often use non-literal or figurative language as well as symbols and word pictures to express their ideas.   

This includes:

·         Psalms

·         Proverbs

·         Job

·         Revelation

·         And more

Observing Figurative Form:

The main features of the figurative form are symbolism, parallels and analogies.  For Hebrew poetry, it is essential that you determine what type of Parallelism is being used by the poet (see page 30 ).  You need to note the various symbols and repetition.  You also need to determine what the major theme is or the point the author is trying to convey.  

Interpreting All Three Forms:

Biblical interpretation is the same for every verse of scripture.  There are three things that you must determine:

·         What did the original reader understand the text to mean?  This means you must determine the context of the writing.  How did that culture understand it?  How did people who lived during that time understand it?

·         What caused the author to write this way?  This means you must determine what situation the author is in when he wrote.  Is he being chased by his enemies?  Is he in prison?  Has he been betrayed?  Is he overwhelmed with what he is experiencing? 

·         MOST IMPORTANTLY!  Is my interpretation of this scripture supported by other verses within the Bible?  If it isn’t, then it is simply opinion!

Application For All Three Forms:

Application of the Bible is the most important part of Bible study. 

Matthew 7:24-27

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."    NKJV

·          Appeal to the Holy Spirit to teach you. 

·         Apply  the Scripture to your life.  Make application by asking yourself questions.  Should I forsake a sin?  Should I believe in a promise?  Be specific about what you will do. 

Outlining

Before we begin this section, it would be good for us to understand a few things about the Bible we have in our hands.  The Bible was not written in chapters and verses.  The separation into chapters and verses (known as codification) did not take place until over 1000 years after it had been written.  The Bible wasn’t separated into chapters until 1228 AD.  The Old Testament was separated even further into verses in 1448 AD.  Finally, the New Testament was separated into verses a hundred years later in 1551 AD.

The only reason these separations were made was for the purpose of being able to locate various parts of the Bible.  It was never intended to determine when a thought began or ended.  If we use chapters and verses to determine when thoughts or events begin and end we will eventually take passages out of context and consequently misinterpret them. 

In the English language, the basic unit of thought is called a paragraph.  When we are studying the Bible, we should be looking for the paragraph breaks.  In some translations, these paragraphs have been identified for you, either by an indention, or by making the verse number bold.  These can be helpful in determining where the author’s thought has changed. 

The purpose of outlining is to pull out a complete thought to study, or to break a larger text into distinct ideas.  If you can isolate each idea presented in the text, then you can understand the whole text more clearly.  There are many ways to outline, but we will only be presenting two of them.

We must remember that outlines come from observation, not interpretation.  The purpose is to observe:

·         Distinct ideas.

·         The focus of the text. 

The General Outline simply follows the basic flow of the text.  Every time there is a thought change, then there will be a break in our outline.  This type of outline will be used primarily for Story Form and Figurative Form. 

Acts 1

1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,

 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

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 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me;

 5 "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"

 7 And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.

 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,

 11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

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 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey.

 13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son  of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James.

 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

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 15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said,

 16 "Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;

 17 "for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry."

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 18 (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out.

 19 And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.)

 20 "For it is written in the book of Psalms: 'Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it'; and, 'Let another take his office.'

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 21 "Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

 22 "beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."

 23 And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

 24 And they prayed and said, "You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen

 25 "to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place."

 26 And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

NKJV

Outline for Acts 1

I.                          Acts 1:1-3                    Introduction

II.                       Acts 1:4-8                    Jesus’ command to wait

III.                     Acts 1:9-11                  The ascension of Jesus

IV.                   Acts 1:12-14                Waiting for the Promise

V.                       Acts 1:15-26                The upper room

            A.        Acts 1:15-17                Peter’s address

            B.         Acts 1:18-20                Judas’ death described

            C.        Acts 1:21-26                The selection of Matthias

Assignment #3

1.      Read the text multiple times.

2.      Outline the text using the correct format.

Mark 2

 1 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.

 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.

 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.

 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.

 5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

 6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,

 7 "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

 8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?

 9 "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?

 10 "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" --He said to the paralytic,

 11 "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."

 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

 13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.

 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him.

 15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.

 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"

 17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

 18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"

 19 And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.

 20 "But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.

 21 "No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.

 22 "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins."

23 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.

 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"

 25 But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:

 26 "how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat, except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"

 27 And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

 28 "Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."    NKJV

GENERAL OUTLINE TEMPLATE

Theme or Text:                                                

Sequence #                                          Verses                                                  Comment        

I.                                                                     

II.                    

III.                  

IV.

Assignment #4

1.      Read the text multiple times.

2.      Outline the text using the correct format.

Mark 3

 1 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.

 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.

 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."

 4 Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they kept silent.

 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

 6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

 7 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea

 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.

 9 So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.

 10 For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.

 11 And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."

 12 But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

 13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.

 14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach,

 15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:

 16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter;

 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder";

 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite;

 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.

 20 Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

 21 But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."

22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."

 23 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: "How can Satan cast out Satan?

 24 "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

 25 "And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

 26 "And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.

 27 "No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.

 28 "Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter;

 29 "but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" --

 30 because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."

 31 Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.

 32 And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You."

 33 But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"

 34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!

 35 "For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."    NKJV

GENERAL OUTLINE TEMPLATE

Theme or Text:                                                            

Sequence #                                          Verses                                                  Comment

Assignment #5

1.      Read the text multiple times.

2.      Outline the text using the correct format.

Mark 6

 1 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.

 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!

 3 "Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" And they were offended at Him.

 4 But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."

 5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.

 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

 7 And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.

 8 He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts--

 9 but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.

 10 Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.

 11 "And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"

 12 So they went out and preached that people should repent.

 13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

 14 Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known. And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."

 15 Others said, "It is Elijah." And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."

 16 But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"

 17 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.

 18 For John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

 19 Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not;

 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

 21 Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.

 22 And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."

 23 He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom."

 24 So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"

 25 Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.

 27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison,

 28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.

 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

 30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.

 31 And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.

 33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him.

 34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.

 35 When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.

 36 "Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."

 37 But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"

 38 But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."

 39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.

 40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.

 41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.

 42 So they all ate and were filled.

 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.

 44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.

 45 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.

 46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.

 47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.

 48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.

 49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out;

 50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."

 51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.

 52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

 53 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.

 54 And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him,

 55 ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.

 56 Wherever He entered into villages, cities, or in the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.    NKJV

 GENERAL OUTLINE

Epistle Outline

The epistle outline is a special type of thought for thought outline.  It utilizes a format that isolates the common elements from most epistles (except 1 John and Hebrews).  Most epistles contain an introduction that is easily identified, although it may vary in length.  Within the introduction there is often a greeting and a thanksgiving which can be separated within your outline. 

A statement of purpose will immediately follow the introduction.  This is the most important element of your outline.  The statement of purpose will be the basis of accurately interpreting the rest of the letter by determining the authors’ original reason for writing.  The statement of purpose is often brief but clear. 

The body of the letter or teaching follows next.  When outlining the teaching portion of the epistle you need to follow the general outline form that we have already learned.  Do not forget that the body of the letter may contain several different subjects or topics.  These separate topics often require “sub-topics” in order to create manageable “slices” to study. 

In most cases, the epistle will have a closing statement by the author.  This will often include personal concerns and a farewell with a blessing and prayer.

Philemon

 1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer,

 2 to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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 4 I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers,

 5 hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,

 6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

 7 For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

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 8 Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting,

 9 yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you --being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ--

 10 I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains,

11 who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.

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 12 I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart,

 13 whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.

 14 But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.

 15 For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever,

17 If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.

18 But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account.

 19 I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay--not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides.

 20 Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord.

 21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

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 22 But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.

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 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.

 25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.    NKJV

Outline for Philemon

I.                          1:1-7                Introduction

            A.        Vss. 1-3           Greeting

            B.         Vss. 5-7           Thanksgiving

II.                       1:8-11              Statement of Purpose

III.                     1:12-21            Teaching

            A.        Vss. 12-16       Paul is returning Onesimus

            B.         Vss. 17-21       Paul’s intercession for Onesimus

IV.                   1:22-25            Closing

            A.        Vs. 22              Personal concerns

            B.         Vss. 23-25       Farewell

 Assignment #6

1.      Read Titus in your Bible. 

2.      Find the following elements in the epistle outline.

Outline for Titus

I.                                                                          Introduction

II.                                                                       Statement of Purpose

III.                                                                     Teaching

            A.                                                        Elders’ qualifications and work

            B.                                                         Christian duties and sound doctrine

IV.                                                                   Closing

            A.                                            Personal concerns

            B.                                             Farewell

 Assignment #7

1.      Read Galatians in your Bible. 

2.      Outline Galatians using the epistle outline.

Assignment #8

1.      Complete the epistle outline for Jude

  1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:

 2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

 3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

 5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;

 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

 8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.

 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"

 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.

 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

 12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;

 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

 14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,

 15 "to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."

 16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.

 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:

 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.

 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction;

23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

 25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.    NKJV

Epistle Outline for Jude

I.                                                  Introduction

II.                                               Statement of Purpose

III.                                             Teaching

            A.                               

            B.                                

IV.                                           Closing

Charting

Once you have outlined the text, you are now ready to break the text apart by charting.  Charting allows you to look at the text carefully and thoroughly through an Observation-Interpretation-Application system.  We will use the outline that you just completed for Jude as our example.  It is critical that you remain disciplined while charting.  This will prevent you from overlooking important elements in the text. 

Step 1 Complete each section before starting the next:

Observe the entire “slice” before interpreting the entire “slice” before making applications.  Begin by completely charting Roman Numeral I and then move on to the next section.  

Step 2 Observe only what is written:

Only exact words that exist in the text should be written in the observation column.  

Step 3 Be thorough:

Record enough in the observation column for someone else to read it and accurately paraphrase what the Bible says.

Assignment #9

1.      Chart Jude 3 and 4

 Assignment #10

1.      Chart Philemon from the text and outline on pages 21 and 22. 

(Use additional paper if necessary) 

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

HEBREW POETRY

This section begins the study of figurative language within the Bible.  Remember that the language of the Bible is ordinary human language therefore, we must interpret it by using a few simple guidelines.

·         Always look for the simple, straightforward meaning of the language first.  If it can be interpreted literally then it should be interpreted literally.

·         Identify the type of literature that you are working with.  Many of the major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.) will switch back and forth between story form and figurative form. 

·         Look for the intended single meaning of the text.  Get the main point of the text first!

Figurative language is found throughout Hebrew poetry.  The Hebrew poet also uses Parallelism as a means of conveying word pictures and mood or emphasis to the reader.  The study of Parallelism is needed to gain meaning and insight into Hebrew poetry.

Remember that large portions of the Old Testament are written in poetry.  This not only includes Psalms, but also Proverbs, Song of Solomon and most of the prophetic portions of the prophets.  In fact, generally prophecy in the Old Testament was written in poetry. 

Hebrew poetry is filled with figurative language; therefore, we must learn to recognize and understand the meaning of this non-literal language.  Hebrew poetry uses a lot of repetition.  The Hebrew poet also uses a correspondence between one line and the following line, or between one section and the following section.  This is called Parallelism.  There are three major types of Parallelism:

Synonymous Parallelism: “The Same”

This is where an idea is expressed a second or third time.  This takes a little practice to see, but it will gradually become easier the Hebrew poetry you read.

Examples:

Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares.

Proverbs 1:28 Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.

Synthetic Parallelism: “Building”

This is where an idea is built upon.  There is a foundational thought and then additions are added to the original thought.

Example:

Psalms 1:1-2 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

Antithetic Parallelism: “Opposites”

This is where one idea is contrasted with another. 

Example:

Proverbs 15:2  The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.

Assignment #11

1.      Complete the outline for Psalm 128

2.      Complete the outline for Psalm 1

3.      Chart Psalm 1 using this outline on the following page.

Psalm 128

1 Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways.

 2 When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.

 3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table.

 4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the LORD.

________________________________________________________________________

 5 The LORD bless you out of Zion, And may you see the good of Jerusalem All the days of your life.

 6 Yes, may you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel!    NKJV

PSALM 128 OUTLINE

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

 4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.    NKJV

PSALM 1 OUTLINE

Assignment #12

1.      Outline Psalm 139 from the text below.  (Hint, there are 5 sections)

2.      Chart Psalm 139.

(Use additional paper if necessary) 

Psalm 139

 1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.>> O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.

 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.

 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

 5 You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.

 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.

 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.

 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," Even the night shall be light about me;

 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

 13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.

 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.

 19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.

 20 For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain.

 21 Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?

 22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.

 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;

 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.    NKJV

PSALM 139 OUTLINE

PARABLES

·         Parables require a strict set of rules that must be followed closely in order to interpret them accurately. 

·         Parables should be worked on with great care and should never be used for foundational proof texts. 

·         A parable is a true-to-life short story that is designed to teach a “heavenly” truth.

·         Most parables concern the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven.  This is the sphere over which God reigns and may refer to Heaven, the Church, or Israel.

·         There are 3 main rules for observing and interpreting parables:  Context, Content, and Consistency.

Context:

Always begin with the context of the parable.  What is the occasion for telling the story?  What is Jesus doing or teaching before and after the parable?

Content:

What do the listeners know about the story?  What elements of the story were well understood by their culture.  What are the main elements of the story.  What is the single main theme in the parable. 

Consistency:

Is my interpretation of this parable consistent with how Jesus interpreted it?  Did I interpret the symbols the same as Jesus interpreted these symbols in prior parables?  Is there other scripture that supports my interpretation of the parable? 

Assignment #13

1.      Using the general form, outline Matthew 13:24-43

Matthew 13:24-43

 24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;

 25 "but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.

 26 "But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.

 27 "So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'

 28 "He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'

 29 "But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.

 30 'Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'" ________________________________________________________________________

31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field,

 32 "which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."

________________________________________________________________________

33 Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."

________________________________________________________________________

34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them,

 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world."

________________________________________________________________________

 36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."

 37 He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

 38 "The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.

 39 "The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

 40 "Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.

 41 "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,

 42 "and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

 43 "Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!    NKJV

Matthew 13:24-43 Outline

I.                                                              The parable of the wheat and the tares

II.                                                           The parable of the mustard seed

III.                                                         The parable of the leaven

IV.                                                       Explanation for using parables

V.                                                        Explanation of the parable of the wheat and tares

 Assignment #14

1.      Chart Matthew 13:24-30 from the text and outline on the previous pages. 

(Use additional paper if necessary) 

Assignment #15

1.      Read Mark 4:1-29 thoroughly.

2.      Outline Mark 4:1-29.

3.      Chart Mark 4:1-29.

(Use additional paper if necessary) 

Mark 4:1-29

1 And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.

 2 Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:

 3 "Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.

 4 "And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.

 5 "Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.

 6 "But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.

 7 "And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.

 8 "But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

 9 And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 10 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.

 11 And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,

 12 "so that 'Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.'"

 13 And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

 14 "The sower sows the word.

 15 "And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.

 16 "These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

 17 "and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.

 18 "Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,

 19 "and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

 20 "But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

 21 Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand?

 22 "For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.

 23 "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."

 24 Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.

 25 "For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."

 26 And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,

 27 "and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.

 28 "For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.

 29 "But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."    NKJV

PROPHECY

Prophecy can be found in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.  More than 25% of the bible contains predictive material.  But we realize that any revelation directly from God is considered prophetic.  Therefore there are two types of prophecy in the Bible:

·         Predictive-foretelling the future

·         Didactic-forth-telling the Word of God; dealing with moral, ethical or theological truths.

It is not uncommon to have both predictive and didactic prophecies mixed together.

Guidelines for studying predictive prophecy:

·         Always interpret the passage in its most simple direct and ordinary meaning unless there are compelling reasons to do otherwise. 

·         Learn to identify figurative passages from literal passages.  If it is absurd to interpret it literally then interpret it figuratively.  (i.e. Joel 2:31, the moon turns to blood; Isaiah 11:1, a branch growing out of a human being)

·         Be aware that prophecy does not generally follow a systematic pattern.  It will jump from one idea to another, or from one time period to another.  This is why prophecy is the most difficult scripture to study and teach. 

·         Be consistent!  Your interpretation of the symbols within the text must be consistent with how these symbols are interpreted in other Bible verses.  Every symbol found in the book of Revelation can be found in other Scriptures.

Examples:

Symbols:

Rev 12:1-2 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.  Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.

Interpretation:     

Gen 37:9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, "Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me."

 Micah 5:2-3 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting."  Therefore He shall give them up, Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; Then the remnant of His brethren Shall return to the children of Israel.

Conclusion:  Israel (the family of Jacob) is the woman, the Child being born is Jesus the Christ.

Symbol:

Rev 5:6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain…

Interpretation:

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Conclusion:  Jesus is the Lamb that John saw in heaven.

Assignment #16

1.      Read Isaiah 1 thoroughly.

2.      Outline Isaiah 1.

3.      Identify each section as either didactic or predictive prophecy.

4.      Chart Isaiah 1.

(Use additional paper if necessary) 

Isaiah 1

 1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

 2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me;

 3 The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master's crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider."

 4 Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward.

 5 Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints.

 6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment.

 7 Your country is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire; Strangers devour your land in your presence; And it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

 8 So the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, As a hut in a garden of cucumbers, As a besieged city.

 9 Unless the LORD of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah.

 10 Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, You people of Gomorrah:

 11 "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?" Says the LORD. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats.

 12 "When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts?

 13 Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies-I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.

 14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them.

 15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. 

 16 "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,

 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.

 18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.

 19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;

 20 But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword"; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

 21 How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; Righteousness lodged in it, But now murderers.

 22 Your silver has become dross, Your wine mixed with water.

 23 Your princes are rebellious, And companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, And follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, Nor does the cause of the widow come before them.

 24 Therefore the Lord says, The LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, "Ah, I will rid Myself of My adversaries, And take vengeance on My enemies.

 25 I will turn My hand against you, And thoroughly purge away your dross, And take away all your alloy.

 26 I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city."

 27 Zion shall be redeemed with justice, And her penitents with righteousness.

 28 The destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together, And those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

 29 For they shall be ashamed of the terebinth trees Which you have desired; And you shall be embarrassed because of the gardens Which you have chosen.

 30 For you shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fades, And as a garden that has no water.

 31 The strong shall be as tinder, And the work of it as a spark; Both will burn together, And no one shall quench them.    NKJV