1 Peter Exegetical Study Notes
(Series on 1 Peter finished on February 14, 2010 after 5 years and 100 Messages)
These are my study notes. They are the foundation upon which my final sermon rests. My exegetical study process looks something like this:
First, I determine the boundaries of the passage. What marks out the paragraph or pericope in the original text?
Second, I translate the passage from the original language (Koine Greek in the NT). This includes a careful analysis of the grammar and syntax.
Third, I break each verse into grammatical sections.
Fourth, I study the entire passage, verse by verse and section by section. This study in all-encompassing and takes me many hours to finish. My last step in this process is to read through a dozen or so commentaries (from pastoral to critical), historical, grammatical, cultural and interpretational aids, theological resources, and more. I may even read a complete book that deals with a particular theme that is relevant to the passage. I use the many tools that I have in my personal library such as books, journals, dictionaries, lexicons, CD-Rom resources, computer programs, and the world-wide-web. My exegetical notes contain lots of brainstorming ideas that I may not even use in a sermon.
Fifth, I diagram the passage using my final English translation, analyzing the structure of the passage.
Sixth, I work through several stages of outlining my passage. This usually involves a passage outline, a theological outline, a first-draft sermon outline, and a final sermon outline.
Seventh, I work through a main idea of the passage. What is the subject and complement?
Eighth, I put together a sermonic idea and think through the purpose of the sermon or sermon series. The sermonic idea will usually be my title.
Ninth, I take the main idea and try to boil it down to a single sentence that is put into words that are as memorable as possible.
Tenth, I continue to hone the process as I weave my study notes, outlines, and other information into my sermon notes.