Task 4. Write Up the Exegetical Idea
Essence of the Task
Having finished all our purely exegetical work, it is time to summarize our understanding of the passage in a few sentences that capture all the important ideas of our passage. Once written, we can use them to keep our homiletic development on track. This helps us to know that we are going in the right direction and that we have not forgotten anything important.
Detailed Description
If we have adequately examined our passage, we should be able to describe the complete thought of the author in a few sentences. This is not yet the so-called «Homiletical Idea» or «Main Idea» that we plan to take to the pulpit in a concise, memorable expression. It is the precursor to that. It is a more academic and complete expression that serves as an important bridge to the homiletical discipline, since it is intended to be a complete answer to the question «What Does It Say?» without having to respond yet to the questions of application and presentation.
This description does not need to take long to write. Having adequately summarized the main blocks of thought of our passage in Tuesday-Structure, Task 4, we will already have a good head start. All we have to do is fine-tune those summaries in light of our word studies and our interaction with our commentaries.
To Do
It may be helpful to think of this task in three parts: (1) write, (2) check, and (3) use.
1-Write the exegetical idea with a subject and a complement. This is of utmost importance. And to go deeper into this matter, we will rely on the work of one who has possibly done more to highlight the importance of having a clear main idea than anyone else: Haddon Robinson. He suggests that it is good to think in terms of a subject and a complement. The subject addresses the question of what is the passage talking about? The complement answers that question.
Put another way, the subject is the whole theme of the passage. What is the passage about? The complement is what it says about that subject. What does your passage say about that topic? Write a few sentences that bring both parts together for your passage.
(For a more extensive description of this issue, along with some helpful examples, see Haddon Robinson’s book, Biblical Preaching, especially pp. 64-68. [English pages?])
2-Check the accuracy of your exegetical idea in relation to the passage. Analyze the exegetical idea you have just elaborated (subject and complement) in light of the passage.
Speaking specifically about the subject (or theme) Robinson writes that once you have worked it out you should go back over the passage and relate it to the details. «Does the subject fit the parts? Is it too broad? Too narrow? Is the subject an accurate description of what the passage is talking about?» (Biblical Preaching, p. 64). Compare the expression of the subject (theme) you have drafted and examine it in light of the passage and the summaries of the passage that you have written. Does your subject cover all the bases? If not, you should adjust it until it does. And since it may be helpful in this analysis, Robinson suggests applying the questions Who?, What?, Where?, When?, Why?, and How? to the subject you have proposed. Nuance your expression of the subject until it covers the details of the passage adequately. Robinson states that when the subject hits the nail on the head, «all the details of the paragraph, directly or indirectly, relate to that subject. When a proposed subject aptly describes what the author is talking about, everything comes to light» (pp. 65-66). [Find English version quotes & pages].
Next, you must examine the complement, which is the other half of a complete exegetical idea. Robinson writes, «Once you have isolated the theme (subject), you must determine the complement(s) that complete it and give it meaning. In doing so, you must be aware of the structure of the passage and distinguish between primary and secondary statements» (p. 66). Obviously, the person who has already analyzed the syntactical relationship of the passage and diagrammed its structure (Tuesday-Structure), will have this very much in mind and will be able to distinguish quite easily between the primary and secondary.
3-Use the exegetical idea to guide your subsequent work. Once you are satisfied with the wording of your exegetical idea, put it in a visible place for the remainder of your sermon preparation. Use it to inform the ongoing development of your sermon. Keep it as a reference to outline the structure of your outline. Use it as a «check» for the homiletical idea (main idea) that you will develop later.
To Keep in Mind
It should be evident that although a written exegetical idea should be stable enough to serve as your compass, it is not necessarily unalterable. If in the course of your study you realize that you have missed something, it can, of course, be modified. However, most of the time you can assume that, if you have written it carefully, it will not need more than a few slight adjustments.
Case in point. From time to time, I have to design a logo for a project. I study the subject. I design a draft. I tweak it. I show it to other people involved in the project. I modify it. Then I tweak it some more. Finally, there comes a moment when I think, I think it’s done!
But that is when I do something that has always been a great help to me: I put a copy of my new logo in a visible place, next to my desk, where I will see it at all hours of the day for several weeks. If it turns out that I don’t get tired of my new logo after seeing it so much and so often, I figure that maybe I’ve really hit the nail on the head. The logo «works». If I get «tired» of the logo, it may be that something is not quite right yet. In that case I touch it up and put it back in that visible place.
Something similar can be done with an exegetical idea and then with a homiletical idea. Normally you won’t have a month, nor will you need it. However, you can put that exegetical idea on display. To the extent that you have formulated it correctly, you will find that it helps you to outline any subsequent interpretation, application, and exposition of the passage. If in the process you discover that something «doesn’t quite add up,» that’s okay. You tweak it and keep working.
In some cases, I have even put both the exegetical idea and the homiletical idea at the head of the first page of my sermon. This helps me to know exactly where I am going in my preaching, whether I am writing the final text, reviewing my notes, or stepping into the pulpit.