thesis for exegetical paper

• Guidelines for Writing an Exegetical Paper

Introduction

Exegesis is a word for the systematic process by which a person arrives at a reasonable and coherent sense of the meaning and message of a biblical passage. A good exegete has learned what questions to ask of a text in order to arrive at this sense and how to find the answers. Because the right kind of questions will vary depending on the type of literature involved, and finding them is more of an art than a science, a guide such as this is not definitive, but only a crude tool.

The goal of an exegetical paper is coherently, succinctly and sensitively to open-up the meaning of the text in such a way that it reflects the particularities (e.g. “feel”, plain sense, problems, ambiguities, context, potential theological sensus plenior , etc.) of that text alone. The reader of the paper should be left with the impression not that the student has done something new or different with the text but has understood it well, including mirroring such things as its aesthetics (or lack thereof) and problems.

Mode of Inquiry

What you’re after is the text’s meaning, not your own, so go slowly. By asking the text questions, let it tell you what it means . The correct method is not mystical or devotional, but careful and methodical. You are looking for meaning and coherence that really is there. To use an analogy, the text is the lead partner in a dance of meaning; your job is to follow, observe and interpret the dance with sensitivity and precision.

The nature of the object must always determine the mode of inquiry. In the case of the Bible the mode of inquiry must reflect the fact that it is both the Word of God and the word of people. In view of the Bible’s character as divine revelation, the exegete should approach the text with a conviction about its implicit sensibility and with a sense of humility, tenacity, faith and, above all, reverence. Because the Bible is also the word of people, the mode of inquiry must also include the same methods that are used to understand other kinds of literature.

Provisional Method

Begin (and proceed) with prayer, asking God for wisdom and insight.

2. Identify a Meaningful Unit

Compare several English translations to ensure that you are exegeting a meaning unit such as a complete paragraph. In general, the paragraph divisions in the UBS Greek New Testament or the New International Version or New Revised Standard Version are reliable guides.

3. Study the Passage

Look in several translations for differences over what words, phrases or even verses are included as part of the ‘original’ text. Where differences exist consult the critical apparatus (if you know Greek and/or Hebrew) or modern in-depth commentaries such as the Word [BS 491.2 W67] or Hermeneia series.

To orient yourself briefly to the passage use secondary sources to determine only the date, historical background, and (in some detail) the purpose and message of the entire section in which the passage is found. (This might be the book itself or it might be several books such as the Pentateuch or both.)

• In what sort of literature does your section occur?
• How does the literary form of the book and your section affect your understanding of the passage?

Using a photocopy or printout of the passage in context and different colored pencils, charts, and diagrams, highlight the presence of such things as contrasts, similarities, repetition of key words or phrases, development in argumentation, etc. both within your unit and between the several units that precede and follow your unit. Write out the unit itself in a way that outlines its grammar, syntax and structure. Ponder both what is and what surprisingly isn’t in the unit (and context) and the possible significance of what you find odd or baffling. Use your analysis to assess the purpose and message of your unit in relation to the preceding and following units, and, importantly, in relation also to the purpose and message of the broader context that you noted in B above.

Analysis of the Argument

As much as possible, move beyond what the passage is stating (and how) to an assessment of why it is stating it and even to why it is stating it at this particular place within the overall ‘argument’ of the broader section.

• What significance would the argument of your unit have had for its original hearers?

Consult Secondary Sources

Consult several reputable modern commentaries. Older works (e.g. Calvin, Luther, 17th-19th century commentators) should not be ignored, particularly for theological insight on the text. Use your work in steps C and D to assess the value of the exegetical and theological insights offered and use the insights offered in the commentaries as a stimulus for your own reflection and further research (see step F below). As necessary, consult lexicons for the meaning of words, Bible atlases for geographical points of reference, Bible dictionaries for entries on relevant topics or issues, etc.

Be sure to adjudicate (and, in light of this, glean) all significant insights that you might have missed in your own analysis or any significant debates that contribute to or affect an understanding of the text and its message.

Selected Further Research

Write the exegetical paper.

• The previous steps related to studying the passage should not be rehearsed or included in their entirety. Rather, the research conducted above should be integrated in such a way that the text is opened up with freshness and sensitivity to its various dimensions (including role in context and even points of ambiguity). The essay should be a presentation of conclusions (though with clear and sufficient support) arrived at in the previous stages. It should clearly move beyond historical background and literary features to the theological meaning of the passage, but should not become a sermon.
• What theological questions of contemporary relevance are raised by the passage?
• How does the passage resonate with other portions of Scripture and with the Gospel itself?
• The method of citing footnotes and bibliography should be consistent and should conform to The SBL Handbook of Style (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 2014) or a similar standard reference work such as K. Turabian, Wayne C. Booth & Gregory C. Colomb A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers , 8th ed. (Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 2013).
• Where a word study is required as part of the exegetical exercise, the word chosen should be key and a standard “how to” guide on doing a word study followed.

The Rev. Dr. Glen Taylor Wycliffe College Revised, Nov. 2012.

• Print and Electronic Resources for Locating and Studying Classical Texts
• Church History: A Short Guide to Reference Tools
• Theology: A Short Bibliography of Reference Tools
• Short Bibliography for the Study of Church History
• Annotated Bibliography of Information Sources on Anglicanism in Toronto, ON
• Bibliography of Reference Tools for Biblical Hebrew
• Guide to Sources in Patristic Studies
• Faith and Development
• Anglican Parish Histories
• Finding Theological Book Reviews
• Writing Theological Book Reviews
• Seven Steps to a Great Research Paper
• Writing a Sermon
• Exegeting a Gospel
• Doing a Word Study
• Guidelines for a Literature Survey and an Annotated Bibliography
• Avoiding Plagiarism in Theological Writing
• Citation and Bibliographic Formats for Theological Papers
• Time Management for Divinity Students
• Graham Library: Theology Research Help & Tools
• Graham Library: Theological Research Guides
• Anglican Resources

Guides & Help

Writing exegetical papers: ​, basics of an exegetical paper.

A exegetical paper is an essay, not a report. A report is a presentation of information gleaned from research, whereas an essay is a reasoned investigation that makes definite assertions and supports and defends those assertions. Some marks of a good paper are: clarity of expression, rigor in argumentation, correctness in form, balance in judgment, fairness in handling opposing views, breadth of coverage, discipline in focus, and plausibility of conclusions in light of all the relevant evidence.

The exegetical paper follows standard academic writing procedures (this does not mean it must be boring). This means that the paper is written in your own words, with proper credit given when quoting or referring to words or ideas from another person. The paper should also be written in good English, which includes proper spelling and grammar as well as prose that is free from informal English (slang, appeals to the reader, contractions, etc.). The text should be clear, coherent, and as concise as possible—wordiness does not equal scholarliness.

Elements of Exegesis

This section seeks to lay out the process of writing an exegetical paper, not the exegetical method itself. For a discussion of how to do exegesis, or the questions to ask in exegesis, see either your professor or one of the many good books explaining the process, such as these:

• Getting the Message: A Plan for Interpreting and Applying the Bible , by Daniel Doriani (P & R Publishing, 1996).
• New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors , by Gordon Fee (Westminster John Knox Press, 2002).
• Old Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors , by Douglas Stuart. (Westminster John Knox Press, 2009).

The writing of an exegetical paper typically entails the following phases:

• Preparation – choose a text.
• Exegesis – Explore and interact with the text itself. This stage involves your interaction with the text, not with secondary sources (e.g., commentaries, articles, etc.). Observe before interpreting and responding. Always let the text speak to you as you prayerfully yield to it.
• Research – Explore secondary sources on your text. Create and explore your bibliography of sources – reference works (Bible dictionaries, theological dictionaries, etc.), commentaries, articles, essays from collected volumes (polygraphs), other books that deal with your passage, genre, form, or topics raised by the passage and identified in your exegesis.
• Consolidation – Correct, refine, and confirm your exegesis based upon your research. Finalize your thoughts, claims, and conclusions regarding the passage. Develop the outline for your paper as the final step of consolidation – bring your thoughts to paper and begin to think about how it all fits together.
• Writing – Write your paper following all the steps of good writing. Make sure to leave time to edit your paper and to have someone else (e.g., your professor, your committee chairman, the Scribe: Covenant’s resource center for theological writing) look at it.

Outline of an Exegetical Paper

The typical exegetical paper is comprised of the following five sections:

• Literal translation
• Literary context and flow of thought
• Literary genre – of both the larger text of which the passage is a part and the passage itself
• Literary forms – found within the passage
• Structure of passage
• Grammar and syntax
• Semantic analysis
• Socio-historical background
• Motif-historical background (e.g., OT themes, other influences)
• Literary analysis and figures of speech
• Main theme/key thought
• Theological significance
• Relevance/Application
• Conclusion – In the conclusion, tie all of the information presented together and return to the thesis presented in the introduction.
• Bibliography – Lastly, list all of the sources that you cited in your paper.

Format of an Exegetical Paper

Unless your professor requests otherwise, the following conventions are recommended.

• The paper should be typed and double-spaced using a clear, non-ornamental, serif font. Examples of acceptable fonts include Times New Roman or Palatino. The text of the paper should be set in 12-point type with footnotes in 10-point.
• Margins are typically 1″ on all sides.
• Page numbers should be included on all pages in a place that remains consistent throughout the paper (i.e., top right on every page, bottom center on every page, etc.).
• Only one space (not two) should be placed after the terminal punctuation of a sentence.
• Titles of books and other longer works should be italicized, not underlined. Titles of articles, essays, parts of longer works, or other shorter works should be enclosed in quotation marks.

Writing Center Coordinator

• Last Updated: Nov 2, 2021 9:39 AM
• URL: https://covenantseminary.libguides.com/exegetical-papers

Exegetical Papers: Introduction & Overview

• Introduction & Overview
• 2. Historical, Cultural, and Literary Background

3. Perform Exegesis of Each Verse

4. Offer an Overall Interpretation

5. Provide an Application of the Passage

• 6. Finding Books
• 7. Finding Articles
• Turabian Citation Style
• ATLA Search & Video Tutorials
• Formatting Theses and Dissertations in Word 2010
• Quick Links & Databases
• Web Resources
• Online Reference Sources
• Scholarly vs. Non-scholarly Materials
• Avoid Plagiarism

Be certain that you fully understand your professor’s instructions for your paper (often an  exegesis  of a text), since there is room in the process for individual variations. Needless to say, always follow your instructor's requirements and advice!

The typical steps involved in doing exegetical work can include the following:

• Establish or orient the context of the pericope in the Biblical book as a whole
• Examine the historical context or setting
• Analyze the text.  This can involve literary, textual, grammatical, and/or lexical analysis
• Critical analysis: employing various critical methods to ask questions of the texts
• Theological analysis
• Your analysis and/or application

Writing & Exegesis

Biblical Studies & Exegetical Helps

• Biblical World A Routledge Religion collection title - BS 475.3 B53 2002
• Encyclopedia of the Historical Jesus A Routledge Religion collection title - REF BT 303.2 E56 2008
• The Macmillan Bible Atlas Ref G2230 A2 1993
• Oxford Companion to Bible Limited background information - BS440 M434 1993
• Blackwell Companion to the Hebrew Bible A Net Library E-Book
• Who's Who in New Testament An Online NetLibrary E-Book
• Women in Scripture : A Dictionary of Named and Unnamed Women in the Hebrew Bible, the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books, and the New Testament / Carol Meyers, general editor ; Toni Craven and Ross S. Kraemer, associate editors. BS575 W593 2000
• Holy Scripture: Revelation, Inspiration & Interpretation BS511.2 B57 1994

What's on this page?

• Writing and Exegesis
• Pericope Definition

Pronunciation

• Bible and Added Resources

Cambridge Companion Guides

Oldest relatively complete manuscript of the bible, biblical studies organizations.

• Biblical Studies and Exgetical Helps

Writing Research Papers

• Other Research Guides That May Help You

Although your professor may have specific instructions that differ from what this guide presents, here are the basic steps common to most exegesis papers. You may go step-by-step, or jump to the topic of interest to you.

1. Choose a Passage

2. Examine the Historical, Cultural, and Literary Background

There is an additional thing you need to consider:

* Document Your Sources Correctly (See Citing Materials tab above).

First, Choose a Passage.

A pericope comes from the Greek language, meaning, "a cutting-out".  It is a set of verses that forms one coherent unit or thought, thus forming a short passage suitable for public reading from a text, that usually refers to sacred scripture.

• Bible Pronunciation Guide Audio files for Bible words.
• Bible Words Phonetic Pronunciation Extends beyond Biblical words to include modern English words commonly mispronounced.

Society of Biblical Literature

American Bible Society

• The Purdue University Writing Center Website on Research papers -
• The Dartmouth University Writing Center Website on Research Papers

Other Research Guides that May Help You

• Biblical Studies

Online Sources

Bible Gateway    

The Bible Gateway is a tool for reading and researching scripture online -- all in the language or translation of your choice! 

Bible: New Revised Standard Version  

Electronic New Testament Educational Resources   -- Another great resource for, among many other things,  explaining what exegesis is.

Biblica : Bibles Online      

Maintained by Biblica. Biblica is the new name for IBS-STL Global. IBS-STL launched a new identity, including a new name—Biblica—to reflect its expanding vision and focus for transforming lives through God's Word. The new name is part of a rebranding process that began with the merger of International Bible Society and Send the Light in 2007. 

New Testament Gateway    

The New Testament Gateway is a comprehensive directory of academic internet resources related to the New Testament. The New Testament Gateway focuses on resources that will be of interest to both scholars and students of the New Testament. 

ARTFL Project: Multilingual Bibles      

All-in-One : Bible Versions and Translations 

Bibles and Added Resources

Giving Credit

This guide was adapted from a Research Guide at University of St.Thomas by Curt Lemay, Director and Theological Librarian, Archbishop Ireland Memorial Library. Mr. LeMay had adapted it from an Azuza Pacific University research guide. Azuza's guide was created by Dr. Kenneth D. Litwak, Reference Instructor, University Libraries, October, 2008, and posted by Michelle Spomer of Azuza Pacific.

• Next: 1. Choose a Passage & Create a Thesis Statement >>
• Last Updated: Apr 24, 2024 3:03 PM
• URL: https://research.auctr.edu/exegeticalpapers

Writing Exegesis Papers

• Introduction
• Biblical Text & Analysis
• Theology & Application
• Key Sources

Getting Started

Your Thesis

The goal of writing an exegesis paper is simply to understand the meaning of a text. The introduction of your paper should grab the reader's attention and clearly state what you think your passage means. Everything that follows in your paper should serve to support your thesis statement.

Here are some general tips on writing a good thesis statement:

• Your thesis statement should be concise
• Your thesis statement should come at the end of your introduction
• Your thesis statement should make a claim/argument
• You may need to revise your thesis statement as you do more research
• Next: Biblical Text & Analysis >>
• Last Updated: Dec 13, 2023 9:30 AM
• URL: https://libguides.northcentral.edu/exegesis

Advanced Search

Exegetical Papers: Exegetical Papers

Exegetical papers: welcome.

This guide is intended to introduce graduate level students in religion to the important practice of biblical exegesis. It will also help students in their research by providing important reference works that will greatly enhance their understanding of the practice of biblical interpretation and the various methodologies used.

Although many professors will often have specific requirements in their exegetical assignments, there will also be many aspects of the assignments that will be determined by the student. This guide hopes to provide the proper resources so that students will be able to adequately fulfill the requirements of the essay and in turn greatly enhance their own research skills. 

Online Databases

To better enhance their academic exegetical papers students will have to interact with existing scholarship. The library has access to many online databases that contain thousands of documents. These are invaluable tools that will greatly enhance research, both academic and liturgical. This is not an exhaustive list, which can be found here .

• JSTOR This is your "go-to" site when attempting to find journal articles on specific topics
• ProQuest Similar to JSTOR in that it provides access to journal articles on various topics. This has access to some journals not available through JSTOR.
• Brill Textual History of the Bible An excellent source on the textual history of the Hebrew Bible. If you writing a paper on a certain book this is an excellent place to start in order to better understand the rich textual history of different books that make up the Hebrew Bible. At this point in time (2017) only Vol. 1 is finished but as different volumes are finished they will be added to the database.

How to Write Like an Academic

Writing, one of the most valuable skill of an academic, is also one of the most overlooked. Although most people have been writing since a very young age, academic writing is much different than casual writing.  These are some basic books that teach how to write academic papers with a theological emphasis. 

• Turabian Quick Guide Turabian Style is an abbreviated version of the Chicago Manual of Style. Unfortunately there is no EBook version but this link provides a quick guide into this style.

Books on Exegesis

Exegesis is one of the most fundamental skills of a biblical scholar. Learning the various methods of interpreting the Hebrew Bible and New Testament will not only help with course work, but will greatly enhance one's ability to better understand how other authors are interpreting these works, and in turn greatly benefit one's research skills. 

This short list of books will offer excellent introductions into exegesis, but it should be remembered that some professors are looking for specific information in their exegesis assignment; thus it is very important to refer to your syllabus when writings an exegesis paper.

• How to Write an Exegesis Paper This is a handout created by Dr. Dale B. Martin for his students at Yale University. Remember that this is for his assignments and that those of your professors might be different.

Guide Authorship and Copyright Permissions

• Last Updated: Oct 23, 2023 11:21 AM
• URL: https://libguides.thedtl.org/c.php?g=728131

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game New
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Philosophy and Religion
• Christianity

How to Write an Exegesis

Last Updated: December 19, 2023 Approved

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff . Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 96% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 106,620 times. Learn more...

An exegesis is an essay that focuses on a particular passage in the Bible. A good exegesis will use logic, critical thinking, and secondary sources to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the passage. You may be required to write an exegesis for a Bible study class or write one to broaden your understanding of the Bible. Start by taking notes on the passage and making an outline for the essay. Then, write the exegesis using your interpretations and your research. Always revise the exegesis once you are done so it is at its best.

Starting the Exegesis

• You may also want to read the passage from a number of different translations aloud so you get a better sense of it. Though you will choose only one translation of the passage for the exegesis, it doesn't hurt to look at other translations.

• You should also consider the grammar and syntax of the passage. Notice the structure of the sentences, the tenses of the verbs, as well as the phrases and clauses used.
• For example, you may circle words like "sow," "root," and "soil" in the passage because you think they are important.
• You may also note that the passage ends with "Whoever has ears, let them hear," which is the standard refrain for a parable in the Bible.

• You can also look for articles, essays, and commentaries that discuss the literary genre of the passage as well as any themes or ideas that you notice in the passage.

• Section 1:Introduction
• Section 2: Commentary on the passage
• Section 3: Interpretation of the passage
• Section 4: Conclusion
• Section 5: Bibliography

Writing the Exegesis

• You can also mention the literary genre, such as whether the passage is a hymn or a parable.

• For example, you may have a thesis statement like, “In this Bible passage, one learns about the value of a good foundation for inner and outer growth.”

• For example, if you were writing about Matthew 13:1-8, you may discuss the language and sentence structure of the parable. You may also talk about how the passage uses nature as a metaphor for personal growth.

• You can also discuss the broader context of the passage, including its historical or social significance. Provide context around how the passage has been interpreted by others, such as theological scholars and thinkers.

• If you are writing the exegesis for a class, ask the instructor which citation style they prefer and use it in your essay.

• Your instructor should specify which type of citation style they want you to use for the bibliography.

Polishing the Exegesis

• You can also try reading the essay backwards to catch spelling errors, as this will force you to focus on each word to confirm it is spelled correctly.

• You should also revise the essay to ensure it is not too long. If there is a word count for the exegesis, make sure you do not go over it.

Community Q&A

You Might Also Like

About This Article

An exegesis is an essay that deconstructs and analyzes a Bible passage. To write an exegesis, first read your chosen Bible passage carefully and take notes on the interesting parts. You should also read other secondary texts about your passage, like theological articles and commentaries, to help you build your argument. To structure your exegesis, start by introducing your passage and providing a thesis statement that sums up your key ideas. Then, expand your argument over the next few paragraphs. Use quotes from the passage and from your secondary sources to strengthen your argument. Finish your exegesis with a conclusion that reaffirms your key points. For more tips, including how to get feedback on your exegesis, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Lesley Curtis

Jan 3, 2021

Did this article help you?

Thabitha Mofokeng

Aug 30, 2019

Dana Wilson

Nov 2, 2018

Selvaraj Paulraj

Aug 8, 2022

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Get all the best how-tos!

Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter

• Search Search

How to Write a Seminary Research Paper

Introduction

Research papers are one of the best ways to learn in seminary—which is why so many teachers assign them. A research paper trains you in how to gather information, interpret it, and present an informed opinion persuasively.

And yet seminary research papers can be very frustrating if you don’t follow a basic, tried-and-true process:

There are four steps to the study process: narrowing your focus, gathering research, deciding your thesis, and building an outline.

1. Narrow your focus

All the best guides (see list below) share a common thread of advice: narrow your focus. Here are three tips for narrowing the scope and focus of your paper so you don’t bite off more than you can (or should) chew.

• Mind your word or page count.  If your paper is supposed to be fewer than 10 pages, you’ll need a narrower topic you can address substantively within that amount of space.
• Research what interests you.  You’ll be spending a lot of time researching, so if possible, choose a topic you truly want to learn about. Tip: If you’re in seminary, write as many of your papers on one topic as possible so that you become a bit of an expert on it.
• Narrow your topic.  The narrower your topic, the easier your process. That’s because you can be more selective in what to research and argue. For example, “What led to the Reformation?” is a  giant  topic—book-length, really. But something like, “What was Martin Luther’s 3rd of the 95 Theses, and how did he come to it?” is a subtopic you could write a short, interesting paper on.

Note:  Only choose topics of which you have some general knowledge. You may need to read introductory material at length to write narrowly on an unfamiliar topic.

Resources for paper writing

• How to use Logos for writing and research (video) , a great place to start.
• How to write an effective paper from the University of Toronto.
• Advice on theological writing from the esteemed John Frame.  Frame’s words have more to do with the writer (you) than the mechanics.
• A well-written  14-page guide to writing research papers in history and theology

Writing & Research: A Guide for Theological Students  by Kevin Gary Smith

Written in a simple yet engaging style, Dr. Kevin Smith applies his years of experience and expertise in scholarly writing and research in this introduction for new and continuing undergraduate or postgraduate students. This publication provides helpful guidelines and illustrations on all the elements that go into producing an academic work.

2. Gather research

Next to narrowing your focus, nothing is more important for the research process than knowing where and how to gather sources. It also will lead to much higher quality work.

Note: Though the next step in our process has to do with deciding your thesis, you may have a provisional thesis statement even by this point. If you do, this part will move quicker, because you’ll know just what to look for. If not, that’s okay—you can read more broadly to find a topic that interests you.

Broadly speaking, there are four main places to conduct your initial research. The following is adapted from  Surviving and Thriving in Seminary  (Lexham Press, 2016).

Dictionary articles

Biblical and theological dictionaries summarize and introduce a particular topic in as concise a manner as possible. For this reason, they are the best place to start the research process for every paper. Reading a dictionary article will provide you with a quick and comprehensive overview of your subject. After reading several dictionary articles, you will begin to feel you have a general understanding of the topic, and this will provide you with a solid base from which to begin reading further.

Dictionary articles also provide a basic bibliography on the subject at the end of each article. Flipping to the end of the article will usually provide you with a good bibliography immediately. If you make note of the sources in the bibliographies from different dictionaries on the same topic, you will likely already have more sources than you can handle. If you end up with more sources than you can realistically track down, prioritize sources in more recent dictionaries. A dictionary article written in 1950 may be very valuable, but its bibliography will not have more recent scholarship on the issue. Dictionary articles apply best to biblical studies, theology, and church history. Ask your professors which dictionaries they recommend you use, or see the sidebar for our recommendations.

Commentaries

Commentaries apply primarily to exegesis papers and papers related to biblical theology. Commentaries, like dictionary articles, attempt to give a summary of a particular issue—only this time the issue is the proper meaning of a particular section of the Bible. Some commentaries are more comprehensive than others; it largely depends on the commentary series. To determine which commentaries are the best for the passage you are looking at, we recommend asking your professor or consulting the website bestcommentaries.com. Take care when choosing a commentary, because not all are created equal. For research papers, academic commentaries are what you need to use, as they engage with the academic discussion of the biblical book. Bestcommentaries.com is helpful in this regard, since it tags commentaries as technical, pastoral, or devotional.

Like dictionary articles, each commentary will include a bibliography. Some commentaries have a selected bibliography at the end of a passage; others have all their sources listed in the general bibliography for the whole book. Even without a selected bibliography, you can gather sources by taking a good look at the footnotes to see what is cited. Consult a few top-notch academic commentaries, and you will have a wealth of sources to use. Something to also keep in mind is the age of the commentary. The newer the commentary, the more up-to-date the bibliography.

Book bibliographies

If you are researching a particular topic and have access to either a book or a book chapter that covers the topic, then the bibliography and footnotes of these sources will provide you with a wealth of possible sources for your own research. Like the above methods, you will need to judge for yourself based on the title if the source is worth your time.

ATLA serials

The above suggestions will usually yield enough sources that you will not need to go hunting for more (unless you are working on a thesis or a topic not well covered by a dictionary). If your bibliography for your paper is still thin, ATLAS is the place to go. ATLA (American Theological Library Association) Serials is an online collection of journals for the study of religion. This includes not only Bible and theology, but the area of practical theology and even other religions as well. This database is a subscription service, and every good seminary library has access to it. ATLAS makes every part of its sources searchable, so you can search by keyword to find journal sources.

Lexham Bible Dictionary  (free)

As dictionaries go, this one is quite recent—and it’s free, which is shocking given its quality. You’ll turn to this one often. Bonus: It’s digital, which makes it even easier to navigate and cite.

Other recommended dictionaries

The following come recommended by H. Daniel Zacharias and Benjamin K. Forrest, authors of Surviving and Thriving in Seminary (Lexham Press, 2016).

• Alexander, T. Desmond, and Brian S. Rosner, eds.  New Dictionary of Biblical Theology .Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2000.
• Cross, F. L., and Elizabeth A. Livingstone, eds.  The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church . Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
• Di Berardino, Angelo.  Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity . Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2014.
• Freedman, David Noel, Gary A. Herion, David F. Graf, John David Pleins, and Astrid B. Beck, eds.  The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary . New York: Doubleday, 1992.
• Green, Joel B., Jeannine K. Brown, and Nicholas Perrin, eds.  Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels . Carlisle, Cumbria, U.K.: Paternoster Press, 2000.
• McKim, Donald K., ed.  Dictionary of Major Biblical Interpreters . Downers Grove, IL; Nottingham, England: InterVarsity Press, 2007.

* The authors recommend all works in  IVP’s Bible Dictionary Series .

Logos Bible Software  (free)

Logos is a collection of digital books and periodicals designed for theological research. Using its  various guides  (such as the Topic Guide, Passage Guide, or Sermon Starter Guide), you can conduct relevant searches across your whole library.

Explore Logos features

3. Decide a thesis

After choosing a topic and familiarizing yourself with it, you are ready to decide and draft your thesis. Your thesis is your paper’s north star. It directs the resources you use, the points you make, even the sentences you strike—everything in your paper exists to support your thesis.

Your thesis is your main point or argument and should:

• Be about one sentence long
• Appear near the end of your paper’s introduction
• Be arguable, not a simple fact

On that last point: a proper thesis is one you have to prove. You need to make a statement someone could argue against.

• Not a thesis:  Martin Luther drafted the 95 Theses.
• Thesis:  Luther’s 95 Theses were born from his personal religious experience.

You will be collecting data and insights to support your thesis. Think of your paper as one side of a debate. You are making a case for the truth of your thesis, citing supporting evidence as well as answering likely objections.

Ideally, your thesis is also original—a point no one has argued before. This is harder to achieve until further on in your academic career.

From Topic to Thesis: A Guide to Theological Research  by Michael Kibbe

Adapted from the publisher description: This affordable and accessible tool walks students through the research process, focusing on five steps: finding direction, gathering sources, understanding issues, entering discussion, and establishing a position. Its goal is to take students directly from a research assignment to a research argument—in other words, from topic to thesis.

4. Build an outline

The outline is the skeleton of your work and will do wonders for you in terms of organization.

Do not just start writing.  If you write without a map for where you will go, you will wander. More than likely, you’ll spend too much time on cursory points and then scrunch the most important parts of your paper down to stay within your word count limit.

Instead,  outline the flow of your paper.

Example outline

Generally speaking, you can think of your outline in terms of paragraph units.

• Introduction (one paragraph or several, depending on paper length)
• Supporting point (paragraph)
• Subpoint (etc.)
• Main Point (several pages)
• Conclusion (one paragraph or several, depending on paper length)

The content in “supporting point” paragraphs will be insights from your research. So here you are plugging in material you’ve read, either as paraphrased material or direct quotes (both cited, see below), to support your conclusions.

Why write an outline?

The value of a detailed outline is you can scope out the exact flow of your paper, at least provisionally. It’s true that while writing your paper, your outline will shift—this is normal and right. You may end up placing more paragraphs under a subpoint than you first envisioned, perhaps even realizing that a subpoint is substantive enough to be a main point.

But your process will be much smoother, and your paper will flow much better, if you have an outline sorted out before you begin writing.

Logos Sermon Builder

If you are conducting your research in Logos (or even if you aren’t, really), the  Sermon Builder Tool  is extremely helpful for building your outline. Though it’s designed for sermons, its features are ideal for organizing your thoughts and gathering your research into an outline.

Explore the Sermon Builder tool .

Logos Notes Tool

In addition to the above,  Logos notes and highlights  are helpful for research. Any note or highlight you make on a resource is automatically saved and collected, so you can easily access them later. This gives you a simple paper trail for your research process.

Write Your Paper

Assuming you’ve filled out a substantive outline, this is the fun part of the process. You’re finally stitching your research together into a finished product.

There is much to say about what makes for good theological writing (and you should read all of it), but a few pieces of advice are worth highlighting:

• Follow the style guide of your college or university.  If none exists or this doesn’t apply, know that Turabian is the standard style among biblical and theological writing.
• Write to inform, not impress.  Many amateur writers adopt a high-falutin voice when they begin writing. Don’t. Write as if your professor (or your mother, depending on your audience) asked you a simple question and just wants a plain answer. Avoid verbal fluff like “the aforementioned” and cliches like “since the dawn of time.” Generally speaking, write how you talk.
• Topic sentences  are the first sentence of a paragraph and tell the reader what the paragraph will be about. Think of it like the writing in marker on a moving box: “KITCHEN, plates and cutting boards.” For example, “Martin Luther experienced intense inner turmoil concerning his sin” would be a good topic sentence for a paragraph about Luther’s many failed attempts to deal with his sin.
• Transition sentences  are the last sentence in a paragraph that connect what was just said to what’s about to be said. For example, you might conclude the above paragraph with, “It was this unceasing turmoil that led Luther, in desperation, to reconsider justification,” and then begin the next sentence with this topic sentence, “A rediscovery of biblical justification was at the heart of Luther’s 95 Theses.”

Tip:  Many writers find it helpful to imagine a real person as the audience of their paper. This helps them use more grounded, simple language and break through the clutter to get straight to the point. For example, you might imagine that you are writing to your teenage sibling or a college student with zero knowledge of the Bible.

“ How to write an effective paper ” by Tyndale Seminary

This is a mercifully short yet comprehensive guide, and it’s organized well. Consider it a crash course in the most important rules of theological writing.

Elements of Style

This is a short, punchy, classic work about writing. It mainly covers grammar and style—from the right way to use commas to how not to be boring. If you ever write anything, you should read this book.

Cite Sources

If you are currently in Bible college or seminary, you can ignore this and refer to your Academic Handbook, which will cover this material in greater detail.

If you are not, consider these three broad rules for citing your sources.

1. Cite everything

First things first:  never plagiarize . As the adage goes, “If you’re unsure, cite it.” That is, if you have any inkling that what you are saying is not your own idea, cite whose idea it is (and if you don’t know, look; and if you still can’t find out, say something like, “This is not my original idea, and despite looking at length, I cannot seem to find where I heard this.”).

The single most important part of the citation discussion is that you acknowledge the source of any idea that is not your own or already well known and circulated (e.g., in theological writing you do not have to cite  John 3:16  when you mention that believing in Jesus gives you eternal life).

2. Track your citations from the start

You should be thinking about your bibliography from the moment you begin researching. If you consult a resource—even one you don’t think you’ll cite in your paper—take down that source’s information. You’ll be glad you did.

And with that, create a system. A great tool is Zotero. You can use it to track all your research and easily generate citations in various styles (APA, Turabian, etc.). John Frame also has some helpful points on using sources in the earlier parts of  this article.

3. Cite correctly

It is not enough to drop an article URL or a book title with a page number. A charge of plagiarism can be leveled at you even for incorrectly citing material.

Again, if you are in school, follow the rules of your academic handbook. If not, adopt a common style guide like APA or Turabian, and consult online guides like  EasyBib  or the  Chicago Manual of Style  for help.

More than likely, your paper will include in-text citations (usually footnotes) and a bibliography. The format of each one is different, as you’ll see from the guides mentioned.

Logos Bible Software

Logos will automatically cite your sources any time you copy-paste from Logos into a Word document, making it easy to build your bibliography in your preferred style.

Read about how Logos automates citation.

Now that you have your paper written, your sources cited, and your bibliography written, it’s time for the finishing touches.

These have to do with grammar and aesthetics, primarily. Here’s a recommended checklist:

• Make sure your paper is all  one font type and size . Generally fonts like Times New Roman or Arial in size 12 are safe.
• Double-check that  page numbers  are accurate.
• Create a  title page , typically containing the title of your paper, the course it’s for, your school, your name, and the date.
• Print out your paper and don’t read it for 24 hours . Approaching your paper with fresh eyes will help you see many errors and opportunities for improvement. (In fact, do this step twice if possible—once after your initial draft is complete, and again before you print the paper you’ll hand in.)
• After 24 hours,  read the printed version of your paper , marking corrections with a red pen. If your copy is particularly marked at the end of this process (more than five corrections per page, on average), repeat this step.
• Create a backup of your paper, whether digital or physical (or both).
• Hand in your paper in a folder. (This may seem overboard, but packaging your paper like it’s important will give your professor the impression that you took the assignment seriously.)

The road to a solid research paper isn’t short, but it is worn. Follow these steps and you’ll arrive at a solid paper—but even better, you’ll have learned a lot in the process, trained your mind in the art and craft of critical thinking, and become a better writer in the process.

Logos Staff

Logos is the largest developer of tools that empower Christians to go deeper in the Bible.

Related articles

What Is the Spiritual Body in 1 Corinthians 15?

Firmament or Expanse? Two Ways to Interpret Genesis 1:6

Equipped for the Future: How to Find the Seminary for You

Little Lights: The Significance of Light in Genesis

Your email address has been added

Archer Library

Rel 213 - writing an exegetical paper.

• Introduction
• Historical Context
• Literary Context
• Formal Analysis
• Detailed Analysis
• Theological Reflection
• Writing Help
• Resources on Paul
• Journal Article Resources
• Book Resources
• eCommentaries
• Dictionaries
• Encyclopedias
• ATLASerials Plus Scriptures Index Video
• Need More Help?

Contact Us!

Email: [email protected] Phone:  (419)-289-5169 Address: Ashland Theological Seminary Library 910 Center Street Ashland, OH 44805

What is a Biblical Exegetical Paper?

According to the  Ashland Theological Seminary Writing Handbook ,

"An exegetical paper focuses analysis on a passage of Scripture (often called a pericope), using either English only or original language resources to draw out the meaning of the passage. An exegetical paper follows a specified method of analyzing the text in order to inform proper interpretation." pg.12-13

or another way to put it:

According to Elements of Biblical Exegesis: A Basic Guide for Students and Ministers:

"Biblical Exegesis may be defined as the careful historical, literary, and theological analysis and explanation of a text." *

* Gorman, Michael J. Essay. In Elements of Biblical Exegesis: a Basic Guide for Students and Ministers , 4. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 2020.*

Helpful Books

• Next: ATS Model of Exegesis >>
• Last Updated: Feb 2, 2024 1:54 PM
• URL: https://libguides.ashland.edu/REL213

Archer Library • Ashland University © Copyright 2023. An Equal Opportunity/Equal Access Institution.

• Research and Course Guides
• Biblical Exegesis
• Theological Reflection Papers

Biblical Exegesis: Theological Reflection Papers

• Introduction
• 1. Choose a Passage
• 2. Examine the Historical, Cultural, and Literary Background
• 3. Perform Exegesis of Each Verse
• 4. Offer an Overall Interpretation
• 5. Provide an Application of the Passage
• 6. Finding Books
• 7. Finding Articles
• 8. Citing Sources

Writing Theology Well

Ireland Library call number: BR44 .Y34 2015

• See Chapter Two: Writing Theological Reflection Well
• See Part Two: Writing Theological and Biblical Research Well
• See Chapter Seven: Writing the Biblical Essay Well

Another good book:

Outstanding examples of well written theological reflections on scripture passages:

Search LibrarySearch using these keywords:

• Bible homiletical use
• Bible theological reflection

Tie your reflection to Catholic Social Teaching.  See these websites:

• United States Council of Catholic Bishops Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching
• Catholic Relief Services Catholic Social Teaching 101
• Convocate Database from the University of Notre Dame

Working Preacher Online Site from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN

• The Working Preacher The Working Preacher” online site from Luther Seminary has Lectionary resources, etc. Working Preacher has been a trusted source of inspiration, interpretation and imagination for preachers across the globe. According to Google Analytics, in the past 12 months the site has hosted 4.4 million visits from preachers in 208 countries and territories. We're glad that you found us! Who We Are and What We're Up To Working Preacher is a ministry brought to you by Luther Seminary. The Working Preacher team believes that God uses good biblical preaching to change lives. We have enlisted hundreds of friends -- biblical scholars, theologians, homileticians and pastors dedicated to the craft of biblical preaching -- to provide you timely, compelling and trustworthy content. "Working Preacher is the best, most reliable sermon preparation tool I have on my work bench. More times than not, your commentators pop my synapses with an insight that is the catalyst for excitement in getting ready for Sunday." - Pastor John Kidd, Washington, D.C. On the site you'll find: exegetical material geared to the weekly lectionary (Preaching This Week) resources and insights on the Craft of Preaching blog What you won't find is someone else's sermons, sermon outlines or illustrations. Our hope is to make you a better preacher, so that God's Word in Scripture comes alive every time you preach.
• << Previous: 8. Citing Sources
• Last Updated: Feb 6, 2024 10:55 AM
• URL: https://libguides.stthomas.edu/c.php?g=88712

© 2023 University of St. Thomas, Minnesota

• Request Info
• Class Schedule
• Student Outcomes

Exegetical Paper on Mark 12:28–34 –– Student Paper

by Webmanager | Jun 8, 2020

Below is a paper written by Rachel Carlson, a student at Calvary University. Rachel recently completed the paper for BI115, Bible Study/Hermeneutics.

Introduction

The Gospel of Mark is a beautiful account of the humility and love of Christ. This author shall attempt to show the importance of man’s love of God and of others and of humility in man’s relationships, first with God, then with his fellow human beings. Mark 12:28–34, the specific passage under exegesis, especially illustrates the importance of these concepts, and the author shall attempt to clearly explain the significance of this passage within the book as a whole, and to draw out the author’s intended meaning so that the reader may better comprehend the passage’s impact on the message of the book.

Step Two: Identify Cultural and Historical Background

It seems likely that the author was either one of Jesus’ followers, or interviewed one or more of the Twelve disciples since his book gives so much detail of this group’s emotions and struggles by describing private moments when only the Twelve were with Jesus. Since the writer also gives a detailed account of Jesus’ transfiguration, the author may have been Peter, James, or John. Two other possibilities are Levi and Andrew, as these two disciples, along with the other three previously listed, are the only disciples Jesus calls in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 1:16–21; 2:14).

However, John and Levi, or Matthew (Cf. Mark 2:13–14; Matt 9:9), each have a Gospel named after them, so it is unlikely that they were the authors. James was killed early in the church’s timeline (Acts 12:1–3), making him unlikely to be the author. This leaves either Peter   or Andrew as the most likely candidate. Between these two, Peter seems a far more likely candidate than Andrew, as his name is recorded twenty-six times in the Gospel of Mark, nineteen times as Peter and seven times as Simon, while in comparison Andrew’s name only appears four times in the entire book. Peter, therefore, seems the most likely author, since, if the author or interviewee was recalling his own experiences, his name would be likely to appear more often than the name of another.

However, the Gospel of Mark is not calledthe “Gospel of Peter,” but the “Gospel of Mark,” raising the questions, “Who is Mark? Why is this Gospel named after him?” Well, Peter did have a close relationship with a man named Mark, or John Mark (Acts 12:12; 1 Peter 5:12– 13). There are references to this Mark,also called John, scattered throughout the New Testament. Sometimes only the name Mark is recorded (Col 4:10–11; 1 Pet 5:12–13) making ita little difficult, judging by the immediate context, to discern if this isthe same man. However, there is   a recognizable pattern in this man’s actions wherever his name appears.

This Mark was a Jewish believer in Christ (Col 4:10–11), as the author of the Gospel of Mark also appears to be due to his apparent familiarity with the Jewish religion and traditions, and with the geographical setting of his narrative. Mark was near-consistently involved in ministry. He appears to have been from Jerusalem (Acts 12), and to have served with Paul, Barnabas, and Peter (Acts 12:25; 13:5; 15:36–41; 2 Tim 4:11; 1 Pet 5:12–13). In this last reference, Peter refers to Mark as his “son” (1 Pet 5:12–13), however, as he otherwise uses terms of affection, for example, calling Silvanus “brother” (1 Pet 5:12) and his audience “beloved” (1 Per 2:11), this does not necessarily mean that Mark was his biological son, thus not terminating the possibility of this being the same Mark as the one recorded in the previous passages. Unger suggests that Peter may refer to Mark as his son because Mark may have come to Christ under Peter’s teachings.1

The relationship between Peter and Mark being established, the question arises, “Why couldn’t Peter write the book himself?” It should be noted that Peter was a simple fisherman before Jesus called him (Mark 1:16; 3:16), so he may not have known how to write, in which case Mark may have penned this book during his time with Peter in 1 Pet 5:1–13. There is simplicity to the author’s style which could come from Peter if he was dictating, or possibly if the author copied Peter’s style when he wrote. This could represent that Peter, if he indeed did not know how to write, was not concerned with constructing his narrative with any specific artistic touches such as an experienced writer might have done. Therefore, if Mark was the author, it seems likely that he interviewed Peter, recording the disciple’s experiences, and thus authored the Gospel of Mark.

Mark’s audience may have been predominantly Jewish, since he does not always explain specific geographic, cultural and religious information, such as detail about what King Herod rules over, who Elijah and Moses are (Mark 9:4–5), or what exactly the Pharisees, who are mentioned many times in the book, believed. His audience may also consist of some Gentiles, as he does briefly explain some Jewish religious practices (Mark 7:1–4; 9–13).

In First Peter 5:13, Peter is giving his farewell greetings to his audience. However, the first person he records the greetings of is not himself. Instead, he uses the third person pronoun “she,” when referring to the first greeting he lists.2 This “she” may refer to the church.3 Peter writes that “she” is in “Babylon” by which he probably meant Rome, as this corrupt city was the capital of the Roman empire. Therefore, if Peter is indeed referencing the church with his use of she then it is likely that Peter and Mark were in Rome at the time this book was written.

The Gospel of Mark was likely written between A.D. 68–70.4 Obviously, the book must have been written after Jesus’ ascension, as at the end of the Gospel Christ’s ascension is recorded. This last chapter also records that the disciples “went out and preached everywhere…” (Mark 16:20). So, the book must have been written sometime after the apostles had begun their ministries, which did not happen until Acts 2. The most likely thing seems to be that Mark wrote the book while he was with Peter (1 Pet 5:12–13) in Rome, after the “Dispersion” (1 Peter 1:1), with this term likely referringto the scattering of the believers (Acts 8:1; 11:19) as it seems likely that they may have eventually traveled farther than those areas listed in the previous two passages.

The purpose of the book, in brief, is to record the ministry of Christ, the Son of God and man, and the suffering Servant, and thereby to make known the salvation that He offers. The occasion of the writing is unclear but it is possible that, if the Gospel of Mark was written around the same time as 1 Peter, and Peter was Mark’s interviewee, that Peter may have wanted to encourage believers by reminding them to be humble, suffer persecution patiently, and serve one another as Christ did, as the believers he was writing to in 1 Peter were suffering under persecution, and so, therefore, may have been Mark’s audience. However, this author has not found any circumstances that she can definitely affirm to have been the cause(s) of this Gospel having been written.

Society in general was still under Roman rule, as, within the Gospel, Mark seems to expect his audience to be familiar with Romans (see Mark 15:15–20), and, obviously, if this Gospel was written around the same time as 1 Peter, then the Roman Empire was still strong. The Gentile unbelievers of this time period were living ungodly lives and were pressuring the believers in Christ to join them in their sins, which included “…living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry (1 Pet 4:3). They were surprised that the believers wouldn’t join them and persecuted them because they stood out as salt and light in the world (1 Pet 4:1–5). They rejected the flame of Christ’s redeeming love that was shining in the midst of their darkness, because it showed them their faults and failing, their evils and wickedness.

Itis also logical to assumethat Mark’s audience may have been under Jewish persecution, considering the Jews’ reaction to Jesus. This is corroborated by the fact that, throughout almost the entire book of Acts, the unsaved Jews were persecuting believers, and so it seems probable that Mark’s audience was also under Jewish persecution, likely including pressure regarding their witness of Christ (Acts 8:1; 9:1–2, 23–25) association with Gentiles (Acts 11:1–3), and also the Jewish religious practice of circumcision and the observance of the Mosaic Law (Acts 15:1–2, 5; 18:12–13;21:27–28).

Step Three: Identify Structural Keys

There are two key phrases in the Gospel of Mark that can help the reader to understand the passage. The first is Son of Man which appears fourteen times in the book. This appellation is generally used in reference to Jesus’ position as a humble servant come to suffer and die (Mark 8:31; 9:12; 10:45), or to emphasize his sovereignty as God even though he is also human (Mark 2:9–12, 23–28; 9:9; 13:26–27). The second phrase is kingdom of God which also appears fourteen times in Mark. Jesus appears to expect his audiences to know what the kingdom is though he does not define it. However, he does describe the kingdom, emphasizing the necessity of humility and servanthood. Mark uses Son of Man to designate Jesus as a suffering servant and as the risen, victorious, and sovereign Savior.

These two words relate, then, to Jesus’ response to the scribe in Mark 12:34. The scribes were religious teachers (Mark 1:22), who both observed and upheld traditional religiouscustoms, valuing these traditions even above the law. (Mark 7:1–13). As a group, they were fond of public recognition and acclaim, but were actually cruel and false (Mark 12:38–40), aiding even in   Jesus’ demise (Mark 14:53, 63–65; 15:29–32). The scribe in Mark 12:28–34 is not like his fellows. Although he questions Jesus, he recognizes that Jesus answers him correctly. He understands that loving God ismore important than religious practices. Unlike the other scribes, who are arrogant and who place tradition above the law, he is humble. His attitude is the reason Jesus, who is both the humble Son of Man and the King of the kingdom of God, tells him, “ʻYou are not farfrom the kingdom of God’” (Mark 12:34 cf.10:14–15).

The outline below may help in understanding the flow of argumentation in the book of Mark, and thus lend fuller comprehension of the specific passage under observation.

Within the passage under observation, all is repeated nine times, seven of these usages denote to what capacity one is to love God. One usage states that loving God and one’s neighbor is more important than “all” sacrifices (Mark 12:33).

The word love is used four times, referring to the love of both God and men. The word heart , the first listed part of one’s being with which one is to love God is used twice. Heart seems to imply emotions and feelings.

While the words mind and understanding are each used one time only, the scribe seems to mean the same thing by understanding as Jesus did by mind , thus referring to a knowing love, a love not just felt, nor a love controlled by feelings,   but, possibly, a choice to love regardless of a presence of emotions, or a lack thereof, along with a consistent desire to better know the object of one’slove.

The word strength appears twice and may refer to the physical side of the love of God, that is, while one feels love toward God, and desires to know him better, one uses one’s physical abilities to serve him, thereby demonstrating this love. Interestingly, only Jesus uses the word soul , while the scribe does not, so that this word appears but once. Soul indicates that one’s love of God is deeper than just that of desire, cognitive understanding, and physical service—that one loves God with one’s very soul.

Step Four: Identify Grammatical and Syntactical Keys

There are two clauses within the passage that can aid the reader’s understanding. They are both causal. The first is “seeing that [Jesus] answered them well” (Mark 12:28). The scribe is the one observing Jesus, and this clause that shows the cause of his response is followed immediately by his response itself. The scribe asks Jesus which precept he believes to be the greatest. Jesus replies that the mandate to love God is chief, quoting Deut 6:4–5, that God is one, and that loving God is to be one’s highest priority and consuming focus. Within his quotation of Deut 6:4–5, “and” appears four times, emphasizing that this love of God must be not just emotional, or just mental, etc, but all of the listed aspects of the love of God combined.

Jesus adds that next after the foremost precept, stands Lev 19:18, the mandate to love one’s neighbor “as” oneself (Mark 12:31). So, along with the comparison of the two different precepts, there is a comparison, within the second precept, of one’s love for one’s neighbor being like the love of one’s own self. Jesus ties these two precepts together by stating that there are not any other commandments that can rival these two: The person’s love toward God is to be supreme, and his love of God should inform and mold his relationships with others.

The scribe affirms that Jesus has answered correctly, echoing his answer and adding that God himself is supreme and that the love of God and neighbor is more important than oblations made to God. He uses the specific term “burnt offerings” (Mark 12:33), referring to a Jewish religious practice commanded by God, the details of which are given in Leviticus 1. One thing that should be noted is that these burnt offerings were necessary for atonement of sin (Lev 1:4). The scribe is not implying that atonement for sin is unnecessary, but acknowledging the fact that the most important aspect of the sacrifice is not the customary practice of it, but the heart attitude of the individual, who, loving God, repents of his sin and offers the sacrifice in humility, desiring restoration to a right relationship with God. If the sacrifice was only performed as a routine rite, but without true humility and repentance, then it was not worth anything.

The second clause is “when Jesus saw that he answered wisely” (Mark 12:34). This clause shows the reader why Jesus replies that the scribe is close tounderstanding “the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34). He sees that the scribe has grasped the key, foundational aspects of the kingdom, which are the necessities of humility before God, and, flowing from this humility, service to him. At the end of the passage, in the last sentence of Mark 12:34, the text records that the religious leaders were unwilling to risk asking Jesus questions “after that” likely out of fear of the Jewish people’s reactions to Jesus’ attitude toward themselves (Cf. Mark 12:37;14:1–2).

Step Five: Identify Lexical Keys

There are several lexical keys in Mark 12:28–34 that the reader should understand so that he may gain a fuller comprehension of the text. These keys will be defined to aid the reader’s understanding. Within the passage under observation, the KJV, NKJV, NIV, ESV, NASB consistently translated each lexical key identically to the ESV’s translation.

The first of these lexical keys, then, is love , (vv. 30–31, 33). The Greek verb used here is ἀγαπάω 5 which this author believes, judging by the surrounding context, to mean an active love. Therefore, within this passage, its meaning is “to welcome,…to be fond of, to love dearly” and “to be well pleased, to be contented at or with…”6 This word appears four times within the Gospel of Mark, once as “loved” (Mark 10:21), and the other three times as “love” within the passage under study.

The second lexical key is heart (vv. 30, 33) or καρδία, which, in the context of loving God, “denotes the centre of all physical and spiritual life” and “…of the soul as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions.”7 Constable describes heart as “the control center of human personality”8 The word heart isused eleven times in the book. Next comes ψυχή or soul (v. 30), which is “life” and is “…regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life.”9 Constable defines this word as “the self-conscious thought life”10 Mark employs this word seven times in his Gospel, with ψυχή appearing but once in this passage.

Oneis toemploy not only his καρδία and ψυχή, but also his διάνοια or mind (v. 30) in his love of God. In the context of the passage, διάνοια here connotes “the mind as a faculty of understanding, feeling, desiring.”11 Mark only uses διάνοια this one time. Now comes the last aspect of this active loveof God: ἰσχύς, that is, strength (vv. 30, 33). Its meaning is“ability, force, strength, might.”12   This Greek word for strength appears only twice in the Gospel of Mark.

In verse thirty-one, a second object of ἀγαπάω, which is πλησίον, that is, neighbor  (vv.31–33) enters upon the scene. This word’s meaning was “…according to the Jews, any member of the Hebrew nation and commonwealth” and “according to Christ, any other man irrespective of nation or religion…”13 Mark uses the word neighbor twice in his Gospel.

In this passage it can be clearly seen that loving God and one’s neighbor is no light matter. The loving is not simply a conceptual construct, but a commandment. It is not a love that loves blindly, but with understanding, as well as strong emotion, applying itself through physical service of God andman.

Step Six: Identify Biblical Context

The theme of the Gospel of Mark is that the Son of Man is the humble Servant-King come to suffer and die so that he might save the lost, thereby bringing glory to God. Mark 10:45 encapsulates this concept of Jesus’ identity and purpose, poignantly capturing His humility and love. The concept of God’s glorification through the salvation of sinners, is seen in Mark 13:26– 27.

The Gospel of Mark does not expound upon the doctrines of salvation, grace, or faith as do many of the epistles, but it does lay the groundwork necessary to these same epistles by relating the ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Son of God and man, thus opening the way to better understanding the epistles and other books that fall further along in the progression of revelation by showing the reader who Christ is and what he has done. Therefore, the Gospel of Mark falls into the early part of the progressive revelation of the New Testament.

The specific passage under exegesis serves to illustrate the overall message of the Gospel of Mark, which is one of humility and service done in love, with the purpose of glorifying God. Jesus’ conversation with the scribe clearly illustrates that loving God requires humility. One who is humble before God will glorify him, obeying his commands by loving and serving him as foremost, and then by loving his neighbor as himself.

Step Seven: Identify Theological Context

The first theological key that stands out to this author are the repeated references to the Lord’s being “one” (Mark 12:29, 32). This concept falls under the branch of theology known as theology proper. The implication behind this repeated concept is that God is all-powerful and supreme. The Bible Knowledge Commentary says that the meaning of one in this context is “unique.”14 Because God is the unique supreme One, one is to love him with all of one’s being. Simply put: God is deserving of love and honor because he is who he is.

Another theological implication this passage carries is shown by the repetition of the word “love” in reference to loving God and, anthropologically, one’s neighbor. The scribe affirms this love to be more important than physical sacrifices to God, which recalls Hosea 6:6, where God had affirmed exactly this concept to his people. The reader then sees a parallel between the arrogance of the religious leaders, who, as a group reject Christ in the Gospel of Mark, and the Jews God is speaking to in the book of Hosea, who are also rejecting the Lord.

This gives a broader picture of the Jewish rejection of Christ, showing that the Jews’ arrogance and pride toward God was not a recent problem, but had existed long before Jesus himself came on the scene. Understanding this once again draws a sharp contrast between Jesus’ love and humility and the religious leaders’ arrogance and brings into focus the concept that humility and love are necessary qualities of a true follower of God. Jesus beautifully illustrates the outworking of this love in his parable in Luke 10:25–37, especially in the context of the relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans (John 4:9; 8:48).

Step Eight: Provide Interpretation

Mark’s overall purpose in writing this Gospel seems to have been to make a record of the earthly ministry of Christ that would highlight his power, authority, and compassionate love.

Paradoxically, Mark accomplishes this by emphasizing Jesus’ humanity, his humble, servant- hearted attitude, and his patient suffering at the hands of evil people. He uses man’s wickedness to emphasize Christ’s purity.

By showing the darkness and shadows that surrounded the Son of Man among men, Mark creates what is almost a reverse silhouette of Jesus. Mark does not frame Jesus’ character in glory and power, leaving his humanity as a shadow but briefly glimpsed between rays of light as Christ stands, backlit by His splendor as God’s Son. Instead, Mark outlines the character of Jesus with the sins, frailties, and failings of humanity. Just as the flame of a candle is seen better and shines brighter in darkness, so also does the character of Jesus as Mark sets him against the backdrop of sinful mankind. The reader who comes truly seeking to know God is left dazzled by the radiance of a man of such purity, compassion, and humility of spirit that, the longer he looks upon him, the less he wants to ever look away.

Step Nine: Correlation

Wiersbe considers the concept of being close to the kingdom of God from a slightly different perspective than does this author. He writes that to be near to the kingdom is to be a truth-seeker, that is, someone who is seeking to know the truths of God’s Word without letting his own viewpoints or pressure from others interfere with his quest for truth. This person will be courageous, defending his beliefs against opposition.15 This author agrees with this evaluation of what it means to be close to the kingdom of God since a truth-seeker who puts God’s Word above his own prejudices or desires must be humble, desiring above everything else to know and serve God.

Step Ten: Application

The primary application of this passage would be for Mark’s audience to obey the commands God had given, using Christ as their example and pattern. They were to fulfill their duty to love God as foremost, loving him with every aspect of their being. Secondly, they were to love their neighbors. This meant loving not only each other, but also their enemies and those who were persecuting them as much as they loved themselves. They were to be humble, serving God and others in love.

One secondary application that this author sees that she can apply to herselfis tofollow these same commands. This writer lives in a multicultural environment where it is quite easy for miscommunications and misunderstandings to happen and for offense or insult to begiven or taken due to language and cultural barriers. However, this author sees that if she seeks to love God with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength, she will necessarily be more focused upon him than upon cultural differences or tensions. She will seek to prioritize her time, desiring to spend it in loving God and striving to deepen her relationship with him. Her love for God will overflow into her relationships with people, helping to create a healthy environment for everyone to work together to serve God.

She can practice loving her brothers and sisters in Christ by not only seeking to gain somewhat of an understanding of their different cultures, but also by seeking to value their cultural viewpoints as much as she values her own and humbly submitting to a different culture when it is good and needful to do so. Her purpose should be to encourage her coworkers in the Lord, and to follow Jesus’ example of humble service and love of others as her life pattern.

1 Merrill F. Unger, Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1957), 695.

2 Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations in this study are taken from the English Standard Version, copyright 2001, Crossway Bibles.

3 William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark , New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1975), 9.

4 David E. Garland, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), 3.

5 All Greek words have been retrieved from BlueLetterBible.org.

6 Blue Letter Bible. “G25 – ἀγαπάω – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (ESV),” copyright 2020. Accessed May 6, 2020, https:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G25&t=ESV.

7 BlueLetterBible. “G2588 – καρδία – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (ESV),” copyright 2020. Accessed May 6, 2020, https:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2588&t=ESV.

8 Thomas L. Constable, “Notes on Mark,” 2020 ed. Accessed May 7, 2020, https:// www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/mark/mark.htm#_ftn749.

9 BlueLetterBible. “G5590 – ψυχή – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (ESV),” copyright 2020. Accessed May 6, 2020, https:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G5590&t=ESV.

10Thomas L. Constable, “Notes on Mark,” 2020 ed. Accessed May 7, 2020, https:// www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/mark/mark.htm#_ftn749.

11 BlueLetterBible. “G1271 – διάνοια – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (ESV),” copyright 2020. Accessed May 6, 2020, https:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1271&t=ESV.

12 BlueLetterBible. “G2479 – ἰσχύς – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (ESV),” copyright 2020. Accessed May 6, 2020, https:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2479&t=ESV.

13 BlueLetterBible. “G4139 – πλησίον – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (ESV),” copyright 2020. Accessed May 6, 2020, https:// www.blueletterbible.org/esv/mar/12/31/t_conc_969031.

14 John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, eds., The Bible Knowledge Commentary , New Testament ed. (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983), 164.

15Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Diligent (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1987), 119.

Bibliography

BlueLetterBible. “Strong’s Greek Lexicon (ESV),” Copyright 2020. Accessed May 6, 2020, https:/ /www . blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2588&t=ESV.

Constable, Thomas L. “Notes on Mark.” 2020 ed. Accessed May 7, 2020, https:/ /www . planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/mark/mark.htm#ftn749.

Garland, David E. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Mark . Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002.

Hendriksen, William. Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark . New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1975.

Unger, Merrill F. Unger’s Bible Dictionary . Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1957.

Walvoord, John F. and Roy B. Zuck, eds. The Bible Knowledge Commentary . New Testament ed. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Diligent . Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1987.

Department Updates

• Advancement
• Athletic Dept.
• Bible and Theology
• Biblical Counseling
• Business Administration
• Calvary Conversations
• Clark Academic Center
• Development
• English & Communications
• Human Resources
• Intercultural Studies
• International Students
• Military and Veterans
• Ministry Studies
• Outdoor Adventure Leadership
• President's Office
• Student Services
• Teacher Education
• The Warrior's Pen
• Theatre Arts
• Upcoming Events

Search Archives