Students of the Bible should have a goal of being able to write an argument of a Bible book. To begin, you need to develop an outline (original or otherwise) for the Bible book that you select(s). The length of the book will determine the amount of detail that you should include in the outline. The longer the book, the less detail is required. It is not necessary to present the outline separately from the argument; the argument must incorporate the outline.
Writing the argument itself is the crux of this post. Under each point of the outline, it is important to explain what the writer said and why he said it. (A synthesis, in contrast, only summarizes content, but an argument also explains why it is there.) An argument, therefore, is not a summary of the contents of a book, nor a detailed outline, nor a sermon, nor a list of assorted applications, but an explanation of how the contents of the book relate to its purpose. We will seek to trace the development of the author’s thought through the book.
Therefore, we will also need to determine the purpose of the book. We have to ask ourselves, “Why was this book written?” We can determine a book’s purpose by noting such clues as the historical context, the occasion of the book, its emphases, the peculiarities of the book, etc. Sometimes a writer will state the purpose of his book openly (e.g., John 20:30-31), but usually we will have to discover the purpose.
Here is an illustration of how to incorporate our outline of the book into our argument.
The promotion of the project 1:1-15
Give an overview of this section of the text and explain why the author wrote it.
- The rebuke 1:1-11
Explain how the author challenges his readers, who he addressed, and why this paragraph was included.
- The response 1:12-15
Etc.
We should also include at the beginning of our paper a brief statement or discussion of such introductory matters as authorship, date, recipients, occasion, etc., especially as these relate to the setting and purpose of the book.
A statement of the message of the book should also be included. The message is a summary statement (usually one sentence) that should contain the main subject with which the book deals, and a complement (what the author said about the main subject). For example, one might conclude that the subject of John’s Gospel is Jesus. The complement might be that (Jesus) is the Son of God.
A summary paragraph is included to review the contents of the overall paper. Always include footnotes and a bibliography. Do not forget that reading and research does not stifle originality but encourages it.
An argument is much more difficult than a synthesis and therefore takes more thought and time. Study the book section by section, and meditate on it. Constantly ask, “Why is this section of the text here?”
Based on the length of the paper, I am breaking this up into multiple posts. The first part will be short and focus on the first two parts: the Message statement and the Book Synopsis. The next posts will focus on the longer sections.
FIRST TIMOTHY BIBLICAL ARGUMENT
Message Statement
To combat the false teachers that infiltrated the church through their focus on myths, genealogies, and false knowledge, Paul encourages Timothy to be a godly leader who lives above reproach and fulfills his ministry in the church by correcting the false teaching, all of which results in a church that pursues godliness and contentment.
Book Synopsis
In First Timothy, Paul provides detailed instructions for church leadership and organization, which includes appropriate conduct in church, the qualifications of elders and deacons, and the proper order of church discipline. At a time when the church at Ephesus was under attack from false teachers, Paul advises young Timothy to combat the false teachers, guard the church from their influence, and teach the church the truth that pursues godliness. Timothy is charged to exercise the spiritual gifts that he has been given and live above reproach by exemplifying purity and faith as all church leaders should pursue.