Suggested Steps in the Exegesis of a Biblical Passage

Read through the entire Biblical book containing your passage in one sitting and write down a one-sentence summary of the main theme of the book.

As you develop your statement of the biblical book’s main idea, you should also develop an outline of the main structure of the argument of the book.

After having established the skeleton, now establish the specific part of the skeleton you want to exegete, i.e., establish the limits of the passage you want to teach.

Now give a tentative exegetical idea for this passage. State the passage’s subject (what the author is talking about) and complement (what the author says about this subject).

Translate the passage and arrange it in a syntactical display which clearly delineates the internal structure of the passage.

Now establish your exegetical outline by bringing your exegetical idea (Step #4) together with your syntactical display (Step #5), modifying your exegetical idea if you have gained more insights from the structural display of the passage.

Consult good commentaries and historical background sources to gain additional insights into the content, syntax, structure, and theology of your passage, again modifying your exegetical idea or outline if you missed a significant issue or point.

Now that you have established an accurate exegetical idea and a crisp exegetical outline, you must turn to exegeting your audience and establishing their needs and your message’s purpose.

Create your homiletical idea (subject + complement) from your exegetical idea in light of your hearers’ needs and your sermon’s purpose.

In light of your homiletical idea and your exegetical outline, develop your homiletical outline, which gives you the main points of your sermon.

Develop an interesting introduction and a strong conclusion to your sermon, along with helpful transitions between the main points of your homiletical outline and with relevant illustrations.

Pray and ask the Lord to impress you with any wrong or irrelevant things that you should delete or any new things that you should add so that you may glorify Him through your teaching of His Word.