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Bible Study Toolbox: Make a Basic Outline for Books
Bible Study Toolbox
Make a Basic Outline for Books
An outline is the structure and flow of thought between main ideas in a book. After you’ve practiced your long distance reading on a book, a basic outline will emerge. If it doesn’t emerge the first time, read the book a couple more times until it does.
For instance, when you read all of Ephesians, you’ll notice a difference between chapters 1-3 and chapters 4-6. Chapters 1-3 are more factual and theological; Paul describes doctrinal truths about the spiritual blessings we have, what God has done for us in Christ, and God’s plan for the unity of Jews and Gentiles in the church. However, chapters 4-6 are more practical commands about how to live as a Christian from day to day. Paul talks about Christian interaction with each other in the church, in marriage, in parenting, with our neighbors, and how to fight Satan in spiritual warfare. It seems that the basic outline is something like:
Ephesians 1-3 = What God has done for us.
Ephesians 4-6 = What we do for God in return.
The words you use for your outline might differ from mine, and that’s okay. There are many ways to describe this basic outline. Some use 4:1 “walk in a manner worthy of your calling” to suggest that chapters 1-3 is our Christian calling and chapters 4-6 is how to walk (live) according to that calling. That’s great too!
For a longer book like Genesis, it might look like this:
Genesis 1-5 = Before the flood
Genesis 6-9 = The flood
Genesis 10-11 = The Scattering of the People
Genesis 12-25 = Abraham
Genesis 25b-28 = Isaac
Genesis 28b-35 = Jacob
Genesis 36 = Esau
Genesis 37-50 = Joseph
This is how Bob Waldron outlines Genesis. Yours may look a little different and that’s fine. The point is to allow the basic outline and structure based on the main ideas in the text emerge as you read.
