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INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE WRITTEN PROJECT
HE GAVE US SCRIPTURE

As a written project for this course, we recommend an analysis of a Bible passage (exegesis), using the principles taught in this course.

The Exegesis Paper

Write an 8-10 page project, analyzing a brief passage, preferably from the Old Testament. Follow the specific steps given below, as well as the general "Guidelines for Writing an Essay" found in the "General Resources to Download for the Course."

Specific Steps

1. Select a brief passage, say from 4-10 verses. Choose a passage that may seem a little difficult to understand at first, something that stirs your interest.

2. Write down the questions that occur to you regarding the meaning of the passage. For example: What words do you not understand? What phrases seem perplexing? Is there something that seems to contradict some other passage of the Bible? Is there something that seems to go against your understanding of theology?

3. Begin to look for answers to these questions. Read different translations of the passage. Look at the surrounding literary context. Look up cross references that may shed light on the passage. Use a dictionary to look up words. Analyze the grammatical structure.

4. Study the historical background of the passage. Consider especially the author and the original audience. The video lectures of this course provide a lot of background information, but you can also find additional information in the list of "Recommended Extra Reading."

5. If you have already studied Hebrew (or Greek, if the passage is from the New Testament), look up the passage in Hebrew and find the difficult words in a Hebrew dictionary (or Greek if it is from the NT).

6. If you have electronic software, such as Logos, E-Sword or Gateway, you can use these tools to study words, background information, and to read commentaries. See the "Recommended Extra Reading" to find these resources.

7. Find commentaries that you can trust and read their interpretation of the passage, still focusing especially on the questions you have written down. You may not agree with the commentaries, but they can be helpful, especially after you have already done your own thinking about the passage. Again, see the "Recommended Extra Reading" to find these resources.

8. Note how you understand the original meaning of the passage. What were the changes in concepts, behavior, and emotions that God wanted to produce in the original audience?

9. Think of the modern application of this passage. Think of how the application may have changed over time. Are there other Bible passages that comment on this passage? Did anything change when the covenant epochs changed, especially at the time of the new covenant? Consider the similarities and differences between the time of the original audience and the present time. Does the application change?

10. Write a rough draft of the project. Make an outline and begin writing. Follow the "Guidelines for Writing an Essay."

11. Make sure you include an introduction that stirs interest in the study. Explain the questions that you are especially researching. In the main body, you should include possible answers to your questions that others offer, then give your own conclusions. Back up your opinions with biblical evidence and linguistic resources. Include a conclusion, summarizing your answers.

12. Try to discover the message of the passage for the believers who would read it at the time it was written, and try to apply the same message to people today. What practical importance does it have? Take into account how the passage relates to Christ and the plan of salvation.

13. Make sure to add footnotes where you have used ideas from another source, and a bibliography at the end.

14. Write the final version of the project. Check again to make sure you are following the "Guidelines for Writing an Essay."

15. Read and re-read the project until it flows clearly and is easy to understand. Correct any spelling errors or grammatical errors.

16. Upload your final version of the project under "Written Project" in the section "Submission of Optional Assignments."