Bring the Study Together
The Exegete’s Summary
Distill your study into a clear, defensible account of what the passage says, what it means, how it fits within Scripture, and how God calls his people to respond.
Do not try to record everything you discovered. Identify what is essential. A good exegetical summary should allow you to return to this passage months or years from now and quickly recover the author’s argument, central meaning, theological contribution, and faithful application.
Passage
What Text Did I Study?
Identify the Context
Context in Brief
Record only the contextual information necessary to understand this passage rightly.
Grasp the Flow
The Author’s Movement
Reduce the passage to its major movements or assertions. Show how the parts serve the whole.
Gather Observations
Decisive Observations
Which observations actually control or clarify your interpretation?
Examine the Meaning
Author’s Intended Meaning
Complete the sentence as clearly and precisely as possible.
In this passage, the author is communicating that…
Reconcile with Scripture
Biblical & Theological Contribution
How does this passage contribute to the Bible’s teaching and redemptive story?
Respond to the Word
Faithful Response
The Passage in One Sentence
The Big Idea
State the enduring theological claim of the passage in language that is faithful to the text and clear enough to teach.
If I Were Teaching This Passage
What must my hearers understand?
What I Do Not Want to Forget
Record the insight worth carrying forward.