My next step in sermon preparation is to diagram the Greek text. There are many forms that are used to do this, but I use a simple block diagramming method. For those of you who do not know Greek I would highly encourage you to still use this method in English. The idea is to push all of the important verbs to the left, and all of the modifiers to the right. After you are done you can look at your diagram and see the important verbs (like a command). This will help you boil down a passage to see what the writer was trying to convey. This step is vital as you are moving towards a preaching outline (Homiletical Outline). Here is what my diagramming for James 5:12 looks like. First I have put the Greek text, then I have inserted the English text (I would normally only use the Greek text). I have provided a key at the bottom to explain the various symbols used. Due to formatting issues I was not able to post my diagramming directly on the blog. However I have attached a .pdf file that contains the the diagram of James 5:12.
I highly encourage you to check out the .pdf (by clicking on the link below) even if you do not know Greek. I have included some study tips that will help in your study of the English Bible.
.pdf File: diagramming.pdf
Thanks for posting this series on preparing a sermon! I was wondering if you could provide some more examples of diagramming? I would like to learn some more on it and seeing more examples would prove helpful (preferably in English instead of Greek).
John,
Thanks for stopping in. I appreciate your kinds words, and more than that I am excited to hear of someone who is digging deep into Scripture. In the next few weeks I am going to be starting a study in the book of Jude. As I work through passages I may post some of my diagrammming, or I may also e-mail some to you.
Paul
hiya, i just want to say diagramming has been an absolute revolution to me !!! Could you recommend any more books and information to learn more about it…..thanks very much ….steve
Thanks for the feedback Steve, I am glad that I was able to help. With respect to the NT Gordon Fee’s “NT Exegesis” is the book that you are going to want to get. Fee does a great job of providing practical steps for bible student who have Greek and those who do not. At almost every step of the way Fee provides useful information for bible students at all levels. This book will be challenging, but it will also be profitable.
Blessings,
Paul