Monday, August 08, 2016

As we continue to study 1st Peter we now turn to chapter 2. In chapter 1 we used the focus and amplify study approach. Picturing this: the pinnacle of a triangle is the focus. Work down to the base as you amplify the focus. Another study method does the opposite: start by laying out the information found in a chapter, then start organizing it, coming up with an outline, and finally the theme of the chapter. In other words, you have an inverted triangle. I call this the “4S” or four step study method: spread, sort, structure and summarize. It’s like doing a picture puzzle: spread out all the pieces, sort them into colors (for example, blue for sky or water, green for grass or trees, red for barn, brown for animals), then structure or arrange the groups into a landscape, and summarize by filling in all the details to finally see the finished picture. Applying this, reread 1st Peter chapter 2 and write down all the information you find. Then sort this information into groups. When I did this, the groups I sorted the information into were these: a description of who the Christians Peter was writing were, before they became Christians, what they became when they trusted in Jesus Christ, and what should characterize the way they live as they follow the example of Jesus Christ. All of this against the backdrop of the pagan society in which they were living. I then structured these groups into three points: What they were, what they are and what they should be, with the introduction and conclusion focusing on who Jesus is.