Last time we were together, we talked about the importance of context as well as on how to observe the text’s on clues. We talked about reading every passage closely and carefully in it’s own multiple contexts. Well once we’ve done that repeatedly—once we’ve asked those observation questions of what we’re seeing and hearing in the text and its surrounding context—and once we’ve written down our observations—it’s then time to solidify the main point of the text (MPT). That’s our goal this morning: We will learn the skill of discovering the MPT.

This concept or step in the reading and interpreting process is called different things by different Bile scholars and teachers. For instance, Bryan Chapell calls it the “proposition of the text.” My professor, Jim Shaddix, calls it the “CIT (central idea of the text).” Haddon Robinson calls it the “big idea.” Ramesh Richard calls it “CPT (central proposition of the text).” Others call it the “dominant thought” (Stott), the “central truth” (Heisler), or the “main idea” (Akin).

I like to call it the main (or overarching) point of the text. But regardless of what you call it, the essence of what we are looking for is clear. It’s not that this is the “only” point or the only truth in the passage, but it is the main one that the author is getting at, that he’s trying to communicate and drive home to his original readers. Most definitely every passage will have other points of truth. Every author will have supporting details in the passage.

However, these other points are sub-points, and these supportive details are given to support and advance the main thing he’s talking about. In other words, everything else in the passage is there to help communicate, to explain, to illustrate, to enforce, to support, or to advance the main point. And all of these sub-points and supportive details have to be kept in relation to and interpreted in light of the main point to which the author has attached them.

Sidney Greidanus says it like this, “In formulating the theme, therefore, one tries to lay hold of the dominant idea that encompasses all others. The question here is, What is the overriding thrust of the passage? What is the single point that not only dominates all other points in this text but encompasses them while deriving (part of) its meaning from them” (The Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text, 134).

Now this idea really shouldn’t be foreign to you at all. This idea of discovering and summarizing the main point is essentially the same thing you were taught to do in your reading and language arts classes. In those classes, you were taught at a fairly young age how to look for the main idea and the supporting details of what you were reading. ELA teachers do that still today. After teaching students the concept of an author’s main idea and its importance for understanding what they read, they give students portions of reading and require them to highlight and summarize the main idea of the reading and the supporting details that are given to support that main idea.

Writing has not changed in this regard. Authors in antiquity, in Bible times, wrote to communicate, and in their communication they had a main, overarching idea they wanted to advance. And in doing so, they also gave supporting details or made sub-points to help advance that idea.

So, at this stage in the reading and interpreting process, our commitment is be get at and summarize the main point that the Spirit-inspired author intended (authorial intent) to get across to his original audience. Thus we want not just to discover the author’s intention in the use of and meaning of words and phrases and clauses and paragraphs, but we do all of that in order to discover the overall point he was intending to make in the passage.

Haddon Robinson helpfully suggests that in order to arrive at the main point of the text intended by the author, we must ask the following 2 questions:

What is the author talking about (the subject)?

What is the author saying about what he’s talking about (complement… or the supporting details)?

Robinson’s 2 questions are very helpful. I would like to propose one more question that I believe is additionally helpful in capturing the main point of the text. Not just . . .

What is the author talking about?

What is the author saying about what he’s talking about?

But also . . .

How and why is the author saying it?

In other words, with this question we’re asking what our author’s tone and purpose is in saying what he’s saying.

When it comes to tone or how the author is saying it, this won’t always be as clear in certain genres of Scripture. Most likely you won’t have various discernible tones in historical narratives. But with the Psalms, Prophets, and Letters you will. So you’re asking and trying to discern if the author is joyful, upset, or concerned in saying what he’s saying. Is he giving a warning, a blessing, an encouragement, or is he praising God? Regarding why the author is saying what’s he saying, this relates not only to what the text itself is saying but the background behind it. Is the author writing to simply record or tell a story, to inform or instruct, to warn, to encourage, to rebuke, to explain and so forth?

I think this is almost as crucial and will help you in arriving at being able to articulate the main point in an accurate way. How do we discover this?

1. Read and digest [i.e. repeatedly read and observe all the details and flow of the story or the author’s thought] the passage to determine:
1. a. The main idea or point the writer communicates through the text’s nature, details, features, and structure (i.e., the main point communicated thru the supporting details);
2. b. How he said it (i.e. tone or spirit of the text)
3. c. Why he said it (purpose or reason for saying it)
2. Bring all of this together and develop it into once concise summary statement.

Because we’re focusing on the author’s originally intended meaning, this statement needs to be a past-tense statement interpreting what the text meant then. It should be as concise as possible, but also as precise as possible. Use as many words as needed to capture and to honor the author’s main point of the passage.

Ramesh Richard outlines this process very well in his book Preparing Expository Sermons. Because I want you to see it for yourself, I have it here for us to walk thru together.

Here are some examples from some sermons I have preached over the years. Note especially the past-tense language and the interpretive nature of each.

Genesis 3:8-24

What is the author talking about?

God’s judgment and grace regarding sin

What is the author saying about what he’s talking about?

God judges sin but also acts graciously toward his sinful people because of the promised seed

MPT: Moses reminded and assured his readers that although God has and must judge sin, he graciously delivers his people from it by crushing it and the serpent thru the promised seed of the woman.

1 Samuel 1:1-2:10

What is the author talking about?

God’s provision of a son for Hannah

What is the author saying about what he is talking?

This son will be a part of God’s bigger plan.

MPT: God provided desperate Hannah with a son, which also served as a part of His sovereign plan in providing depraved Israel with a future king.

Hosea

What is the author talking about?

Israel’s covenant unfaithfulness to her God

What is the author saying about what he is talking about?

Israel’s covenant unfaithfulness to her God is compared to an adulteress wife who chases after other lovers

MPT: Through the illustration of Hosea pursuing his whoring wife, Gomer, God taught his people that despite their sin, and in the midst of his discipline for their sin, God loves his people and will redeem them to be his people.

Luke 15

What is the author talking about?

Jesus/God’s attitude toward sinners

What is the author saying about what he is talking about?

Jesus/God welcomes and rejoices over sinners who repent and come to him

MPT: Luke recorded these 3 parables of Jesus’ to illustrate the truth that, contrary to the attitudes of the Pharisees, Jesus and His Father graciously and eagerly welcome and celebrate over sinners who repent and come to him.

Galatians 3:1-5

What is the author talking about?

How Christians enter into and continue their Christian life

What is the author saying about what he’s talking about?

It is all by grace thru faith in Christ and nothing else.

MPT: Paul wrote these verses to rebuke the Galatians for thinking that they were counted righteous by God by grace thru faith in the crucified Christ, but that they stayed right with God and lived out their Christian life by their own self-effort.

or . . .

Paul rebuked the Galatians for their wrong thinking about being counted righteous before God, and reminded them that they are both counted right and stay right with God by grace alone thru faith in Christ alone and evidenced by the Spirit alone.

Interpretive Step 6: Don't Miss the Main Point