Exegetical Paper on Philippians 2:1-11

Exegetical Paper on Philippians 2:1-11
Religion and Theology

The elements that are crucial to your resultant/written paper should be:

•   genre: how does the type of literature impact meaning? [weave into discussion where pertinent]
•   context/structure: how does this passage fit within the broader literary context? What is the passage’s structure?
•   validation: what are the pros/cons for choosing between competing interpretive options?
•   word studies and biblical theology: what key terms within the passage would be helpful to understand better (semantic fields, concrete

illustrations of abstract theological terms, etc.)? What biblical themes/theology are worth developing that shed light on this passage?
• application: how does this passage impact/intersect with our lives (logical and theological development)?

Exegetical Paper Guidelines

Study the biblical text according to the following areas of exploration outlined below. When you write up the exegetical paper, you are presenting

the conclusions arrived at during the interpretive process of studying the biblical text. The paper should be written in such a way that it

integrates all that you have learned in the interpretive process. [CLARIFICATION: THIS MEANS YOU ENGAGE ALL OF THE BELOW TO THE DEGREE POSSIBLE.

HOWEVER, DO NOT WRITE THE EXEGETICAL PAPER WITH THESE STEPS. PRIMARILY INCLUDE IN THE WRITTEN PAPER THE FIVE CRUCIAL ELEMENTS ABOVE.]

Craig C. Broyles writes: “We should not proceed through these exegetical steps in a linear fashion (i.e., attempting to finish a step before moving

to the next) but in a spiral fashion (i.e. revisiting and revising earlier steps once discoveries have surfaced).”

Take time to meditate on the passage as part of the process. In a prayerful manner, read the text over and over again (perhaps aloud to yourself)

emphasizing different words and phrases in the process of reading.

1. Introduction

Begin the paper with an introduction stating which biblical passage will be analyzed. Then include the following components:

2. Authorship, Date, Occasion and Purpose

A. Begin by discussing the question of authorship and date of the larger unit (i.e. the book) in which the text is found. What, if anything, can

be determined about the date and authorship of the passage? Do we know anything about the original author or redactors/editors or about the original

audience?

B. The Occasion and Purpose of the Book
What do we know about the occasion which led to the writing of the book and the passage in question? What is the overall purpose for the book?

C. The place of the text to be studied in the broader flow of the book?
Describe the literary context of the passage. This involves analyzing the place of the passage within the chapter, within the section of the biblical

book, and within the book as a whole (the immediate context and the larger contexts). In other words, how does the passage relate to what precedes

and follows it and within the document as a whole? Is the text part of a larger narrative/story? Is the topic addressed in the passage found

elsewhere in the book? What is the significance of the position or placement of the passage within the larger context? How does the larger context

shed light on the passage?

3. Textual Matters and Translation

The initial step in the study of a passage is to establish as much as possible the “original” text. This step involves using the method of textual

criticism in order to determine the text’s wording. Discuss any textual variants or problems in the passage seen in the ancient manuscripts (e.g.

Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT), Greek Septuagint (LXX), Aramaic Targums, Greek versions of the New Testament, etc). (Here you need to consult critical

commentaries which have notes on the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek and discuss textual variants.) If there are differences in wording between the ancient

manuscripts of the Bible regarding this text, please mention these (at the least major ones). If there are no textual problems apparent, simply say

so and move on. However, if there are, what interpretive problems are raised by these and what solutions seem the most appropriate. Which reading

will you adopt? Which English translation forms the basis of your exegesis?

4. Genre and Structure

Identify the genre or literary form (e.g. whether it is narrative, poetry, epistle, prophecy, etc), and then outline the structure of the passage.

Outlining the structure involves dividing the passage into sections and adding a heading or title for each section. Include the verses for each

section.

An Example of the Structure of Ezekiel 34:1–31: The Salvation of Yahweh’s Flock

A.   Preamble and the Announcement of Deliverance (34:1–10)
1.   The Indictment of the Shepherds of Israel (34:1–6)
2.   The Sentencing of the Shepherds of Israel (34:7–10)
B.   The Nature of the Deliverance (34:11–22)
1.   Deliverance from External Threats (34:11–16)
2.   Deliverance from Internal Threats (34:17–22)
C.   The Goal of Deliverance: Yahweh’s Covenant of Peace (34:23–31)
1.   The Human Agent of Peace (34:23–24)
2.   The Nature of the Peace (34:25–30)
3.   Epilogue: The Significance of Peace (34:31)

5. Historical Context

Describe the historical, cultural, social context or background of the biblical text under consideration. What is the Sitz im Leben, Life Setting?

Are there clues in the passage itself? Give support for your answers from the biblical text and any secondary sources.

6. Exegetical Analysis of the Text

In this section discuss the results of your in-depth close reading of the text. Go through the whole passage, verse by verse, making observations

about each verse and explaining its significance. Study the key words of the passage. Are the key words or phrases repeated in the passage? What is

the meaning or nuance of certain words (you may need to do a word study, although this is optional). Assess their meaning in light of the topic of

the passage, the author’s use of them elsewhere, and the historical situation and the theological issues at stake. Discuss the flow and development

of the narrative or the main argument(s). You may consider looking at any grammatical or syntactical features, like main and subordinate clauses,

connective terms, modifiers (adjectives and adverbs), etc. Discuss any similes, metaphors, figures of speech. Why are they chosen? What do they

contribute to the author’s purpose in light of the situation/problems being addressed? What emotional impact might they have on the readers?

7. Main Themes and Theological Message

Discuss the main themes in the passage as well as the theology that is emphasized in the text. In this section you are synthesizing the results of

your study, looking at the message of the passage as a whole.
Some questions to consider: What specific aspect of the biblical conception of the Person of God, God’s purposes in the world, the Divine-Human

relationship, is this passage discussing? What are the main themes or sub-themes in the passage? What is the main overall message? Is there a main

argument? What is its purpose? Are there certain theological traditions or themes alluded to in the passage (e.g. Exodus, Covenant, Creation

theology, etc) which are found elsewhere in the biblical canon? Does the passage echo and clarify earlier passages? Is it echoed or developed in

later passages (intertextuality)? Why was this passage included in the book? What theological truths are communicated? Summarize your conclusions.

8. Theological Implications and Appropriation

In this section you are moving from what the text meant to what it means for us today. You are moving from the biblical context to the contemporary

context. Here you want to look for appropriation by recontextualizing.

The question you must ask yourself is this: having studied this text in detail, what difference could or should it make in the life of a person of

faith today? How should it shape the perspectives and choices of Christians in your particular faith community? What possible ideas might some people

take from this text that would be unhelpful or even destructive?

First, outline the perspectives, principles, values, virtues and theological ideals arising from the biblical passage. What are some general

principles or core values which flow out the biblical text? These ideas must flow from the perspective of the text’s theological purpose in its

original, ancient, biblical context. But although these perspectives, principles, values, virtues or theological ideals must arise out of the text,

they must reflect relational and theological issues that transcend the particulars of the biblical context, and are more generally true in the

broader biblical perspective of the character of God, and the divine-human relationship.

Your perspectives/principles/values/virtues/ideals must be rooted in the intentional theological outlook and purpose of the text and should have a

relational focus. They should be rooted in what the text says about who God is, about living the life of faith, or about what God is looking for in

his relationship with his people, as seen in the text. It may also involve the relationship of God’s people with one another, with the nations or

with the creation, or God’s relationship to the nations or to the creation.

Once you have outlined these core values, then recontextualize by considering the question of appropriation in the modern context. What is the

contemporary significance of the passage in your context?

Here it is helpful to situate the contemporary hearers in relationship to the text. Determine the points of contact as well as dissimilarity between