Observation – Part Four: Structure and Mood
We have been discussing how to grow in our Bible reading, noting that the first step is observation. Remember, we can think of this step as putting together a puzzle. First, we look at the picture on the box (observing an overview of the biblical book), then we find the border pieces (observing the genre of that particular book and passage), and then we begin to look at individual pieces and see which ones might fit together (observing words and grammar). Today, we will step back again and see the whole puzzle picture that we have put together as we observe the structure and mood of our biblical passage.
When you read a novel, how do you know a chapter has ended? How do you know a paragraph has ended? There are clues in the text, like paragraph breaks and chapter headings, that help us see the structure of the book. Moreover, do you remember learning how to write a five-paragraph essay? The first paragraph was the introduction. It explained what you were talking about and why your audience should care. The last paragraph was the conclusion, a summary of everything you had said. The body of the essay included three paragraphs. We were to begin each paragraph with a main sentence (the point or main argument of that paragraph) and then each sentence that followed would support that main sentence. All of those things give us the structure to help us understand the main points of the essay or book.
Biblical passages have structure, too. If you read 1 John 1:5-10, you can pretty quickly notice a pattern or structure. John gives us five “if/then” statements.
“If we say we have fellowship…” (v. 6)
“If we walk in the light…” (v. 7)
“If we say we have no sin…” (v. 8)
“If we confess our sins…” (v. 9)
“If we say we have not sinned…” (v. 10)
Once you notice this structure, it helps to see the big picture of the passage and where the author is going.
Once you have observed all of those details (made highlights, taken notes, etc.), then you are in a position to take a step back and observe something that is a little harder to nail down: mood. I am a man… so my lovely bride accuses me of failing to articulate my feelings. I remind her that I don’t have any feelings, but she doesn’t believe me. Articulating our emotions can be difficult and articulating someone else’s mood can be difficult. It is not a precise science, but more of an art or feeling.
The Holy Spirit did not turn the authors of Scripture into robots when he inspired the Scriptures. Rather, he worked through the personality, emotions, and real lives of the human authors. So each author and each passage has its own mood. Observe the mood of Galatians 1:6-7,
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”
What do you think? Is Paul happy, sad, frustrated? I would say he is lovingly frustrated. In fact, the whole letter of Galatians has a compassionately urgent message. The Galatians need to get the gospel right!
Compare the mood of that passage with Paul’s words in Philippians 1:3-7,
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart…”
What is Paul’s mood here? Very different. He is joyful. This sounds more like a love letter than a concerning one.
Listening for the mood helps us to engage with the passage. If you know the author has great concern, then we can understand why he is saying what he is saying. If the author is overtly affectionate, we can better understand the commands and encouragements that he might give.
This week, read 1 John 3. What patterns do you see? What is John’s mood?
Pastor Mark