02.02. Sermon Prep (Interpret)

And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?"

Acts 2:12 ESV INTERPRET“What does it mean?”

What is the “BIG IDEA” of the passage - your theme?

Summarize the theme into smaller points. Write these points our in the form of an outline. Take your main theme and break it into sub-points. These sub-points form the principles.

Questions to answer which help interpret the text:

1.    What are the meanings of the words?

2.    What does the immediate context suggest (preceding and succeeding verses)?

3.    What does the broader context suggest (chapter and book)?

4.    What does other cross references suggest?

5.What is the cultural meaning? (What did it mean to those to whom it was originally addressed?) 6.What do commentaries suggest?