Okay, I have to admit that “The Power of Summary” is a pretty boring title. It brings back memories of high school English class and I’m not particularly fond of those memories. I never quite caught on to the idea of summarizing something. Even now, when I’m taking notes for class or doing research for a paper I find it much easier just to copy a whole paragraph word for word than try to summarize it in my own words.
But do you know what I’ve discovered? I’ve discovered that I don’t really understand something until I am able to summarize it in my own words. Funny how that works, eh? There’s something that goes on in our brains when we summarize. Connections are made and concepts are solidified in our minds. I’m sure there is some brilliant scientific explanation for this; I just know that when I take the time to come up with a summary in my own words I’m much more likely to remember it and I have a much better grasp of the main points of whatever it is I’m summarizing.
So, what’s my point? Why am I boring you with all this talk of summarizing. Well, the skill of summarizing is actually a helpful skill to have when you are reading and studying the Bible, particularly when you are working through Paul’s theologically thick letters or the extended oracles of the prophets. And summarizing is one way that you can do the first step of inductive Bible study – Observation. When you take the time to identify the main point of a paragraph and the supporting arguments raised by the author you will have a good understanding of what it is the author is saying. This lays the foundation for asking why he says it which is the next step in inductive Bible study (we won’t go there yet).
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The skill of summarizing is versatile. Whether you are looking at a specific passage or reading through a whole book of the Bible summarizing can help you see the big picture. Once you see the big pictures the details of the passage or book fall into place. It’s kind of like a puzzle. Most people start a puzzle by becoming familiar with the whole picture. Once they’ve had a good look at what the picture is supposed to look like then they work on piecing it together. The details in each piece make sense only in the context of the whole picture. The same thing is true when reading and studying the Bible. If you can see the big picture or identify the main point then the details will make sense. Summarizing helps you see the big picture.
So pull out that old high school English practice of summarizing and try it out the next time you’re reading the Bible. If you are reading a specific passage identify the main point of the passage and summarize it in one sentence in your own words. Find the supporting arguments and summarize them in your own words. Try it on a larger scale with a whole book of the Bible.Start with something small like Titus or Colossians. Write a short one sentence summary of the main point of each paragraph then look back over your summaries to see the big picture of the book.You might just discover the power of summary!