Lesson 5 | Bracketing a Passage
The Benefits of Bracketing
All that is most important, most glorious, most critical and most lasting is written down for us in the Book of God. The Bible is a great treasure. And its jewels are supremely worthy of our careful attention. Reading with careful attention—that is what Bracketing is all about.
I have thought I am a creature of a day, passing through life as an arrow through the air. I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God, just hovering over the great gulf, till a few moments hence, I am no more seen; I drop into an unchangeable eternity! I want to know one thing—the way to heaven, how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end He came from heaven. He has written it down in a book. O give me that Book at any price, give me the Book of God. —John Wesley
If this sounds like a small thing to you, then you do not yet know the value of God’s word.
How Does Bracketing Help Us Read the Bible Carefully?
There are a few different ways that we can answer this question, each clarifying and highlighting the function of this Bible study method in a slightly different way. Together, they will paint for you the big picture concept behind Bracketing.
Bracketing is used to explain every proposition's role within a paragraph.
Bracketing is used to understand the structure of the text.
Bracketing is used to let the logical connections of the text guide our understanding.
Bracketing is used to determine the main point, and see how it is supported.
Who Uses Bracketing?
Thomas Schreiner is the James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation and Professor of Biblical Theology (1997) and Associate Dean of the School of Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Scott J. Hafemann (Dr. theol., Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen) is Reader in New Testament at the University of St. Andrews (Scotland). He is responsible for developing the bracketing-style visual formatting and came up with the idea to mark the main point between two propositions.
Gregory K. Beale (PhD, Cambridge) holds the J. Gresham Machen Chair of New Testament and is professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary.
Brian J. Vickers is Professor of New Testament Interpretation (2004) and Assistant Editor of The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Benjamin Gladd is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary.
Dr. Mark Dubis is Professor of Biblical Studies and Languages and Director of Discipline-Specific Honors Program in the School of Theology and Missions at Union University.
Plus a whole lot more non-professor types!