Lesson 4 | Discern the Core Issue
Markup Lens: Topics
From this point forward in the course, each new lens is designed to facilitate seeing more details and asking more refined questions, helping you to keep your study focused. So let’s explore how to use the Topics lens.
Note: We want to look at the text with fresh eyes, so we won’t use the paragraph headings in your preferred Bible to begin with. While you need not worry about setting up the module this way within this course (as we have done it for you), you will want to be sure to do so when using the Markup module within Biblearc TOOLS.
1. Highlight the topic of each paragraph
- As in the example below, the first paragraph or two of a book may introduce several topics that are developed later on. So, on the one hand, don’t be constrained to highlight only one topic. On the other hand, you should have very good cause to highlight more than one topic in a paragraph.
- Quite likely, a topic will come up several times in the chapter. Use the wide highlighter to markup only one instance the topic appears in a paragraph.
2. Add a succinct label for each color
- Use the key word you have highlighted as part of your label.
3. Highlight related details in matching colors
- Follow the same guidelines as with the previous lenses, underlining just the key words or phrases.
- Look for details that help develop each topic.
- Markup any repeated occurrences of the topic’s key word.
4. Use dot notes to record observations, questions, and other notes
- As with the previous lenses, every markup should contribute to at least one dot note.
- A single dot note could have several bullet points including:
- observations
- questions
- cross references
- insights from secondary resources
5. Turn on the ESV headings to compare with your labels
- The headings in modern Bibles, while certainly not infallible, are still helpful as a means to verify or challenge what you are discerning in your own study. Similarities should help to confirm your labels, while differences should cause you to examine why you chose a particular topic.
- These heading may alert you to something you have missed altogether.
6. Discern and circle the main topic
- Finally, reexamine all the topics you have identified in the chapter in order to discern the author’s primary concern.
- Add the “Main Topic” circle markup to this highlighted topic.
- Remember that sometimes the main topic may be a thread that runs through the whole chapter that you have not previously identified as a distinct topic in your initial markups for each paragraph.
- Include the evidence for the main topic in a dot note.
In this example, I identified the main topic as Naomi’s desired change in name, since this forms bookends to the whole chapter. The middle of the chapter highlights the bitterness she experienced. Therefore, I added the “Main Topic” markup to “call me Mara” in v. 20.
And now it’s your turn to try...