Lesson 7 | Avoiding the pitfalls
Evaluating your paraphrase
As we now define some filters for evaluating a paraphrase, there is an important distinction to make: paraphrasing is not improving upon the actual words of the text, but rather improving upon your understanding of those words. Think about that sentence carefully. It not only makes a helpful clarification concerning why you are writing a paraphrase but also gives clarity about how you are to evaluate a paraphrase. Since you are writing a paraphrase as a tool for testing, demonstrating and improving your understanding of a text, your paraphrase should be assessed primarily as to whether or not it is a sound reflection of the author’s intended meaning.
I would suggest two parameters to weigh the faithfulness of your paraphrase against the original text: Is it accurate? And is it appropriate?
Is it accurate?
That is, is it faithful to the meaning of the text? Is my interpretation demonstrably carried by the words and structure of the text itself? Are the links that I have used to connect the various pieces consistent with the author’s?
Is it appropriate?
That is, is it faithful to the tone of the text? Do I have the same point and weight of emphasis? Do I use phrases that bring attention to or distract from the author’s main point?
But how do you actually make these kinds of assessments? It requires stepping away from your work as the writer and looking at your paraphrase through a new set of eyes. Here are a few practical suggestions:
- Use somebody else’s eyes. Have someone who has a mature understanding of the Bible read your paraphrase. Have them ask all the questions stated above. Then listen to their feedback. Don’t automatically dismiss a criticism just because you don’t like it. Maybe their comment is pointed at your favorite creative phrase, so you may naturally want to push back on their critique. Don’t. Receive their feedback, make notes and take some time to think over what has been said.
- Go back to your study notes and review the observations you made and the questions you asked at the various stages in your study. These observations were made through your eyes but with an earlier lens. You may have forgotten a particular detail or may need to recapture your initial impressions. Or you may very well affirm that your paraphrase captures the sense of the text nicely.
- Re-read the passage in a few different translations, comparing the sense and tone of your paraphrase with these others. Is there a clear consistency? Are there phrases that stand out as too strong or too weak? Is there something that has been missed altogether?
- Compare your paraphrase to a published paraphrase, such as The Message. Peterson’s work, of course, is not infallible, and you may find your paraphrase differs significantly in tone or in substance. In such cases, it is worth going back to the text of Scripture and asking, “Did I get this right?”
- Read the original text out loud, then read your paraphrase out loud. Does your phrasing lead to a similar tone of voice? Better yet, have someone else read your paraphrase to you. Do they inflect the phrases as you were expecting?
- It is also entirely appropriate to use other resources such as commentaries to check your understanding of the text.