Lesson 5 | Don't miss it: identifying the main and supporting ideas

Strategies for identifying the main point

There will be instances in which the main point of a paragraph will be very clear and unmistakable. Other times, you will need to give careful thought to discerning the main point. Let’s look at a few strategies to help.

Context: How does this paragraph fit into the overall thought flow?
Several of the tools we have already employed will be useful here. Observations of themes, purpose and key words, as well as outlining the larger context will get you pointed in the right direction. The main point of any given paragraph will be an integral part of these larger, big-picture elements; so you will want to think about how each paragraph adds to or advances the overall thought flow? 

Conclusions: What is the bottomline of the paragraph?
Considering the paragraph as a whole, ask: 
What is the primary issue being addressed?
What questions (stated or unstated) are being answered?
What conclusion(s) does the author come to?

Supporting Elements: What point does everything else support?
Let the Supporting statements guide you to the main point. For each statement you have separated, ask: 
What role does this piece have in the paragraph?
Does it support something else?
Is it supported by another piece?
When all the supporting points have been sifted out, the main point should stand clear.

Links: What are the connections?
Pay careful attention to the links the author provides. Regularly review the categories and variety of connections discussed in the previous lesson (Links in a Chain). Having a great familiarity with these links will serve you well in discerning the main point.

2 Corinthians 4:2
Let’s take a second look at this example.
      (a) But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways.
            (b) We refuse to practice cunning
            (c) or to tamper with God’s word,
      (d) But by the open statement of the truth
(e) we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God
At first glance, it may appear that the first line, “we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways” is the main point because it is such a strong assertion. Lines b and c clearly support line a by giving specific details for what Paul means by “disgraceful, underhanded ways.” 
The little connector “by…” in line d clearly makes a supporting link to line e, stating the means by which Paul commends himself to public scrutiny—by the open statement of the truth.
The question then is whether line a (“we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways,”) is the main point or line e (“we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience…” ). To help sort this out, we can weigh whether it makes sense for a to support e or vice versa? Let’s test each possibility (I’ve added explicit connectors to highlight the possible supporting connections):

       —OR—

The first set makes better sense of the text, but let’s also check the surrounding context to make sure.
2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

—2 Corinthians 4:2-6 ESV
Paul acknowledges that some are blind to the truth he proclaims (3a) but that that blindness is not due to his methods but to their deluded minds (4:3b-4). He then grounds his methodology on the very nature and substance of the message itself. It is Christ he proclaims and it is God who gives light (4:5-6). Therefore, he can confidently present the gospel of Christ for all to hear (2e) without having to resort to clever manipulations (2a). This both affirms line e as the main point and also clarifies how line a supports it.
Moreover, Paul’s main assertion that “we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God” corresponds with one of the major themes of this entire letter: Paul’s very personal defense of his ministry.
In this example, we employed two tests to determine whether we had correctly identified the main point.
Test #1 (Supporting Elements and Links): Do the rest of the details support the main idea?
Test #2 (Context): Does this main idea fit into the themes and thought flow of the whole book?