Lesson 2 | The Second Pass: Indent
Laying the Foundation
You put in a lot of work this lesson, learning some new terms and practical details of the Second Pass, and now you’re about to put it into practice, picking up your own shovel to do your own archaeological work in 2 Thessalonians! Before you do, remember this: the first two passes are not why we do phrasing. But they are necessary preparatory work for the goal of phrasing.
Proper foundations are not optional
If I can switch my metaphor from archaeology to construction, I want to speak for a moment to you who are pastors or teachers. It is vital that the foundation of a building be laid properly.
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When the Ocean Tower on South Padre Island in Texas was under construction and being advertised, the gorgeous view and the spacious rooms were promoted. But because of a failure in the foundation, construction came to a halt, and the tower had to be demolished—but not before $65 million had been spent!
If you are teaching or preaching on a passage and fail to understand its grammar, you are in danger of teaching something that ought to be demolished—no matter how many hours you’ve spent, no matter how many gorgeous illustrations you’ve tacked on to the sermon! A little more time spent on grammar may save you grief and shame later.
As James wrote...
So put in the time to get the First and Second Passes down, and you won’t regret it!