Definig Blocks of Thought

Once observations have been gathered, begin looking for the natural blocks of thought within the passage. A block of thought is a group of verses that develops a common event, conversation, action, idea, or movement. An important part of recognizing each block is identifying its verse boundaries—where the thought begins and where it concludes.

Begin with the first major block of thought. Read through the passage again and ask, Where does this thought begin? Where does it end? Identify the chapter and verse where the thought begins and the verse where it appears to conclude. Establishing these boundaries helps separate one major thought from another and begins to crystallize the thought contained within those verses.

With the boundaries established, look more closely at what happens within them. Identify the sub-thoughts that add detail and develop the major block of thought. These may include events, conversations, actions, responses, changes in setting, or important learning points. Bible Study Fellowship often approaches these as the different events, conversations, and learning points found within the passage.

These sub-thoughts can also help confirm the boundaries. As the details are examined, we may discover that a verse initially included in one block actually begins the next thought, or that a thought continues beyond the boundary first identified. The process is therefore both observational and developmental: the boundaries help crystallize the thought, while the thought helps confirm the boundaries.

After working through the first major block, move to the next. Again ask where the thought begins and where it concludes. Record the verse boundaries, identify the supporting sub-thoughts, and continue through the passage until each major block has been examined.

A good rule of thumb is to identify no more than four major blocks of thought. Some passages may naturally contain only two or three. The purpose is not to force Scripture into a predetermined number of blocks, but to recognize the larger movements already present in the passage.

Finally, return to each major block and verify its verse boundaries. Read across the point where one block ends and the next begins. Does the thought conclude naturally at that verse? Does the following verse introduce a new event, conversation, action, speaker, emphasis, or direction? Make any final adjustments to the boundaries as the passage requires.

Carefully identifying where each thought begins and concludes allows the structure of the passage to emerge more clearly. Verse boundaries help crystallize each major thought and distinguish it from the thought that follows.