Theme

Throughout the homiletical process, we have carefully examined the passage from multiple perspectives. We have gathered observations, developed Content Statements, identified Divisions, written a Subject Sentence, discovered the Aim, reflected through Application Questions, identified timeless Principles, and discovered the Characteristic of God revealed within the text.

As each step contributes to our understanding, another discovery quietly begins to emerge. Individual observations that once appeared unrelated gradually unite into one central message. That message is the Theme.

How Theme Became Part of This Process

The concept of Theme was not original with me. It was introduced during my second-year homiletics studies at Bible college.  In college, we started with the theme and built out the message from it.

In the context of my studies, we were answering the question: "What is the central idea I plan to share?" The Theme was closely associated with preparing a Bible lesson or message.

As I continued studying Scripture and refining the homiletical process, I realized the theme had to be a part of the process and must be part of the process. Not first, as I was taught, but as the final step in our homiletics.

 

The Theme did not originate with my lesson. It originated with God's Word. My responsibility was not to create the Theme as I was initially taught, but my responsibility was to discover it in the Scripture studied.

 

Theme Description

The Theme is the overarching spiritual truth that emerges from the passage and unites everything discovered throughout the study. It captures the central message God is communicating through the Scripture and provides a unified understanding of the passage as a whole.

In many ways, the Theme represents the culmination of the interpretive process.

Once the Theme was discovered, every lesson, Bible study, message, lecture, or sermon naturally grew out of the truth already revealed within the passage. The lesson grows out of the Theme, and the Theme grows out of the Scripture.

 

Subject Sentence, Aim, and Theme

Some may confuse the Subject Sentence, the Aim, and the Theme because each summarizes an important aspect of the passage. Although they are closely related, each answers a different question and serves a distinct purpose within the homiletical process.

·       The Subject Sentence summarizes the movement of the passage.

·       The Aim identifies the purpose of that movement.

·       The Theme expresses the unified message God is communicating through the passage.

Together they answer three important questions.

·       Subject Sentence: What is happening in the passage?

·       Aim: Why is this passage saying it?

·       Theme: What is God saying through it?

 

(An extract from "Walking through God's Word")