SBTS Closer Reading

Closer Reading Guide: Matthew 4:1-11

I. Read Actively

1. Isolate the Literary Unit

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2. Read the Story Multiple Times

3. Identify the Setting and Characters

4. Observe the Story

5. Isolate the Different Scenes

6. Analyze the Narrative:

Identify the Setting (The verses within the story that “set up” the story. (ii)Identify the Rising Tension (iii)Identify the Highest Point of TensionIdentify the ResolutionIdentify the Following Action/Interpretation

7. Think about the Contexts

(iv)Acts, Cycles, and Literary Structures (v)The Whole Gospel Context including Intratextuality, the Four-Fold Gospel Book, and Jesus’ Death-Resurrection The Kingdom-Focused, Redemptive-Historical Context of the Whole Canon

8. Write a Summary Paragraph

II. Articulate the Revelation and Identification

The Revelation of God in ChristIdentification of Character Traits to Be Emulated or Avoided

III. Identify a Fallen Condition, Redemptive Solution, and Virtue Formation goal