Victorrya Lamey
HOMI 500
12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching / Wayne McDill / 2006 / B&H Used by Permission
Structural Diagram Template
Text:
Place the first independent clause at the left
margin.
Place supporting words above or below the
modified term.
Designate the function of each phrase in the left
column.
Connect separated terms with lines as needed.
Highlight significant theological terms.
Underline verbs; place connectives in [brackets].
Functions
Authors
Identity
Introduction
Promise
Gratitude
Desire
Cause
Assertion
Explanation
Explanation
Vs
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Diagram
[Paul and Timothy,]
servants of Christ Jesus.
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, [with]
the overseers and deacons.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.
[Always] in every prayer of mine for you all making my
prayer with joy.
[Because of your partnership in the gospel from the first
day until now.]
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in
you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I
hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of
grace.
[Both] in my imprisonment and in the defense and
confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me
of grace.
For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the
The purpose of this exercise is to portray in a graphic
form the structure of the text and designate the
rhetorical function of the various phrases in the text.
Desire
Exhortation
Purpose
Result
Explanatory
Illustrative
Argumentative:
Applicational:
Assertion
Explanatory:
Argumentative:
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affection of Christ Jesus.
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and
more, with knowledge and all discernment.
[So that] you may approve what is excellent, and so be
pure and blameless for the day of Christ.
[Filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through
Jesus Christ], to the glory and praise of God.
Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what
has happened to me has actually served to advance the
gospel.
[As a result], it has become clear throughout the whole
palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for
Christ.
And [because of my chains], most of the brothers and
sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the
more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry,
but others out of goodwill.
[The latter] do so out of love, knowing that I am put here
for the defense of the gospel.
[The former] preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not
sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me
while I am in chains.
But what does it matter? [The important thing is that] in
every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is
preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will
continue to rejoice.
[For I know that] through your prayers and God’s
provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened
Victorrya Lamey
HOMI 500
12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching / Wayne McDill / 2006 / B&H Used by Permission
Metaphor:
Rhetorical
Question:
Desire:
Event:
Example:
Cause:
Exhortation
Action:
Analogy:
Purpose:
Warning:
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to me will turn out for my deliverance.
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be
ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as
always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life
or by death.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful
labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!
[I am torn between the two]: I desire to depart and be
with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more
necessary for you that I remain in the body.
[Convinced of this], I know that I will remain, and I will
continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the
faith.
So that through my being with you again your boasting in
Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner
worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and
see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know
that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as
one for the faith of the gospel.
Without being frightened in any way by those who
oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be
destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.
[For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ] not
only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.
[Since you are going through the same struggle you saw I
had], and now hear that I still have.
