PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE

A paragraph is a self-contained unit of thought where the author uses a series of sentences to develop one main idea.  By employing a series of paragraphs, the writer develops his thought or argument for his whole work, whether it may be a history, an epistle, a gospel, etc.  The paragraph is a vital focus of study, more so than a "word study" within a sentence.

 

Determine paragraph limits.  

Paragraphs, as well as sentences, were not "marked" with punctuation or indentation by the original biblical writers, as paragraphs are marked today.  So, translators of the Bible have determined the paragraph divisions that are employed in the different modern English translations.  Compare these modern translations to see where each has decided to break texts into paragraphs.  Do they agree on their divisions?  Why, or why not?  (The NIV, ESV, NLT, NRSV and most other modern translations offer texts that are in paragraph form.  The NASV can be obtained in either paragraph form or verse form.)

Once you are familiar with the text you are studying, consider if you agree with the translators' paragraph structure.  Which paragraph division will you use and why? 

Consider further whether the paragraph starts or stops with transitional expressions.  Is the paragraph an "opening" paragraph within the section of discourse; is it a "closing" paragraph to the section of discourse; is it a "transitional" paragraph which changes the flow of thought? 

[Remember that the chapter divisions were added to our texts much later and sometimes serve only to assist in "location" of information.  Often, they do not properly reflect structure of the text.  There are times when the chapter division falls in the middle of an obvious paragraph, dividing the paragraph between chapters.  When this happens, one must ignore the chapter division and stick with the flow of the section under study.]

 

Determine the main topic.

Every paragraph will have a central topic.  The author may state the topic plainly; or, he may just imply the topic.  If he expresses the topic plainly, the topic sentence may be at the beginning of the paragraph.  It may be followed by a limitation sentence which limits the topic more narrowly.  Support and development of the topic within the paragraph will follow the topic sentence and possible limitation.

The topic sentence can occur in the middle of the paragraph, also.  Details and examples may precede the topic sentence, as well as follow the topic sentence.  

The topic sentence could occur at the end of the paragraph to make a climactic point.  Support for the topic occurs prior to the topic's specification and leads to the conclusive point.

 

Determine sentence arrangement within paragraph.

Where is the topic sentence?  At the beginning, the middle, the end?  Why? Is the topic limited further?  What function do the supporting sentences within the paragraph perform?  They may offer reasons for the main topic statement; they may offer examples to clarify; or, they may provide other added information for expansion of the topic.  Every sentence will be directly related to the main idea in some manner. 

A paragraph may close with a "clincher" sentence.  This clincher may offer a succinct and obvious conclusion to the idea presented.  It may restate the main point for emphasis.  It may summarize, prior to moving onward with the discussion.  It may just add a general comment to the paragraph, possibly serving as a transition.

Paragraphs will display some manner of order.  That order could be chronological, spatial, a progression of argument, or may show comparison/contrast.  You must determine this as you study your text.

 

CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

Sentences within a paragraph can offer steps in a process from start to finish.  They may explain events ordered by time sequence.

 

SPATIAL ORDER

Spatial order is used to express order or position of elements within the topic group.  Key words: may be "in the foreground," "by the side of," "on the other side of," etc.

 

ORDER OF IMPORTANCE, ARGUMENT PROGRESSION

The writer may arrange sentences to move the reader from the general to the specific; or from the specific to the general.  He may arrange sentences to move from the less dramatic to the more dramatic.  He may build his argument from the simple to the complex..

 

COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

Sentences may be offered to support the author's topic by way of comparison; or, he may use contrast to accentuate his point.

 

Determine paragraph type

A paragraph will fall into one of four groups.  It will be expository, persuasive, descriptive, or narrative.

EXPOSITORY

An expository paragraph informs the reader by giving information, by explaining a happening or an idea, and may possibly employ examples.  It may offer facts and statistics.  Cause and effect can be explained; or, the writer may develop his idea by adding to its definition.

1.  Romans 5:12-14 - "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law.  Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come."  [NIV]

To his readers, Paul "exposes" sin's entrance into the world and it's bringing death to all.  Cause and effect are explained.  Sin is the cause; death is the effect, even touching "those who did not sin . . . as did Adam." 

[Note the first word of the paragraph: "therefore."  Paul is connecting these thoughts with his preceding argument and developing his argument toward conclusion, before he moves to his next point.]

2.  Ephesians 2:14-18 - "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.  He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.  For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit."

Paul "exposes" within this paragraph the idea that the two groups, Israel and the Gentiles, are now joined together as one group in Christ Jesus.  The wall of ethnicity and legalism is removed by Christ, creating "one new man."  Christ is now "the peace" and "the access" to God for all peoples.

 

PERSUASIVE

In a persuasive paragraph, the author attempts to convince the reader of his paragraph topic.  He may persuade the reader to perform a given duty.  He will develop his argument in the paragraph with reasons and explanation to move the reader to his position.

1.  Romans 6:15-18 - "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."

In this persuasive paragraph, Paul desires to convince the readers that they must avoid sin.  They must realize that sinners are servants to sin.  But Christians are no longer servants to sin; they are servants of Christ.  How can one be both a servant of sin and a servant of righteousness?  No, Christians are now freed from the power of sin.  The whole idea of Christians who practice sin is absurd ("God forbid.").

2.  Hebrews 4:1-5 - "Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.  For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.  Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, 'So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest."' And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.  For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: 'And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.'  And again in the passage above he says, 'They shall never enter my rest.'"

The writer works hard to persuade his audience to press onward, not falling short of entering into "God's rest."  He explains: one may fall short by "unbelief."  "Belief" moves one into God's rest; "unbelief" causes one to fail.  Those who do not believe fall short of salvation and gain God's sworn wrath.  So, believe; do not fail through falling short by disbelief and gain God's rejection. 

We can see the writer's reasoning and explaining.  His encouragement is at the head of the paragraph.  He then supports his encouragement by explanation, showing that falling short is possible and must be avoided.

DESCRIPTIVE

Descriptive paragraphs describe a person, place, or an object.  Concrete and sensory details are added to describe the author's main topic.  The author desires to share an experience with the reader.  Figurative language may be prominent in this type of paragraph.

1.  2 Samuel 8:2 - "David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought tribute."

We read of David's victory over the Moabites.  The summation of this victory is described by the punishment of the defeated.  Some died; some were enslaved.

2.  Joshua 2:4-7 - "But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, 'Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from.  At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.'  (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.)  So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut."

The writer tells of the Israelite spies' delivery.  How were they delivered?  The author describes the process.  Rahab hid the men.  She diverted attention.  She encourages the men of Jericho to chase after the supposed departing spies.  But, the writer interjects parenthetically that she had actually hidden the spies until their pursuers were sent away.

 

NARRATIVE

The narrative paragraph tells of a series of events.  This type of paragraph may be developed by offering a particular incident or anecdote.  Chronological order will be evident.

1.  Genesis 1:3-5 - "And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light.  God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light 'day,' and the darkness he called 'night.'  And there was evening, and there was morning-- the first day."

2.  Genesis 7:6-10 - "Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth.  And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood.  Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.  And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth."

3.  Exodus 2:1-4 - "Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son.  When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months.  But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch.  Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.  His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. 

In each of these narrative paragraphs, we see development of a scene according to some order or progression (usually chronological).  The first chapter of Genesis is filled with narrative paragraphs in their clearest and most obvious form.  We see creation developing along chronological lines, day by day.  The narrative about Noah develops around activity as well as time.  So also the example from Exodus. 

From this section, we learn that each paragraph fits a type and serves a purpose.  What type of paragraph is the one you are studying?  If it is narrative, it tells of a series of events which develop a story.  If it is descriptive, persons, places, experiences, events will be described or reviewed, sometimes with figurative language.  Persuasive paragraphs move the readers to understand something or to perform according to the "persuasion."  And, finally, expository paragraphs "expose" the readers to the information or ideas offered by the writer.

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be explicitly approved by South Woods Baptist Church.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy:

Copyright South Woods Baptist Church. Website: www.southwoodsbc.org. Used by permission as granted on web site. Questions, comments, and suggestions about our site can be sent here.