Interpret according to author's purpose and structure
     1.   Purpose = object for writing
               a.   1 Jn 5:13 "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God
          so that you may know that you have eternal life."
               b.   Jn 20:30-31 "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his
          disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you
          may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you
          may have life in his name."
               c.   in most books of Bible, purpose is not stated; plan is usually more evident than
          purpose.

     2.   Structure author uses to carry out his purpose
               a.   Genesis
                         i.   significant phrase: "This is the account of ..." (NIV), or "These are the
               generations of ..." (KJV)
                         ii.  examples: 2:4 5:1 6:9 10:1 11:10
                         iii. by examining where the phrase occurs, observe that Genesis has 2 parts:
                                   (1)  up to Abraham, mostly genealogies & brief accounts
                                   (2)  Abraham & patriarchs, stories about men
                         iv.  Abraham & Jacob given lots of space, despite their serious weaknesses,
               because God chose them for his purpose

Guidelines
     1.   Note whether purpose is stated. If not, are there hints?
               a.   Paul doesn't state purpose in 1 & 2 Cor, but notice references to bad news he
          heard:
               b.   1 Cor 1:11 "My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that
          there are quarrels among you."
               c.   1 Cor 3:4 "For when one says, 'I follow Paul,' and another, 'I follow Apollos,'
          are you not mere men?"
               d.   1 Cor 7:1 "Now for the matters you wrote about: ..."
               e.   1 Cor 8:1 "Now about food sacrificed to idols ..."
               f.   1 Cor 12:1 "Now about spiritual gifts ..."
               g.   1 Cor 16:1 "Now about the collection for God's people ..."
               h.   Paul received bad news about Cor church & received a letter with questions; his
          reply is First Corinthians.
               i.   Paul expressed self very strongly, concerned about hurt feelings; after Titus
          brought news of favorable response, Paul wrote Second Corinthians.
               j.   2 Cor 2:3-4 "I wrote as I did so that when I came I should not be distressed by
          those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you
          would all share my joy. For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of
          heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of
          my love for you."
               k.   2 Cor 7:6-9 "But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming
          of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given
          him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent
          concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever. Even if I caused you
          sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it — I see that my
          letter hurt you, but only for a little while — yet now I am happy, not because
          you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you
          became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us."
                         i.   knowing purpose may help us understand the book.

     2.   Personal references to the book's readers and repeated themes usually indicate book's
     purpose
               a.   Lk 1:3-4 "Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from
          the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you,
          most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you
          have been taught."

     3.   Look for structure of the book; may be clear division points
               a.   Romans, first 11 chapters: God's judgment of unrighteousness, believer's
          righteousness through faith, conflict between sin & righteousness, death through
          sin, life through spirit.
               b.   Rom 12:1 "THEREFORE, I urge you, brothers, in view of god's mercy, ..." --
          a clear division, turning point in Paul's structure
               c.   remainder of book describes believer's response: living sacrifices, renewing
          mind, use of spiritual gifts, agape, submission to authorities, consideration of
          those with different beliefs, not passing judgment on others
               d.   Ephesians, first 3 chapters: the calling of the Christian
               e.   Eph 4:1 "As a prisoner for the Lord, THEN, I urge you to live a life worthy of
          the calling you have received." -- KJV uses "therefore"
               f.   remainder of book deals with believer's behavior, based on his calling

     4.   When the purpose or structure is clear, study the portions of the book with these in
     mind. This will guide your interpretation.

Examples
     1.   Php 2
               a.   vs 1-4 shows concern for quality of fellowship in church
               b.   how do vs 5-11 relate to this topic? example of attitude believers should have
               c.   how does this affect interpretation of vs 12-15? — with Jesus as example of
          humility, avoid behavior that destroys unity (original topic)

     2.   Col 2
               a.   v4, Paul's purpose? prevent deception
               b.   v8, Paul's purpose? prevent deception (deceptive philosophy)
               c.   v16, relevance? don't feel condemned if don't follow practices not based on
          Christ
               d.   vs 20-23, relevance? believers are dead to world principles, even those that
          appear wise
               e.   Paul's purpose: prevent them from being deceived into following empty
          traditions, even though they seem to make sense