Note to Bruce

Thanks so much. I feel stymied (or stumped…or st— something else) at the moment: I don't want to do a chapter-by-chapter book study, but am lacking confidence in approaching it otherwise.

Years ago I did a 13-week class in Isaiah 40-57 (or so). (Vern Poythress was one of my "students".) I did an overview, then discussed sections of the text (I believe), and then themes: attacks on idolatry, the calling of the nations, the Servant, etc. I even had a chart (rare in those days) of the relative weight of each theme by chapter: a 3-D bar chart (X: chapter; Y: themes; Z: percent of chapter :-D ).

I'd like to do something similar (without the graphics).

• Faith, belief, unbelief, and the purpose of John's writing;
• The "I AM" statements;
• symbols (Vine, Bread of Life, Door, Good Shepherd) and symbolism (the whole foot-washing as a conscious enactment of the incarnation and humiliation);
• the "signs";
• time, "the hour", and the calling of the Gentiles;
• conflict with the Jews (the re-location of the cleansing of the Temple to early in the story suggests this as a prominent idea);
• etc.

Any thoughts along those lines?