Studying context is essential...

John MacArthur and the faculty of The Master's Seminary have produced a new volume (adapted from their earlier Rediscovering Expository Preaching), titled Preaching: How to Preach Biblically (Thomas Nelson). In a chapter on "Central Ideas, Outline and Titles," Donald McDougall writes, "The meaning and significance of a given word is only comprehended through a clear understanding of its context. This should be evident to anyone who reflects on common usage of the English language. Extreme care is required to ensure that the meaning of a word in one book or by one author is not arbitrarily transferred to another book or author. The structure or flow of each passage is, therefore, of utmost importance in preparing a true expository or exegetical message. Understanding the argument of a passage and of an entire book is essential if one is to comprehend what the author is communicating."