author say it in these words?” This may alert us to specialist vocabulary that often opens up major themes in the rest of the book of which our preaching passage is a part. Or it may challenge our pastoral rules of thumb, or even our doctrinal formulations. Additionally, we can ask, “Why is the author saying it to these people (his original readers)?” This raises the whole issue of contexts, both historical and theological, both of the book in the Bible and the passage in the book. Finally, “Why