The Principle of Synthesis or Literary Structure

The Principle of Synthesis or Literary Structure is that principle under which God superintends the literary structure of the Bible so that it is constructed in introversions, or alternations, or combinations of both.

Everything God does is perfect!! God is not the Creator of imperfect things, either in His Word or in His World. That is why Genesis 1:2 is interpreted to come after some period. Every snowflake is perfect, a thing of beauty. Each one is six-pointed. A blade of grass is perfect; it is even and smooth; but, look at a man-made razor blade and compare it with a blade of grass and you will see a great difference! God made the grass, and man made the razor blade. As far as the snowflake is concerned, we learn that no two are alike. Mr. Wilson Bently of Jericho, Vermont photographed over 10,000 snowflakes, and in all of the 10,000, none of them were alike. They are all built on the same plan and have the same structure, but none of them are alike. They are beautiful. That is God in nature. Everything God does is perfect. There is PERFECTION in the dewdrop, and there is PERFECTION in the snowflake.

TO A SNOWFLAKE "What heart could have thought you! Past our devisal (O, filigree petal!) Fashioned so purely, Fragilely, surely, From what Paradisal Imagineless metal Too costly for cost. Who hammered you, wrought you From argentine vapor?" "God is my shaper! Passing surmisal He hammered, He wrought me From curled silver vapor, To lust of His Mind. Thou couldst not have thought me So purely, so palely, Tinily, surely, Mightily, frailly, Insculped and embossed With His hammer of wind, and His graver of frost."

Whenever you are out in a snowstorm you are being pelted by loveliness, by frail, fragile snowflakes; and you never looked upon anything more beautiful than a snowflake, perfectly wrought by God.

Did you ever step upon a dandelion? You stepped upon a masterpiece! Every insect is a work of perfection. The stinger of a bee is perfect. A tree is perfect. The shooting forth of its leaves is perfect. Every tree that grows has a perfect numerical structure. A leaf doesn't come out just any place, but there is a perfection. He is a God of harmony and beauty.

Now we will look at ALTERNATION. When a group of subjects is presented in a specific order and is followed by the same, or related group of subjects presented in the same order, this literary formation is called an ALTERNATION. More than two subjects are sometimes repeated more than once. HERE are examples of the outline:

It may be:

Or, it may be:

Or, it may be: A.

B.

A.

B.

A.

An example from the Scriptures to show the beauty of the structure of the Bible is:

I Cor 3:6, 7:

 A. I have planted.
  B. Apollos watered.
       C. God giveth the increase.
 A. Neither is he that planteth anything.
  B. Neither he that watereth.
       C. But God that giveth the increase.

Another example:

Jn 3:20, 21:

A. Doeth evil.
  B. Cometh to light.
      C. Deeds reproved.
A. Doeth truth.
  B. Cometh to light.
      C. Deeds manifest.

You can take Books and outline them like that.

Take Eze 36:26, 27:

A. A new heart also will I give you.
  B. And a new spirit will I put within you.
A. And I will take away the stony heart out of you.
  B. And I will put my Spirit within you.

Take Jer 17:5-8:

A. Cursed is the man that trusteth in man.
  B. For he shall be like the heart in the desert.
A. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord.
  B. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters.

Psa 1:1-6

A. The Godly (Verses 13).
  B. The ungodly (Verses 4-5).
A. The Godly (Verse 6).
  B. The ungodly (Verse 6).

The good woman and wife in Prov 31:10-31

A. Her husband (Verses 10-12).
  B. Her occupation (Verses 13-19).
     C. Her character (Verse 20).
        D. Her household (Verse 21).
           E. Herself (Verse 22).
A. Her husband (Verse 23).
  B. Her occupation <Verses 24, 25).
     C. Her character (Verse 26).
        D. Her household (Verses 27, 28).
            E. Herself (Verses 28-31).

Matt 23:16, 17

A. Woe unto you, ye blind guides.
 B. Temple-Gold.
A. Ye fools and blind.
 B. Temple-Gold.

Look at Peter's great sermon on the great day of Pentecost in ACTS 2:

Acts 2:14-36:

A. Appeal-Man of Judea-14, 15.
 B. Reference to Joel-16-21.
A. Appeal-Men of Israel-22-24.
 B. Reference to Psalm 16-25-28.
A. Appeal-Men and Brethren-29-33.
 B. Reference to Psalm 110-34-36.

A brief outline of the Book of JONAH:

A. Commission-Chapter 1:1, 2.
  B. Disobedience-Chapter 1:3.
       C. Consequences-Chapter 1:4-17.
        D. 2:1-9.
            E. Deliverance-Chapter 2:10.
A. Commission-Chapter 3:1, 2.
  B. Obedience-Chapter 3:3, 4.
       C. Consequences-Chapter 3:5-10.
         D. Prayer-Chapter 4:1-3.
             E. Correction-Chapter 4:4-11.

Jos 4:1-9:

A. Twelve men-Chapter 4:1, 2.
  B. Twelve stones-Chapter 4:3.
      C The place-Chapter 4 4
A. Twelve men-Chapter 4:4.
  B. Twelve stones-Chapter 4:5.
      C. The Memorial-Chapter 4:6,7.
A. Twelve men (Children of Israel-Figure of Speech).
  B. Twelve stones-Chapter 4:8.
      C. The place-Chapter 4:8, 9.

Here are a few examples of INTROVERSIONS:

An introversion works this way:

A.
   B.
   B.
A.

Or this way, etc.:

A.
   B.
       C.
       C.
   B.
A.

Isa 6:10:

 A. Hearts
  B. Ears
      C. Eyes
      C. Eyes
  B. Ears
 A. Hearts

Gal 5:17: (Do this one yourself)

Lk 1:68-78:

A. Visitation
 B. Salvation
     C. Prophets
        D. Enemies
              E. Covenant
              E. Oath
      D. Enemies
   C. Prophets
 B. Salvation
A. Visitation

Psa 117:1-2

A. Praise
  B. Reason
  B. Reason
A. Praise

BOOK OF DANIEL:

A. Israel in Bondage-Chapter 1 (Tribulation in Type).
 B. Nebuchadnezzar's Vision-Chapter 2 (Times of Gentiles).
      C. The Fiery Furnace-Chapter 3 (Tribulation in Type).
        D. The Fall of Nebuchadnezzar-Chapter 4.
        D. The Fall of Babylon-Chapter 5.
      C. The Lion's Den-Chapter 6 (Tribulation in Type).
 B. Daniel's Vision-Chapter 7-11 (Times of the Gentiles).
A. Israel in Trouble-Chapter 12.

I Cor 1:24, 25

 A. Power
  B. Wisdom
  B. Wisdom
 A. Power

PSALM 23:1-6

A. Jehovah-Supply-Verses 1-3-Spoken of "He".
  B. Danger-Death-Verse 4-"Rod and Staff"-Spoken to "Thou".
  B. Danger-Verse 5-"Table and Cup"-Spoken to "Thou".
A. Jehovah-Supply-Verse 6-"Goodness and Mercy"- Spoken of "His."

Rom 2:6-11:

A. By God
  B. Good
      a. character
      b. pursuit
      c. award
    C. Evil
      a. character
      b. pursuit
      c. award
    C. Evil
      a. character
      b. pursuit
      c. award
  B. Good
      a. character
      b. pursuit
      c. award

A. No respecter of persons "with God."

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