We can begin by reading through chapter 2 and then continuing on into chapter 3, as far as verse 6. How does 2,1 form a new beginning? Why is there is an important conclusion at 3,6? Compare too 1,45 and 3,7-8
Then look at the various incidents between 2,1 and 3,6. How many are there?
From this, there a number of questions arise. Do your best with them and the information I give before looking at my answers in the response.
What therefore is characteristic of these stories? What is the change of tone that makes them different to those of the first chapter? How does the tone progress and develop as the stories unfold and lead up to 3,6?
Which of these episodes might be seen as the central story? What marks it out from the other stories? Can you find any further links between the stories on either side? (A good way to do this is to write out the episodes in two columns with the middle story between them.)
There is also a theme (and a contrast) common to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stories. Can you spot it?
Having therefore had a good go at all this, it will be time to take a look at my response.
Having set the scene, we are ready to move on to the chapter itself. Each episode gives us a separate page for our reading. The last one (3,1-6) we will read as part of chapter 3. Let us now begin with the first episode, 2,1-12.