Create Study

Create-Study Skill — Handout + Leader's Notes

Transform a completed exegetical research file into two teaching deliverables:

1. Handout — ~900–1200 words, easily digestible, designed to prompt deeper study. Carries a single key verse and 2–4 main points so the lesson survives a one-minute skim.
2. Leader's notes — bullet-dense, essentially line-by-line through the basis text, with a fuller overview and discussion-leader cues.

This skill does not perform fresh exegesis. Every claim in the outputs must trace back to the source research file. If the source omits something the study would need, note the gap rather than invent content.

Usage: /create-study <passage|topic|path> [output-dir]

Examples:

• /create-study HAG 02:20-23
• /create-study Gold
• /create-study content/Topics/Chroma/Gold.md
• /create-study HAG 01:1-11 studies/winter-2026

Step 0 — Resolve the input to a source file

Argument splitting rule (topic names may contain spaces, and passage refs always do): first try the ENTIRE argument string as the source. Only if that fails AND the final whitespace-separated token contains / or \ or names an existing directory, treat that final token as [output-dir] and retry the remainder as the source. Never split a topic name on spaces otherwise. Example: /create-study Holy Ground → topic content/Topics/Holy Ground.md; /create-study HAG 01:1-11 studies/winter-2026 → source HAG 01:1-11, output-dir studies/winter-2026.

Resolve the source by trying these patterns in order:

1. Passage reference — normalize first: uppercase the book code; then match ^[1-3]?[A-Z]{2,3}\s+\d{1,3}:\S+$ (e.g. HAG 02:20-23, MRK 08:31-9:1, 1SA 17:1-58, PSA 023:1-6).
   • Resolve to content/Books/<TESTAMENT>/<BOOK_CODE>/<CHAPTER>/<BOOK_CODE>_<CHAPTER>_<VERSES>.md.
   • Use the OT/NT split from the book-code table below.
   • CHAPTER = the starting chapter, zero-padded to match the tree (2 digits for most books; 3 digits for Psalms).
   • VERSES = everything after the first colon, with any remaining colon replaced by an underscore (cross-chapter ranges). The second chapter in a cross-chapter range is NOT zero-padded. Verse numbers are NEVER zero-padded in filenames (strip leading zeros); only chapters are.
   • Worked examples: HAG 02:20-23 → content/Books/OT/HAG/02/HAG_02_20-23.md; MRK 08:31-9:1 → content/Books/NT/MRK/08/MRK_08_31-9_1.md; ECC 09:13-10:4 → content/Books/OT/ECC/09/ECC_09_13-10_4.md; PSA 23:1-6 → content/Books/OT/PSA/023/PSA_023_1-6.md.
   • Range fallback: if the constructed path does not exist, glob content/Books/*/<BOOK_CODE>/<CHAPTER>/<BOOK_CODE>_<CHAPTER>_*.md. If exactly one file's verse range contains or overlaps the requested verses, use it and say so in the report. If zero or several qualify, halt and list the chapter's available files so the user can pick.
2. Existing file path — argument contains / or \ or ends in .md, and the file exists. Use directly.
3. Topic or character name — anything else. Try in order:
   • content/Topics/<arg>.md
   • content/Characters/<arg>.md
   • Glob content/Topics/**/<arg>.md. If the glob returns more than one match, halt and list the matches.

If no file is found after all branches, halt with a clear error message. Do not fabricate content.

Step 1 — Read the source research file in full

Read the resolved file end-to-end. This is the sole basis for both outputs.

Identify these sections in the source (they may not all be present):

• Scripture block (the > **1** ... blockquote)
• ## Overview (if present — big idea, place in the book, key verse and movements)
• ## Historical & Cultural Analysis
• ## Linguistic Analysis
• ## Literary Analysis
• ## Theological Analysis
• ## Hermeneutic
• ## Application

Note the title (first H1), and for passages, identify each verse (or for topics, each major section).

While reading, mark two things you will need later:

• Key-verse candidates — the verse(s) the source itself treats as the hinge: the one its Literary section places at the centre of a chiasm or turn, its Theological section builds on, or its Hermeneutic section names as the interpretive key. Prefer a verse the source repeatedly returns to over one it merely mentions.
• Main-point candidates — the 2–4 movements a lesson on this passage would have. Read the source's Literary section for how the passage divides (chiasm, stanzas, scenes, argument steps) and its Theological / Hermeneutic sections for what each division is saying. These become the ## Main Points section and the outline of ## Info in both outputs.

If the source has ## Overview, start there: take the key verse from its §3, the main points from its movements (labels may be tightened), and the big idea from its §1 — then validate each against the sections it points to. A verse not in the blockquote, or a movement no section supports, falls back to the triangulation above and is recorded under ## Gaps in the Source. Setting, author, and genre bullets still come from the Historical and Literary sections.

If the source has no scripture blockquote, omit the ## Verses section from BOTH outputs — never reconstruct Scripture from memory (consistent with the no-fresh-exegesis rule).

Step 2 — Generate the leader's notes (do this FIRST)

Leader's notes are the superset; the handout is a distillation. Generating in this order keeps the two documents consistent.

Filename: <source-basename>_leader.md (e.g. HAG_01_1-11.md → HAG_01_1-11_leader.md). For topics in subfolders, prefix the subfolder to keep output names unique in the flat output dir (e.g. Chroma/Gold.md → Chroma_Gold_leader.md).

Structure (top-level sections separated by ---):

# Leader's Notes — {source title without the leading "Exegetical Analysis of"}

## Verses

{reproduce the scripture blockquote from the source unchanged}

---

## Overview

{bullet-dense, ~300–500 words}

---

## Key Verse

> **{N}** {verse text, verbatim from the scripture blockquote}

- **Why this verse:** {one line, grounded in the source}

---

## Main Points

1. **{Point}** (vv.{a}-{b}) — {one sentence: what the passage says here}
   - **Source:** {which section(s) of the research file carry it}
...
{(vv.a-b) is the passage form; topic studies use book-qualified citations or no parenthetical — see Main Points section rules}

---

## Info

### 1. {Point} (vv.{a}-{b})

#### v.{a}
- {bullet}
- {bullet}

#### v.{a+1}
- {bullet}
...

### 2. {Point} (vv.{c}-{d})
...

---

## Discussion

1. {question}
   - **Leader's note:** {direction + key text/principle}
...

Overview section (300–500 words, mostly bullets):

• Setting — date, place, audience (from Historical & Cultural)
• Author / speaker and immediate context within the book (from Literary)
• Genre and literary frame (from Literary)
• Big idea — one sentence (from the source's Overview §1 when present)
• Supporting movements — 2–4 bullets

Key Verse section — exactly one verse from the passage, quoted verbatim from the source's scripture blockquote with its verse number in bold. Never quote from memory or from a different translation than the source uses. Choose the verse the source itself treats as the hinge (see the key-verse candidates from Step 1). One **Why this verse:** bullet, one line, citing what in the source makes it central. Do not pick the "most famous" verse if the source's argument turns elsewhere — this is the passage's key, not a memory verse. If the source has no scripture blockquote, omit the section from BOTH outputs and record it under ## Gaps in the Source. For topic studies, the key verse must still be a verse the source quotes in full somewhere in its body; if it quotes none, omit and note the gap. The handout carries the same verse unchanged.

Main Points section — 2–4 points, the lesson's outline. Each point is a short bolded label (2–5 words), a reference in parentheses (see below), and one sentence stating what the passage says there. Under each, one **Source:** bullet naming the research-file section(s) that carry it, so the leader can go deeper.

• Let the passage's shape decide the points. If the source's Literary section shows structural units (stanzas, scenes, a chiasm's panels, steps in an argument), each point covers one unit and the verse ranges partition the passage in order. If the passage is a single unit developing one idea (a short proverb cluster, a tight argument), the points are its main ideas instead, each tagged with the verse(s) where that idea surfaces; ranges may then overlap.
• Alliteration or parallel phrasing is welcome when it comes naturally (e.g. Provoked · Promised · Proven) and forbidden when it bends the point to fit the letter. Accuracy to the source wins every time; a plain label beats a clever wrong one.
• Every point must be something the source actually argues; do not promote an aside because it preaches well. Draw substance from the Theological / Hermeneutic sections and structure from Literary. Never pad to four — and never pad to two: if the source defensibly supports only one movement, write a single point, record "source supports only one main point" under ## Gaps in the Source, and let ## Info sit under that one heading. A one-point study is compliant; an invented second point is not.
• Reference form: for passage sources, the verse range within the passage, (vv.a-b). For topic and character sources there is no single target passage, so use book-qualified citations of the verse(s) the source actually treats under that point, e.g. (Genesis 41:42; Exodus 25:11), discontiguous where needed — or omit the parenthetical when the point rests on the topic as a whole rather than on specific texts. Never coin a bare (vv.a-b) range for a topic study.
• The same points, numbered and labelled identically, become the ### headings of ## Info and carry into the handout verbatim (minus the **Source:** bullets).

Info section — go line-by-line, grouped under the main points:

• For passages: one ### N. {Point} (vv.a-b) subsection per main point, in the same order and wording as ## Main Points, and under it one #### v.N subsection per verse in that range. Every verse of the passage appears exactly once; if a verse belongs to no point (a transition, a superscription), attach it to the nearest point rather than leaving it orphaned. When the points are ideas rather than units and ranges overlap, assign each verse to the point it serves most and do not repeat it. For each verse, 4–8 short bullets pulling from across the source: key original-language terms, historical/cultural notes, literary observations, theological weight, cross-references. Keep bullets scannable — half a line each where possible.
• For topics: the ### headings are still the main points (with the same book-qualified references or none, never (vv.a-b)); replace #### v.N with #### {Subsection Heading} mirroring the source's major sections that feed each point.

Discussion section — at most 4 questions, a single numbered list (no Observation/Interpretation/Application subheadings). Fewer than 4 is fine when the passage is short or narrow; never exceed 4.

• Across the set, move from observation → interpretation → application, so the group works the text before applying it. Pull the applying question(s) from the source's ## Application.
• Under each numbered question, one **Leader's note:** bullet summarizing the expected direction of discussion and the key text/principle to surface.
• These are the same questions that go in the handout, verbatim — the handout just drops the leader's notes.

Gaps section (leader's notes only, optional): this skill's rule is "note the gap rather than invent content" — gap notes live here. If the source lacked anything the study needed (a verse never analyzed, no application material, missing scripture block, no quotable key verse, source supports only one main point), add a final ## Gaps in the Source section listing each gap in one bullet. Omit the section when there are no gaps. Keep the handout clean — no gaps section there.

Step 3 — Generate the handout

Target 900–1200 words total. Same sections as leader's notes, much terser, no leader cues.

Filename: <source-basename>_handout.md (e.g. HAG_01_1-11.md → HAG_01_1-11_handout.md), with the same subfolder prefix rule as the leader's notes.

Structure:

# {source title without the leading "Exegetical Analysis of"} — Study Handout

## Verses

{same scripture blockquote as leader's notes}

---

## Overview

{120–200 words tight prose}

**Big idea:** {one sentence}

---

## Key Verse

> **{N}** {verse text, verbatim from the scripture blockquote}

---

## Main Points

1. **{Point}** (vv.{a}-{b}) — {one sentence}
...

---

## Info

### 1. {Point} (vv.{a}-{b})

#### v.{a}
- {bullet}
- {bullet}
...

---

## Discussion

1. {question}
2. {question}
...

Overview — ~120–200 words. Tight prose paragraph(s) orienting the reader, ending with a **Big idea:** line (from the source's Overview §1 when present).

Key Verse — the same single verse as the leader's notes, quoted verbatim from the scripture blockquote, verse number in bold. No commentary in the handout; the "why" stays in the leader's notes.

Main Points — the 2–4 points (or the single point, in the one-point case) from the leader's notes, carried over verbatim as a numbered list with their references, without the **Source:** bullets. Keep the whole section under ~100 words. This is the take-home: a reader who reads nothing else should leave with these.

Info — ~400–550 words total. Same ### N. {Point} headings as the leader's notes, with #### v.N under each; terse bullets per verse, prefer 2–4 bullets per verse over 6–8. Designed to prompt deeper study, not exhaust the source.

Discussion — at most 4 open-ended questions (fewer is fine), no leader notes. Same questions as the leader's notes, in the same order, verbatim. Suitable for a small group cold.

Length discipline: the handout MUST stay within ~1200 words. If the source is unusually rich, prune rather than overflow.

Step 4 — Write both files

Default output directory: studies/ at the project root.

If the user passed a second argument, use that as the output directory instead.

Create the output directory if it does not exist.

Overwrite guard: if either target file already exists, stop and ask the user before replacing it.

Before writing, run a word count on the handout; if it exceeds ~1,200 words, prune it first (the cap in Step 3 is a hard limit).

Write both files. Then append one row to studies/INDEX.md (create it with a header row if missing):

| <source path> | <handout path> | <leader path> | <YYYY-MM-DD> |

Report the two paths, a one-line summary (word count) for each, the key verse chosen (reference only), the main points (labels only), and the number of gaps noted (0 if none).

Do not modify TODO.md — that file tracks research, not studies. studies/INDEX.md is the studies tracker; a source file newer than its INDEX row means the study is stale.

Formatting (carry from CLAUDE.md)

• Original-language terms: **term** (Hebrew/Greek/Aramaic: script, *transliteration*)
• Biblical citations: Book Chapter:Verses
• Verse refs inside the target passage: (v.1), (vv.1-5)
• Top-level sections: ##; subsections: ###; per-verse units inside ## Info: ####
• Separators: --- between each ## section
• Tone: clear, confessional/evangelical, no narrow tradition; scholar addressing motivated amateurs

Book Code → Testament + Full Name

OT books (TESTAMENT = OT): GEN Genesis · EXO Exodus · LEV Leviticus · NUM Numbers · DEU Deuteronomy · JOS Joshua · JDG Judges · RUT Ruth · 1SA 1 Samuel · 2SA 2 Samuel · 1KI 1 Kings · 2KI 2 Kings · 1CH 1 Chronicles · 2CH 2 Chronicles · EZR Ezra · NEH Nehemiah · EST Esther · JOB Job · PSA Psalms · PRO Proverbs · ECC Ecclesiastes · SNG Song of Solomon · ISA Isaiah · JER Jeremiah · LAM Lamentations · EZK Ezekiel · DAN Daniel · HOS Hosea · JOL Joel · AMO Amos · OBA Obadiah · JON Jonah · MIC Micah · NAH Nahum · HAB Habakkuk · ZEP Zephaniah · HAG Haggai · ZEC Zechariah · MAL Malachi

NT books (TESTAMENT = NT): MAT Matthew · MRK Mark · LUK Luke · JHN John · ACT Acts · ROM Romans · 1CO 1 Corinthians · 2CO 2 Corinthians · GAL Galatians · EPH Ephesians · PHP Philippians · COL Colossians · 1TH 1 Thessalonians · 2TH 2 Thessalonians · 1TI 1 Timothy · 2TI 2 Timothy · TIT Titus · PHM Philemon · HEB Hebrews · JAS James · 1PE 1 Peter · 2PE 2 Peter · 1JN 1 John · 2JN 2 John · 3JN 3 John · JUD Jude · REV Revelation

Psalms use 3-digit chapter padding (001–150). All other books use 2-digit chapter padding.