A THEOLOGY OF PREACHING
INTRODUCTION:
This paper fulfills an assigned task to write an
evangelical theology of preaching. Within its introductory remarks, a presuppositional
basis and biblical definition of preaching are presented. As the foundation of
a building is essential to the strength and stability of that structure,
foundational principles provide the needed support for effective theology. The
stating of this basis and definition identifies that needed foundation. It is
the thesis of this paper that a sufficient evangelical theology of preaching is
established by identifying and reviewing three essential elements of that theology:
1) the man who preaches, 2) the message he preaches and 3) the mission or
purpose of preaching. This thesis further asserts that the proper comprehension
and implementation of these three elements will begin with an acceptance of the
values and truths stated in the presuppositional basis and biblical definition
which follow.
The Presuppositional Basis
As stated above any theologian seeking to propose an
evangelical theology should identify and justify the foundational principles upon
which his view is based. His theology of preaching is no exception. Thus, since
this project is tasked to present such a theology, the foundational presuppositions
upon which it is to be based are as follows: 1) there is only one true and
living God and He is eternal, a-temporal, holy, perfect in wisdom, complete in
knowledge, absolute in authority, almighty in power, spotless in righteousness,
blameless in all His ways and just in all His judgments. He is also
all-sufficient in grace, everlasting in love and enduring in His mercy. 2) God
has revealed Himself to be a triune being through the person of the Father, the
person of the Son and the person of the Holy Spirit. This revelation has taken
place through creation and other works as recorded in the Old and New Testaments
and His coming in the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. By means of the Holy
Spirit’s guidance, He continues to reveal Himself, His purposes and His ways to
mankind through the pages of the inerrant Scripture. 3) Because of sin, man
fell from his original, intended place in God’s creation. Jesus, the Son,
revealed God’s eternal plan for man’s redemption and restoration to that former,
intended place by coming as God in the flesh, presenting Himself as a
sacrificial offering of substitution thus providing the atonement for man’s sin
and failure. 4) The success of His atonement and completed victory over sin,
death, hell and the grave, as illustrated by His bodily resurrection from the
dead, has significant present and eternal potential for mankind. This potential
constitutes the “good news,” or, the Gospel. 5) God desires for all to surrender
themselves to the work and person of Jesus Christ, and by so doing receive the
gift of His redeeming grace through faith. He desires those who have received
this gift of redemption to share this gospel with every man of every nation
until Christ’s promised return. 6) As a primary means of accomplishing that calling,
God has tasked certain men to preach this gospel to all creation so as to
evangelize the lost, and equip God’s people in their journey of faith until all
have reached a point of spiritual maturity. God intends this to be done through
the proclamation and instruction of the truths of His Word. Therefore, God continues
to reveal Himself, His purposes and His ways through all His followers and to
all His followers, but specifically He uses those who have been selected by Him
to preach His message. He has chosen preaching to be the primary and an essential
means by which this message is to be revealed and His will to be declared.
Preaching, therefore, is a concept of God’s design and,
as a result, should be considered a holy privilege and an act of worship and
obedience having a potential for eternal as well as immediate consequences. These
six propositions assume that any theology of preaching built upon something
contrary to these propositions is neither sufficient nor justified to be called
evangelical or biblical. Thus, any preaching not built upon them would not be worthy
of the label.[1]
The Definition
of Preaching
Preaching has been defined in so many
ways, one could get lost in the research. Secular sources define the term
negatively by identifying it as an exhortation done in an “officious or tiresome manner.”[2]
Christian sources, on the other hand, consider preaching to be “the delivery of
a learned and edifying or hortatory discourse in well-chosen words and a
pleasant voice.”[3]
More recent definitions include: “Christian preaching . . . is the event of God
bringing to an audience a Bible-based, Christ-related, life-impacting message
of instruction and direction from himself through the words of a spokesperson.”[4] These
statements only begin to reveal the wide spectrum of definitions for consideration.
Whatever diversity of definition
given to the term preaching, this
project presents a biblically justifiable one. This is possible in spite of the
fact that the Bible does not specifically define the term. There are a number
of Greek terms within the manuscripts which sufficiently describing the
preaching event. These are used as to justify the assertions within the thesis
of this paper. Two such terms are of major significance. They are kerusso and euangelizo. These
terms, and some of their derived forms, comprise the vast majority of the instances
where some form of the English word preach
is used to translate. Hence, understanding these two terms will provide a sufficient
foundation for formulating a correct perception of what the Bible writers
intended the reader to comprehend when they used these terms.
The first term, the Greek verb kerusso and its noun form kerugma, carry the act of an official proclamation
(the verb) or an official message (the noun). It represents the idea of communicating
official or important information with the implication that some kind of
response should take place.[5]
If, for instance, a town crier of the first century was tasked by the
government to proclaim the news that enemy forces were approaching and appropriate
actions are expected by the general populace, the action of proclaiming this
message would be described by this verb and message proclaimed by the noun.
Similarly, if the town crier were to proclaim that a new tax was to be
implemented those implementing the tax would expect those hearing the
proclamation to understand and respond accordingly. The action of the crier and
the message he proclaimed illustrates the meaning of verb and noun of this
Greek term, respectively. It was this word, and its variant forms, which was
borrowed by the writers of the New Testament to represent the intended action
and message of the biblical preacher. Thus, the biblical preacher is to be seen
as an official messenger of God with an official, important message from Him and,
as in the case of the examples given above, upon his proclaiming, there is an
expectation of appropriate response.
The second term, the Greek verb euangelizo, represents the sharing of joyous news or news
that should cause its hearer to rejoice. The noun is literally a compilation of the
Greek terms translated good and message or news.[6] Hence, in its noun form, the word euangelion is translated Gospel, or good news.
Thus, the sharing of this good news is the force of the verb. When both terms are combined to identify the
preaching dynamic, one can easily see that the biblical concept of preaching is
the sharing of the Good News in an official capacity as one who carries the
message of God to those who need to hear it that they might respond appropriately.
This then is a beginning for understanding of what biblical preaching is or
should be. However, identifying what preaching is does not establish a theology
of preaching. It merely serves to help identify the target. To establish such a
theology requires consideration of the entire preaching dynamic. That requires
the identification and review of the three essential elements which comprise a
biblical theology of preaching.
IDENTITY AND
REVIEW OF THE THREE ESSENTIAL
ELEMENTS OF
A THEOLOGY OF PREACHING
Having revealed the foundations upon which this theology
is built, the focus turns to that which constitutes the structure of the
theology of preaching. The question now to be addressed is, “What comprises the
essential elements for constructing a meaningful theology of preaching?” The
thesis of this paper states that there are three such elements.
The first can be found in Romans 10:14. There, Paul asks
the rhetorical question, “How shall they hear without a preacher?” This establishes
that the first essential element of a biblical theology of preaching is a
preacher. Thus, the consideration of what is expected of these God-appointed preachers
will be significant. In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul reveals another essential element
when he describes that he was sent to “preach the Gospel.” This establishes
that the second element is that which is preached. Thus, understanding what constitutes
this message and how the preacher can be certain he is preaching what God
intends is another essential for a biblical theology of preaching.
The third essential element is again revealed by Paul in
Colossians 1:28-29. In these verses, Paul declares that the ultimate aim of his
proclaiming (preaching)[7]
is “warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom that we may present everyone (spiritually)
mature.” By this statement, Paul establishes not only that preaching must have
a mission or purpose but that it has a specific mission or purpose.
Subsequently, a theology of preaching must be able to identify and justify the
purpose for preaching.
Though these three ingredients may not be all-inclusive
of that which fully comprises the biblical preaching dynamic, a succinct but
adequate discussion of these three essential elements, built upon the foundational
principles already stated, is sufficient for a responsible and biblically sound
theology of preaching. Identifying and reviewing these three essential elements,
therefore, will sufficiently fulfill the assigned task.
The Man
Who Preaches
Paul makes it clear that God’s plan requires
the message of God’s redemption to be proclaimed by preachers when he poses the
rhetorical question, “But how can they call on Him they have not
believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can
they hear without a preacher (Romans 10:14 HCSB)?” These questions suggest that
not all men are to be preachers, but all preachers are to be extraordinary men.
They must be extraordinary because while they are yet subject to the weaknesses
of the flesh, they are tasked to do work that is holy, the proclaiming of God’s
message. J.I. Packer describes the preaching event as when: “The preacher is
treating himself as a mouthpiece for the biblical word of God, and that word is
coming through.”[8] In
one of his sermons entitled, The Care of
the Soul Urged as the One Thing Needed, George Whitefield wrote:
The care of the soul, implies a readiness to hear the
words of Christ, to seat ourselves with Mary at his feet, and to receive both
the law and the gospel from his mouth. It supposes, that we learn from this
divine teacher the worth of our souls, their danger, and their remedy; and that
we become above all things solicitous about their salvation. That, heartily
repenting of all our sins, and cordially believing the everlasting gospel, we
receive the Lord Jesus Christ for righteousness and life, rest our souls on the
value of his atonement, and the efficacy of his grace.[9]
While Whitefield is not specifically
addressing preachers in this quote, it is self-evident that if these principles
are applicable to the person in the pew, they must be even more applicable to
the man in the pulpit. Biblical preaching is to be executed by men who have
been called of God to perform the task. “How shall they hear without a
preacher?” makes this clear. However, in the next verse, there is even more
evidence that this must be a person specifically tasked with this duty, “And
how can they preach unless they are sent (Romans 10:15 HCSB)? These verses
force the following questions: “Is it biblical preaching if it is not done by
one the Father has not called to preach?
Is it biblical preaching if it is done by a preacher seeking the
attention of man rather that pointing the attention of man to the message of God?"
The thesis of this paper suggests
that these questions are to be answered negatively. The man must not only be
called to preach the message but he must live a life that reflects the validity
of the message he preaches. This is one of the primary points Paul is making. The
quote of Whitefield above affirms this by offering a focus that is three-fold.
He speaks of concern for the inward focus of the child of God as he speaks of
the “care of the soul.” He speaks of his outward focus in that he speaks of the
essential concern for being “solicitous” of the salvation of the lost. Lastly,
he focuses upon the preacher’s upward focus in that he challenges the reader to
rest in the “value of his atonement and the efficacy of his grace.” It is obvious
that these are to be the foci of the children of God. Consequently, they must be
the foci of the biblical preacher. It is inconceivable that the biblical
preacher could effectively preach to others of truths he himself does not know
nor experienced or possessed? Thus, these focal points must be central to the
man who preaches. For this reason, a closer look at these three points of focus,
as they relate to the man who preaches, is in order if one is going to
establish a sufficient theology of preaching.
His
Upward Focus
Charles
Simeon said of the preacher: “A servant of God should never lose sight of the object which he is
commissioned to promote. Whether in public or in private, whether on the
Sabbath or other days, whether early or late, whether in a season of peace or
of the bitterest persecution, he should be alike active, and alike intent on
fulfilling the will of his Divine Master”[10] What
Simeon is confirmed is that the upward focus of the preacher ought to be on his
Master as a servant who seeks to know his Master’s will. As a faithful servant
his focus is on doing that which brings his master pleasure. This upward focus requires
certain knowledge of God and of the Word of God which enables and results in his
ever growing intimacy with his heavenly Father. As one who serves his Lord, the
man who preaches must understand that his primary focus is not the pleasure of
man, nor even the pleasure of himself. Though preaching may bring much personal
pleasure, the primary focus must be the pleasure of God. His focus must always
be upward if he is to be God’s messenger.
His Inner Focus
Simeon speaks also of the need of an
inner focus as he describes the truth about some who enjoy preaching but do not
heed its message, “there are many professors of religion who are as much
under the dominion of unhallowed tempers as if they were utter strangers to
divine truth: and, in speaking peace to themselves, they fearfully deceive
their own souls: for, whatever they may think, their religion is altogether
vain.”[11]
Thus, the man who preaches must look within himself that he might know his
potential for weakness as well as knowing that within him he possesses the
truth of the Gospel and the presence of the Holy Spirit and the joy of real
salvation. He must look within himself in such a way that he sincerely lives as
though he believes what he has been tasked to preach. To live otherwise would
negate his capacity to be a spokesman for God. This was confirmed by Paul when
he wrote, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that
by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (1
Corinthians 9:27 (KJV).” Packer expands this thought when he correctly
observes, “We need the unction of the Holy Spirit for the act of preaching
itself.”[12] How
can this unction be free to work if the inner man is out of focus within? Again,
Simeon exhorted, “Grievous have been the falls of many who have professed
religion; and shocking the scandals which have at times prevailed in the
Christian Church.”[13] William
Ward Ayer further confirms the need of this focus, “Whatever the sermonic
style, the pulpiteer is effective when he has the highest spiritual motive.
This includes the conscious call of God to preach.”[14]
All of this leads to an obvious conclusion: If the man of God is to preach the
message of God, he must be possessed by the person of God and a heart which
yearns for God. This requires his inner focus be consumed with a desire for an
ever deepening knowledge of God and His pleasure and a certainty of his call to
preach.
His
Outward Focus
Finally,
Simeon mentions the need for a sufficient outward focus of the man who preaches.
The outward focus involves two points of concentration. First, he is called to regard
those to whom he preaches. J.I. Packer points out, “Without a regular diet of
Bible-based, Christ-related, life-impacting messages from God, the mindset of a
congregation will become . . . institutionalist and sacramentalist.”[15]
The man who preaches must possess a concern for those of the flock that such a
mindset not beset them. Thus the man who preaches must focus on his
responsibilities to the children of God. This requires a concern for the needs
of the flock of God that seeks to offer what is required for the flock as
defined by the Father, not just what is requested or preferred by them. Secondly,
Simeon declares the man who preaches to be “appointed
of God to instruct the world in the things which belong to their everlasting
peace. They are to rescue men, if possible, from the power of Satan . . .
But their only hope of success is in God alone.[16]”
Thus, the man who preaches must include in his outward focus his
responsibilities to preach the truths of God to those who do not know the Lord’s
redemption. This responsibility to faithfully preach the Gospel to the lost must
also be part of the outward focus of the man who preaches. This is to be done
however, not with a self-reliance which impedes the work of God but with reliance
upon the power of the Spirit of God. The results of all biblical preaching must
be entrusted to the Holy Spirit.
Summary Thoughts
These three foci
aid in identifying the role of the man who preaches and his significance within
a theology of preaching. Further development of these foci is warranted but due
to the limits of this project, a fuller development is not possible here. To
summarize what has been presented thus far, preaching is an essential part of
God’s plan for disseminating the truths of His Word. Preaching requires a
preacher called by God to the task and sufficiently focused upwardly, inwardly
and outwardly so as to assure his effectiveness as a preacher. Having established
the first element of a theology of preaching, attention is now directed toward
the second.
The Message to Be
Preached
There are many biblical references for what is to be
preached. The examples given by the Greek terms which appear in the
introduction are exemplars. Further reference is found in Paul’s first letter
to the Corinthians. There, the Apostle speaks of his calling. He states, “For
Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words
of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power (1
Corinthians 1:17 ESV).” If one understands the gospel to be the good news of
the death burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and what those truths mean for
those who believe, both for their present and their eternity as has been
previously established, then it is clear that the preaching of the Gospel would
require a preaching of the whole Word of God. Paul further implies this to be
the case in his letter to the young Timothy, “I charge you in the presence of
God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his
appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of
season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching (2
Timothy 4:1–2 ESV). Though these verses may not present a thorough
understanding of the message to be preached, they do establish clear indicators
of the priority of preaching. To more fully comprehend the parameters of the message
to be preached, proposed ideological indicators will be discussed. By these a
sufficient understanding is attained to provide sufficient clarity of the
message. Succinctly, it is the position of this paper that an adequate theology
of preaching requires an adequate identification of the message to be preached.
To properly identify that message, an adequate theology of preaching will
reflect: 1) a philosophy that is propositional, 2) a Scripture that is
revelational, 3) an exegesis that is justifiable, 4) a homiletic that is
intentional and 5) a rhetoric that is effectual. Each of these concepts are
defined and discussed in further detail below.
A Philosophy that is Propositional
As one of, if not the primary evangelical theologian of
the 20th century, Carl F. H. Henry stated, “To be sure, concepts and
words are instrumentalities of God’s disclosure; divine revelation is
conceptual and verbal. But neither a concept per se nor an unrelated word can
be true or false. Only propositions have the quality of truth.”[17]
In this statement, Henry affirms that if the message to be preached is to be
the truth God intended, it must be preached as a philosophical truth which is
propositional. That is, truth is not based on the perception of the perceiver,
nor is truth the result of what man declares it to be. Truth is an eternal,
unchangeable proposition which must be discovered, not created or devised.
Thus, if the message preached is to be God’s message, it must be philosophically
propositional.[18]
Though some theologians today want to move away from propositionalism, they
realize they cannot move away from propositional truth. Kevin Vanhoozer
affirmed this when he wrote in The Drama
of Doctrine, of his desire to move, “beyond propositionalism without,
however, leaving propositions behind.”[19]
Whatever Vanhoozer meant by that statement it is clear that he realizes he
cannot fully abandon the reality that the Scriptures must be seen as
propositional truth. Thus, any adequate theology of preaching must accept the
message of God as being philosophically propositional.
A Scripture that is Revelational
Though the message to be preached is philosophically
propositional, Scripture itself is revelational in its intent. Carl Henry
affirms this when he observes that there are but two alternatives for
discerning truth. Either man projects himself upon the world and disavows any
objective possibility of God or a “transcendent divine reality through
intelligible revelation establishes the fact that God is actually at work in
the sphere of nature and human affairs.”[20] What is ironic
is that both of these alternatives require a measure of faith. The first
alternative, disavowing any object possibility of God, requires a significant
measure of faith in man. The second requires a measure of faith in the
transcendent reality of God. If a preacher is to preach God’s message, he
cannot hold to the first. He must hold to the second. In so doing, he
acknowledges that through creation and history, especially by the incarnation
of Christ, and, today, primarily through the Scripture in concert with the work
of the Holy Spirit, God has been and is revealing himself, his purposes and his
ways to mankind. Hence, any message preached must reflect a Scripture that is
revelational. God’s desire to reveal himself is self-evident throughout the
pages of the Bible. As David Allen observed, “God’s words are inseparable from
his self-revelation.”[21]
Hence, if the message preached is to be God’s message from God’s Word, it will
view Scripture as revelational.
An Exegesis that is Justifiable
To understand the need for the message to reflect an
exegesis that is justifiable, one must first be clear about what exegesis is. Succinctly,
using language skills such as grammar, etymology and syntax etc., while being
sensitive to the historical and literary context in which the passage was
written, the exegete asks the question, “What does this passage of Scripture
say?” This implies that though there may be a myriad of potential applications.
There is only one justifiable translation of the text. The exegete seeks to
discover what that is. Allen Myers affirmed this when he stated, “In the most
basic sense, exegesis is concerned with the meaning of a text as regards the
author and ancient addressees.”[22]
Hence, if the message preached is to be true to the Scriptures, it must
be discovered by an exegesis that is justifiable. One must not approach
Scripture with the notion that the Scripture is a tool for proving one’s point.
Instead, one must approach the Scripture with honest, sufficient, and
consistent academics so as to discover what the Scripture states. Otherwise one
reads into the Scripture what is desired rather than receive from the Scripture
what is stated. To read into the Scripture is eisegesis. To receive from the Scripture what is intended, is exegesis. The theological errors arising
from eisegesis are too numerous to mention and as a result there are a broad
spectrum of ideologies at work today. Many of these ideologies incorrectly claim
to have biblical foundations because they come from what has been read into the
text not what has been derived from text through justifiable exegesis. To
confront this phenomenon, William Ayer suggests a review of the sermons
preached in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Of those sermons
he noted, “You will sense that while people were not as broadly intelligent
concerning world affairs as today’s audiences, yet they had philosophical
depth; and strong arguments were needed to keep them on the gospel road.”[23]
The parallels to the present culture are obvious. Strong arguments are still
needed and are best made by discovering and affirming what the text says, not
what men want the text to say. Suffice it to say that assuring the message
preached is indeed the message which God intended makes a strong case for
accuracy. That kind of accuracy can only be the result of an exegesis that is
justifiable. An exegesis that is justifiable will require sufficient and honest
academics and consistency of translation which affirms non-contradiction within
Scripture.
A Homiletic that is Intentional
In regard to Homiletics, William Ward Ayer once again
gives helpful insight for understanding, “Homiletics asks, ‘How am I going to
relate what it says?’”[24]
That is to say that while exegesis discovers what the passage says, homiletics seeks
to determine how best to communicate or relate what the passage says to the
hearer. Thus, homiletics must be intentional. This is confirmed by Ward’s
statement, “you are not simply discovering what the passage says but there is
an intention in declaring the passage and you develop the message to move the
hearer toward that intention.”[25]
Hence, “How is the sermon to be structured so as to best accomplish the biblical
intention?” is the homiletical question and its place is vital in determining
the content of the message preached. Ayer further comments, “Sermons should
stabilize listeners to know that Christianity is a virile faith. It does not
deal with old wives’ fables but with eternal certainties.”[26]
Therefore, to communicate eternal certainties effectively does not require a
homiletic that is accidental or undefined, but one that is intentional. The
homiletics of that preacher who seeks to present a biblical theology should,
therefore, be intentional. Having established that the message must be
Scriptural which requires an exegesis that is faithful to what the Scripture
says, it is now apparent that the homiletics of that message must be
sufficiently intentional so as to “move the hearer toward that intention.” Thus,
a homiletic that is intentional must be a function of the message preached if
that message is to contribute to a theology of preaching.
A Rhetoric that is Effectual
The final characteristic to be discussed
regarding the message preached has to do with the rhetoric of the message.
Though the term rhetoric is defined n a multitude of ways, it was initially
used to define that part of the argument used by ancient philosophers who
sought to respond to the dialectic or
the initial presentation of a point or argument.[27] Ayer
assists us in understanding the validity of its use in reference to the message
preached, “Rhetoric asks, how do I convince them of what is being said and
convince them of what they should do?”[28]
In other words, the man who preaches must assume that the hearer has heard at
least some argument opposing the truths of the Scripture and the message he
preaches must possess a rhetoric that is effectual in convincing the hearer of
the Scriptural truth. Several thoughts emerge from this observation. First, the
man who preaches must not make the mistake of assuming his hearers agree with
the truths of Scripture. Second, the man who preaches must preach a message
that is built upon certainties that can be justifiably claimed. Thirdly, the
message preached must have as its goal, not only a convincing of the
justifiability of the tenets upon which it is based but must possess a rhetoric
that is effectual in moving the hearer toward compliance with the truth being preached.
Thus, any theology of preaching must identify a message preached that is
rhetorically effectual.
Summary Thoughts
Not only must a sufficient theology
of preaching include a description of the man who preaches, but it must include
an sufficient understanding of the message to be preached. It is essential that
this message reflect a philosophy that is propositional, a Scripture that is
revelational, an exegesis that is justifiable, a homiletic that is intentional and
a rhetoric that is effectual as the concept of rhetoric has herein been
defined. These statements summaries are the first two essential elements of the
theology of preaching. The third and final element is the mission or purpose of
preaching.
The Mission of Preaching
Stated simply, the mission of preaching is found by
answering the question, “Why preach?” Paul’s stated purpose for preaching provides
an excellent answer. A careful consideration of Colossians 1:28-29 reveals that
statement. In those verses he declares, “28 Him [Jesus]
we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we
may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I
toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me”
(Colossians 1:28–29 ESV). First, it is important to recognize that the term
translated proclaim is the Greek word
kataggellw. It is a variant of euaggellizw
mentioned in the introduction. According to Louw Nida, this word means,
“to announce, with focus upon the extent to which the announcement or
proclamation extends—to proclaim throughout, to announce, to speak out about.”[29]
Parenthetically, this term is synonymous with khrussw also mentioned earlier but not the same. Khrussw
suggests an ‘official’ quality of the announcement or proclamation.[30] Kataggellw suggests a wide-spread dissemination of the
announcement or proclamation. Paul uses kataggellw to imply the extent of his preaching and proclaiming of the Gospel. In
so doing he clearly identifies his widespread preaching to be a means by which
he intends to accomplish his mission. Hence, these verses are being used to
describe the purpose of Paul’s ministry but specifically the purpose or mission
of his preaching. The focal point in
these verses is his declaration that everything Paul does contributes to the singular
goal of presenting “everyone.” However, he is not merely concerned with the
quantity of those presented. His mission is specifically to present everyone
with lives that possess the quality of “maturity in Christ.”
This word translated maturity
also bears some scrutiny in that its understanding is critical for a full comprehension
of Paul’s mission. The word is the noun teleioV. The verbal form of this noun is telew. A form of the verb was used by Jesus when
he cried “it is finished” on the cross. Baur, Danker and Arndt’s lexicon describes
the force of the word’s meaning as, “being mature, full-grown, mature, adult,
or attaining an end or purpose, complete”[31] This
suggests that Jesus considered his work on the cross to be the completed
fulfillment of his responsibility in his earthly life. Applying this force to
Paul’s statement reveals that Paul was seeking to present everyone spiritually
complete, or mature, as having attained their end or purpose. This, then, is
clearly a reference to the quality of their spiritual life. He was not only
interested in the quantity of souls, as revealed by his use of “everyone”; he
was equally committed to presenting everyone with a quality of complete
spiritual maturity. Thus, to state the obvious, that Paul preached with a
certain expectation of results is doubtless.
The question this raises is, “How does all this
information assist in identifying the legitimate expectations for preaching the
message?” As one considers Paul’s declaration of his mission, in Colossians 1,
as noted above, several things become apparent. First, there is an expectation
of repentance. Second, there is an expectation of regeneration. Third, there is
an expectation of reclamation. Finally, there is an expectation of renewal. The
final section of this paper will justify and review these four expectations. In
so doing the mission or purpose of the message preached will be identified.
An Expectation of Repentance
To justify the claim that repentance is a legitimate
expectation of preaching is not difficult. First, because Paul’s mission is to
present everyone who hears his message as spiritually mature, it is obvious
that to begin the process toward that spiritual maturity the hearer of the message
must first experience the new birth. The truth that to be a child of God
requires being born again is a concept about which there is no uncertainty.
Jesus’ statement as recorded in John 3:3 makes this apparent, “Jesus replied,
“I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God
(HCSB).”
To
become born again requires repentance. This is made obvious by both Jesus and
Paul. Jesus affirms it in Luke 13:3. “[B]ut unless you repent, you will all
perish as well!” (Luke 13:3 (HCSB). Darrell Block’s commentary on this passage
explains, “Only repentance will prevent the death that lasts. The comparison is
between dying tragically in this life and perishing ultimately before God.
Without a change of view about Jesus, a black cloud of death hovers over all.”[32] Clearly,
that preaching, according to Jesus, must possess a certain expectation of
repentance.
Having established Paul’s understanding of the purpose of
preaching was to “present every person spiritually mature,” Paul further confirms
repentance to be an expectation of this purpose is found in the
self-description of his ministry as recorded in Acts 20: 21, “I testified to
both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.”
Paul herein underlines the essential nature of repentance for true faith in the
Lord Jesus by stating that he did not preach faith only but repentance and
faith. There can be little doubt that any theology of preaching must have a
mission or purpose for preaching and that this purpose must include an
expectation of repentance.
An Expectation of Regeneration
The expectation of regeneration is
so obvious that it requires little comment. After all, if the mission of
preaching, according to Paul, is the presentation of everyone in a condition of
spiritual maturity, one must acknowledge that before spiritual growth can take
place, which us the path to spiritual maturity; one must first have experienced
spiritual birth. This birth is what is meant by the term regeneration. Thus, it is obvious that a theology of preaching
requires a preacher to have an expectation of regeneration when truly preaching
the message that regenerates. This is the essence of the Gospel, according to
Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for
salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek”
(HCSB). Thomas Schreiner pointed out, “The preaching of the Word does not
merely make salvation possible but effects salvation in those who are called.”[33]
Thus, the preaching of the Gospel is a power that expects regeneration to take
place because it affects that regeneration.[34]
Thus, a theology of preaching ought to have a mission or purpose. That purpose
must include an expectation of regeneration.
An Expectation of Reclamation
That an expectation of reclamation is another facet of
the mission or purpose of preaching is illustrated in part by Paul’s letters to
the Corinthians. In the first letter, there is a reference to an individual who
was illicitly involved with his father’s wife. “It is widely reported that
there is sexual immorality among you, and the kind of sexual immorality that is
not even ⌊tolerated⌋ among the Gentiles —a man is living with his father’s wife”
(1 Corinthians 5:1 HCSB). Paul’s intent to confront this sin is self-evident.
However, in 2 Corinthians, Paul illustrates that confrontation is not the
ultimate purpose. Instead the ultimate purpose is reclamation, “The punishment ⌊inflicted⌋ by the majority is sufficient for
that person. As a result, you should instead forgive and comfort him.
Otherwise, this one may be overwhelmed by excessive grief” (2 Corinthians 2:6–7
HCSB). When commenting on this statement, Simon J. Kistemaker and William
Hendriksen observe, “With respect to the offender, the Corinthians must change
their thinking from removal to acceptance, from condemnation to restoration,
from judgment to forgiveness, and from indignation to encouragement (Gal. 6:1).
If there is genuine repentance, there must also be full-scale reinstatement. If
God forgives a sinner, the church must do no less.”[35]
So as to remove any doubt that the confrontation and
condemnation of sin should always be with an expectation of restoration, Paul
stated in Galatians 6:1 (NASB95), “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any
trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each
one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”
As one considers these biblical examples, it is clear
that the man who preaches must preach the Word as described above. When such
preaching is done accurately, it is inevitable that sin not only be recognized,
confronted and condemned, but that preaching have as its mission, an
expectation of reclamation. That is to say that the recognition, confrontation
and condemnation of sin were not the end but the means to the end. The end is
an expectation of reconciliation. Thus any biblical, evangelical theology of
preaching must include an expectation of reclamation.
An Expectation of Renewal
In identifying the purpose or mission of preaching, three
expectations have thus far been recognized: an expectation of repentance, an
expectation of regeneration and an expectation of reclamation. As has been
stated, the preaching dynamic centers upon a proclamation of God’s message with
an expectation of response. The specific end of that response is, as Paul
stated, Christian maturity within the hearers of the message. Three
expectations essential to that mission have been identified. The final one is
the expectation of renewal.
The justification of this expectation as a legitimate
expectation of the mission of preaching is illustrated in Paul’s letter to the
Romans: “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual
worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing,
and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1–2 HCSB).
That renewal, specifically a renewal of the mind, is a valid expectation
of Paul’s preaching is herein made clear. Robert Mounce confirms the validity
of this expectation, as part of the mission of preaching, in his commentary on
this statement, “From without there is a continuing pressure to adopt the
customs and mind-set of the world in which we live. Although that influence
must be rejected, that alone will never create the kind of change God has in
mind for his followers. Real and lasting change comes from within.”[36]
Clearly, there can be little doubt that any real progress toward mission of
preaching and the ultimate goal of presenting everyone in a state of spiritual
maturity must include an expectation of inner renewal.
Summary Thoughts
That Paul’s ministry is the result of God’s calling and is
an example for all who preach to follow is affirmed again and again by both
biblical writers and subsequent commentaries. For example, Thomas Schreiner
wrote, “Both in Romans and in Galatians the descriptions of Paul’s apostolic
call are reminiscent of the calling to the prophetic ministry in the Old
Testament.”36 Included in his
example for all biblical preaching, Paul identifies the mission or purpose for preaching
to be the presentation of everyone as spiritually mature. To accomplish this,
preaching must have certain expectations.
This is made obvious by several passages of Scripture which identify
these expectations. Thus it is essential that an evangelical theology of
preaching include a mission or purpose for preaching that includes an expectation
of repentance, an expectation of regeneration, an expectation of reclamation
and an expectation of renewal.
CONCLUSION
Preaching is not the simple matter of standing before a
congregation and telling stories which have moral lessons. Nor is it the
ranting and raving about the personal opinion of a speaker who is for or
against some behavior. While preaching may sometimes contain these things, they
do not constitute the whole of preaching. If there is any understanding of what
true preaching is, it is that preaching only takes place when the message of
God is being preached by the man of God with the mission that God in mind. The
man, his message and his mission must all coincide with their biblical mandates
and examples for true evangelical preaching to take place. By identifying and
reviewing these three essential elements of the theology of preaching, the
assigned task has been accomplished.
While it is certain that the views of this theology may
not be shared by all who claim to be preachers, it is a view which is assuredly
supported by God’s revelation of Himself and His purposes within the pages of
Holy Scripture. In this essay, the man, the message and the mission of
preaching have been identified and presented in such a way as to give a solid
theology of preaching. This theology has not only been stated in regard to what
it is, sufficient clarity has been provided to aid in identifying what it
isn’t. Having done that, it is for those who have been called to the preaching
task to accept or reject this theology. Hopefully some will now be more
inclined to go and do that which God has called them to do, the way God has called
them to do it and for the reasons God desires it to be done.
As a final remark, consider the following quote of
William Ward Ayer:
Soft, innocuous preachments do not measure up to our tragic day.
Sermons should stabilize listeners to know that Christianity is a virile faith.
It does not deal with old wives’ fables but with eternal certainties. Our
people must once again have an unshakable faith so deeply implanted that they
can stand up to today’s infidelity and refute much of it. The preacher must
also build into the lives of his people a faith that can stand against life’s
oppositions and be capable of trusting where it cannot trace, believing where
it cannot understand; knowing that when events seem stacked against us and the
Bible seems untrue because of some recent discovery in science, the child of
God can stand fast. For God’s Word, “established in heaven,” is able to
vindicate itself.[37]
May his warning be heeded, and may the theology presented
in these pages be used to firm up “soft, innocuous preachments” that true
evangelical preaching might be heard. The need for it in this age is
self-evident.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Allen,
David L. "A Tale of Two Roads: Homiletics and Biblical Authority." The
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (The Evangelical Society)
43, no. 3 (2000).
Aristotle. Aristotle
in 23 Volumes. Edited by J.H. Freese. Translated by J.H. Freese. Vol. 22.
Medford, MA: Harvard University Press: William Heinemann Ltd., 1926.
Arndt, William,
Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Baur. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd. Chicago, IL: Chicago
Press, 2000.
Ayer, Willam Ward.
"The Art of Effective Preaching." Bibliotheca Sacra (Dallas
Theological Seminary) 124, no. 493 (1976): 34.
Bock, Darrell L. Baker
Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Vols. Luke Volume 2:9:51-24:53.
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1996.
Gerhard Kittel, ed. Theological
Dictionary of the New Testament. electronic ed. Edited by Geoffrey W
Bromily, & Gerhard Friedrich. Vol. 3. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964.
Henry, Carl
Ferdinand Howard. God Revelation and Authority. Vol. 3. Wheaton, IL:
Crossway Books, 1999.
Kistemaker, Simon
J., and William Hendriksen. New Testament Commentary. Vol. 19 Exposition
of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House,
1953-2001.
Louw, Johannes P,
and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.
electronic ed of 2nd edition. Vol. 1. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996.
Mirriam Webster
Dictionary Online. Merriam Webster.com. n.d.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preach (accessed August 1, 2012).
Mounce, Robert H. The
New American Commentary. Vol. 27 Romans. Nashville, TN: Broadman &
Holman Publisher, 1995.
Myers, Allen C. The
Eerdmans Bible Dictionary. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987.
Packer, J.I.
"From the Scripture to the Sermon: I. Some Perspectives on
Preaching." Ashland Theological Journal (Ashland Theological
Seminary) 22 (1990): 38-43.
Schreiner, Thomas R.
Baker Exegetical Commentary of the New Testament. Vol. 6 Romans. Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998.
Simeon, Charles. Horae
Homileticae. Vol. 19:2. London: Holdsworth and Ball, 1833.
Vanhoozer, Kevin J. The
Drama of Doctrin: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology.
Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 2005.
Vine, W.E., Merrill
F Unger, and William White. Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and
New Testament Words. Vol. 2. Nashville, TN: Nelson, 1996.
Whitefield, George. Selected
Sermons of George Whitefield. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc,
1999.
[1]
To support the notion that much of what is called preaching really isn’t,
consider the following statement of J.I. Packer. “[C]onsider whether we
evangelicals, who so often cite the . . . words of Paul to each other and who
claim to know so clearly that the preaching of the Word is the power-source of
the church, can be said to succeed in rising to the demands of this insight
that we inherit. I think it must be honestly admitted that often we fail here;
we do not succeed in preaching the Word of God as plainly, pungently, and
powerfully as we would like to do.” (J.I. Packer, “From the Scripture to the
Sermon: I. Some Perspectives on Preaching,” Ashland
Theological Journal Volume 22 (Ashland, OH: Ashland Theological Seminary,
1990), 38-43
[2]
Mirriam Webster Dictionary Online, “s.v. preach” http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preach,
(Accessed June 23, 2012).
[3]
Gerhard Kittel, ed., Theological
Dictionary of the New Testament Vol 3, Geoffrey W. Bromiley and Gerhard
Friedrich, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964-), 703, (s.v. khrussw).
[5]
“To publicly announce religious truths and principles while urging acceptance
and compliance, ” (Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, vol. 1, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament:
Based on Semantic Domains, electronic ed. of the 2nd edition. (New York:
United Bible Societies, 1996), 416), (s.v. khrussw)
[16]
Charles Simeon, p. 46
[17]
Carl Ferdinand Howard Henry, vol. 3, God,
Revelation, and Authority, (Wheaton,
IL: Crossway Books, 1999), 429-30.
[18]
“To insist that the content of God’s revelation is unique is well and good, but
if revelation is nonpropositional it cannot be intelligible, let alone true or
false.” (Carl F. H. Henry, God Revelation
and Authority, Vol 3. p. 429)
[19]
Kevin J. Vanhoozer, The Drama of
Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology, (Louisville,
KY. John Knox Press, 2005) p. 266.
[22] Allen
C. Myers, The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary
(Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987), 361.
[25]
Ibid., p. 34.
[26]
Ibid., p. 36.
[27]
“Rhetoric is a counterpart of Dialectic; for both have to do with matters that
are in a manner within the cognizance of all men and not confined to any
special science.” (Aristotle, Aristotle
in 23 Volumes, Vol. 22, Translated by J. H. Freese., ed. J. H. Freese
(Medford, MA: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann Ltd., 1926). p.
1354a.
[28]
William Ward Ayer, p. 36.
[30]
See footnote 5.
[34]
“The δύναμις
θεοῦ (dynamis theou, power of
God) in the gospel signifies the effective and transforming power that
accompanies the preaching of the gospel. Elsewhere Paul describes the gospel as
“the word of the cross” (ὁ λόγος ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ, ho logos ho tou staurou) that is “the power of God (δύναμις θεοῦ) to us
who are being saved” (1 Cor. 1:18). The succeeding context of 1 Cor. 1
clarifies that the power of the gospel lies in its effective work in calling
believers to salvation (1 Cor. 1:23–24, 26–29).” (Thomas R. Schreiner, vol. 6, Romans, Baker Exegetical Commentary on
the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998), p. 60.)
[35] Simon J. Kistemaker and William Hendriksen, vol. 19, Exposition of the Second Epistle to the
Corinthians, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House,
1953-2001), 78.
[36] Robert H. Mounce, vol. 27, Romans, The New American Commentary
(Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 232.
