The quarterly Net Pastor's Journal is produced by Dr. Roger Pascoe and The Institute for Biblical Preaching.
This is also available in the following languages French, Russian, Romanian, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.
Fall 2011 edition
Produced by
Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
This is the first edition of a quarterly journal for pastors, each edition of which will include articles on some or all of the following topics: preaching, church leadership, pastoral ministry issues, church history, sermon outlines, and devotional articles for your personal encouragement. This website ministry is for pastors particularly and all people involved in Christian ministry generally.
Our mission is to “strengthen the church in Biblical preaching and leadership” and we hope that this electronic publication will do just that as we seek to teach, help, and encourage people in ministry throughout the world, even in some of its remotest parts.
May God bless you in your service for him and may these articles be a source of inspiration and motivation in your declaration of the Word of God and your leadership of the people of God.
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching,
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Biblical preaching is the public proclamation of a message from God, which is derived from the content of the Scriptures. Biblical preaching involves declaring a message from God for a certain audience at a certain place and certain time, which message comes from God’s Word, the Scriptures, which you explain and apply to the lives of your hearers.
It is vital that such a message be one that has first been personalized in and applied to your own life (what we call “incarnational preaching”) so that what you preach is exemplified in you in such a way that your audience can see the message lived out before them by you.
Biblical preaching is not a lecture; it’s not a speech; it’s not a dramatic monologue. It has a form and function all its own. “A preacher is not an author reading his own manuscript; he is a Voice, a Fire, a Herald, bold and eager in his sacred work – an orator speaking in heaven’s name and strength. There are more authors in the pulpit than preachers.” 1
There are many definitions of biblical preaching (sometimes called expository preaching), such as:
Stephen Olford: “Expository preaching is the Spirit-empowered explanation and proclamation of the text of God’s Word, with due regard to the historical, contextual, grammatical and doctrinal significance of the given passage, with the specific object of invoking a Christ-transforming response.”
Haddon Robinson: “Expository preaching is the communication of a biblical concept, derived from and transmitted through a historical, grammatical and literary study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit first applies to the personality and experience of the preacher, then through him to his hearers.” 2
John Stott: “The expositor pries open what appears to be closed, makes plain what is obscure, unravels what is knotted and unfolds what is tightly packed…Our responsibility as expositors is to open up (the text) in such a way that it speaks its message clearly, plainly, accurately, relevantly, without addition, subtraction or falsification.” 3
J. I. Packer: “The true idea of (expository) preaching is that the preacher should become a mouthpiece for his text, opening it up and applying it as a word from God to the hearers, talking only in order that the text may speak itself and be heard, making each point from his text in such a manner, that the hearers may discern (the voice of God).” 4
I have two definitions – one short and one longer:
My short definition: “Preach the Word” (2 Tim. 4:2)
My longer definition: “Biblical preaching is the proclamation of God’s Word, in the power of the Holy Spirit ... that interprets its meaning accurately, explains its truth clearly, declares its message authoritatively, and applies its significance practically (i.e. with relevance to contemporary life) ... with a view to generating a spiritually transforming response in the listeners.”
All preaching must be biblical. It must be derived from and, in fact, be the Word of God spoken by the preacher. Biblical preaching is God’s truth delivered through a human agent. Thus, biblical preaching requires a high view of Scripture – that it is inspired by the Holy Spirit and, therefore, fully trustworthy. Scripture is the highest authority for Christians in what we believe and how we live. It is, therefore, our only authority for preaching. If we fail to preach the Scriptures, our preaching is not much more than philosophy.
There are two approaches to preaching – one is called biblical (or, expository) preaching and the other is called topical preaching. Topical preaching starts with the preacher deciding on the topic and then developing it through various relevant texts. The dangers in topical preaching are (1) that it can be confusing for the audience to follow because usually a variety of texts are referred to; and (2) it can sometimes be misleading, especially if texts are used out of context (which is often the case). But, topical preaching can be beneficial because it gives the opportunity to present a broad spectrum of Scriptural teaching on a given topic. In other words, it can be a systematic presentation of a biblical topic.
Biblical preaching, on the other hand, starts with the text, from which the preacher determines the topic. In this case, the preacher is driven by the text first, and the topic of that text second, and he deals only with that text and that topic in his sermon. That is not to say that you will not refer to other relevant texts. We often bring in other texts to support what we are saying and in this way to demonstrate the unity of the Word of God. So, both approaches have validity, but I believe that our primary approach to preaching is to start with the Word and develop the topic that is covered in the passage we have chosen. Whatever approach you take, be sure to “preach the Word!”
So, what is preaching? Preaching involves four things:
1. Proclamation
2. Interpretation
3. Explanation
4. Application
In the coming issues of this journal, we will address each of these aspects of preaching. May the Lord bless you as you faithfully seek to glorify Him by accurately and clearly declaring the truth of God for each person’s life.
“Bring a Personal Example - in Thought, Word, and Deed”
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
A role model is an example – someone or something to imitate or to follow. Being a godly role model was very important to the apostle Paul. Not only was he a role model in his own life, but he urges us to also be godly role models in our lives. He puts it this way:
Other N.T. writers also emphasize the importance of being a godly role model, or example.
James: “As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name” (James 5:10)
Peter: “For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example ...” (1 Pet. 21)
“And do not lord it over those entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:3)
Hebrews: “... (be) imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises” (Heb. 6:12)
The apostle John, also teaches us the principle that we are to imitate good examples and turn away from bad examples: “Do not imitate what is bad but what is good” (3 John 11). Gaius (to whom John was writing) was to imitate Demetrius as his role model for how to live as a godly leader. Demetrius was “testified by all” (12) – i.e. he had a well-known reputation - as someone who could be trusted; someone to imitate and follow. He was evidently a man of good character, who practised the truth.
Naturally, the fullest and best example is that of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says: “Be imitators of God as dearly loved children…” (Eph. 5:1ff.). How do we imitate God? We imitate God in both positive and negative ways. Positively, we imitate God by “living in love, just as Christ also loved us ...” (2). Negatively, we imitate God by not allowing any ungodly behaviour practised among us, “as these are not fitting for the saints” (3).
Jesus himself said to his disciples, “I have given you an example that you should do just as I have done for you” (Jn. 13:15). Jesus had just washed the disciples’ feet, giving them the great example of servant-hood and humility, which He urged them to practice in their own lives. Of course, the greatest example of all is the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on the cross. That was the supreme example of humility, sacrifice, and suffering for the good of others (cf. Phil. 2:1-16).
Being an example to others is what we call “mentoring.” We mentor people in different ways, don't we? There is intentional mentoring where you spend time with someone and they learn from you – how you live, think, act, what you believe, how you react, how you relate to others etc. And there is also “passive” mentoring, where people simply watch you from a distance – they see how you act, hear what you say etc. and they learn from you; they imitate you, sometimes without you even knowing it. This is especially true of pastors. We are watched by our congregations, by our neighbours, by our families, and by those we do business with. They are looking to see how we live and they decide whether we are people who should be followed and imitated. You never know when someone is watching you and the influence you are having on their lives. We are under constant scrutiny in our families, in our workplaces, and in the Christian community.
Your example can be as profound as the Thessalonians who ... “became imitators of us (Paul says) and of the Lord when you received the message with joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, despite affliction. As a result you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia …” (1 Thess. 1:6-10). What they saw and heard from the apostle Paul became the bedrock of their own lives and witness, so that they in turn became examples to others. That’s the impact that a role model can have on others! You cause others to observe what you do, what you say, what you think, and how you feel, and, as a result, they follow you, because you are an “example to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:3).
So, let’s be very conscious and intentional about being a positive, godly, Christian role model that others can confidently follow. There are many aspects of being a godly role model. In this article, we will look at only one and then i subsequent issues we will examine other aspects. Today, we want to look at what it means to be ...
The apostle Paul was a mentor to Timothy. He urged Timothy to be an example of commitment: “Set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity … take pains with these things; be absorbed with them, so that everyone will see your progress” (1 Tim. 4:12, 15). Commitment means “taking pains with these things; being absorbed with them.”
If we are to be godly role models in our Christian lives and our pastoral ministry, we must be completely absorbed with what God has called us to. The Christian life is one of complete commitment, if we are to be genuine disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions” (Lk. 14:33). That certainly sounds like 100% commitment, doesn’t it? And it is that kind of commitment that gets the attention of others and influences them to also give the Lord their complete commitment.
Of course, as pastors and church leaders, this injunction is even more pertinent. If we are not sold out to God, then who will follow us? Why would anyone want to follow us? Our lives must be radically different and so purely motivated, that other people recognize that we are wholly committed to being disciples of Christ in word, thought, and deed. We are to have the daily discipline and commitment of athletes, farmers, and soldiers, the apostle Paul says (2 Tim. 2:4-6). What are the characteristic of these people that we are to demonstrate in our own lives?
First the soldier (2 Tim. 2:4). The requirement of good soldiers is their commitment to disciplined in endurance. They must always be on duty. They must always be alert for signs of the enemy. They cannot sleep on the job nor become slack in their loyalty and obedience to “the one who recruited (them)” to serve as soldiers. Their duty is to serve and protect their country. That’s their undying commitment no matter what the circumstance may be.
Second, the athlete (2 Tim. 2:5). The primary characteristic of athletes is probably their commitment to discipline exertion. Athletes must be very self-disciplined in their committed to continuous exercise and training in order to become the best that they can be in their sport. Athletes must forego many of the pleasures that their friends enjoy because of their self-disciplined lives. They have to get sufficient sleep, eat the right food, avoid bad habits, and give up other activities (which may be perfectly acceptable in themselves) so that they can pursue their goal. Of course, athletes are bound by more than simply their commitment to disciplined exercise. They are also bound by their commitment to disciplined obedience. Athletes must know and obey the rules scrupulously. Otherwise, the danger is that they might win the race but afterwards find out that they have been disqualified for breaking the rules of the game (cf. 1 Cor. 9:24-27). Then, their efforts would have been in vain.
Third, the farmer (2 Tim. 2:6). Farmers are an example of the commitment to disciplined endeavour. They must labour and toil over their crops, preparing the soil, planting the seed, and removing the weeds. This takes self-discipline, for no one else is going to make the farmer do this. He could decide to take life easy. Take a few weeks off work. Let the fields and crops take care of themselves. But the results would be disastrous. The successful farmer labours continuously over his crops. And when he has done his work, he then must exercise complete dependence, for only God can send the sunshine and the rain to make the crops grow. The farmer is limited in what he can do. Even though he may work very hard, he can’t make a plant grow – only God can. That requires complete dependence.
Following these example of commitment (soldiers, athletes, and farmers), let me encourage you to put in the time and the energy necessary to conduct yourself well in your private life and your public ministry by being an example of commitment, through disciplined endurance, disciplined exertion, and disciplined endeavour. Let people see that you are committed to your Christian testimony and ministry. Let others see that you are serious about the Christian life and that your pastoral ministry is not just a job for you but a vocation, a calling.
Don’t be half-hearted about your Christian life and ministry. Mediocrity has no part in the Christian life. All that we do must be done for God’s glory and that means we do it with all our might, with excellence, and with whole-hearted commitment.
By: Dr. Michael A. G. Haykin
Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky
Why we need to remember the past
One of the good gifts that God has given to human beings is that of memory and the facility to remember the past. Remembering our own personal past is absolutely vital to knowing who we are and having a sense of personal identity. We all know how diseases that ravage a person’s memory destroy the ability of that person to function in any meaningful way in the present. The same holds true for communities and nations. When a community or nation forgets its past and where it has come from, it finds itself completely disoriented and ultimately unable to move head into the future. Not knowing where it has come from, it cannot chart a path to the future. Of course, like any good gift in our fallen world, this gift can be abused. It can bind a person, and even a community, to the past in hopeless regret or unforgiving bitterness or revengeful hatred.
But if it is true that knowledge of the past is vital to meaningful living in the present and the future, and I believe it is, then modern Evangelicalism faces a very uncertain future for we are living in a day when knowledge of our past as Evangelical Christians is abysmally low. Who were our forebears and what did they believe? What was their experience of God and how did that shape the churches they founded, churches which we have inherited? What made them what they were and what can we learn from their lives and thinking to live better lives as Christians in our day? Far too many Evangelicals neither know nor do they care. In this regard, they are actually indistinguishable from modern culture, which is passionately in love with the present, eagerly anticipating the future, and totally disinterested in the past, or if nodding interest is shown in the past it is used as a vehicle for escapist entertainment. There is no serious grappling with the past to derive wisdom for the present or future. Evangelical forgetfulness of the past is thus actually a species of worldliness.
The Scriptures, on the other hand, make much of remembering: 5
In this quarterly feature of this journal, we want to remember events and people from the past, from the early days of the Church to the great Reformation and to more recent events and people. We do so because the events of those days have helped make us what we are today. If the events of those years had not happened things would be quite different today. We are going to remember not only, though, to gain a better idea of where we have come from, but because people from that day can give us wisdom for the present.
Jesus’ Authoritative Preaching 6
By: Dr. John MacArthur, Pastor
Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, Calif.
“From that time Jesus began to preach” (Matt. 4:17)
Our Lord heralded the gospel message with certainty. His mission was not to dispute or argue with His opponents but to preach the truth of salvation. He did not merely proclaim certainties, but He did so with the utmost authority (cf. Matt. 7:29).
The scribes could not teach with authority because they had mingled so many man-made opinions and interpretations in with biblical truths that any sense of authority for them had long since disappeared. It was thus quite astounding when the people again heard one like Jesus preach with real authority, as the prophets had (cf. Matt. 7:28-29).
Jesus also preached precisely and only what His Father commissioned Him to proclaim, which no doubt gave added weight to His authority. He testified to this fact quite directly, “I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak” (John 12:49; cf. 3:34; 8:38).
Based on this divine authority, Christ sends us out into the world as His ambassadors by saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matt. 28:18b-19a). All believers who are faithful witnesses for the gospel will proclaim God’s certain truth by His authority – and with His power.
Ask yourself: The authority of Jesus that registered with the people of His day also had something to do with His authenticity. If people don’t show respect for God and His Word today, how much of it is due to a lack of authority in His people? Pray that we would exude His grace-filled reality.
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
The purpose of providing you with sermon outlines in The NET Pastors Journal is to help you with your sermon preparation. Often, one of the most difficult parts of sermon preparation is discovering the structure of the Scripture passage you are going to preach. In subsequent issues of The NET Pastors Journal I plan on discussing in some detail how to go about finding the structure (or, outline) of the passage as the biblical author intended it.
These sermon outlines are intended to show you the finished result of some of my own sermon outlines. I hope you will be able to see how they relate directly to, and come directly out of, the Scripture passage itself.
The main points in these sermon outlines are statements of the principles that are being made in the passage, all of which relate to the single topic of the passage. These principles are worded in a way that connects them to the hearers of the sermon. By using this form of stating the main points, the sermon is not a lecture on a piece of ancient history, but a message from God to your hearers today. As they hear these main points throughout the sermon, they are drawn into the sermon because they see that the principles of the passage relate to their lives - their problems, their behaviour, their decisions, their attitudes, their spirituality, their family etc.
I am going to begin with a series of outlines on the Gospel of John. These outlines will not be in chapter and verse sequence but will be grouped by:
). Because these sermons are recorded for radio listeners (not church services), you will probably find that there are several sermons to cover one outline.
Please feel free to use these outlines yourself. You may use them exactly as they are published or you may modify them if you wish. Whether you use these outlines or not, my hope is (and the purpose for publishing them is) that you will see where the principles come from in the Scripture passage and how to word them for your contemporary audience.
Here, then, are three sermon outlines from Jesus’ seven supernatural deeds.
Subject: Faith in Action
1. Confidence that Jesus knows about our circumstances (2:3)
2. Confidence that Jesus cares about our troubles (2:4)
3. Confidence that Jesus responds to our needs (2:5)
1. Obedience in things that make no sense (2:7)
2. Obedience in spite of what others might think (2:8)
1. Faith recognizes where the undeserved blessing comes from (2:9-10)
2. Faith recognizes what the undeserved blessing point to (2:11)
Subject: Faith in God’s Word
Background / setting: 4:46
1. We see physical needs where God sees spiritual needs (4:47-48)
2. We persist ignorantly where God resist wisely (4:49-50a)
1. Faith begins with belief in God’s Word (4:50b)
2. Faith acts in obedience to God’s will (4:50c)
3. Faith is confirmed by evidence of God’s work (4:51-52)
4. Faith is proven by conviction about God’s truth (4:53)
Subject: The Response to Jesus’ Authority
Background / setting: 5:1-5
1. Jesus asks a searching question: “Do you want to be made well?” (5:6-7)
1. Jesus gives a stirring command: “Rise, take up your bed and walk” (5:8-9)
1. Jesus issues a solemn warning: “Sin no more ... “ (5:14)
1. The controversy over Jesus’ action on the Sabbath (5:10-13, 15-16)
1. The controversy over Jesus’ claim to deity (5:17-18)
1 Joseph Parker, cited in Stephen F. Olford, Preaching the Word of God (Memphis: The Institute for Biblical Preaching, 1984), 34.
2 Haddon W. Robinson, Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), 20.
3 Stott, Between Two Worlds (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1982), 126.
4 Paraphrased from The Westminster Directory, 1645
5 All Scripture references are from the ESV.
6 John MacArthur, “Jesus’ Authoritative Preaching” in Daily Readings from the Life of Christ (Chicago: Moody Publisher, 2008), January 29.
Winter 2012 Edition
Produced by ...
Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
This is the second edition of the NET Pastors Journal. We hope that the articles on various aspects of pastoral ministry are helpful for your ministry and an encouragement to you.
Our mission here at The Institute for Biblical Preaching is to “strengthen the church in Biblical preaching and leadership” and we hope that this electronic publication will do just that as we seek to teach, help, and encourage people in ministry throughout the world.
May God bless you in your service for Him. May these articles help you to faithfully preach and teach the Word of God and be a source of inspiration and encouragement to you in your leadership of the people of God.
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching,
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
In the last edition (Fall 2011) of the NET Pastors Journal, we discussed what preaching is. We concluded that preaching is the proclamation of God’s word in the power of the Holy Spirit, the objective of which is to generate a spiritually life-transforming response in the listeners by:
1. Accurately interpreting its meaning
2. Clearly explaining its truth
3. Authoritatively declaring its message, and
4. Practically applying its relevance to contemporary life
The main elements of biblical preaching, therefore, as a follows:
1. The message finds it sole source in Scripture. This means, of course, that biblical preaching requires the unconditional commitment on the part of the preacher that the Bible is the Word of God and, as such, it is the sole authority and source for preaching.
2. The Scripture passage is understood through careful exegesis and is interpreted through well-established principles of biblical interpretation, taking into account:
a) The context of the passage
b) The grammatical structure of the passage
c) The historical meaning of the words
d)The cultural setting of the passage
e) The theological implications of the passage
f)The author’s intended meaning as it would have been understood by the original audience
3. The message is developed by identifying the timeless principles being taught in the passage.
4. The message is comprised of:
a) A clear explanation of what the passage says and means
b) A relevant application of the passage to the lives of your audience
As we publish subsequent editions of this NET Pastors Journal, I will be dealing with all these various aspects of biblical preaching.
The general purpose, then, of biblical preaching is to communicate a message from God derived from God’s Word, the Scriptures. The specific purpose of biblical preaching is to communicate a specific message derived from a specific text (or texts) of Scripture, which message is addressed to a specific audience and calls for a specific response to that message.
In The Preacher and Preaching: Reviving the Art in the Twentieth Century, “Why Preach?”, J. I. Packer states: “The purpose of preaching is to inform, persuade, and call forth an appropriate response to the God whose message and instruction are being delivered…We are not talking about communicating a lesson from a book, but speaking for God and calling people to God” (p. 9). That’s why we preach – to speak for God and call people to God. It may be an evangelistic message in which the gospel is delivered or it may be an edifying message to the body of Christ. But the overall purpose is to deliver a message from God’s Word to your audience which message brings them face to face with God.
Therefore, confidence in the Scriptures as God’s Word is the necessary backbone of biblical preaching. It is God’s Word that we must interpret accurately, explain clearly, apply practically, and (because it is God’s Word) declare authoritatively with the assurance of its abiding power and presence.
God’s Word is of supreme importance. It’s what people need to hear. Therefore, biblical preaching is what is needed in the world and in the church. Consider these texts which speak of the supreme importance and function of God’s Word:
Deut. 32:46-47, The word of God is “your life”
Psalm 119:11, The word of God protects us from sin
Eph. 6:17, The word of God is “the sword of the Spirit”
Rom. 6:17 and Deut. 27:10, The word of God demands allegiance and obedience (cf. 2 Thess. 1:8; 1 Pet. 3:1; 4:17)
Deut. 30:15-16, The word of God determines life and holiness
Deut. 8:3, The word of God nourishes and feeds us (cf. Matt. 4:4)
Rom. 10:17, The word of God is the conduit for faith
Heb. 4:12, The word of God exposes our innermost being
2 Tim. 3:16, The word of God thoroughly equips the servant of God for all aspects of ministry
My challenge to you in this edition of The NET Pastors Journal is this:
1. When you preach, what do you preach? There are so many voices and words in the world today. People don’t need more words, they need God’s authoritative, final Word. God’s Word makes the difference.
2. How important is the Word of God to you?
3. What difference does it make in your life?
4. Answering these questions will help you see why biblical preaching is so important.
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching,
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
In the last issue of the NET Pastors Journal, we began this series on Christian leadership on the subject of being a godly role model. If you are a Christian leader, then you are a role model whether you know it or not. People all around you are listening to how you speak, watching how you act, how you react, how you think, how you relate to others, what your priorities are, and how you spend your time and money. If you are a pastor, your whole congregation is watching you, especially the young people.
The apostle Paul repeatedly encourages others to imitate his example (e.g. 1 Cor. 11:1), and to be examples for others to imitate. To be a godly role model means that we exemplify Christ in our lives in a such a way that when others hear us, they hear Christ; when they see us, they see Christ. To be a godly role model means that what others see and hear in our godly living is so attractive to them and so authentic that they want to imitate us. That’s the power and reality of being a godly role model. Just by the way you conduct yourself you can have a powerful impact on someone’s life – either positive or negative. A godly role model has a profoundly positive impact on those around you.
The first aspect of being a godly role model that we looked at in our last edition of the Net Pastors Journal was being an example of commitment. Now, let’s look at two more aspects of being a godly role model:
Writing to the church at Thessalonica, the apostle Paul encouraged them to imitate the consistent conduct of the apostles: “7For you yourselves know how you ought to follow (imitate) us, for we were not disorderly among you; 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, 9 not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us” (2 Thess. 3:7-9).
For Paul, consistent Christian conduct involves our work ethic as well as our self-discipline. To be a consistent Christian means that (1) you are self-disciplined, not disorderly or unruly in your way of life; (2) you are a hard worker, not lazy or idle; and (3) you earn your own living, not taking advantage of other people’s generosity.
Again, Paul writes, “You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe” (1 Thess. 2:10). A consistent Christian leader is one who is known for piety of life, godliness; one who is fair and just in all your dealings with others; one against whom others cannot point an accusing finger.
Further, a consistent Christian leader is one whose word is reliable, clear, straightforward, and explicit. “Our word to you was not yes and no” (2 Cor. 1:18), Paul writes. Consistent godly leaders say what they mean and mean what they say. This is consistency in your words. You don't say one thing today and contradict yourself tomorrow. You don't speak in ways that are intentionally ambiguous.
Here is my ABCD of Christian consistency:
· Our Actions must be consistent with what we Acknowledge
· Our Behaviour must be consistent with our Belief
· Our Conduct must be consistent with our Confession
· Our Deeds must be consistent with our Doctrine
Someone has said that “Consistency is the act of living true to what you believe” (David Jeremiah, Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World, p. 163).
A consistent Christian is one who “abides in Christ” - you are settled, secure, confident in who you are, and, therefore, consistent in how you behave (cf. Jn. 15:1-7; 1 Jn. 2:28). To “abide” means to be consistent, to be steadfast in attitude, relationships, speech, thought, and conduct. It means that you are not striving, struggling, contending to be someone or something else, but simply trusting Christ, abiding in him.
A consistent Christian is someone who is known to be dependable, reliable, steady. Not someone who is easily swayed (cf. Eph. 4:14), nor someone whose mood or disposition changes without warning or reason, but someone whose approach to life and their outlook is predictable; someone who is a spiritual long distance runner not a sprinter; someone who can be counted on no matter what; someone who is sufficiently routine and whose life is sufficiently structured and self-disciplined that others know you will do what you always do and attend to people’s needs as you always attend to them. This is consistency and it is a wonderful attribute of godly Christian leaders.
J. C. Ryle wrote this: “Nothing influences others so much as consistency. Let the lesson be treasured up and not forgotten.” (“Day by Day with J. C. Ryle,” ed. Eric Russell, Christian Focus Publications, 2007)
Can you think of people you know whose outstanding characteristic was “consistency”? People that we sometimes call “faithful”? They’re always there. You can always count on them. “If you continue in my word (Jesus said), you are my disciples indeed” (John 8:31). Steady perseverance in Jesus’ word is the key to consistency in His service.
Godly Christian leaders should be an example of consistency in Christ-likeness. “The one who says he abides in Him (Christ) ought himself also to walk just as He (Jesus) walked” (1 Jn. 2:6). This kind of consistency is marked by a constant focus on Jesus – on his death, resurrection, and soon return.
Godly Christian leaders should be an example of consistency in caring. “He who loves his brother abides in the light” (1 Jn. 2:10; cf. also 1 Jn. 3:23; 4:7-8).
Godly Christian leaders should be an example of consistency in our obedience. Obedience refers to the one “...who does the will of God” (1 Jn. 2:17), the one who is obedient to God’s will as revealed in God’s word (Rom. 6:17). The secret to abiding in Christ is letting the word abide in you - “If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father” (1 Jn. 2:24). This is the key to consistent obedience.
The motivation for consistency is Christ’s return. “And now, little children, abide in him so that when he appears ...” (1 Jn. 2:28; cf. 1 Pet. 1:8-9). Let’s live every day in the light of Christ’s return, striving to be consistent in our Christian walk.
I’m not talking about confidence in self (i.e. your own resources and abilities), but confidence in who you are as Christian, confidence in your standing before God, your gifts from God, and your calling by God. A confident Christian is someone whose heart does not condemn them (1 Jn. 3:21), because they are living transparently before God, having confessed and judged any sin in their lives.
A godly Christian leader needs to be an example of confidence in what you believe. Do you have firm convictions about the Bible and its teachings? Are you fully confident that the Bible is the word of God, inspired, without error, and fully trustworthy? Do you know what you believe and why you believe it? Does the Word of God shape your thinking, form your values, and determine your worldview? Are you trusting in God’s word?
As with the example of consistency, so also when “the word of God abides in you” (1 Jn. 2:14), you have inner strength, confidence. We need to have confidence in what we believe as Christian leaders. There is a “famine in the land” (Amos 8:11) in more ways than one. There is certainly a famine concerning spiritual things. People are turning away from God and his word. There is confusion over what to believe because there are many voices trying to pull us in different directions. There are false claims to messiah-ship. There is pressure to make the Bible consistent with evolution and other atheistic theories of human origins and existence.
To be an effective example to others, Christian leaders need to have absolute confidence in what they believe and why they believe it. This means studying the word of God diligently, understanding it clearly, and obeying it gladly.
In that regard, godly Christian leaders need to be an example of confidence in your relationship with God. Are you confident about who you are before God – that you are his dear child, whom he loved so much that he sent his only begotten Son to die for you? Are you confident about who you are as a person – how God uniquely made you and gifted you for his service? Are you confident about who you are as a Christian – eternally secure in Christ, accepted by God in Christ? Are you confident in God’s sovereign care and control of your life? Are you confident in your future - where you’re going when you die? A confident Christian is like “a tree planted by the waters” (Ps. 1) – you stand firm in Christ because you have deep spiritual roots. A confident Christian stands firm in the midst of chaos and attack, not “tossed to and fro” (Eph. 4:14).
Of course, we need to be an example of confidence in Christ’s coming. So confident that we are watching and waiting for him, actively “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Confident that we will be acceptable to him and commended by Him, so that “when he appears we may be confident (or, assured) and not be ashamed before him at his coming” (1 Jn. 2:28).
Are you “ashamed” – fearful of what He will find when he comes? Or are you assured – confident in the face of opposition and temptation because “greater is he that is in you than he who is in the world” (1 Jn. 4:4)? Assurance comes from “abiding in Christ” through prayer and his Word. Those who will be ashamed are those whose works will be burned up. To “not be unashamed” means to keep short accounts with God through prayer, confession, obedience, watching and waiting while we work for him.
By: Dr. Michael A. G. Haykin
Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky
In 1994 the British Library paid the equivalent of well over two million dollars for a book which Dr. Brian Lang, the chief executive of the Library at the time, described as “certainly the most important acquisition in our 240-year history.” The book? A copy of the New Testament. Of course, it was not just any copy. In fact, there is only one other New Testament like this one in existence, and that one, which is in the library of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, is lacking seventy-one of its pages. The New Testament that the British Museum purchased was lodged for many years in the library of the oldest Baptist seminary in the world, Bristol Baptist College. It was printed in the German town of Worms (pronounced “warms”) on the press of Peter Schoeffer in 1526 and is known as the Tyndale New Testament. The first printed New Testament to be translated into English out of the original Greek, it is indeed an invaluable book. Its translator, after whom it is named, was William Tyndale (1494–1536). Of his overall significance in the history of the Church, the article on him in the famous eleventh edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica rightly states that he was “one of the greatest forces of the English Reformation,” a man whose writings “helped to shape the thought of the Puritan party in England.”
In strong contrast to mediaeval Roman Catholicism where piety was focused on the proper performance of certain external rituals, Tyndale, like the rest of the Reformers, emphasized that at the heart of Christianity was faith, which presupposed an understanding of what was believed. Knowledge of the Scriptures was therefore essential to Christian spirituality. Thus, Tyndale could state: “I¼perceived by experience, how that it was impossible to establish the lay people in any truth, except the scripture were plainly laid before their eyes in their mother tongue.”
Tyndale’s determination to give the people of England the Word of God so gripped him that from the mid-1520s till his martyrdom in 1536 his life was directed to this sole end. What lay behind this single-minded vision was a particular view of God’s Word. In his “Prologue” to his translation of Genesis, which he wrote in 1530, Tyndale could state: “the Scripture is a light, and sheweth us the true way, both what to do and what to hope for; and a defence from all error, and a comfort in adversity that we despair not, and feareth us in prosperity that we sin not.” Despite opposition from church authorities and the martyrdom of Tyndale in 1536, the Word of God became absolutely central to the English Reformation. As David Daniell has noted in his definitive biography of Tyndale, it was Tyndale’s translation that made the English people a “People of the Book.”
By: Stephen F. Olford
If you and I were to discuss the matter personally, probably you would say that it is a most commendable practice for every Christian to have a daily meeting with God through God’s Word, the Bible, and prayer. And you would be right, of course. Except that this daily communion, this “quiet time” with God, is more than a commendable practice; it is absolutely vital to a life of sustained spirituality, effectiveness, and love. It is a barometer of the Christian life. Let me sustain that position. Jesus said, “Men shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). Read that without the negative comparison and you will see what man is to live on. “Man shall live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Literally it is: “Man shall live by every spoken word that comes from God.”
That is not the Bible memorized, nor the Bible on your bookshelf or in your study. It is the word that God speaks to your soul in the quiet place of meditation on the Bible. That is how man lives. You can be doctrinally correct, and yet be spiritually dead.
The thing that maintains life is the living word of God which is spoken to your soul every day. The quiet time is vital to spiritual health, whether you are newly converted or a mature Christian (see 1 Pet. 2:2 and Heb. 5:14).
The quiet time is vital for spiritual cleansing. You are initially cleansed of sin by the precious blood, that is true, and again and again you have to come back to the cross for restoration. But the day-by-day cleansing of wrong thinking and living is from God’s Word (see Psa. 119:9; Rom. 12:2; Phil. 4:8).
The quiet time is also vital to spiritual counsel. You can never know the true principles that determine a life of holiness and righteousness without letting the Word of God “dwell in you richly” (see 2 Tim. 3:16 and Psa. 73:24).
The quiet time is likewise vital in equipping you for spiritual conflict. The supreme example is our Lord Jesus Christ when He encountered Satan in the wilderness. I feel sure that for forty days and nights He had fed his soul on the book of Deuteronomy, and could therefore make His sword thrusts from a personal experience of the written Word. Paul later exhorted the believers at Ephesus to “take … [unto them] the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph. 6:17).
Important as all these things are, however, the greatest incentive to your having a quiet time each day is not your own need, great as that is, but the fact that God wants to meet with you. Therefore, it is not merely a duty; it is a privilege and an honor. God in Christ, your Lord, has a trusting place with you. His heart is saddened when you fail to keep the appointment. He longs, as He did with the woman of Samaria, to drink afresh of your love, devotion, and worship (see Jn. 4:23, 24). I would warn you that establishing your quiet time is never easy. As a minister, I will confess frankly that it is harder for me to have my quiet time now than it was when I was first converted. The reason for this is that what counts costs. You will find that the most vicious attacks of the adversary will be directed toward robbing you of that daily time with your Lord. And you will have to guard it fearlessly if you are to keep it. Whatever your sphere of service – as a pastor, Sunday school teacher, missionary, or Christian in the office or home – I give you little hope of living victoriously unless you are successful in maintaining your quiet time.
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
The purpose of providing you with sermon outlines in The NET Pastors Journal is to help you with your sermon preparation and delivery. Often, one of the most difficult parts of sermon preparation is discovering the structure of the Scripture passage you are going to preach. These sermon outlines are intended to show you the result of my own study in preparation for preaching these passages. I hope you will be able to see how they relate directly to, and come directly out of, the Scripture passage itself.
The main points in these sermon outlines are statements of the principles that are being made in the passage, all of which relate to the overall subject of the passage. These principles are worded in a way that connects them to the hearers of the sermon. By using this form of stating the main points, the sermon is not a lecture on a piece of ancient history, but a message from God to the hearers today. As they hear these main points throughout the sermon, they are drawn into the sermon because they see that the principles of the passage relate to their lives - their problems, their behaviour, their decisions, their attitudes, their spirituality, their family etc.
This first series of sermon outlines is from the Gospel of John. These outlines are not in chapter and verse sequence but grouped by:
1. Jesus’ Seven Supernatural Deeds (his miracles)
2. Jesus’ Seven Significant Dialogues (his conversations with individuals)
3. Jesus’ Seven Self-Declarations (his “I am” statements)
I know that without actually hearing the sermon, you might find it difficult to follow only the written sermon outline. For that reason, we are publishing on this website my audio sermons that correspond to these outlines (just click on the link above the sermon outline to listen). Because these sermons were originally recorded for radio listeners, some sermon outlines are covered in several audio sermons.
Please feel free to use these sermon outlines yourself. You may use them exactly as they are published or you may modify them if you wish. Whether you use these outlines or not, my hope is (and the purpose for publishing them is) that you will see where the principles come from in the Scripture passage and how to word them for your contemporary audience.
In the last edition of The NET Pastors Journal I published my first three sermon outlines in the series “Jesus Supernatural Deeds” in John’s gospel, as follows:
Sermon outline #1: John 2:1-11, Jesus changes water into wine
Sermon outline #2: John 4:46-54, Jesus heals the nobleman’s son
Sermon outline #3: John 5:1-47, Jesus heals the lam man at Bethesda, Pt. 1
Now, here are the next two sermon outlines in the same series, “Jesus’ Supernatural Deeds.”
English audio version of this message: Part 1 - Part 2
Subject: How big is your God?
Point #1: A simple question reveals a profound ignorance (5-9)
1. Jesus asks one simple question (5-6)
2. The disciples give two revealing answers (7-9)
(1) The first answer is the product of reason (7)
(2) The second answer is the product of realism (8-9)
Point #2: A simple command reveals a profound reality (10-13)
1. God can turn a lunch basket into a lavish banquet (10-11)
2. God can turn a little lunch into a lot of leftovers (12-13)
English audio version of this message: Part 1 - Part 2
Subject: Discovering who Jesus is
Point #1: Troubles arise at the most unexpected times (17)
1. Troubles arise when we are being obedient to God (17a)
2. Troubles arise when we are least able to handle them (17b)
Point #2: Troubles arise for the most unexpected discoveries (19-21)
1. We discover that Jesus is our eternal God (20a)
2. We discover that Jesus is our gracious Comforter (20b-21a)
3. We discover that Jesus is our powerful Deliverer (21b)
Spring 2012 Edition
Produced by ...
Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
The Biblical and Spiritual Foundations for Preaching
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
So far in this series on preaching we have discussed:
1. Preaching: What is it?
2. Preaching: Why do we do it?
In this edition we are going to explore “Preaching: What is our responsibility?” As preachers, our responsibility, simply put, is to “preach the word” – nothing else. We are charged to proclaim a message from God’s Word to this people in this place at this time and to proclaim it with accuracy, clarity, and conviction.
These verses contain the last words of the apostle Paul on our responsibility to preach until Jesus Christ comes again. They are probably the clearest statement in Scripture on the preaching of the Word.
“1I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
What does this passage teach us about the task of preaching? It teaches us six important principles:
Firstly, it’s a charge issued in the presence of God – that’s serious. “I solemnly charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ…” (1a). Paul’s charge to Timothy concerning his preaching responsibility is set in the most solemn and serious context and tone. Preaching is to be carried out in the full consciousness that it is done “before God and the Lord Jesus Christ” – they are our primary audience and judge.
Secondly, it’s a charge accompanied by accountability to God – that’s serious. “…who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom” (1b). At Jesus’ second coming, every believer will give account of himself before the judgement seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10, and 1 Cor. 3:13-15).
Preaching has kingdom impact, implications, and consequences, both for the preacher and for the hearers. How we preach and serve the Lord will impact our reward in Christ’s kingdom. And how we preach has kingdom implications for the hearers: What did they hear? How did they respond?
The preacher is accountable for this charge, first and foremost, to God. Therefore, don’t be influenced by opposition to the truth, or the wishes and opinions of your hearers. We are not commissioned by God to please our congregations but to “preach the Word!” Further, our preaching will be assessed at the judgement seat of Christ as to whether what we said was true and accurate and worthy of kingdom reward.
Preaching has an eschatological perspective. It’s this eschatological perspective that makes preaching such a serious responsibility. The responsibility for present faithfulness in preaching is one thing, but the thought of giving account for what and how we preached before God and the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming is quite another thing – it’s serious.
This should make us stop and consider what we preach and how we preach. This solemn charge should spur us on to be wholly conscientious and transparent in our accountability and responsibility as preachers.
“True preaching is the most exacting labor in the world, and a man can make nothing of it unless he puts everything into it. In their preparations for the pulpit the old Puritans knew well how to roll up their mental sleeves. There was nothing in the least slipshod or slatternly about their homiletical workmanship. Some of them studied for as many as fourteen hours a day, and one of them, at any rate, was so busy with his books that he could not so much as find time to get wed! John Wesley did not make matters quite as difficult for his preachers, but he would not suffer any man to minister in his societies unless he undertook to devote a minimum of five hours in every twenty-four to diligent delving in the Word of God. ‘Kill yourselves with work’ was Spurgeon’s sage advice to his students, ‘and then pray yourselves alive again.’…Was not Joseph Parker right when he averred that true preaching is ‘the sweat of blood’? Of Howell Harris the gallant Welsh evangelist, it is told that, though only twenty-four, albeit a man of Herculean physique, he had so worn himself out with preaching that ‘when he went before his congregation he could hardly stand on account of weakness.’ After pouring out his soul in the pulpit, passionately pleading with sinners, George Whitefield would often be found prostrate in extreme exhaustion on the vestry floor. Yet here, as elsewhere, is not the Master himself our supreme model and exemplar? What days of toil were His! What nights of labouring prayer!” 1
What about your own sense of accountability and responsibility? Perhaps the spiritual famine in our country is due, in part, to the lack of discipline by preachers in the study of the Word and their consequent ineffectiveness in the pulpit.
“Preach the Word!” (2a)
You might think it redundant to exhort a minister to preach the Word. But Timothy was naturally timid, he was young, and he faced opposition - three good reasons why he needed this exhortation.
It’s always good to be reminded that the authority and power for our preaching is not our personal charisma, nor our age, nor the acceptability of our message. It is always the inspired Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16) applied by the Spirit of God and communicated through the servant of God by the spiritual gift that God has given us, which gift we are to “stir up” (2 Tim. 1:6).
The Word of God forms the basis, content, and focus of biblical preaching. Our responsibility is to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15) and to “hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me (Paul), in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing that was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us” (2 Tim. 1:13-14). That’s our responsibility and our mandate – to preach the inspired Word of God in truth and love.
“Be ready in season ... and out of season” (2b)
Be ready whether it is “convenient” or “inconvenient” – i.e. on all occasions; at any and all times. Be ready at any scheduled, prearranged, traditional time (“in season”) as well as any unscheduled, informal settings (“out of season”). In other words, make the most of any occasion given to you to preach the Word. Be like the apostle Paul who took every opportunity to preach and made opportunities to preach (e.g. Acts 16:16-34; 19:9).
Similarly, Jesus took opportunities to preach (e.g. in the centers of religious life on the Sabbath day) and made opportunities (e.g. the Sermon on the Mount; from a fishing boat; beside a well; in the shadows to Nicodemus). He preached the Word continuously and so must we.
“Convince, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and teaching” (2c)
This is the whole range of the preacher’s responsibility. When you preach, make sure that your preaching contains three essential ingredients.
Firstly, we preach the Word to “correct” (or, “convince”). This has to do with THE MIND. To “correct” means to confront with the truth those who hold error, or contrary opinions, or false teachings. And the purpose of correcting them is ...
a) to convict them of their error. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came he would “convict the world of sin…” – same word (Jn. 16:8).
b) to convince them of the truth (this is the context of 2 Tim.).
c) to present an argument or strong appeal in order to try and change their mind (i.e. correct) from false doctrine to the truth.
It has the sense of refuting and correcting error (whether doctrinal or practical) with biblical truth. So, we preach the Word to correct those in error.
Secondly, we preach the Word to “rebuke” 2 (“reprove / admonish”). This has to do with THE WILL. To “rebuke” means ...
a) to reprimand those in opposition or rebellion, those who refuse to listen (as opposed to those who are in error but are willing to be “corrected”), with a view to changing their ways.
b) to chide someone with a view to bringing about repentance and obedience to the truth.
c) to speak against something that is wrong.
d) to withstand, to discipline, to disapprove, to reprove, to admonish, to censure.
e) to warn in order to prevent an action or teaching.
When necessary, the preacher must reprimand or rebuke backsliders or impenitent people, or the rebellious, those who will not listen or refuse to be taught, just as Jesus “rebuked” demons (Mk. 3:12; 8:33 etc.) – same word.
A rebuke addresses moral, social, political, environmental, cultural, racial, and economic issues of our day from the Word, which is our ultimate authority for faith and practice. Preaching that reprimands, rebukes, and reproaches brings home to the conscience of both sinner and saint the awareness of their sin and error with a view to repentance (e.g. Jonathan Edwards’ sermon, “Sinners in the hands of an angry God”). The conviction of sin followed by repentance is the prerequisite for revival.
So, we preach the Word to correct those in error. We preach the Word to rebuke those in rebellion or opposition. And ...
Thirdly, we preach the Word to “exhort” (i.e. edify). “Exhort with all longsuffering and teaching.” This has to do with THE HEART. To “exhort” means ...
a) to encourage, to appeal to someone with the view to motivating them.
b) to comfort, to plead, to recommend, to entreat, to appeal strongly.
c) to edify, to build up - in this context, to build up by instruction in the Word.
Having brought about any correction that is necessary, the preacher must build up the congregation - build up those who have responded to him positively, by urging them to comply with, and be obedient to, the truth they know. All such preaching (correcting, rebuking, and exhorting) is to be exercised “with all gentleness and patience” based on the solid truth of the Word.
These are three essential ingredients of biblical preaching:
(1) We preach the Word to correct those who are in error
(2) We preach the Word to rebuke those in are in opposition
(3) We preach the Word to exhort those who are responsive – i. e. those who listen and learn and change; those who respond positively and properly.
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (3-4).
The warning to Timothy (and to all preachers) is that the time would come when people will not put up with sound doctrine, particularly as the time of Jesus’ second coming approaches. Why? Because this convicting and correcting message does not fit with “their own (egocentric) desires.” People just will not stand for it, preferring fables to the truth.
Don’t we see that all around us in our society today? Is not this attitude openly displayed and a marked characteristic of our postmodern society?
“Be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry” (5)
It’s demanding because you must be “watchful (alert) in all things” - i.e. morally alert, mentally alert (i.e. clear-minded), spiritually alert, constantly aware of those things which will entangle you or trip you up. Don’t get tangled up in senseless arguments but confine yourself to the simple word of truth
It’s demanding because you must be willing to “endure afflictions”. Biblical preaching often confronts the preacher with afflictions - opposition, criticism, even persecution. We must not be concerned about our reputation or popularity, but focus on living and preaching the truth of God.
It’s demanding because you must “do the work of an evangelist”. This is demanding if, like Timothy, you are not gifted as an evangelist. Doing the work of an evangelist involves two aspects:
a) A clear proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ; and
b) A compelling invitation to trust Christ as Saviour and Lord (1 Tim. 1:15).
John Stott said:
“We must never make an appeal without first making the proclamation…Men must grasp the truth before they are asked to respond to it…(on the other hand) we must never make the proclamation without then issuing an appeal” 3
It’s demanding because you must “fulfil your ministry” (i.e. complete it). Work your way through to a completed ministry. Endure to the end of your ministry. Fully perform all your duties. Don’t leave anything out. Don’t give up. Don’t be defeated. Press on until you can say: “I have finished the course.”
Conclusions: This charge to us as preachers assumes a knowledge of and conviction about the Scriptures. This is a solemn charge and a great responsibility: “I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom… Preach the word! ... Convince, rebuke, exhort.” This charge remains until this day. We fail in our holy task if we do not preach with the same sense of responsibility and accountability.
“Being a Personal Example in Thought, Word, and Deed”
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
So far in this series on “Being a Godly Role Model” we have looked at being an example of commitment, consistency, and confidence. Let’s continue this study by considering what it means to be an example of consecration, compassion, and competence.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart (consecrated you); I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:5)
“Separate to me Barnabas and Saul” (Acts 13:2)
“Seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business” (Acts 6:3) – i.e. consecrate them to this task; let this task be their focus
“God ... separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace” (Gal. 1:15)
To be consecrated is to be dedicated to the Lord; to be set apart (sanctified) for His service; to be devoted exclusively to God. So be consecrated to the work of the Lord in thought, word, and deed.
The apostle Paul said, “I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith” (Phil. 2:17). That’s what it is to be consecrated – set apart for the work of the gospel, offered up to God as a sacrifice in and for his service.
“Be an example to the believers … in love” (1 Tim. 4:12)
“We were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children…we exhorted and comforted and charged everyone of you as a father does his own children” (1 Thess. 2:7)
Christian leaders must learn to be compassionate – in our homes, in our churches, in our workplaces. We need to care about those who are sick, discouraged, facing temptations, and other difficulties.
Pray for them when you are with them or even when you are talking to them on the phone. This is a very powerful pastoral act of compassion.
Be sensitive to the needs and idiosyncrasies of the people. Love and support often have deeper and longer lasting results than lectures and rebuke or sternness. Build relationships in how you speak and how you act. Joe Stowell writes:
“Love is at the heart of what it means to be a shepherd…Love is the key to good relationships, and good relationships are indispensable to effective leadership” 4
Shepherds care for the flock, not themselves. Those who care for themselves are false shepherds (Ezek. 34). True shepherds nurse and feed the flock.
Love is the key that connects the leader to the followers. True love is that modeled by Jesus. It doesn’t depend on circumstances, or on the response of the followers, or on how the leader feels, or on how you have been treated. True love is unconditional and sacrificial (cf. Jn. 13:1-17).
“…full of…wisdom” (Acts 6:3) – i.e. this was the primary area of needed competence
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me (i.e. made me competent), because he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry…” (1 Tim. 1:12)
“You shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth…” (Ex. 18:21)
Firstly, competence for ministry requires spiritual gifts from the Lord. Only God gives us the ability to serve him effectively. Only the Lord distributes gifts to individuals for the benefit of the church (Eph. 4:7ff.). We all have been given spiritual gifts but we do not all have the same gifts. Competence requires that we know what our gifts are and how to use them in ministry.
If we minister in ways for which we are not gifted:
a) We will not function competently.
b) We will become frustrated with the ministry because of frustration in doing tasks that we are inadequate for.
c) Others will become frustrated with us because of our demonstrated lack of competence.
d) We will waste energy and time through inefficiency.
e) We will not be fruitful in our ministry.
1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 list certain spiritual gifts. These are not exhaustive lists but representative of many spiritual gifts. Romans 12 lists seven gifts:
1) Prophecy – the ability to apply God’s Word and, therefore, to declare God’s mind regarding a particular situation.
2) Serving – the ability and active desire to spontaneously help others.
3) Teaching – the ability to explain the truths of Scripture in ways that people can understand.
4) Exhortation – the ability to encourage others in their spiritual life and development; the ability to urge people to progress, to go on, to appeal to people to respond.
5) Giving – the ability and active desire to share material resources with others who need them.
6) Leading – the ability to provide guidance and organization to a group of people so that they complete the task at hand
7) Mercy – the ability to empathize with others (particularly those in hard times) and to communicate the love of Christ to them.
“We are the most proficient when we are functioning in the context of our gifts,” 5 because by doing so we are functioning within the sphere of, and according to, the abilities God has given us.
Make sure you know what your gifts are. It’s not hard to figure out what your spiritual gift is. You don’t need to fill out a form or go through some sort of professional analysis. Ask yourself some simple questions:
· What do you have a passion for and derive pleasure from?
· What do you get excited about doing?
· What do you willingly spend energy and time on?
· What produces the most efficient and abundant results?
· What do others encourage and affirm you in?
· What do you feel most fulfilled in before the Lord?
Having recognized and identified your gifts, construct your ministry around them. Don’t insist on exercising your gift to the exclusion of anything else, for not everything you do in ministry will be a direct exercise of gift. But everything should be done with the goal of exercising “your” gift – e.g. administration may not be your gift, but you have to do a certain amount of it in order to facilitate whatever your gift is.
Other spiritual gifts may not be your specific “gift” but they should be present in your life and ministry – e.g. if your gift is prophecy, you cannot exercise it to the exclusion of mercy, serving, or teaching.
The constraint to this is that your predominant tasks should not primarily revolve around the use of gifts you do not have. Only your secondary tasks should be in areas for which you are not gifted - and only then if there is no one to whom you can delegate them. These principles are true in all aspects of life.
Be true to who you are as God has divinely gifted you. Don’t try to be someone or do something that is not genuinely you – i.e. don’t pretend to be a preacher if you are not. People will soon recognize your inadequacy. So, be authentic!
Use others to come alongside you in your weak areas. Don’t try to be all things to all people. And whatever you do, do it for God’s glory, with all your energy and with excellence (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:23).
So, competence in ministry requires spiritual gifts from the Lord. Secondly, competence in ministry also requires knowledge of the Scriptures. Regardless of what your specific gifts may be, all church leaders must be knowledgeable in the Scriptures (2 Tim. 2:15). You cannot lead others if you yourself do not know the way – and the way is spelled out in the Scriptures. Spiritual leaders must have the spiritual tools necessary to answer people’s questions, deal with their doubts, help them through troubles.
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
1 Corinthians 15:58 is one of my favourite verses. In this chapter the apostle Paul sets out probably his most complete and significant dissertation on the reality and certainty of the resurrection by which:
1. We shall all be changed – from corruption to incorruption; from mortality to immortality;
2. Death will be swallowed up in victory;
3. God will give us the victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Therefore,” Paul says, “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord”
This concluding exhortation derives its impetus clearly from the truth and certainty of the resurrection, which Paul has just argued masterfully in this chapter. It is this truth and certainty which gives us the motivation to “keep-on-keeping-on.”
But this verse is also one of those wonderful stand-alone verses that encourages us when times are tough and the opposition is strong and loud.
The apostle’s conclusion, from his long treatise on the resurrection as our source of present power and future security, is that we can have great confidence about the lasting value of our ministry. Truth forms the basis of our practice in ministry. And the truth is that, because of the reality of the resurrection, we can have confidence that our ministry will have lasting (eternal) value.
On the basis of what we know concerning the gospel and specifically the resurrection of Jesus Christ, be “steadfast” (settled, solid, unshakeable) in your faith. Don’t compromise your convictions about the truth. Be settled in the gospel ministry; abide in it; don’t be moved away from it; don’t be in doubt about it.
Be “immovable”. Don’t be shifted from your position; don't be swayed by outward attacks or other people’s opinions (Heb. 13:7). Don’t be “tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14). But rather stand firm against spiritual assaults. Be unchanging, consistent in your work for the Lord.
“Abounding" means to be overflowing to the point of being excessive in your zeal for and commitment to the Lord’s work. Because of our security in Christ, we, of all people, should “abound” in the work of the Lord. As ministers of the gospel, we are people who should be given to diligent effort in our ministry, because we know the truth of the gospel – the greatest truth that can be known.
We are engaged in the “work of the Lord”. He instituted it; he called us to it. Whatever your ministry may be (whether in a local church, missions work in a foreign land, evangelism, teaching in a Bible school etc.), your ministry belongs to Him, and He alone can preserve it and make it flourish. We are engaged in God’s kingdom business.
“Always” abounding. That should characterize our work - not just on good days, but also on bad; not just on successful days, but also on days of failure.
We “abound” because of what we “know”. We know that our work in the Lord is worthwhile, valuable, fruitful, productive, and that it will have eternal consequences. In my work, I can’t usually see the results; can’t measure progress. But my motivation is that it is God’s work (He called me to it), and that it is not futile – God’s work, done God’s way is never futile.
We “abound in the Lord’s work because of what we “know.” What we “know” gives value and motivation to our efforts. What we know gives us confidence in our work. Our work in the Lord can be toilsome and tiresome. It requires strenuous effort in order to produce results and success. But even though it is toilsome, it is not “futile,” it is not “in vain.” Rather, it is wonderfully productive because it is “in the Lord.”
The work of the Lord can’t be measured like laying bricks. It is often intangible, but not in vain because God prospers it. It’s important to know this so that we don’t start second guessing ourselves or changing course or becoming discouraged.
This brings the heights of theological truth in this passage down to where we live and work every day. Theology underlies our ministry practice and motivates us to serve the Lord. It’s the deep conviction that stems from all that we “know” - about truth (especially the truth of the Lord’s death and resurrection) and about the value of our labour in the Lord - that sustains us to continue on with drive, with vigour, with confidence, with joy, and with steadfastness.
So be encouraged and assured that your work in the Lord will be no more in vain than your faith in Christ. It will be no more futile than the ministry of the apostles; no more empty than Christ’s death and resurrection itself. When we apprehend this, our work will take on a different character – a character that stems from knowing that our work is valuable, significant, fruitful for God.
Based on what we know, we can have great confidence about the lasting value of our ministry.
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Those of you who have been reading these articles regularly know that I include sermon outlines to help you in your preaching and teaching ministry. In preparing your sermons or Bible lessons, you have probably found that often one of the hard parts is identifying the subject and the flow of thought of the passage. What is the biblical author writing about (i.e. the subject) and what are the “points” (units of thought) that he is making about that subject? This can be hard work in sermon preparation.
The first task is always to discover the subject of the passage. What is the author writing about? When answering this question, try not to be vague. To say, for example, that he is writing about “God’s love” is too broad, too vague. Specifically, what aspect of God’s love is he writing about? God’s love for sinners? God’s love for his people? God’s love in sending his Son to die for us? Always try to define the subject so that it is clear what the author is writing about.
The second task is to discover what the author says about the subject. How many points does he make? What is his argument or flow of thought? How does the passage break down into its component parts – i.e. what verses go together to make up a unit of thought? This is very important in order to ensure that you preach what the author says and how he says it. By identifying the points in the passage (all the points being about the same subject), you will be able to explain the passage much more clearly to your audience.
Then, once you have discovered the subject of the passage and its composition in terms of flow of thought, I find it very helpful to express each unit of thought (each sermon point) in a statement of principle.
That’s why I include these sermons outlines – so that you can see examples of this process and apply it to your own sermon preparation and preaching. These sermon outlines are intended to show you the results of some of my own study in preparation for preaching these passages. I hope that you will be able to see how they relate directly to, and come directly from, the Scripture passage itself.
Further, it is helpful to hear how someone else preached the passage. For that reason, I include a link to the audio version of these passages. Because these sermons were originally recorded for a radio broadcast that was limited to about 25 minutes, some passages required more than one radio sermon.
Please feel free to use these sermon outlines yourself. You may use them exactly as they are published or you may modify them if you wish. Whether you use these outlines or not, my hope is that you will see where the principles come from in the Scripture passage and how to word them for your contemporary audiences.
In the last two editions of The NET Pastors Journal, I published the first five sermon outlines in the series “Jesus’ Supernatural Deeds” in John’s gospel as follows:
A. Fall 2011 edition:
1. Sermon outline #1: John 2:1-11, Jesus changes water into wine
2. Sermon outlines #2: John 4:46-54, Jesus heals the nobleman’s son
3. Sermon outlines #3, John 5:1-47, Jesus heals the lame man, Pt. 1
B. Winter 2012 edition:
1. Sermon outlines #4: John 6:1-4, Jesus feeds the five thousand
2. Sermon outlines #5: John 6:16-21, Jesus walks on water
Now here are the next two sermon outlines in the same series, “Jesus Supernatural Deeds” (miracles) as recorded in John’s gospel.
For the English audio version of this message click on this link: Link 1 - John 9:1-3; Link 2 - John 9:4-7
Subject: Jesus is the One sent from God
Point #1: Man’s Pitiful Condition (1-3)
1. How did this happen? (2)
2. Why did this happen? (3)
Point #2: Jesus’ Powerful Commission (4-7)
1. Jesus’ commission was to do God’s work in the world (4)
2. Jesus’ commission was to be God’s light in the world (5-7)
For the English audio version of this message click on this link: Link 3 - John 9:8-23
Subject: Jesus is the One sent from God
Point #1: The curiosity of the man’s acquaintances (8-12)
1. They are curious about the man’s identity (8-9)
2. They are curious about the man’s cure (10-12)
Point #2: The dispute among the authorities (13-17)
1. Some saw only the breaking of the Law (14-16a)
2. Others saw only the performing of a miracle (16b-17)
Point #3: The fear of the family (18-23)
1. They claimed ignorance of the healing and the healer (18-21)
2. They feared retribution by the ruling council (22-23)
1 Ian McPherson, The Burden of the Lord, quoted by Austin L. Sorenson, “The Burden of the Ministry” in Pulpit Helps ( May 1978), 15, and cited in Stephen F. Olford, Preaching the Word of God, 16-17.
2 επιτιμησον = rebuke, reprove, censure, warn
3 John R. W. Stott, The Preacher’s Portrait (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans), 48-50.
4 Joseph M. Stowell, Shepherding the Church, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1997), 180.
5 Stowell, 312.
Summer 2012 Edition
Produced by ...
Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
The Biblical and Spiritual Foundations for Preaching
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
So far in this series on preaching we have discussed:
1. Preaching: What is it?
2. Preaching: Why do we do it?
3. Preaching: What is our responsibility?
In this edition we are going to explore “Preaching: How do we do it?” Even though each of us brings our own personality and style to our preaching, it is good to have an example of how to do it. We cannot improve on the examples of preaching we find in God’s word. Let’s look at one from the Old Testament and one from the New.
Here is an example of biblical preaching from the Old Testament. Notice the approach to this sermon – its structure, presentation, and response.
First, they read the text of God’s Word publicly. “So they read distinctly from the book, in the law of God…” (8a). This refers to the public reading of Scripture before anything was said. God speaks to your audience as you read His Word from the pulpit. This is probably one of the most important aspects of preaching. In reading the Scripture passage, you demonstrate to your people how to read Scripture – with clarity of pronunciation, with variety of emphasis and speed, and with reverence. You might like to practice reading a chapter aloud each day at pulpit speed. Mentally visualize your audience and concentrate on difficult names, words, and punctuation. Speak clearly so that everyone can hear the words and understand the ideas in the passage.
Second, they explained the meaning of God’s Word clearly. “…and they gave the sense” (8b). Verse 9 states clearly that they “taught the people.” To “give the sense” is to explain what the passage says and means. Sometimes people may understand the words on the page (what it says), but they do not understand what it means. In order to explain the Word clearly we must first interpret it accurately. That takes place in our personal study of the Word and the preparation of the message. Accurate interpretation involves “rightly dividing the Word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). To rightly divide God’s Word means that we must understand the words, grammar, and context of the passage. Someone has said that “a text taken out of context is a pretext.” Context makes a huge difference in understanding what the original author intended to communicate to his original audience. Context includes historical, grammatical, literary, theological, and syntactical context.
Only when we understand it ourselves can we explain it clearly to others. Then, in order for our explanation of the Word to be clear, we must use language and speak at a level that the audience understands. That’s when true communication takes place. Many listeners do not know what some words in the Bible mean. We are not authorized to change these words - our job is to explain what they mean in their context.
Our primary task as preachers is to clearly explain the meaning of God’s Word, so that the people understand it. Remember my definition of biblical preaching: “Biblical preaching is the proclamation of God’s Word, the objective of which is to generate a spiritually life-transforming response in the listeners, by (a) accurately interpreting its meaning; (b) clearly explaining its truth; (c) authoritatively declaring its message in the power of the Holy Spirit; and (d) practically applying its significance to contemporary life.”
By following this pattern, we expose the Word of God so that people can see its truth and hear God speak.
Thirdly, they applied the significance of God’s Word. “They… helped them understand the reading” (8c). This is the application of Scripture (cf. vv. 10-12). They gave the sense which “helped them understand”. To understand here implies its relevance for life; its application to life.
Lastly, they called for a response to God’s Word. “Go your way...and all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them” (10-12). Fresh understanding of God’s Word demands a new way of living. If our behaviour, attitudes, beliefs, and deeds don’t change, then either we don’t understand or we are being disobedient to what we know. Understanding must produce obedience in the things of God. For this to take place, the preacher must apply the significance of the truth to the lives of the listeners; show them how the truth is to be lived out. And part of application is the call for a practical response to the truth.
Application is where we make the text relevant to the lives of our listeners. Unless we do this, we cannot expect them to respond; we cannot expect their lives to be transformed by the Word through the power of the Spirit. Preaching only accomplishes its objective when it changes the people’s character and conduct.
Here we see a good example of the model of Jesus’ preaching. He “expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (27). Jesus was a biblical (or, expository) preacher. He took advantage of every opportunity to expound the Scriptures - He preached “in season and out of season”. Like Jesus, whether our audience is small or large, formal or informal, our handling of the Word should be expository if it is to be biblical. In other words, if it is to be truly scriptural it must be derived from sound exegesis and exposition.
Let’s notice in this passage, the model of Jesus’ preaching followed by its effect.
When Jesus preached, he turned to the text of Scripture. “Beginning at Moses and all the prophets... in all the Scriptures” (27a). “All the Scriptures” of course refers to the Law, the Psalms, the Writings, and the Prophets. As preachers, we must preach the whole counsel of God. So, don’t just preach from your favourite passage or books, but from the entire scope of Scripture – “all the Scritpures.”
Next, Jesus explained the meaning of Scripture. “He expounded to them…” (27b). The word translated “expounded” comes from two Greek words: (1) “through” (or “by”); and (2) “interpretation” (literally, “hermeneutics”). So, Jesus made the Scriptures clear to them by the careful interpretation of its meaning. This is a very important task of preachers – to understand what the original author meant and then to explain it clearly to your congregation so that they can see it and understand it.
Part of explaining what the Scriptures mean and making them clear is to use illustrations (just as Jesus did) from different areas and walks of life, news items, history etc. in order to make the truth come alive.
Explanation is probably the single factor in contemporary preaching that is done the least and the worst – probably because it is hard and requires hard work. But it is the most important aspect of preaching for several reasons: (a) because our task is to make clear what our people would not figure out for themselves; and (b) because if you do not adequately explain the meaning, how can you expect the people to be obedient to it? In other words, they have to know the “what” before they can respond to the “how.” Thus, explanation comes before application.
Thirdly, Jesus exposed the subject of Scripture - “…the things concerning himself” (27c). He showed them that the Scriptures testify about Him (cf. Jn. 5:39). He is the theme of all Scripture. We, as preachers, must see Christ in all the Scriptures and point people to him. We fail in our task as expository preachers if Jesus is not the theme of all our preaching. We preach “Christ and him crucified” so that He can “conform us to the image of God’s Son” (Rom. 8:29; see also 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Cor. 3:18; Col. 1:28).
Then, Jesus applied the personal significance of Scripture - “O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken” (25). This was direct application to them. Jesus was challenging them about their lack of faith in Him and in the Scriptures which spoke of Him. They needed his exhortation here to awaken them as to who He was.
Correctly applied, the Scriptures always minister personally and profitably. All truth has an application to life: “If anyone wants to do His (God’s) will, he shall know… the doctrine” (Jn. 7:17). Unwillingness to obey truth nullifies the whole purpose of preaching.
The expository preacher must relate the application of Scripture in such a way that its relevance to our character and conduct is both indisputable and irresistible (see Rom. 6:17; James 1:22-25).
Lastly, Jesus revealed the truth of Scripture. “Ought not…Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?” (26). Jesus showed them that the redemptive plan of God required that He suffer before entering into his glory. If these two people to whom Jesus was talking had understood the Scriptures clearly and accurately, they should have known that Jesus’ crucifixion was a necessary precursor to his resurrection and glorification. His death ought not to have caused them to walk away from Jerusalem in despair, thinking that it was all over, but it should have caused them to expect and look for his resurrection and ascension.
Jesus’ preaching generated an immediate response in his hearers. First, the preaching of the Scriptures warmed their heart. “Did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us on the road and while he opened the Scriptures to us?” (32). “Heart” here is singular. The two people responded as one. Their hearts were fused together under the burning power of Jesus’ words. This is the response we long for in our own congregations, isn’t it? Hearts should melt under the preaching of the Word.
Second, the preaching of the Scriptures blessed their home. “Then they drew near to the village where they were going and he indicated that he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, ‘Abide with us for it is toward evening and the day is far spent.’” (28-30). Through the preaching of Scripture, Jesus “transformed that home into a sanctuary and the meal into a sacrament.” 4 The result was that the disciples’ home was instantly changed. This should be our goal as we preach the Word – that hearts are warmed and homes blessed so that they are never the same again.
Third, the exposition of the Scriptures unveiled their minds. “Then their eyes were opened and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight” (31). That’s what biblical preaching does. It opens people’s spiritual eyes to the truth of who Jesus is.
Fourth, the exposition of the Scriptures raised their hope. “So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together…He was known to us in the breaking of bread.” (33-35). Prior to hearing Jesus expound the Scriptures their hopes were dashed. But after, their hopes came alive again because Jesus was alive. Jesus was alive physically, but He also came alive to them again spiritually. They knew his living presence (34), his living peace (36), and his living power (49).
Along with these two examples of biblical preaching, we could point out the examples of the apostles:
· Peter (Acts 2:14-36). Exposition of Joel and Psalms
· Stephen (Acts 7). Exposition of historic parts of Genesis and Exodus. This is the best exposition of Genesis 1 in the Bible
· Philip (Acts 8:26-35). “Beginning at this Scripture, (Philip) preached Jesus to him.” (35) – exposition of Isaiah 53.
· Paul (Acts 17:1-3; 28:23). He reasoned with them out of the Scriptures concerning Christ.
So, we can conclude that biblical preaching is expository preaching – i.e. preaching that exposes the Word of God so that people can understand it and obey it. Biblical preaching in its basic form is preaching the Scriptures in such a way that the holy, unalterable Word of God forms the basis in detail of every part of the sermon. The title, the main points and subpoints all come from the text. Such preaching draws the people to the Scriptures, and its application to their lives becomes clear from it.
This model is based on the preacher being simply the mouthpiece for what the Scriptures say and mean, allowing God to speak through his Word, which is our only authority for preaching. As Dr. Olford once said, the crying need of the hour is for a return to expository preaching of the Word of God. The church can only grow, thrive, and serve when she is instructed and inspired by the exposition and application of the Scriptures. The task of biblical preaching is to allow the Word of God to speak, to bring out of the text what is there and expose it for all to see and respond to.
The word of God is the only true and lasting source of hope for the hopeless (Eph. 2:12). It alone can transform people’s lives when they understand it and obey it. Preaching is the means God has chosen to communicate his word and preachers are the instruments God has chosen to carry this out, week in and week out, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Being a Personal Example in Thought, Word, and Deed”
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
We’re studying what it means to display godly character to others; to mentor others through our own example. In previous editions of this journal, we have looked at being an example of commitment, consistency, confidence, consecration, compassion, and competence. In this edition we will examine what it means to be an example in conduct and conversation.
I’m going to deal at greater length with our conduct and conversation when we come to the subject of “holiness”. But, let me make some general remarks here.
After encouraging Timothy to “not let anyone despise his youth” – in a culture where older men were venerated and younger men (especially in church leadership matters) would have been looked down on – Paul writes, “but be an example to the believers ... in conduct” (1 Tim. 4:12).
The way Timothy should guard against being despised for his age is to “be an example … in conduct.” Paul is really saying, “Don’t let them look down on you because you are young (after all you are my apostolic delegate and I have given you the authority to command and teach these things (11) … Rather, act in such a way that not only will they not look down on you, but they will actually look up to you!”
So, what kind of conduct, do you think, would generate this kind of respect from others who might be tempted to otherwise despise or look down on you? Clearly, it is “godly” conduct. Conduct that causes people to recognize that God is at work in your life.
In writing to Titus, Paul says, “In all things showing yourself a pattern of good works” (Tit. 2:7-10). Good works in the context of Titus’ responsibilities within the believing community include integrity of doctrine (sound teaching), reverence (sound demeanour), words with which no one can find fault (sound speech), obedience to masters, well-pleasing in all things, not answering back, not thieving, but showing all fidelity, so that those who follow his model will “adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.”
That’s what we need to model as Christian leaders – godly conduct, good works that motivate others to glorify God in word and deed.
As to Paul’s own conduct he said to the Thessalonians, “Nor did we seek glory from men...but we were gentle among Nor did we seek glory from men...but we were gentle among you...labouring night and day” (1 Thess. 2:1-12). His conduct among them was exemplary of a man of God – someone whom others would want to imitate.
“Be an example to the believers in word” (1 Tim. 4:12)
“In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works … sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.” (Tit. 2:7)
Beware of compromising or plain sinful conversations - e.g. gossip, slander, lying, deceit, inferences, innuendos, seduction, murmuring, complaining, boasting, exaggerating, bad jokes (cf. Eph. 4:25, 29, 31; 5:4; Col. 3:8-9; 4:6; Matt. 15:11, 17-20). You can be drawn into those kinds of conversation so easily before you realize it.
Gossip, slander, backbiting etc. are very common among Christians. These indicate a poor state of spirituality – someone who is not walking with God, not showing the gentleness and grace of Christ.
This kind of conversation usually stems from issues of power or poor self-image – people use these kinds of put-downs of others to elevate themselves. Let’s be sure to be humble and gracious in our conversations with and about others.
Beware of jokes. When someone starts to tell a joke, I internally cringe. Sometimes, even with Christians, I have actually said that I don’t want to hear it. Don’t get caught up in joke-telling – it leads to foolishness (Eph. 5:4) - apart from the fact that jokes can be and often are misinterpreted to mean something that you did not intend, in which case they may offend people.
Joseph Stowell says: “If we violate integrity through our words in more casual and informal moments, then we will undermine the capacity of our words to carry appropriate weight when we speak on God’s behalf.” 5
By: Dr. Michael A. G. Haykin
Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky
Though Easter this year is past, it is still a good thing to think about the cross. And there is no better person than Isaac Watts (1674–1748) to guide us in our thoughts. Pick almost any recent hymnal, look in the index that lists the authors of the hymns, and the name “Isaac Watts” will usually have a long list of hymns beside it. During his life, Watts penned over 600 hymns, and through them has powerfully shaped the way English–speaking Evangelicals worship God.
Watts was born to Christian parents in Southampton, England, on July 17, 1674. His father, who was also named Isaac, was a prosperous clothier as well as being a schoolmaster. A deacon in the local Congregationalist church, later known as Above Bar Congregational Church, the elder Watts suffered imprisonment at least twice for refusing to give up worship with this church. From 1660 to 1688 the Congregationalists, along with other groups outside of the Church of England, found themselves in the fierce fire of persecution, when a series of laws were passed which made it illegal to worship in any other setting but that of the Church of England. Of Watts’ mother, Sarah Taunton, we know little beyond the fact that she was of French Huguenot descent and after Isaac’s birth would nurse him while visiting her husband in prison.
The younger Watts was converted in 1689. The following year he went to London to spend four years studying in a theological seminary. After graduation in 1694 he went back to live with his parents in Southampton for two years or so. Apparently it was during this time in Southampton that he began to write hymns. Watts preached his first sermon in 1698 and four years later was called to be the pastor of what was the most influential and wealthiest Congregationalist church in London, Mark Lane Congregational Church, which he served till his death.
Watts’ literary activity up until around 1720 was primarily in the realm of poetry. By way of contrast, during his final twenty–eight years Watts almost exclusively devoted himself to writing prose. According to reliable tradition, his first incentive to write hymns came when he complained to his father of the general poverty of the psalmody in their Southampton church. His father’s response was a challenge to his son to do better. As history attests Watts did indeed do better, so much so that he is often called “the Father of English hymnody.”
In 1707 Watts published his first collection of hymns, entitled Hymns and Spiritual Songs, one of the earliest English hymnals. It was in this collection that such great hymns as “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” first appeared. Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, a recasting of the psalms in the light of the New Testament for the purpose of public worship, came in 1719. Good examples of such “Christian paraphrases” of the Psalms would include “O God, Our Help in Ages Past,” based on Psalm 90 and “Jesus Shall Reign,” drawn from Psalm 72.
A prominent theme in Watts’ hymns is the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Bernard Lord Manning, a student of Watts’ hymnody, rightly asserted in a 1942 study that the cross forms the centre of Watts’ thought. In fact, the Victorian biographer E. Paxton Hood labeled Watts “the poet of the atonement.”
Consider, for instance, the hymn, “Grace and Glory by the Death of Christ.” Stanza 2 powerfully expresses the truth that Christ’s work of atonement on the cross pardons all of our sins—past, present, and to come. The following stanza then declares that ultimately everything that is good in the life of a believer stems from the mount of crucifixion:
2. We see the blood of Jesus shed,
Whence all our pardons rise;
The sinner views th’ atonement made,
And loves the sacrifice.
3. Thy cruel thorns, Thy shameful cross
Procure us heavenly crowns;
Our highest gain springs from Thy loss,
Our healing from Thy wounds.
In the well-known hymn “Alas! and did my Saviour bleed,”—originally entitled by the hymn-writer as “Godly Sorrow Arising from the Sufferings of Christ”—Watts is utterly astonished that Jesus suffered the hell of the cross for one as completely unworthy as he. Watts’ heart is at once overwhelmed with sorrow because of his sin (stanzas 1, 2, and 4) and overflowing with joy due to his experience of God’s stupendous love and amazing grace (stanzas 2, 4, and 5):
1. Alas! and did my Saviour bleed,
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?
2. Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
3. Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut His glories in,
When God the mighty maker died
For man the creature’s sin.
4. Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.
5. But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
‘Tis all that I can do.
In “Dead to Sin by the Cross of Christ,” Watts responds to the Antinomianism of his day. Since Christ’s death has broken the chains of sin (stanza 3) and destroyed sin’s power (stanza 2), to persist in sin then is to abuse the grace of God (stanza 1). In essence, such an attitude and lifestyle re-crucifies Christ (stanza 1).
1. Shall we go on to sin,
Because Thy grace abounds,
Or crucify the Lord again,
And open all His wounds?
2. Forbid it mighty God,
Not let it e’er be said
That we whose sins are crucified
Should raise them from the dead.
3. We will be slaves no more,
Since Christ has made us free,
Has nailed our tyrants to His cross,
And bought our liberty. 6
“Authentic Ministry: What is it?” (2 Cor. 4:1-6)
Paul had been the object of many false accusations both from the “false apostles” and the Corinthians Christians. The “false apostles” had accused him of being inconsistent, lacking authority, being weak in body and speech, and hiding behind powerful letters rather than confronting them face to face (2 Cor. 10:10ff.). The Corinthians had accused him of not being truthful, by saying he was coming to visit them but did not (cf. 2 Cor. 1:15-20). Ironically, the “false apostles” were accusing Paul of being inauthentic, false.
This second epistle to the Corinthians is really a personal apologetic, Paul’s defence of himself and his ministry. In this passage (2 Cor. 4:1-6), Paul sets out the marks of an authentic minister.
“We have this ministry even as we have received mercy.” “This ministry” is the ministry of the new covenant (3:6-18); the ministry of the Spirit (3:6,8) – life; the ministry of righteousness (3:9); the ministry of glory (3:8). Such a ministry emboldens (3:12) and encourages us (4:1).
The basis on which we have this ministry is that “we have received mercy” (cf. Eph. 2:4, 7), not because of any merit or ability of our own, but because we have been born again - i.e. “received mercy” (cf. 1 Tim. 1:12-17). Because it is all of God’s grace there is no room for self-approval, self-commendation in ministry. It isn’t our ministry, it’s God’s and he has entrusted it to us on the same basis on which we have received his mercy, his salvation.
Knowing that our ministry is rooted in God’s grace gives us courage. For the One who bestows his grace on us at salvation will continue to do so throughout our ministry. “Therefore, we do not lose heart.” Though we face the same obstacles that Paul faced (i.e. physical, spiritual, social etc.), nonetheless, because of God’s mercy, we do not lose heart (cf. 1 Cor. 15:58) - i.e. we have courage.
1. Authentic ministers renounce secrecy and deceitfulness. Those who have received mercy “renounce the hidden things of shame (or, dishonesty).” They reject the practices of inauthentic ministers. The gospel changes everything – our motives and our methods. We give up the old ways associated with the old man and practised by false teachers – those who have not received mercy.
Authentic ministers do not practice in secret things that would be shameful if known by others – whether that be motives, thoughts, desires, habits, lusts - especially those that appeal to the senses (sensual) (cf. 2:17). This is what is stumbling so many men in ministry today – particularly pornography, which is both secret and shameful.
Authentic ministers do not “walk in craftiness”. They don’t deal deceptively with others - no trickery. That lifestyle is characteristic of what we once were as “sons of disobedience” (cf. Eph. 2:1-3). But not anymore. Anything that remotely smacks of craftiness takes its character from Satan (Gen. 3:1; Jn. 8:44). Therefore, those who practise craftiness in their ministry (i.e. not transparent) are ministers of Satan (2 Cor. 11:13-15), not of God.
Authentic ministers do not “handle the word of God deceitfully”. They do not misrepresent the truth of the gospel. They do not use Scripture inaccurately or for their own purposes.
2. Authentic ministers manifest openness and truthfulness. Authentic ministers are the exact opposite of false ministers in character and practice. They do not practise secrecy and deceitfulness but openness and truthfulness.
They “manifest the truth” in speech and conduct, such that it is manifested to every human conscience. Others intuitively recognize them as authentic, transparent. Their actions and speech commend themselves to the discernment of others.
Authentic ministers act “in the sight of God.” That’s the sphere where everything is open and naked, nothing hidden or secret. This is a far higher standard of scrutiny than human conscience or inspection. Every minister of the gospel is accountable to God. This is the ultimate test: Whom do we serve? Are you conscious of serving God, of his inspection and approbation of your ministry? Are you walking in the light and are unafraid of what it may expose? (Jn. 3:19-20).
The gospel is veiled to those who are perishing. Though it is openly preached, its truth is veiled to those whose minds are blinded by the “god of this world.” The gospel ministry which is life-giving and glorious (3:6-11), admittedly, has no effect on those who do not believe. This is not an admission of ineffectiveness of the gospel but of the effectiveness of Satan’s deception in those who do not believe. Their minds are veiled (cf. 3:13-18) by Satan so that the light of the gospel of Christ’s glory cannot shine on them – so that they cannot see and believe the One who is the “image of God” (cf. Heb. 1:3).
That’s why Satan “has blinded their minds” – he doesn’t want them to catch a glimpse of God’s exact representation in Christ, for if they did he might lose them. There is nothing impotent or ineffective about the gospel. The problem is with the minds of the hearers, not the message. It is glorious, but they are deluded. It is open, but they are veiled.
So, the gospel is “veiled” (obscure, obstructed, dim) to those who are “perishing” (who wilfully refuse it), and behind their unbelief lies the deception of Satan, who is the father of lies. Satan has no influence over the age to come, but in this age he is permitted a measure of influence, an influence that he has usurped and which is only temporary. Satan is the “god of this age” - the one to whom the majority of this age submit; the one whose character is stamped on this age (deception, rebellion, sensuality); the one who deceives humans into bowing down to him rather than to the one true God.
Only the one true God can dispel the darkness of Satan’s deception and beam in the light of the gospel.
It’s not about us (5). The gospel (3) is not about us. “we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord.” That’s who we serve and that’s who we preach – “Christ Jesus the Lord.” We are His servants who proclaim a message about Him, not about ourselves. If it were about us, you could understand why some would not believe our message, but it’s about Him:
· Christ - the anointed (“we preach Christ and him crucified”)
· Jesus - the Saviour
· The Lord – the Master, the supreme One, Sovereign
There is only one Lord, one Master – and that is not us. We are not bosses, not lords over the flock (1 Pet. 5:3). We are his ministers - “your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.” We are ministers who serve God’s people “for Jesus’ sake”. That’s our motivation – we do it “for Jesus’ sake”; that’s why we do what we do.
Just as Jesus became a bondservant (Phil. 2:7) so we make ourselves servants of God’s people for Jesus’ sake. Ministers who make themselves prominent and whose ministry is more about them than the message, more about the vessel than the treasure, are not authentic ministers for Jesus’ sake.
It’s not about us. It’s all about God (6), the One who, at creation, commanded light to shine out of darkness (6). And He has shone his spiritual light into our hearts in order to illuminate our understanding of God’s glory as reflected in the face of Jesus Christ. We cannot bring about salvation, only God can. Only the God of creation is the God of redemption (re-creation). “The light of the world is Jesus” – the One who created light has become light. This was so vivid in Paul’s memory, when the light of God enveloped him on the Damascus road and flooded his soul with the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Only the face of Christ could adequately, properly, and fully manifest the glory of God such that we could understand it.
God commanded the light to shine “out of” darkness, and through the gospel he has beamed “into” our hearts the light of the knowledge of his glory as incarnated in the human face of Jesus (Jn. 1:14). Just as in his work of creation, God commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, so in his work of redemption he commanded the Light to shine into the darkness of our human condition so that we could know him.
The source of ultimate truth (about who we are, who God is etc.) is only from God. “I am the…truth” Jesus said. He is the final and full revelation of God. Hence, it is in his “face” (his person, his identification) that we come to know our glorious God.
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Preparing a sermon is hard work. Perhaps one of the hardest aspects of sermon preparation is to discover the structure of the passage. First, we need to identify the subject – what is the author talking about? Once you have identified the subject of the passage, the next task is to discover what the author says about the subject – what points does he make about the subject? Of course, all the points that he writes about will all be connected to the subject – that’s what gives a sermon its unity. And yet, each aspect of the subject is different from the previous one and the next one – that’s what gives a sermon its progression, its flow of thought. Usually, in a passage of Scripture, the author makes two or three, maybe four, points about the subject. Unless you identify these accurately you cannot properly prepare your sermon.
Once you have identified the subject and the points that the author makes about the subject, you now have the structure of the passage, which, of course, forms the structural outline of your sermon.
This process is true of any form of communication. In order to communicate coherently, everything has to connect to the same subject. And in order to communicate logically, each point has to be a progression in the unfolding of the subject.
In each edition of The NET Pastors Journal, I provide you with sermon outlines so that you can see how I have developed them from the passage. Also, if you click on the link provided, you can listen to the audio version of that sermon if you wish.
My sermon outlines are from a series I preached in John’s gospel. This edition continues that series with two more sermon outlines.
For the English audio version of this message click this link: Link 1 - John 9:24-34
Subject: Jesus is the Sent One from God
Point #1, 2, 3 – see the spring 2012 edition
Point #4: The Hostility of the Religious Leaders (24-34)
1. Hostility based on their commitment to God (24-25)
2. Hostility based on their commitment to Moses (26-34)
For the English audio version of this message click this link: Link 2 - John 9:35-39; Link 3 - John 9:40-41
Subject: Jesus is the Sent One from God
Point #1: Jesus came into the world to save (35-38)
1. He came into the world to save those who “believe” in Him (35-36)
2. He came into the world to save those who “see” Him (37-38)
Point #2: Jesus came into the world to separate (39-41)
1. He came into the world to effect spiritual sight in believers (39b)
2. He came into the world to effect spiritual blindness in unbelievers (39c-41)
1 See Stephen Olford (with David Olford), Anointed Expository Preaching (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1998), 69-71.
2 See Stephen Olford, Preaching the Word (Memphis: The Institute for Biblical Preaching, 1989),34-48.
3 Adapted from Olford, Preaching the Word of God, 45ff.
4 Olford, Preaching the Word, 46.
5 Stowell, Shepherding the Church, 154.
6 In the final section of this article, I am indebted to an unpublished paper written in 2002 by Dan Brubacher—currently serving as Associate Pastor of Adult Ministries at West Park Baptist Church in London, Ontario—for its form of argument and examples used.
Fall 2012 Edition
Produced by ...
Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
The truth is that neither eloquence nor prominence can overshadow the influence of the cross. The cross is the central message that we preach. In fact, as the apostle Paul indicates in 1 Corinthians 1:17-18, we preach, literally, the “word” of the cross – for the cross itself speaks. Therefore, for our purposes, we could say that “the primary ministry of every preacher is to proclaim the message of the cross.”
The apostle Paul is clear that, 17a ...Christ did not send me to baptize. He wasn’t going to be drawn into a popularity contest in the church at Corinth by being the leader of a select group whom he had baptized. His ministry was 17b... to preach the gospel (cf. Acts 20:24b). And we too must make sure that we keep the preaching of the gospel at the front and centre of our ministry.
It’s so easy to be distracted from our primary task, isn’t it? If we were more concerned with the message of the cross and the truth of the Bible, there would be less debate about unimportant issues, less promotion of personal opinions, less disunity in the church, and more results for the kingdom of God.
Our Ministry Is About Preaching The Gospel in such a way that the cross of Christ is prominent and effective. In order for the cross to be prominent and effective in our preaching, we must preach 17c not in the wisdom of words - not with cleverness of speech, not with wise eloquence, not with words of human wisdom. Or, as Paul puts it in the next chapter, “not with excellence of speech ... (nor) with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:2-4).
Our preaching is not to be with words that appeal to the cultural mindset or worldview. The Greek culture of that day loved philosophy (“human wisdom”). But our message isn’t designed to appeal to the philosophical fads of the culture around us – indeed, our message is totally “counter-cultural.”
Our preaching is not to be with words that impress the intellect - not persuasive, high-sounding words, or clever arguments that impress or even deceive the mind. That’s not how we are called to present the gospel, for that approach runs the risk of making the cross of Christ…of no effect (17c) - actually working against the message of the cross and turning people away.
Clever words only demean the message of the cross. They disparage the meaning and purpose of the cross. They trivialize the gospel, make void the cross of Christ. They render it of no effect – take away its inherent power. They cause it to be of no importance in the lives of people. They make it have no impact, no effect – rendering it meaningless, invalid, vain, empty.
Our preaching ministry, then, is primarily to preach the gospel. What is the gospel? At its core, The Gospel Is The Word Of The Cross. 18 For the word (message) of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. That’s what we preach - the “word (message) of the cross”. The word of the cross is the core of the gospel; it is Christ crucified (23). Paul says: “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).
Notice that it’s the word of the cross – it’s not the event, not the experience, not the passion, but the word of the cross. It’s the word of the cross because the cross speaks. That’s what we preach - the word of the cross.
We preach the word of the cross because the word of the cross declares the truth about sin. The truth about sin is that we have rebelled against God’s law, we have fallen short of God’s standard of holiness, we have missed the mark of God’s requirements, we are incorrigible sinners by nature (by birth) and practice (by behaviour).
The word of the cross says loud and clear, that we are enemies of God by wicked works (Rom. 5:10; Col. 1:21), that we are enemies of the cross of Christ (Phil. 3:18). The word of the cross exposes the truth about the human heart, that the “heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9), that the heart of man vented all its fury against Christ at the cross, that the anger of man was hurled at God himself at the cross, for the cross declares how inexpressibly sinful the human heart is when rebellion goes unchecked.
We preach the word of the cross because it declares the truth about sin. And we preach the word of the cross because the word of the cross provides the answer to sin. Through the cross, we receive forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:7) – our sins are blotted out like a thick cloud (Isa. 44:22). Through the cross, we are set free from the power and penalty of sin (Rom. 6:18, 22). Through the cross, God offers us the gift of eternal life (Rom. 6:23). Through the cross, we, who were enemies of God, have “peace with God” (Rom. 5:1). We are reconciled to God through the cross (Col. 1:20, 21). The word of the cross provides the answer to the sin problem, for at the cross, “God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. 5:21). “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13). He took on himself the curse of our sin and died in our place, thus redeeming us from sin’s curse.
That’s why we preach the word of the cross: (1) because the word of the cross declares the truth about sin; (2) because the word of the cross provides the answer to sin; and (3) because the word of the cross expresses the love of God for sinners. When Paul saw what God had done in his life, he could only attribute it to the love of God. In the cross, he saw the love of God told out in all its fullness – the love of God that “has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 5:5). In the cross, Paul saw the love of God from which nothing can separate us (Rom. 8:39).
In his hymn, “It is a thing most wonderful”, William How expressed it this way:
“I sometimes think about the cross and shut my eyes and try to see
The cruel nails and crown of thorns and Jesus crucified for me.
But even could I see him die, I could but see a little part
Of that great love, which, like a fire, is always burning in his heart.”
Thomas Kelly put it his way:
“Inscribed upon the cross we see,
In shining letters, God is love.
He bears our sins upon the tree;
He brings us mercy from above.”
That’s why we preach the word of the cross – because, firstly, the word of the cross declares the truth about sin; secondly, because the word of the cross provides the answer to sin; thirdly, because the word of the cross expresses the love of God for sinners in all its fullness; and, fourthly, because the word of the cross conveys new meaning for life. In the cross, Paul received new life in Christ (Rom. 5:18-21; 6:23) and in the cross, Paul undoubtedly saw new meaning for life, for once he had been a persecutor of the church, but then he began to serve Christ. Once he was proud of his Jewish heritage and religious zeal, but then he counted all that as rubbish in order to gain Christ. Once he treasured his earthly position and possessions above all else, but then he counted all these things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, his Lord (Phil. 3:8).
In the cross, Paul was a new man in Christ for, he said, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). Through the cross, he had been “raised to walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). So, the word of the cross conveys new meaning for our lives. That’s why we preach the word of the cross - because the word of the cross (1) declares the truth about sin; (2) provides the answer for sin; (3) expresses the love of God for sinners; (4) conveys new meaning for life.
And, further, we preach the word of the cross because the word of the cross declares God’s nearness to us. He is not distant from our pain and suffering, but rather he has done something about it by providing a Saviour. He has entered into our world of suffering and sorrow and he has conquered death. God is not disengaged from humanity but, in the cross, He has drawn near to us in all our conflicts and struggles. In the cross, God is not distant but has drawn near to us by embodying himself in human flesh and blood to communicate a word of hope, peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation to a world that yearns for his love. That’s why we preach the word of the cross!
With Paul we declare: “God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14). Our ministry is about preaching the gospel. The gospel is the word of the cross.
Now notice the effect of that word: The Word Of The Cross Divides The World. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. The cross of Christ divides the world into two groups – those who are perishing and those who are being saved. To those who are perishing the cross is “foolishness”. Why is the cross foolishness to them? The word of the cross is foolishness to them because they don’t believe the testimony of God. They know God, Paul says, through the testimony of creation in which “God’s invisible attributes are clearly seen... even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Yet although they know God, they do not glorify him as God... but are futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts are darkened” (Rom. 1:19-21).
That’s why they are perishing – because they don’t believe the testimony of God, despite the evidence and despite His grace in manifesting himself clearly to them in creation. They would rather believe in evolution than believe in God. That’s how resolute they are in denying the God who made them.
The word of the cross is foolishness to them because they don’t believe the testimony of God. And the word of the cross is foolishness to them because they don’t understand the truth of God (cf. 1 Cor. 2:14). To the natural mind the whole notion of the cross makes no sense. How could one person pay for the sins of another? How could God be born of a virgin and become a man? How could God's Son die on a cross for our sins? Such notions are foolishness to those who are perishing. But that’s the means God chose to save us: “It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1:21). In other words, precisely because it is so foolish to the natural mind, the salvation of a soul through the cross can only be the work of God.
So, the word of the cross to those who are perishing is foolishness (1) because they don’t believe the testimony of God; (2) because they don’t understand the truth of God, and (3) the word of the cross is foolishness to them because they don’t trust the ways of God. God’s way is to choose the foolish things of the world to humiliate the wise (1 Cor. 1:27) – e.g. Naaman (2 Kgs. 5); the serpent on the pole (Num. 21). Man with his earthly knowledge alone can never find God, for such a discovery is a supernatural occurrence that only God can generate. Without the illumination of his Spirit, the natural person can never understand the truth and ways of God - cf. Felix (Acts 24:25); Festus (Acts 26:24); Agrippa (Acts 26:28). These were men of intelligence and high position, but none of them believed the truth or trusted the ways of God.
God has “hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes” (Lk. 10:21; 1 Cor. 1:19). God has “chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are” (1 Cor. 27-28). So, you see, that “not many wise people according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called” (1 Cor. 1:26). The mind unenlightened by the Spirit of God cannot comprehend the word of the cross, and the will uncontrolled by the Spirit of God will not receive it. Salvation is solely an act of God, so that “no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Cor. 1: 29).
The bad news is that to those who are perishing the cross is foolishness and so they wilfully reject its message. Jesus said: “You will not come to me that you may have life” (Jn. 5:40). John the Baptist said: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on them” (Jn. 3:36; cf. 1 Jn. 5:12). So, left to themselves, the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. That’s the bad news.
But now the good news: to those who are being saved, the cross is “the power of God” (18c). The good news is that God loves those who are perishing. “He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9; cf. Jn. 3:16). That’s why we preach the word of the cross – because it’s a word of good news to those who are being saved.
Salvation is spoken of as being past, present, and future. We have been saved by faith in Christ and the cross. We are being saved through progressive sanctification – made more like Christ. We will be saved when we are glorified and have new bodies. Here, Paul is talking about our present state of being saved - of working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Those who are being saved are (a) those who have embraced Christ and the cross; (b) those whose sins are forgiven and, thus, sheltered from the wrath of God; (c) those who are on the journey to heaven; and (d) those who recognize the power of God in the cross. “For the gospel of Christ”, Paul says in Rom. 1:16, “is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes.”
For us who are being saved the message of the cross is the power of God (a) because through it we have received the forgiveness of sins – that’s powerful!; (b) because through it we have been reconciled to God – that’s powerful!; (c) because through it we have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light – that’s powerful!; (d) because through it we have been transformed from being “dead in trespasses and sins” to being “alive with Christ” (Eph. 2:1) - that’s powerful!; and (e) because it has brought us near to God when once we were afar off (Eph. 2:13) – that’s powerful!
That’s why we preach the word of the cross – because it is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes. Our ministry is about preaching the gospel. Remember our thesis, that “the primary ministry of every preacher is to proclaim the message of the cross.”
Praise God for the word of the cross. It is “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24). It is the good news of our salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). May we boldly proclaim, as the hymn writer put it: “To the old rugged cross, I will ever be true, its shame and reproach gladly bear.”
Our primary ministry is to preach the word of the cross, for “it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). This is what the great commission is all about – “preaching the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15). The apostle Paul could say: “I have fully preached the gospel of Christ” (Rom. 15:19). Can you say that?
May we never shrink from our duty to preach the cross. May it ever be the hallmark of our ministry. When many today (even those who call themselves evangelicals) are watering it down and giving it up, may we “cling to the old rugged cross” which someday we’ll “exchange for a crown.”
“Being a Personal example in Thought, Word, and Deed”
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
We come now to the last of the nine aspects of displaying a godly character to others. In previous editions of this NET Pastors Journal, we have looked at being an example of commitment, consistency, confidence, consecration, compassion, competence, conduct, and conversation. Lastly, we are looking at what it means to be...
Credentials seem to have taken the place of character in our culture - i.e. what you know and what you can do instead of who you are. Unfortunately, few churches seem to focus on godly character when they are looking for church leaders, ministry leaders, pastoral candidates etc.
What is “character”? Character has to do with your values, ethics, standards, priorities, goals, uprightness. Character is your unshakeable foundation when things get tough or when temptations assail you. Character is who we are when no one is looking. Christian character has to do with holiness, righteousness, godliness.
Christian ministry demands the development of godly character and yet ministry often seems to impede it. Aubrey Malphurs writes:
“Our gifts and abilities coupled with our ministry accomplishments present us with both an opportunity and a temptation. On the one hand, the opportunity is to have maximum kingdom impact while here on earth. On the other hand, the temptation is to allow our hearts and souls to shrivel as our gifts and talents grow and accomplish much … For leaders to be effective, however, character development is as important as their ministry success.” 1
Often the pressures to “do” overcome and outweigh our need and desire to “be”. There is a gap between our walk with Christ and our work for Christ. The time we put into practising ministry exceeds the time we put in to developing our spirituality and character. But the latter must precede the former; “being” comes before “doing”. If you aren’t who God wants you to be, you can’t do what God wants you to do. Hence, the character qualifications for elders and deacons (1 Tim. 3:1-13; Tit. 1:6-9).
Again, Aubrey Malphurs writes: “Character always precedes ministry” 2. Philips Brooks writes: “What the minister is, is far more important than what he is able to do, for what he is gives force to what he does. In the long run, ministry is what we are as much as what we do” 3
We need to consciously work on being Christ-like. It doesn’t just happen because you’re in ministry or because you are a church leaders or Bible teacher. Godly character stems from spending time with God. There is no substitute for this. That’s why busyness is so destructive to effectiveness in ministry. Busyness is probably one of Satan’s masterpieces in attacking the church, our ministry, our testimony. If Satan can weaken our relationship with the Lord, he has weakened our ministry and the impact we can have for God. Disciples spend time with their leader (cf. Mk. 3:13-14).
Developing character is the result of being an example in commitment, consecration, consistency, confidence, consecration, compassion, competence, conduct, and conversation. Our character is to be an expression of Christ’s character - “until Christ be formed in you” (Gal. 4:19). How we live (what we do) and who we are (our values) are to reflect how Christ lived and who He is – i.e. we are to be the presence of Christ on earth. We can only reflect Christ’s character if we know him intimately. Therefore, the apostle Paul says, “set your mind on things above not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2). Be Christ centred; live in submission to the Holy Spirit and in Christ-likeness. Is the fruit of the Spirit evident in your life (Gal. 5:22f.)? Are you bearing the image of God in your life? Are you known for godly character and conduct – e.g. hospitality, gentleness, humility, meekness, holiness, self-discipline? Are you “beyond reproach” in your reputation? Or, are you known as someone who lives to satisfy the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21)?
When the test comes in times of pressure and difficulty, godly character and biblical values will set you apart and keep you on course, so that you make the right decisions for the right reasons.
There are four particular areas of character that are vital for Christian ministry and testimony:
Integrity is openness, honesty, righteousness, impartiality. Why does the apostle Paul urge us to “pay close attention to yourself” (1 Tim. 4:16)? Because you cannot lead others to faith, or lead the people of God in worship, or intercede on behalf of others, or appropriately instruct others, unless your own life is upright, clean, honest, open. A Christian leader must have integrity. Your whole life must hold together – no gaps, no inconsistencies – but a unified whole.
Integrity is never making decisions to please people but to please God (Eph. 6:6-7; Col. 3:22-23). Integrity is doing what is right, regardless of the cost. Integrity is never being caught in a conflict of interest. That may mean turning down someone’s kind intent so that you are not beholden to that person.
Integrity goes hand-in-hand with sincerity – not being phoney but transparent, open, without guile.
Set high standards. Establish a code of ethics. Define your values. What things are important to you? What doctrines are important to you? What ways of life and ideas are important to you, that you won’t compromise or negotiate? In other words, what are your core values?
Your values are most clearly defined by your practices:
· What do you spend your money on?
· How do you spend your time?
· Who are your friends?
· What do you talk about?
· What do you think about?
· What would you risk your job for?
· What would you go to prison for?
Courage is doing what’s right; pressing on in the face of opposition, criticism, or failure. Remember: “God has not given us the spirit of fear…” (2 Tim. 1:7). Oswald Sanders wrote: “Courage is that quality of mind that enables people to encounter danger or difficulty firmly, without fear or discouragement.” 4
Christian leadership isn’t easy. It takes courage. It takes courage to make tough decisions, to do what is right regardless of the consequences. Clear, good decision-making made in dependence on God is the hallmark of a good spiritual leader - e.g. (1) Abraham during the crisis of Sodom and the rescue of Lot (Gen. 14:14f.); (2) Moses when he decided to give up Egypt’s pleasures and power; (3) Paul in the storm (Acts 27).
Every time you face a crossroad in decision-making, you will be an example of either courage or cowardice. David was an example of courage when he faced a lion and a bear when tending the sheep. Later, David was an example of courage when he faced Goliath. Jonah, however, was an example of cowardice. He made the wrong choice and went the wrong way. Nonetheless, God restored him and used him courageously. Daniel was an example of courage, experiencing a fiery furnace rather than compromising his faith in God.
It takes courage to make tough decisions and it takes courage to deal with difficult situations - to face obstacles and attacks from other people and from Satan. It takes courage to handle personal criticism and opposition. It takes courage to preach when you’ve been soundly criticized during the week. God said to Jeremiah,
“Therefore, prepare yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, lest I dismay you before them. For behold, I have made you this day a fortified city and an iron pillar and bronze walls against the whole land – against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. They will fight against you but they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the Lord, “to deliver you.” (Jer. 1:17-19)
Our courage to handle criticism and opposition comes from the Lord. Criticism is the worst enemy to wear you down. It amplifies your insecurities; it takes your eyes off the task at hand and onto yourself; it depletes your energy and enthusiasm; it makes you defensive; it isolates you.
That’s why negative, destructive criticism is a tool of Satan. I believe in biblical correction, rebuke, and exhortation (2 Tim. 4:2), but destructive criticism isn’t listed there. Criticism is usually about what people don’t want and dislike, not about what is honouring to God or beneficial to his people. Criticism can distort your view of ministry and of the people you minister to.
It takes courage to persevere in times of spiritual discouragement - to stay the course when discouragement sets in; when you think you’re a failure; when you work hard but it seems no one is listening or responding.
Christian humility is reflected in servant-hood, meekness, gentleness, fallibility. It’s the attitude of John the Baptist who in comparison to Jesus said, “He must increase but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30). Paul put it his way: “I am the least of the apostles and do not deserve to be called an apostle” (1 Cor. 15:9; cf. Eph. 3:8; 1 Tim. 1:15). Paul’s admonition to us is, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (Phil. 2:3).
It’s easy to become proud in ministry, particularly if there are outward signs of success in worldly terms (e.g. increase in numbers; new buildings). Preaching, in particular, can be a prideful experience and people’s affirmation of your preaching can go to your head. The minute we begin to think it has anything to do with us (our credit; our merit) we are in trouble. “God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble” (Ja. 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5). “Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Pet. 5:6). When it’s time, He will exalt you – not yourself.
Five character traits to avoid (Tit. 1:7-8)
1. Not self-willed (this is usually the underlying characteristic of criticism)
2. Not quick tempered
3. Not given to wine
4. Not violent
5. Not greedy for money
Seven characteristics to adopt (Tit. 1:8-9)
1. Hospitable
2. A lover of what is good
3. Sober-minded / sensible
4. Just
5. Holy / devout
6. Self-controlled
7. Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught
Challenge: What kind of role model are you? When others look at you, what do they see? – an example of consistency? holiness? prayerfulness? When you examine yourself, what do you see?
By: Dr. Michael Haykin
Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky
Of all the lands where English-speaking Baptists have sought to plant churches, Burma, now known as Myanmar, has turned out to be one of the most fruitful. Undoubtedly the central figures in this church-planting endeavour in its early years were the Judsons, Adoniram (1788–1850) and his courageous wife Ann (1789–1826). When one considers their labours and incredible trials in that far eastern land, the patience that they showed in the six years that passed before they saw the first convert, Moung Nau, their careful translation of the Scriptures into Burmese—a translation that is still the standard version—it is no surprise that the lives of the Judsons have been an inspiration to Baptists for the past century and a half. It is two hundred years exactly this year since the Judsons set out for Burma: what can we learn from them?
It has been rightly said that when Christ calls a man or woman to follow him, he calls them to die—to die to self, to die to worldly ambition, and to die to the goals of this present age. The lives of Adoniram and Ann Judson are a vital reminder of the nature of Christian discipleship and they can help Christians rediscover the cost of making one’s Christian commitment a concrete reality.
Then, living as we do, in a day increasingly fascinated with all types of “spirituality,” the Judsons’ piety can encourage believers to focus on what is the “real thing.” Forged in the crucible of the Second Great Awakening and matured in the fire of persecution in Burma, their piety was rooted in a balance of Word and Spirit, a balance desperately needed in all of our churches.
Finally, Ann’s life especially is of interest for the simple reason that she was a woman. Ann’s letters and diary entries show us what it was like to be a Christian woman in the early nineteenth century. Now, the position of women in western society has changed radically since Ann sailed in 1812 from Salem, Massachusetts, for Calcutta in India. In her day there was a very limited range of vocations for women. And the fact that there were relatively few biographies of women was a given. How different the picture is today. Yet, despite the massive changes that have taken place in the status of women, Ann’s life can still be instructive to modern Christian women, not least in her God-given courage.
Courage has been likened to the discovery of new lands—one must be willing to lose sight of the shore if they are ever going to be found. By this standard, Adoniram and Ann Judson were indeed people of courage. There is a tremendous statement by Adoniram Judson about the sort of men needed to be missionaries in a letter he wrote to his friend Luther Rice. He said this about the sort of men they needed—and in a way he was describing himself and his wife:
Humble, quiet, persevering men; men of sound, sterling talents (though perhaps not brilliant,) of decent accomplishments, and some natural aptitude to acquire a language; men of an amiable, yielding temper, willing to take the lowest place, to be the least of all, and the servant of all; men who enjoy much closet religion, who live near God, and are willing to suffer all things for Christ’s sake, without being proud of it—these are the men.6
By: Dr. John MacArthur, Pastor,
Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, Calif.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3)
This beatitude was uttered first because humility is the foundation of all other graces and a crucial aspect to salvation (cf. Matt. 18:3-4). The door into Christ’s kingdom is narrow and low, and no one who sees himself or herself too large or too tall will ever pass through. It makes about as much sense to attempt to grow fruit apart from a tree and its branches as to expect the other graces of the Christian life to grow apart from humility.
Until we humble ourselves to recognize our own spiritual poverty and our need of Christ, we cannot see and experience His gracious, saving riches. Jesus said of the contrite tax collector, “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other (the Pharisee); for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).
No person can receive the kingdom of God until he or she realizes they are unworthy of that kingdom. The proud Laodicean church declared collectively, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” but in reality the members were “wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked” (Rev. 3:17). People like the Laodiceans remind us of the story of the Roman slave girl who would not recognize her blindness, insisting that her world was just permanently dark.
Until the proud are willing to be poor in spirit, they can’t receive the King or enter His kingdom.
Ask yourself...
We see that pride is the chief barrier between people and God, between sinful souls and Christ’s glorious salvation. But what else does pride restrict us from experiencing and enjoying? What other residual costs does it incur in our lives?
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario
So far, I have published in this journal, a series of sermons from John’s gospel concerning Jesus’ supernatural deeds, or miracles:
1. John 2:1-11, Changing water into wine: The best is yet to come
2. John 4:46-54, Healing the nobleman’s son: Our extremity is God’s opportunity
3. John 5:1-47, Healing the lame man: Walking away from your Bethesda
4. John 6:1-14, Feeding the five thousand: How big is your God?
5. John 6:16-21, Jesus walking on water: Rediscovering Jesus
6. John 9:1-41, A man called Jesus
Now, here are four more sermons for the seventh and final supernatural deed recorded by John:
For the English audio version of these messages, click on these links: Link 1 - John 11:1-6; Link 2 - John 11:7-16; Link 3 - John 11:17-37; Link 4 - John 11:38-44
Subject: God’s delays are not necessarily denials
Point #1: Sometimes God delays to show us his love (1-3)
Point #2: Sometimes God delays to show us his glory (4-6)
Point #3: Sometimes God delays to show us his purposes (7-16)
Point #4: Sometimes God delays to teach us truth about him (17-27)
Point #5: Sometimes God delays to teach us passion for him (28-37)
Point #6: Sometimes God delays to teach us faith in him (38-44)
1 Aubrey Malphurs, The Dynamics of Church Leadership (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999), 21.
2 Malphurs, 34.
3 Phillips Brooks, cited by MacArthur in Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, 114.
4 Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership, 59.
5 See MacArthur, Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, 95-101.
6 Letter to Luther Rice, November 14, 1816 (The American Baptist Magazine and Missionary Intelligencer, 1 [1817–1818], 185).
7 John MacArthur, “Why the Priority of Humility?” in Daily Readings from the Life of Christ (Chicago: Moody Publisher, 2008), February 12.
Winter 2013 Edition
Produced by ...
Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
In Part I of the Fall 2012 edition of The NET Pastors Journal I wrote about “The Message That We Preach.” I would like to continue that subject in this edition. There are two foundational subjects about which we preach – (1) we preach the message of the cross (see Fall 2012 edition); and (2) we preach the truth about Christ.
The truth about Christ is particularly important in our day when the claim to absolute truth is mocked and denied, while error seems more and more to be idolized and enthroned. Yet, what people need more than anything else today is “the truth”. There are so many voices in the world, all claiming to know and teach the truth, but each one contradicting the other. Even in our Christian communities, new theologies and practices are constantly surfacing, each one claiming some new “truth” or new interpretation of the truth. No wonder people are confused about what to believe. In fact, they wonder whether it is possible to know truth at all. But Jesus said: “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (Jn. 8:32). He also said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn. 14:6). Perhaps that’s why the truth is so maligned – because the world doesn’t want Christ, who is the Truth.
But, it’s the truth about Jesus Christ that changes the world. People all around us need to hear the truth about Him. And they will only hear it if we preach it.
In 1 Tim. 3:14-16, the apostle Paul outlines the foundational truths about Christ that we preach. In this passage, Paul is instructing Timothy on appropriate order in the church. His point is that the church’s task is to uphold the truth in our conduct and in our confession (message). What we do and what we say must be appropriate to the nature of the church and the message of the church. The church is to be disciplined and orderly, under the headship of Christ and the rule of our church leaders, and in accordance with the truth.
Notice first in this passage that OUR CONDUCT IS GOVERNED BY THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH. “These things I write to you…so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God” (14). “These things” refers to what Paul is writing about concerning order in the house of God - prayer (2:1-7), the role of men and women in public worship (2:8-15), and the moral and spiritual qualifications of elders and deacons (3:1-13). After writing about “these things,” he gives a general exhortation about (1) the nature of the church (3:14-15) and (2) the message of the church (16).
The nature of the church is that it is “God’s house” (15a). It’s the place where God dwells with his people. It’s not an institution, but a family. It’s not a building, but a household (cf. Eph. 2:18-22). And God’s household is governed by proper conduct. We can’t behave just anyway we want in God’s house. We must meet certain moral standards, spiritual convictions, and orderly practices that are fitting for God’s house and consistent with who God is. Thus, public prayer is to have certain characteristics and focus, church leaders are to meet certain qualifications, and truth is to be faithfully taught and defended, because the church is “God’s house”.
God’s house is “the church of the living God” (15b). It is not a place for the worship of dead idols of wood and stone, but the place where the living God is present with his people. It is “the dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22; cf. 1 Thess. 1:9-10; Acts 14:15). For, God “does not dwell in temples made with hands” but among his people who are “the temple of the living God” (Acts 17:24f.; 2 Cor. 6:16). When we meet as a congregation to worship God, we give practical and visible expression to the truth that the living God is present and powerful among us (1 Cor. 14:25), by the way we pray, by the songs and hymns we sing, by our Scripture readings, our preaching of the Word, by our communion services, our baptismal services, and our fellowship. And we extend His presence among us through evangelism and missions throughout our community and the world.
Because God is living and present among us in his house, we must conduct ourselves according to his standards, for we come under his scrutiny and we are subject to his judgment.
Not only is the nature of God’s house the “church of the living God,” but it is also “the pillar and ground of the truth” (15c). Perhaps Paul used the imagery of a pillar because he knew that the church in Ephesus could relate to the beautiful temple of the goddess Diana in that city, with its 127 marble pillars, studded with jewels and overlaid with gold. Sometimes we might refer to someone as a pillar of society, an outstanding example of what a citizen should be. Similarly, Paul says, the church is the “pillar of the truth.” Just as a pillar supports and elevates what is above it, so the church supports and elevates the truth for all to see and hear. Public buildings are often known for their impressive pillars that represent the character of the building and what it stands for - its endurance, authority, and power (e.g. courthouses, parliament buildings, cathedrals). Similarly, the church is to be an impressive display of God’s truth – its endurance, authority, and power. Like a pillar, the church lifts up the truth of God for all to see and hear.
The nature of God’s house, the church, is that it is (1) “the church of the living God,” (2) “the pillar of the truth,” and (3) “the foundation of the truth.” Just as a foundation supports the structure of an entire edifice to give it stability, strength, and a solid footing, so, Paul says, the church is the “foundation of the truth.” The church is the unmovable support structure that supports the truth when it is under attack, holds up the truth when it is under fire by false teachers, provides the firm ground on which the truth rests securely.
So, the church is both the pillar and foundation of the truth - the pillar above ground level and the foundation below. As the pillar of the truth, the church displays the truth from above, from the “housetops”, by expounding it, teaching it, preaching it publicly, and by actively evangelizing the nations. As the foundation of the truth, the church supports the truth from below by following, obeying, and living out the truth (Col. 3:12-17) as the final authority for faith and practice, by studying and teaching and explaining the truth (2 Tim. 2:15), and by affirming and defending the truth (Phil. 2:16).The church is the foundation stone on which the truth rests.
So, as the pillar of the truth, the church is the visible, majestic, glorious, public, unashamed proclaimer of the truth. As the foundation of the truth, it is the firm, solid defender and supporter of the truth, which does not move or change. This is the truth on which we stand and which we uphold. And that demands a certain code of conduct - conduct that must match our message. After all, we are God’s household; we bear his nature and character; we are his presence in the world. Our conduct is governed by the nature of the church, which raises the banner of truth like a glorious pillar and which supports the truth like a firm foundation.
So, the apostle Paul says, our conduct is governed by the “nature” of the church, and, notice also, he says, OUR MESSAGE IS GOVERNED BY THE TRUTH ABOUT CHRIST. The message of the church is called “the truth,” of which the church is the “pillar” and “foundation”. “The truth” here is our common confession of faith, the non-negotiable sum and substance of our Christian belief. The truth is the foundation on which the Christian church rests, and the pillar which the Christian message upholds. It’s our creed, if you will – what we confess in our preaching and teaching, our songs, our prayers, our testimonies.
The truth is the great mystery concerning godliness. “Confessedly, great is the mystery of godliness (piety)” (16). “Godliness” is the primary characteristic of the Christian life and conduct. It is the manifestation of God in our conduct (vv. 14-15) and in our confession (v. 16) – i.e. what we do and what we say. It is behavior that is appropriate to those who uphold “the truth.” The Christian faith is a “great mystery”, Paul says, because, although it was revealed in ages past, it has only now in our age of grace become a visible, tangible, comprehensible reality in Christ (Eph. 3:1-7). The “mystery” is that God has manifested himself in Christ. Jesus Christ has perfectly and fully revealed to us what was previously obscure – namely, the nature and character of God. In Him we know God. He is the image of the invisible God, the exact representation of God’s being (cf. Heb. 1:3). Jesus Christ is God.
Thus, in Jesus we see “godliness” displayed and in him we are transformed into what God wants us to be. In Jesus Christ the “mystery of godliness” is made clear. “Godliness” and “truth” were both perfectly lived out by Christ. His exemplary life is our guide for true godliness. The truth is, in its essence, the truth about Christ, who is the truth and in whom God is most fully revealed. Thus, the “mystery of godliness” is perfectly revealed in Jesus and lies at the centre of the church’s conduct and confession (message) of the truth. The truth that the church confesses and upholds is the gospel, the mystery of godliness, which is now revealed about and in the person, work, life, death and resurrection of Christ. Godliness is rooted in our knowledge and imitation of Christ. God is known most fully in Christ, and from this we learn godliness.
So, the church is defined and formed by its relationship to and its confession of Jesus Christ. What is the truth about Christ that is central to the Christian message? Our message is about the incarnation of Christ. “God was manifested in the flesh”(16a). Christ did not come into being at his incarnation. He eternally existed and, when he came to earth, voluntarily emptied himself of his divine rights and privileges, becoming fully human without surrendering or compromising his full divinity (Phil. 2:6-8; Heb. 2:14). That’s how God manifested himself to us. Otherwise God would have forever been a mystery to us. Our understanding of God would have been forever veiled, obscure, and limited to what we see of the evidence of God in creation and in our consciences. But through the self-revelation of God in Christ, we know him personally, intimately, and redemptively. “The Word became flesh and dwelled among us...and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” John says (Jn. 4). The One who said “I am the truth” revealed the truth about God to us for He is God, He is Emmanuel, “God with us,” for He was sent by God to make God known to us.
“God was manifested in the flesh.” He was born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit, took on human nature in addition to his divine nature and dwelled among us, identifying with us in our circumstances and human frailty. For, “in all things He had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He himself has suffered, being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted” (Heb. 2:17). The apostle John says, the One whom we have seen, heard, and touched is the One we declare to you (1 Jn. 1:1-3).
Our message is governed by the truth about Christ – firstly, the truth about the incarnation of Christ (that “God was manifested in the flesh”), and secondly, the truth about the vindication (justification) of Christ. “Christ was vindicated (justified) in the Spirit (16b). To be “vindicated” means to be cleared from an accusation, to be justified by evidence or an argument, to be defended against opposition. If Christ’s manifestation in the flesh speaks of his humanity, then his vindication by the Spirit speaks of his deity. He was vindicated by the Spirit at his baptism, when the Spirit anointed him for ministry. He was vindicated by the Spirit through his works, when he performed miracles by divine power. He was vindicated by the Spirit at his resurrection, when he was raised from the dead (Rom. 1:4; 8:11; Eph. 1:20). This was a complete vindication of who He claimed to be and truly was - the sinless, perfect God-man. This was complete affirmation of his perfect righteousness, full acceptance of his perfect sacrifice, complete vindication that He was God manifested in flesh.
So, our message is about the incarnation of Christ – that he was manifested in the flesh and vindicated by the Spirit. Now notice also that our message is the testimony about Christ. First, there was the testimony of the angels about Christ - “Christ was seen by the angels” (16c). The One who was made lower than the angels for the suffering of death (Heb. 2:9) was observed by them. They knew who He was and they observed him closely from the start to the finish of his life, and they bore testimony to him.
The angels observed him at his birth. They gave testimony that He was God incarnate. That’s why the angel said to Joseph: “Do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:20). That’s why the angel revealed to Mary: “That Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Lk. 1:36). The angels gave testimony that he was the eternal King. That’s why the angel told Mary: “He will be great and will be called the Son of the highest; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Lk. 1:32-33). The angels gave testimony that Jesus was the promised Saviour. That’s why they proclaimed to the shepherds: “There is born this day in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2:11). That’s why the angel instructed Joseph to call his name “Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).
The angels not only observed him at his birth, they also observed him in his temptations. That’s why they came to him in the wilderness and “ministered to him” (Matt. 4:11; Mk. 1:13). That’s why an angel strengthened him in his agony in the garden (Lk. 22:43). Further, the angels observed him at his death, and were ready to deliver him. That’s why Jesus said: “Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt. 26:53). The angels observed him at his resurrection, as the stone was rolled away (Matt. 28:2). That’s why they could say to the women at the tomb: “Why do you seek the living among the dead – he is not here; he is risen” (Lk. 24:4-7). Then, the angels observed him at his ascension. They said to the disciples: “Why do you stand here gazing into heaven? This same Jesus who is taken up from you will so come in like manner as you have seen him go” (Acts. 1:10-11). Finally, the angels observed him in his glorification. And they worshipped him saying: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain” (Rev. 5:11).
The message of the church is the testimony about Christ. There was the testimony of the angels about Christ and there was the testimony of the people about Christ. “Christ was preached among the nations” (16d). He was not only “seen” by heavenly beings but he was “heard” by human beings. Jesus instructed his disciples: “You shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The truth about him that had been declared by God the Father (“This is my beloved Son”) and by the angels was to be proclaimed by his disciples “to all nations”. And that’s our message and mission as well. The One who was mocked, scourged, condemned, and crucified is the One whom we preach to the nations. “Him we preach,” Paul says (Col. 1:28). “We preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:23-24; cf. 1 Cor. 2:2).
The message of the church is the truth about Christ - (1) the incarnation of Christ and (2) the vindication of Christ. The message of the church is the testimony about Christ – (1) the testimony of the angels and (2) the testimony of the people. Lastly, the message of the church is about the response to Christ. There was the response on earth. “Christ was believed on in the world” (16e). The result of the proclamation of the gospel was that people believed the message – 3000 were saved at Pentecost and the movement spread throughout Judea, Samaria, and the nations of the Gentiles, so that both Jews and Gentiles believed on him. Jews believed on him in the world, for “a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). Gentiles believed on him in the world, for “when the Gentiles heard (it), they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord” (Acts 13:48; cf. 17:12).
The church proclaims the truth about the response to Christ – (1) there was the response on earth, and (2) there was the response in heaven. “Christ was received up in glory” (16f). This was the completion of his earthly ministry. He was exalted to God's right hand – the place of power, the place of intercession and advocacy for his people. Men hated him, beat him, crucified him, rejected him, and buried him, but God raised him and took him up in glory. The end of his life was not death and humiliation but ascension and glory.
Conclusions. The church’s task is to uphold the truth in our conduct and our confession (message). Our conduct is governed by the nature of the church - we are God’s household, the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth. Our message is governed by the truth about Christ. This is the truth we boldly uphold and proclaim – the truth that He was manifested in flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, observed by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and taken up in glory, from where he is coming again.
This is the truth we preach - the truth about Christ’s incarnation, the truth of his ministry, the truth about his death, resurrection, ascension, and his glorification. This is the message we preach - the truth about the central figure of world history, whose life, teachings, and deeds have divided the world; the truth about the universal witness to who Christ is and how He has changed the world; the truth of which the church is the pillar and foundation.
And our aim in upholding and proclaiming this message is to glorify him for who He is, to obey his great commission, and to bring others into a vital, life-transforming relationship with Him. The great aim of the church is to be the pillar and ground of the truth through our conduct and our confession, so that through our conduct (that reflects the nature of the church as God’s household) and through our confession (that reflects the message of the church as God’s truth) others will embrace the person of Christ, come to know him, love him, follow him, and serve him.
May we seek to be faithful preachers of the truth we confess as we proclaim, defend, and uphold our message concerning the truth about Christ.
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President
The Institute for Biblical Preaching,
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
To be “holy” means to be set apart for the worship and service of God, to be sacred, pure, consecrated to God. How can we be holy in a culture that, for example, sanctions same sex relationships and sex outside of marriage? You can’t drive around the city without seeing a billboard that has a sexual or defiling message. You can’t watch a TV commercial without being embarrassed or offended. So, how can Christians live in such a way that we love what God loves and hate what God hates?
John Owen is someone who lived a holy life. In “A Godward Life”, John Piper writes that John Owen was probably the greatest pastor-theologian among the Puritans in England, being influential politically, denominationally, theologically, academically, pastorally, and personally. Despite his extremely busy and tragic life (he had eleven children, ten of whom died while young, followed by the eleventh when she was a young adult), his passion was personal holiness. He said, “‘My heart’s desire unto God and the chief design of my life…are that…universal holiness may be promoted in my own and in the hearts and ways of others.’” John Piper continues: “Not many leaders today state the goals of their lives in terms of holiness. More and more leaders openly confess that their personal holiness is of no significance to their public performance...That was not the case with John Owen. The wonder, the power, and the beauty of his public life was the constancy of his personal communion with God in purity and joy...In his own words he gave the secret to his personal holiness amid all the pressures and pains of life: ‘What better preparation can there be for [our future enjoyment of the glory of Christ] than in a constant previous contemplation of that glory in the revelation that is made in the Gospel.’ That is the key to purity and holiness, the key to lasting effectiveness in all of life: constant contemplation of the glory of Christ” (John Piper, A Godward Life (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, 1997, 124-125).
In one sense we are like all other Christians - on a journey in which we are all becoming more like Christ. But in another sense, we are Christian leaders who are required to model Christian morality and lifestyle by being “above reproach” (1 Tim. 3:2), by walking like Jesus walked (1 Jn. 2:6), by putting to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom. 8:13), by walking in the Spirit and not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh (Gal. 5:16), by putting off the old man and putting on the new (Eph. 4:22-24), by crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires (Gal. 5:24). Hence, we are to practice …
We are called to purity: “Be holy for I am holy”. Purity is a prerequisite to fellowship with God, to being filled with the Spirit, to credibility in your personal life, to power in preaching and leadership. One of the key areas to protect is sexual purity.
“Be an example to the believers … in purity.” (1 Tim. 4:12)
“But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.” (Eph. 5:3-12)
“Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” (Heb. 13:4)
We are very vulnerable to the moral standards of our culture and we are particularly vulnerable if we are in a position of Christian leadership. This is an area of vulnerability for all of us, whether old or young, whether you are a pastor or Christian leader in the workplace.
Pastors and Christian leaders are particularly vulnerable because some women are attracted to them because of their public position and communication. In counselling women, pastors and Christian leaders are exposed to intimacies that make them susceptible to being attracted to and by other women. So, don’t let anyone of the opposite sex penetrate your guard. Don’t allow yourself to be vulnerable to temptation. You must be known as one who is fully committed to your spouse (if you have one), one who is sexually pure.
If you want to be an influential Christian, you must be “above reproach.” To be above reproach in the area of sexual conduct means, in Paul’s terms, to be “the husband of one wife” (1 Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:6). This implies that you are “a one-woman man” – i.e. that you have eyes and desires for no one else but your wife.
Make sexual purity a priority in your prayers, that God will keep you pure. To fail in this area is to violate a trust as a shepherd of God’s people. To fail in this area wreaks havoc in your life. You are to protect the flock of God, not to expose it to danger. You are to be true to the needs of the flock, not to betray it.
Don’t even come close to violating your relationship with the opposite sex. Don’t nudge up to it, don’t toe up to the line. Don’t flirt with it. Don’t encourage someone else beyond what is proper. A violation of this trust puts your whole ministry and testimony at risk – your credibility, your integrity, your trustworthiness as a leader.
Whether we are pastors or lay leaders, Satan wants to gain an advantage over us. He does this by setting traps for us, particularly when we are under stress, discouragement, or loneliness. When you are discouraged with ministry or the Christian life, the danger of moral failure becomes less threatening to you and, thus, more possible.
So, protect yourself from sexual temptation. How can you do that? You can protect yourself from yielding to sexual temptation by building fences. What do I mean by this? Build into your life boundaries that will help protect you from sexual temptation and impurity. For example, (1) build into your routine a recreational activity that reduces day-to-day pressure; (2) spend time with your spouse; (3) never meet with someone of the opposite sex behind closed doors, either in your office or in an empty building; (4) take needed vacations; (5) get sufficient rest; (6) don’t watch movies that might arouse you sexually. Question: What might some other “fences” be?
You can protect yourself from yielding to sexual temptation by considering the potential consequences of inappropriate relationships or sexual conduct. Consider the consequence of forfeiting your children’s respect. Consider the consequences to your marriage, family, and ministry. Consider the consequences to the congregation you lead – such as the sense of betrayal, distrust, or the temptation to follow your example. Consider the consequence of grieving the Lord who died to save you from sin. Consider the guilty memories that may haunt you for the rest of your life.
You can protect yourself from yielding to sexual temptation by developing proper relationships. Joseph considered his relationships with Potiphar and God more important than momentary pleasure (cf. Gen. 39). He maintained his relationship with and respect for Potiphar (“Your husband has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife”) and he maintained his relationship with and respect for God (“How could I do this great evil and sin against God”). This protected Joseph at a moment of extreme vulnerability to sexual temptation.
You can protect yourself from yielding to sexual temptation by acting responsibly and maturely. Inappropriate sexual conduct is the product of irresponsibility and immaturity. Again, Joseph acted responsibly and maturely and wisely in relation to his employer and his job.
You can protect yourself from yielding to sexual temptation by developing and strengthening your own marriage (if you are married). This is probably the best way to guard your sexual purity. So make sure you spend time with your spouse and love her deeply. Make sure that women (if you are a man) know that your wife is #1 in your life. Keep all other women at arm’s length.
By: Dr. John MacArthur, Pastor
In “Daily Readings from the Life of Christ”
(Moody Publisher, 2008), January 26.
“But He answered and said, ‘It is written...it is It is written...it is written...it is written...’” (Matt. 4:4a, 7b, 10b)
The Lord Jesus Christ is indeed our supreme example for how to resist temptation. Hebrews 4:15 reminds us, “We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (cf. 2:18). Our responsibility is to consider the many ways He was tempted, look to Him, and follow His example in turning away from sin.
Jesus met the worst temptations Satan could hurl at Him, and He emerged victorious. Now He is ready to share the joy of victory with all His saints. “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13).
The key to our triumph over temptation is to resist it the way Jesus did, by completely obeying God and His Word. Just as in every aspect of the Christian life, we will have success in resisting temptation by “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Heb. 12:2). Like the hurdler who learns to keep his eyes on the finish line as he runs, thereby not tripping over any individual hurdle, so we must keep our eyes on the ultimate goal – being with our glorious Lord and Saviour forever in heaven.
Ask yourself: God’s Word is such that the more time we spend in it, the more it sinks into us – into our hearts, into our thoughts, into our impulses, reactions, and conversations. Are you mining daily from this treasure? Make sure Satan has to climb over a lot of Scripture to get to you.
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
I have been publishing a series of sermon outlines on Jesus’ seven supernatural deeds as recorded in John’s gospel. In the last edition of The Net Pastors Journal, we published the last four sermon outlines in that series. Now we begin a new series of sermon outlines on Jesus’ seven significant dialogues (or, discourses) in John’s gospel.
For the English audio versions of these messages, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 3:1-5; Link 2 - Jn. 3:5-6; Link 3 - Jn. 3:7-8
Subject: Entering the Kingdom of God
Point #1: What’s the key to entering the Kingdom? (2-3)
1. The kingdom of God has both a spiritual and physical aspect
2. Entry into the kingdom is on the spiritual principle of new birth
Point #2: How does this spiritual birth take place? (4-8)
1. Spiritual new birth takes place through “water and the Spirit” (5)
2. Spiritual birth is entirely different from physical birth (6)
3. Spiritual birth is the universal key to the Kingdom (7)
4. Spiritual birth is like the wind (8)
Spring 2013 Edition
Produced by ...
Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
“The Preacher and the Work of God”
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
In order to have credibility and authority, church leaders must be godly men and women. Preachers in particular must be men of God in order to be biblically qualified to preach. What does it mean to be a “man or woman of God?” How do you prepare yourself to be a man of God?
I am indebted to my mentor, colleague in ministry, and friend, Dr. Stephen Olford for making today’s topic so real, vital, relevant, and powerful for me. This is an area in which he had a profound impact on my life. I am indebted to him for materials that I have gleaned from his writings, lectures, sermons, personal conversations, and his own example, which I have tried to inculcate into my own thoughts and practices, and some of which I have incorporated into this article today.
The very term “man of God” reminds us of our calling and responsibility and identity – we belong to God and serve Him. The man of God is prepared and equipped by and through the Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16-17), which Scriptures we are called and equipped to proclaim. So, what are the qualities or characteristics of a man of God and how does a man of God prepare himself for the work of God? That’s what we want to try to answer in this article.
In 1 Timothy 4:16, the apostle Paul writes, “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine.” Notice that Paul stresses first the person (“Take heed to yourself) and then the message (“… and to the doctrine - i.e. the message).” He repeats that order again in 2 Timothy 2:15, first the person (“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God” ) and then the message (“Rightly dividing the word of truth”).
Thus, for Paul the order of preparation is: first, the preparation of the preacher, church leader; and second, the preparation of the message. Paul puts the preparation of the person before the preparation of the message because, as Dr. Stephen Olford puts it, “moral and spiritual rectitude is an indispensable preliminary to doctrinal orthodoxy.” (Stephen F. Olford, “Anointed Expository Preaching,” 53-54). So, before you can preach right doctrine you must first be right yourself.
To “be diligent” means to “do your utmost” – “do your utmost to present yourself to and before God as one who has been tested and found to be genuine” (2 Tim. 2:15). Paul was urging Timothy, as a young preacher and church leader, to use every effort (to be diligent, to take heed) to present himself to God like metal that has been tested and marked “approved.”
Clearly the diligence and effort demanded in this exhortation is necessary because this is not something that comes easily or naturally, nor can it be taken lightly (cf. 1 Pet. 1:7, where the same expression is used in connection with the genuineness of faith - “tested by fire”). Be diligent, just like a soldier, athlete, and farmer (2 Tim. 2:3-6), in the presentation of yourself before God “as one that is tried and true” (William D. Mounce, “Pastoral Epistles” in Word Biblical Commentary, 521).
The preacher and church leader must be first and foremost a “man of God” (1 Tim. 6:11). In the O.T. this term was used to describe those who held divine office. Moses (Deut. 33:1), David (2 Chron. 8:14), Elijah (2 Kgs. 1:9), and the prophets (1 Sam. 2:27) were “men of God.”
Personal preparation should be a daily discipline in the life of everyone who wants to be a man or woman of God, particularly preachers and church leaders, in order for them to be ready, equipped, and qualified for the work of God.
Personal preparation begins with a daily quiet time with God. You cannot maintain moral purity and power without a daily encounter with God - a daily quiet time for the preparation of your soul (cf. Isa. 50:4-9). Your devotional life is the true barometer of spiritual health and holiness. Your devotional life must be disciplined and daily. If we are disciplined and diligent about our spiritual lives, God will approve us as those who are “tried and true,” tested and approved.
This process of “presenting ourselves before God” as those who are “tried and true” involves the daily discipline of “personal preparation” for your own spirituality in the work of the ministry. This personal preparation covers four main areas:
1. Guarding your moral life
2. Directing your home life
3. Nourishing your inner life
4. Disciplining your ministry life
In this edition, we start to look at what it means to...
The moral responsibility of a man or woman of God is clearly outlined by the apostle Paul...
1. We must flee from sinful traps. “Flee (shun) youthful lusts (passions); but follow after (pursue) righteousness” (2 Tim. 2:22).
2. We must follow after godly virtues. “Flee these things (i.e. liberalism [1 Tim. 6:3-5] and materialism [1 Tim. 6:6-10]) and follow after (pursue) righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness” (1 Tim. 6:11).
3. We must fight spiritual battles. “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life” (1 Tim. 6:12 ).
A GODLY LEADER MUST FLEE SINFUL TRAPS – they can destroy your ministry. Flee has the sense of “run for your life; don’t look back; escape at all costs” – like Lot’s wife was told to do to escape from Sodom. What are these sinful traps that we are to flee from?
First, we must flee from the trap of false passions (i.e. unlawful sex; sensualism; the sin of lust). 1 Cor. 6:18 states, “flee sexual immorality” and our verse in 2 Tim. 2:22 says, “flee also youthful lusts”
Sexual immorality is one of the sinful traps we must flee from. Illicit sex seems to be seducing so many men in ministry today. Now, even though Paul isn’t speaking specifically about sexual lust here, nonetheless it is certainly one of those temptations and snares that creeps in to the lives of so many men in ministry.
Someone may say: “Well, that was written to a young pastor. I can see how young pastors need to heed Paul’s advice. But I’m older. I’ve got more experience. My urges are under control. Young women aren’t chasing after me.” If that’s what you think, you’d better start fleeing the trap of false passions right now, because you’re in danger.
Despite the fact this was written to a young pastor, at no age are we free from sexual temptation. So, “keep on fleeing” and “make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts” (Rom. 13:14; cf. also 1 Jn. 2:15-17, Gal. 1:4). At no time in history has sexual lust been so pervasive among pastors and church leaders. The trap of false passions is more likely to derail your ministry now than at any other time in history. Never has sexual perversion been so rampant and readily accessible than now – particularly over the internet. It’s so insidious, because it is so secret, so ubiquitous, and so addictive.
So, how do we avoid this sinful trap of false passions? We can only properly deal with temptation in the power of the Spirit, by putting “to death the deeds of the body” (Rom. 8:13), by “putting off the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Eph. 4:22), by keeping “the flesh crucified with its passions and desires” , and by keeping in step with the Spirit (cf. Gal. 5:24).
First, then we must flee from the sinful trap of false passions. Second, we must flee from the trap of false teachings (i.e. unbalanced truth; liberalism; sin of pride). The apostle Paul warns us, that “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:3-4). False teachers have always existed in the church. Their approach to influencing others is usually a battle of words, the propagation of a false and misleading message - rather than sound doctrine and the true gospel. If you give up “wholesome words” (sound doctrine; the true gospel), you leave yourself open to the trap of false teaching, theological liberalism. When spiritual lethargy sets in, subversive liberalism takes over. False teachers manifest themselves in four ways:
1) False teachers preach “another gospel,” a corrupted message. That’s what (in my opinion) open theism is - “another gospel - a gospel of a different kind” (Gal. 1:6,9). That’s what the “health and wealth” message is – “another gospel,” a corrupted message. We need to beware of liberalism, which creeps in so quietly and is seemingly so innocuous. Let’s make sure that the message we preach is pure, sound, clear, accurate, wholesome.
2) False teachers display an arrogant attitude, a conceited mindset. “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing” (1 Tim. 6:3-4).
The spirit of the age we live in always wants something new. Some new doctrine. Some new practice. Some new interpretation. Whenever we encounter some “new thing” (Acts 17:21), let’s beware! There is nothing new under the sun, especially in theological matters. These new things are often rooted in pride, a conceited mindset, an egotistical attitude – “he is proud, knowing nothing.” Beware of pride of position – whether it be a doctrinal position or practice.
3) False teachers adopt an antagonistic approach, a contentious manner. “They are obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth” (1 Tim. 6:4-5).
Notice that the motivation for their behaviour is a flawed moral character – envy and jealousy; strife and quarrelling; reviling and insults and malicious talk; evil suspicions; useless wrangling and arguments and constant friction. In addition, they have a flawed spiritual character - “men (or women) of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth” (5). A flawed moral character and a flawed spiritual character often go hand in hand.
4) False teachers desire material gain, a commercial motive. They are “men (or women) who suppose that godliness is a means of gain” (1 Tim. 6:5). Material gain (financial greed - cf. v. 10 re greediness) is the characteristic of false teachers who teach that “godliness is a means of gain.” They use the cloak of religion for personal gain (cf. Balaam; Judas). They “peddle the word of God” (2 Cor. 2:17) to make money. They treat ministry as a business. Financial greed is one of those subtle, sinful traps that grabs the heart of many men in ministry. They see the lifestyle of other people who have money and they desire it for themselves.
If you are in ministry for personal financial gain, you are not a man of God! Departure from the truth (1 Tim. 6:3-5) is often accompanied by the pursuit of materialism (1 Tim. 6:9-10), claiming that material possessions are the evidence of godliness, or that godliness is rewarded by material possessions, or that godliness is a means to material increase. This is a fraudulent message – “another gospel” that is foreign to the truth of Scripture.
The love of gain is a deadly vice which preachers must do everything to avoid. It can distort your thinking, priorities, and motives. Don’t let it be your goal or become an idol. Flee the pursuit of riches. Be content with what you have. You need to live and pay the bills, but don’t worship money. Depend on God to provide – He always does and in ways we cannot imagine.
So, flee from the trap of false passions and false teachings. And that brings us to the third trap. We must flee from the trap of false values (i.e. unbridled greed; materialism). False teaching and false values often go hand in hand, for one often leads to the other. Paul has just been speaking in 1 Tim. 6:3-5 about false teachers and now false values – namely, the desire to be rich and the love of money, which cause some men to “fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim. 6:9-10). And then the apostle Paul says, “But you, O man of God, flee these things” (1 Tim. 6:11). So, in context, Paul is speaking about fleeing from the trap of greed, specifically, material gain, although there are other forms of greed. Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and mammon (earthly riches)” (Matt. 6:24).
Greed is basic to human nature. After all, the fall that was motivated by greed, wasn’t it? – the greed for something that Adam and Eve perceived could give them something they thought they lacked. That’s what greed is – the desire for something more, because of dissatisfaction with what you now have.
The danger isn’t the possession of money itself – it’s the “love” of money. The love of money (1) prevented the rich young ruler from following Jesus – “he went away sorrowful for he had many possessions” (Mk. 10:17-22); (2) caused the rich farmer to deceive himself into thinking that all was well when he was actually on the brink of eternity (Lk. 16:16-21); and (3) motivated Ananias and Sapphira to lie to the Holy Spirit and cause great distress in the church (Acts 5:1-11).
The sinful trap of false values starts with wrong desires (“Those who desire…” [9a]), develops into wrong deeds (“…fall into temptation and a snare” [9b]), and ends in the wrong destination (“…fall into…many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition” [9b]). Wealth can be a trap because it feeds the desires of the flesh; it brings power; it attracts status.
Conclusion: The most seductive and subtle traps that Satan sets for preachers and church leaders are:
1. The Moral Trap – unlawful sex; false passions, sensuality, moral recklessness
2. The Theological Trap – unbalanced truth; false teaching, liberalism, unorthodoxy
3. The Material Trap – unbridled greed; false values, materialism
A godly leader must flee sinful traps - they can destroy your ministry. Second, a godly leader must follow after godly virtues – they strengthen your ministry. This second aspect of personal preparation we will look into in our next edition of the Net Pastors Journal, which will be issued in the summer 2013.
I hope that this short discussion of what it means to be a godly man or woman, particularly as a preacher or church leader, has been helpful to you in pointing out some of those sinful traps which we must avoid in order to be personally prepared for the work of God.
In the next edition of the NET Pastors Journal, we will continue this study of the personal preparation of the preacher as we consider the godly virtues to be followed and the spiritual battles to be fought.
“Your Personal Holiness” (continued)
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
In the last edition of the Net Pastors Journal, we looked at one aspect of personal holiness – purity in sexual conduct. In this edition, we are going to look at another aspect of personal holiness - PURITY IN ETHICAL CONDUCT.
Those of us in church leadership must maintain the highest standard of integrity in our “business” ethics. That means reporting your income accurately and fully on your income tax return. It means dealing fairly and honestly with those with whom you do business. It means acting uprightly before God in all our endeavours.
Purity in your business ethics means being wise stewards of all the resources God has given you, whether it be time or money or possessions. What you spend your money on says a lot about who you are. If you spend it frivolously, you are probably irresponsible. If you live within what you can afford, you are probably well-disciplined, responsible. One way of controlling your spending is to have a budget. No one builds a tower without first counting the cost (Lk. 14:28). A budget takes into account your income compared to your expenses. Itemize them carefully for each month of the year. Make allowances for unforeseen expenses. Include savings in your budget. And periodically analyze your spending - the amount and your spending habits.
When you know how much you spend and what you spend it on, it will help to relieve worry about money – whether you’ll have enough to last until next pay day. This does not preclude unexpected expenses from time to time, which are often the hardest to deal with when you are on a tight budget. But it gives you a framework to deal with them. Develop good spending habits – it will save you a lot of financial grief.
And be very careful with debt. You can’t help owing for electricity and other household expenses, but you can control credit cards and bank loans. If you use a credit card, make sure you pay off the balance every month when it is due. Don’t borrow what you cannot afford.
Plan for the future by investing a certain amount each pay day. The parable of the talents (Matt 25:15-28) speaks to that. Not being anxious about tomorrow has to do with lack of trust in God (Matt. 6:25), not with financial planning. Financial planning is biblical and responsible. Have a long range plan for your money. If you can, start to save for retirement when you are young. A little saved each pay day will compound into much at retirement age. This is good stewardship.
For retirement savings, get yourself a good financial planner, preferably a Christian who can identify with your ethics and goals, including charitable giving. Don’t try “get-rich-quick” schemes. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Investing is not the same as hoarding. Don’t be a miser. Be generous and sensitive to others in need. But there is a balance between hoarding and wild spending, between saving for the future and irresponsible spending.
Calculate how much life insurance you need. Talk to your financial planner or a trusted life insurance agent. Life insurance is responsible financial planning for your family. Provide for your family’s needs (1 Tim. 5:8). They come first in anyone’s priorities of spending. And give to the Lord cheerfully and regularly as you are able (cf. 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:5, 7). There may be times when you cannot give (e.g. if you are unemployed), but to the degree that you are able (by wise use of the resources God has given you) give to the Lord’s work, even if it is only a small amount.
Above all, trust God. He will provide for you just as he does for the birds and flowers. But it’s your responsibility to manage what he has given you and use it wisely.
Maintain the highest standard of integrity in your “work” ethic. The apostle Paul’s work ethic was intended to be an example for the Thessalonians to follow: “You yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labour and toil night and day…not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us” (2 Thess. 3:7-9).
So, don’t be lazy; be diligent in your work. Do what you say you’re going to do when you say you’ll do it. Don’t make flippant commitments that you don’t follow through on – this is a matter credibility. And make sure you work hard, give a full day’s work for a day’s pay – this is a matter of integrity.
In your work ethic, display a Christ-like, biblical attitude: “Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your master according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. And you masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.” (Eph. 6:5-9).
A Christ-like, biblical attitude is an attitude of respect - “with fear and trembling” (5b). This doesn’t mean that you literally cower in fear before your employer like a scared puppy in fright. Rather, it means that you honour and respect them; you revere them; you acknowledge that the source of their authority is God.
It’s an attitude of sincerity - “in singleness of heart” (5c). Be undivided in your loyalty; faithful to your employer. Let integrity ooze from you – uprightness, purity of motive.
It’s also an attitude of Christian service - “as you obey Christ” (5d). This is the perspective that makes such obedience possible. Your obedience to your earthly master is actually obedience to Christ. Your work becomes an opportunity to work for Christ. This is the fundamental motive for Christian obedience - to obey Christ. It has nothing to do with the personality of your boss, or the treatment he gives you. It has everything to do with serving Christ. Christians ought to be the most obedient, upright, respectful, loyal, and devoted employees because they work “as to Christ.”
This will make your testimony very believable and powerful. If your work ethic is different from others - if you speak, think, and act differently - you can have a powerful testimony. But if you always arrive at work late and leave early, do poor quality work, and take long lunch breaks, then your testimony won’t be believable.
If your employer is a Christian, don’t think that you are entitled to special treatment. Christian employers are entitled to even more respect and obedience because they are brothers in the Lord. Give of your absolute best no matter who your employer is and in so doing you glorify God. If you can’t tolerate your work, find something else, but don’t slack off. So long as you work there, keep on working “as to Christ,” be punctual, reliable, co-operative.
A Christian work ethic also means, don’t procrastinate – do the things you don’t like doing when they need to be done. Do your work gladly, willingly – not as one under compulsion, nor begrudgingly (1 Pet. 5:2). Do your work efficiently – make the best use of your time, set priorities, and say “no” to things that are not a good use of your time.
By: Dr. Michael Haykin
Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky
The Letter to Diognetus, which is easily overlooked among second-century Christian writings, has been well described as “the pearl of early Christian apologetics.” In essence, this anonymous work is the joyous expression in Pauline terms of a man who stands utterly amazed at the gracious revelation of God’s love in the death of his Son for sinners and who is seeking to persuade a Graeco-Roman pagan by the name of Diognetus to make a similar commitment to the Christian faith. From the elegant Greek of the treatise it is probably correct to observe that the author had had a classical education and “possessed considerable literary skill and style.” Though the historical and geographical context of the work and audience is not known, it should probably be dated in the latter half of the second century.
Markus Bockmuehl has rightly noted that the theological centre of the Letter to Diognetus is found in chapters 7–9, where, among other things, an answer is given to a question asked of the author by Diognetus, “Who is the God Christians believe in and worship?” The author formulates his answer to the question in terms of a high Christology. He begins by indicating that the Christian concept of God is not the product of human thought or philosophy.
[I]t is not an earthly discovery that has been passed on to them [i.e. Christians]. That which they think it worthwhile to guard so carefully is not a result of mortal thinking, nor is what has been entrusted to them a stewardship of merely human mysteries. On the contrary, the Almighty himself, the Creator of the universe and the invisible God, has from heaven planted the Truth, even the holy and incomprehensible Word, among men and fixed it firmly in their hearts.
Here the author unequivocally affirms that Christian truth is ultimately not a matter of human reason or religious speculation. Rather, it is rooted in God’s revelation of himself. Before he revealed himself to the world of paganism, God was unknown.
This revelation, the author of this treatise now maintains, was made through the incarnation of his Son. God has not, he writes,
sent to humanity some servant, angel or ruler… Rather, [he has sent] the very Designer and Maker of the universe, by whom he made the heavens and confined the seas within their bounds; …from whom the sun is assigned the limits of its daily course and whom the moon obeys when he bids her to shine by night, and whom the stars obey as they follow the course of the moon. He is the One by whom all things have been set in order, determined, and placed in subjection—both the heavens and things in the heavens, the earth and things on the earth, the sea and the things in the sea, fire, air, abyss, the things in the heights and those in the depths and the realm between. Such was the One God sent to them. …In gentleness and meekness he sent him, as a King sending his son who is a king. He sent him as God, he sent him as [man] to men, he sent him as Savior.
Christianity, then, is ultimately not a human attempt to find God, be it by philosophical speculation or religious ritual. Rather, it is founded on God’s revelation of himself, and that in a person, his Son. Although the personal name of the incarnate Son, Jesus, is not mentioned in this passage or even in the treatise as a whole, there is no doubt that this is the Person of whom the author here writes so eloquently.
Now, when many of the pagans in the Graeco-Roman world stood outside of their homes on a cloudless night and looked up to the heavens they believed that the stars they could see were none other than divine beings. The long description of the Son’s sovereignty over the entirety of creation clearly indicates that Christian theism does not believe in such a multiplicity of divine beings. Yet, it does believe in the deity of the Son. For the Son is depicted in terms that one can only regard as fully divine. He clearly does not belong to the order of creation. Who then is this One whom God has sent to reveal himself? Well, he is “a son.” He is sent by God “as God.” As L.B. Radford has commented: “He is God so truly that His coming can be described as the coming of God.”
For the author of this letter, Jesus Christ was a divine being. This was the central conviction of the Church in the years since the Apostolic era. And this was the conviction of the Church for it ultimately derived from the Church’s foundational text, the New Testament itself.
“Confidence in Ministry” (2 Cor. 2:14-3:6)
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
This passage captures the essence of ministry - on the one hand, our inadequacy and extreme weakness; on the other hand, our confidence in God. The point of this passage is that “God ministers through those whose confidence is in him.” Up to this point in the letter, Paul has recounted many difficulties in his ministry - his affliction in Asia, criticisms of his integrity, pain over the offender in Corinth. This could be construed as a depressing account of his ministry - but such is not the case. So, to assure his readers that this was not in fact the case, Paul begins an extended digression (2:14-7:3) in order (1) to describe how God has always carried on an effective ministry, despite the difficulties (. This could be construed as a depressing account of his ministry - but such is not the case. So, to assure his readers that this was not in fact the case, Paul begins an extended digression (2:14-7:3) in order (1) to describe how God has always carried on an effective ministry, despite the difficulties (2:14 -3:6 links with
The stress of those days did not prevent him from triumphantly proclaiming the gospel. Hence the outburst of praise to God through whom alone such victory always and in every place is possible. The theme of this epistle is the victory of God’s grace over and through human frailty, specifically our inadequacy for ministry. Despite difficulties, God ensures the effectiveness of His servants and prospers our spiritual tasks.
The first principle for ministry that we notice in this passage is that WE CAN BE CONFIDENT IN MINISTRY WHEN WE FOLLOW GOD’S DIRECTION (2:14-16a). We can be confident in ministry when we follow God’s direction because His leadership is always successful - “Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ” (14a). The imagery here is of the splendour of a victorious Roman military procession returning home from battle.
Effective ministry is following the Leader. Christ is our leader and He leads us in victory. We are His warriors and enjoy the fruits of His triumph. Those who follow Christ triumph over enemies and obstacles. Jesus Christ waged the greatest battle of all at the cross and His triumph facilitates our triumph – we share in it with Him.
The victory procession is only for those who follow Christ’s leadership. Paul remembers how unfailingly he has been led in a progress of triumph and how the savour of the knowledge of Christ has been manifested through him in every place.
Those who follow Christ triumph over enemies and obstacles. They triumph because they are “in Christ” (14a). The believer has no other standing before God. Through faith in Christ’s perfect work of atonement the Christian is justified and incorporated into Him – made one with Him. It is only “in Christ” that God triumphs over and through us. Through this vital union with Him we participate in His victorious leadership in ministry. “In Christ,” God displays us to the world as his captives, subdued by the power of mercy and grace.
So, we can be confident in ministry when we follow God’s direction because his leadership is always successful. And, we can be confident in ministry when we follow God’s direction because his word is always powerful (14b-16c). It’s powerful in “every place.” God works through us to spread the fragrance of Christ in “every place” (14b). Just as the Roman triumphal procession of Paul’s day released sweet odours from the burning of spices in the streets, so too, God through us diffuses the gospel “in every place”, like an all- pervading fragrance. Everywhere His servants preach His Word, the “knowledge” of Christ spreads. That Christ should be known is the great end of preaching, isn’t it?
Notice that this ministry is wholly of God. His leadership is always successful because he leads us in triumph. And, his word is always powerful as he releases the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Christ “through us.”
God’s word is powerful in every place and it is powerful in every person. Notice first the direction of this fragrance – it’s “toward God (15a). An effective minister is one who emits a pleasing fragrance first to God. Then notice the description of this fragrance – it’s “the fragrance of Christ” (15a). Just as perfume on our person fills the environment around us (see Jn. 12:3), so our ministry must spread abroad the fragrance of Christ. It’s not the results of ministry but the minister that is important, as we discussed in Part I of this publication. If we emit the fragrance of Christ, that is well-pleasing to God, whatever its effect may be. Our task is to manifest Christ to everyone - both to “those who are being saved” and to “those who are perishing” (15b).
The response of those who hear is God’s business. Our business is to be “the fragrance of Christ” to every person. Just as the incense of the ancient military procession flowed over to both the conquerors (to whom it was a sweet scent of victory) and to the captives (to whom it was an omen of impending doom), so the gospel is preached by God’s servants (those who savour of Christ) both to those who will receive it and to those who will reject it.
To those who “are perishing” we are a “fragrance of death leading to death” (16a). Just as the processional incense was a bitter reminder of imminent death to the captive, so for those who refuse the gospel, its proclamation is a warning of eternal death. It becomes the occasion of condemnation through their own choice. Thus, to them the gospel is the source of death, an aroma that condemns, a noxious fume, a sentence of death (see 4:10-12). But, to those who “are being saved” we are a “fragrance of life leading to life” (16b). Just as the odour of processional incense is a sweet reminder of triumph for the victors, so for those who believe the gospel, it is the good news of eternal life (Jn. 3:36). To them, the gospel is the source of life – a life-giving “aroma” which becomes effective in the heart and conscience of the hearer, who by it receives new life. To them, the preacher brings the essence of life in Christ.
Our ministry is to preach the gospel of Christ. Either it will be accepted, in which case it is life-giving; or, it will be rejected, in which case it is death-dealing.
Remember God ministers through those whose confidence is in him. But, the prospect of ministry is daunting, isn’t it? That’s why Paul asks: “Who is sufficient for these things?” (16c). Who is equipped and competent? How can I be such a messenger? is Paul’s question. Where does my ability, my confidence come from? The answer is this: We can be confident in ministry when we follow God’s direction (2:14-16), and WE CAN BE CONFIDENT IN MINISTRY WHEN WE TRUST GOD’S PROVISION (2:17-3:6). We can be confident in ministry when we trust God’s provision because he provides the results to those who are authentic (2:17-3:4). False ministers trust their own ability. They think their sufficiency is in themselves, but they are frauds, deceivers, who go about “peddling the Word of God” (17a). They cheapen and degrade the message by watering it down, like a dishonest merchant who profits from selling shoddy goods. They seek only their own gain by peddling their religious wares, making merchandise of the ministry for personal gain. They masquerade under the name and pretence of Christianity but their intentions are otherwise. They are unscrupulous, with no regard for what is at stake. They take advantage of the weak, the poor and the gullible. They are only interested in making a “sale” not in a soul. They are wholly unconscious of any insufficiency for the task. Ministry for them is a business.
False ministers trust their own ability, but authentic ministers trust God’s sufficiency. They serve “sincerely” despite their own failings and inadequacies. They serve with pure motives, without mixing in false philosophies. Their word can be trusted. They model the truth. They don’t corrupt the truth while making it look as though they are honest and genuine. They are “from God” - i.e. “commissioned by God” (17b). They speak as those whose authority is “from God” and they carry out their ministry “in the sight of God” – i.e. conscious of His inspection, in full view, humbly, self-sacrificially, not for personal gain but for spiritual conversions. Their ministry stands up under scrutiny. Their motives are pure as those who must finally render an account of themselves to God. Their ministry is “in Christ” - in communion with Christ as a member of His body, activated by His Spirit, for that is who is “sufficient for these things.” One with pure motives, faithful, qualified for the responsibility. One who doesn’t corrupt the Word nor uses it as a means for personal gain.
To genuine ministers of the gospel, God gives genuine results in their ministry (3:1-4) - not material gain, but spiritual conversions; not religious converts through following the law (3b), but “epistles of Christ” (3a) – i.e. those whose lives testify to the sincerity of the minister and the work of God through his Spirit.
We can be confident in ministry when we trust God’s provision, because he provides the results to those who are authentic, and we can be confident in ministry when we trust God’s provision because he provides the resources to those who feel inadequate (3:4-6). Paul had every reason for self-confidence (1-3). The Corinthian believers were his credentials. They were an epistle of Christ written with the Spirit of the living God. But in fact, his confidence was not in himself. His confidence was “through Christ toward God” (4). His confidence was that God had called him to be an able, fit, minister of the gospel. His confidence was directed not to self but “toward God,” a confidence that can endure God’s inspection.
Those who are sufficient for ministry feel totally inadequate. They “do not think anything of themselves” (5a). Confidence in self is characterized by pride, arrogance, indifference, contempt, but confidence in God is characterized by meekness, longsuffering, humility. Paul was not the source of his own sufficiency, ability, or adequacy. He did not have an inflated opinion of himself. In fact, he felt empty and powerless – fully aware of his own frailty and finitude. That’s why he asks “Who is sufficient for these things?” Now he answers. Those who are sufficient for ministry know that their “sufficiency is from God” (5b). God alone makes his servants competent to carry out the tasks assigned to them. Our fitness for ministry is from God (whether it be knowledge, godliness, or giftedness). It is neither self-acquired nor self-sustained. God is self-sufficient, we are dependent. “I am nothing” but, “God in me is everything” (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10).
God renders us sufficient for ministry. He calls us and equips us as “ministers” (6a), a position for which he makes us able, fit, and qualified. This is the root of our sufficiency - God himself. He calls us as ministers of the “new covenant” (6b). Not in the sense of a renovated Judaism, but a new chapter in God’s dealing with mankind. He has called us as ministers of the “Spirit” (6c), not ministers of the “letter” (the Law). “For the letter kills” (the law never was intended to give life but to show us our sinfulness and guilt before God, to drive us to safety in Christ) “but the Spirit (of God) gives life” (6c) to those who are washed and regenerated, who are saved by His precious blood.
Remember: God ministers through those whose confidence is in him. Our confidence in ministry comes from God, because his leadership is always successful and his word is always powerful. So long as we follow Him, his Word, his Spirit, his gifting, his direction, we can have great confidence in ministry because he provides the result to those who are authentic and he provides the ability to those who feel inadequate. In myself I am nothing, but through Christ “I can do all things” (Phil. 4:13). Fancy formulas aren’t the answer, glitzy productions don’t work, innovative presentations don’t impress anybody. The only effective ministry is that which is done through the power of the Holy Spirit - “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord” (Zech. 4:6).
Where is your confidence for ministry? Is it in yourself? Your abilities? Your program? Your financial resources? Your fancy church building? Or is it in God alone?
From the time that God arrested Paul on the Damascus road, saved him, imparted to him the Holy Spirit, called him to be an apostle, and set him apart for ministry as “a chosen vessel”, Paul never had any doubt about where his confidence, strength, and success in ministry came from. That God should have placed His hand upon him and commissioned him in this unique way never ceased to be a source of wonder and gratitude to the Apostle (1 Tim. 1:12).
Do you diffuse the sweet fragrance of Christ? In your ministry, do you affect everyone around you with the gospel, which to some will be the fragrance of life and to others the fragrance of death? Does the sweetness of Christ pervade your person, your attitudes, relationships, decisions, actions, and words?
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
In the last edition of the Net Pastors Journal I began to publish the next series in John’s gospel called, “Jesus’ Seven Significant Dialogues.” Last time I published the sermon outline for John 3:1-8, being part 1 of Jesus’ significant dialogue with Nicodemus. In this edition I will complete part 2 of Jesus’ dialogue with Nicodemus.
For the English audio version of these messages, click on these links: Link 1 - John 3:9-14; Link 2 - John 3:14-16; Link 3 - John 3:17-21.
Subject: Entering the kingdom of God
Point #1: Where does this concept of new birth come from? (9)
1. The concept of new birth is divine revelation (10)
2. Divine revelation has been rejected (11-12)
3. Divine revelation comes only from God (13)
Point #2: How is new birth possible? (14-21)
1. New birth possible because Christ was lifted up to die (14-15)
a) He was lifted up to die as a sacrifice for sins (14)
b) He was lifted up to die as the object of faith (15)
2. New birth is possible because God loved the world (16)
3. New birth is possible because God sent his Son (17-21)
a) He sent his Son to save us from condemnation (17-18)
b) He sent his Son to bring light into our darkness (19-21)
Summer 2013 Edition
Produced by ...
Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
“The Preacher and the Work of God” (continued)
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
In the previous edition of this Journal (see the Spring 2013 Edition) we began to discuss the subject of the spiritual and personal preparation of the preacher, which subject we will continue in this edition. We noted that for the apostle Paul the order of preparation is first the preparation of the preacher and then the preparation of the message. In other words, before you can preach the Word with power, accuracy, and credibility, you need to be spiritually and personally fit and qualified to do so. The person who is fit to preach the Word is called by the apostle Paul a “man of God.”
A man of God is one who is approved by God as “tried and true” – tested and approved by God. Though this may sound like a daunting standard to achieve, Scripture guides us as to four main areas that we need to give priority to in order to be qualified for the unparalleled privilege of preaching the Word:
1. Guarding your moral life
2. Directing your home life
3. Nourishing your inner life
4. Disciplining your ministry life
In our last edition, we began to look at the subject of guarding your moral life, by studying two texts: 2 Tim. 2:22; 1 Tim. 6:3-12. In these texts we find that to guard your moral life the man of God must...
1. ...flee from sinful traps – they can destroy your ministry
2. ...follow after godly virtues – they will strengthen your ministry
3. ...fight spiritual battles – they will attack your ministry
Last time we saw that the man of God must “flee from sinful traps”. This time we will examine the second and third characteristics of the man of God.
THE MAN OF GOD MUST FOLLOW GODLY VIRTUES – they strengthen your ministry. As we flee sinful traps…so we must follow godly virtues. The present imperative implies a continuous effort, keeping on “pursuing” or “following after” these godly virtues. Just as we can never say that we have finished fleeing from sinful traps, so we can never say that we have completed the task of following godly virtues. This is a lifelong occupation – fleeing one and following the other.
Our text sets out these godly virtues in three couplets. First, the man of God must follow after righteousness and godliness (1 Tim. 6:11).1 Righteousness and godliness are two sides of the same coin of godly character, for righteousness describes our relation to God and godliness describes our reflection of God.
The righteousness referred to here is not the righteousness of Christ, which is imputed to us at the time of our salvation and which we never have to pursue. The righteousness referred to here is the practical righteousness that we are to manifest by right living according to God’s word. That’s what a man of God does – live uprightly before God and our fellow-man. The man of God must follow after “righteousness” by…
1) Following after the “word of righteousness” (Heb. 5:13). This has to do with maturity in the Word of God. We must be skilled in and pursue the “word of righteousness” by studying it and mastering it so that we are able to explain it accurately and apply it practically. Without this maturity in the word of righteousness, we remain mere spiritual “babes”.
2) Following after the “practice of righteousness”. This has to do with conformity to the will of God. “Everyone who practices righteousness is born of him” (1 Jn. 2:29). Practical righteousness is the mark of all who are “born of God”. Their behaviour is right, honest, just, fair. As God’s children, they reflect his nature. This is the obligation of one who is born of God (1 Pet. 1:14-16).
3) Following after the “activity of righteousness”. This has to do with activity in the work of God, “the righteous acts of the saints” (Rev. 19:8). This means to be “zealous of good works” for which we were created in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:10).
Stephen Olford writes: “All we say and do should be characterized by moral rectitude (rightness / correctness) and ministerial integrity, which result from a right relationship to God. Our preaching, like our living, should be a righteous activity.”2
A. W. Tozer writes: “I’ve heard all kinds of preachers. I’ve heard the dull, dry ones; I’ve heard the eloquent ones; but the ones who have helped me the most were the ones who were awestruck in the presence of God about whom they spoke. They might have a sense of humour, they might be jovial; but when they talked about God another tone came into their voice altogether; this was something else, something wonderful. I believe we ought to have again the biblical concept of God which makes God awful and makes men lie face down and cry, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.’ That would do more for the church than…anything else.”3
4) Following after the “way of righteousness” (2 Pet. 2:21). This has to do with obedience to the life of God. Those who know “the way of truth” (2:2) pursue the “way of righteousness”. We must follow the “way of righteousness” by walking in total obedience to God in word, deed, and thought.
Thus, the man of God must follow after righteousness (our relation to God) and he must follow after its twin virtue, godliness (our reflection of God). Godliness has to do with our spirituality, the manifestation of God in our lives, our “god-likeness”, or, as D.A. Carson puts it, our connectedness to God. This is what we commonly call spirituality.
As 1 Tim. 3:16 points out, the “mystery of godliness” has been fully revealed in Jesus Christ. He is our pattern, our example of godliness. Thus, the man of God must pursue and manifest godliness by nurturing his spiritual life.
For our lives to be a reflection of God so that others can see God in us, we must, by definition, be like God. God says, “Be holy for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:16), so that others conclude: “This is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly” (2 Kings 4:9). That’s what it is for the man of God to pursue godliness.
So, then, the first couplet in this list of godly virtues that the man of God must follow after is righteousness and godliness. The second couplet of godly virtues exhorts the man of God to follow after faith and love (1 Tim. 6:11). Faith and love are internal virtues. The man of God must develop and demonstrate faith in our lives. This has to do with trust in God. “Faith” here means that “confident trust in God for everything, complete loyalty to Him, unwavering confidence in His power, purpose, and provision.”4
We live by faith (Rom. 1:17), pray by faith (cf. Matt. 21:22), fight by faith (cf. Eph. 6:16), win by faith (cf. 1 Jn. 5:4), and die by faith (cf. Heb. 11:13). Indeed, “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11:6). “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17). “The fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness” (Gal. 5:22).
Along with developing and demonstrating faith, the man of God must develop and demonstrate love. This has to do with goodwill toward others (cf. 2 Thess. 1:3; Tit. 2:2). Biblical love is not a sentimental feeling, but biblical love is always acting in the best interests of others (Phil. 2:4). This is the love of the great commandment – to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself (Matt. 22:37-39). “The fruit of the Spirit is love” (Gal. 5:22). “The love of God is poured out…by the Holy Spirit who is given to us” (Rom. 5:5). “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbour as yourself” (cf. Mk. 12:30-31). “Love the brotherhood” (1 Pet. 2:17). “Love your enemies” (Matt. 5:44). “Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies” (Eph. 5:28)
So, the man of God must follow after righteousness and godliness, faith and love, and, thirdly, the man of God must follow after patience and meekness (1 Tim. 6:11). Just as faith and love are internal virtues these two spiritual traits are external virtues. Patience is the exercise of strong discipline under the lordship of Christ. It is endurance for the sake of Christ in any circumstances. This is the endurance of a soldier, farmer, and athlete (2 Tim. 2:3-6). Meekness is Christ-likeness. He himself said, “Learn from me for I am meek and lowly of heart” (Matt. 11:29). This is an attitude of humility, esteeming others better than yourself (Phil. 2:3), treating people as Christ would treat them, with the meekness and gentleness of Christ (2 Cor. 10:1).
First, then the man of God must flee sinful traps - they can destroy your ministry. Second, the man of God must follow godly virtues – they strengthen your ministry. Third, THE MAN OF GOD MUST FIGHT SPIRITUAL BATTLES – they will attack your ministry. “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life” (1 Tim. 6:12-14).
Ministry is a spiritual battle in which we are constantly contending with the world, the flesh, and the devil, and against false passions, false teachings, and false values. This is not a fight against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). We not only fight against errors of belief and conduct, but we also fight for the truth, the faith once for all delivered to the saints. This is not “fighting” as in being contentious but as in …
1) Defending our Christian confession (12a). “Fight the good fight of faith” refers to the body of truth (Jude 3) which we are to defend and proclaim. So, don’t vary in your beliefs. Don’t compromise the truth. Contend for “the faith” – that body of objective, propositional truth that we believe and hold dear. This is our Christian vocation.
Just as Jesus never varied the truth even when cross-examined by Pilate and under the threat of crucifixion, but held onto his confession, so we must fight for what we know and believe. “Lay hold of eternal life to which you were called” – i.e. minister in the light of eternity. Preach the truth you boldly confessed when you were saved. Make these gospel truths a practical reality in your life and ministry. Stick with it to the end, until you obtain the prize with no variableness in direction.
2) Keeping the Christian Commission (13-14). “Keep this commandment without spot or blame until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing”. Or, as William Hendriksen puts it, the man of God must “keep his commission untainted and unsullied until the very day of his death, or, if the consummation of the ages should occur before that time...then ‘until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.’”5 Our ministry is to be marked by purity and perseverance. We must bring no reproach on the name of Christ in our conduct and we must not deviate from our ministerial occupation. Don’t vary your direction, stick with it until you cross the finish line, until the spiritual battles that will attack our ministry are won.
“Your Personal Holiness” (continued)
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario
In this section we are continuing our study of what it means to be a godly role model as a Christian leader. This has to do with your personal purity. In the last two editions of the NET Pastors Journal we have looked at personal purity in our conduct - our sexual conduct and our ethical conduct. In this edition we will look at one more aspect of purity in our conduct - PURITY IN OUR SOCIAL CONDUCT. This has to do with our interpersonal relationships.
As a man of God, your interpersonal relationships need to reflect honesty and straightforwardness, openness and transparency, and authenticity and humility:
1) Honesty and straightforwardness. This is ethical conduct manifested in our social relationships with others. Other people must know us to be men of God whose “yes” is “yes” and whose “no” is “no” (2 Cor. 1:17-20). Other people should not have to second guess what we really mean. People should never have to wonder if we are telling the truth. We must not hide behind a veneer, nor should our communication be cloaked in mystery. Let our speech be honest and straightforward.
2) Openness and transparency. Let us imitate the example of the apostle Paul, who told the Corinthians, “We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open...Now in return...you also be open...Open your heart to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one” (2 Cor. 6:11-13; 7:2).
Men of God must not be secretive or isolated. People that we deal with us should find us approachable and knowable, because we are open and transparent. I’m not talking about revealing confidential information or information that would not be wise to reveal. But I’m talking about our day-to-day social relationships where other people we deal with should be able to easily communicate with us because we are warm and friendly, men of God who have experienced the same disappointments, carried the same burdens, and faced the same temptations that they have.
Other people must be able to see that we are fallible and vulnerable, yet faithful and true to God. In other words, we build trust in our social relationships with other people precisely because we can identify with them in their life circumstances and, thus, can empathize with them. In this way we build relationships with people that give them confidence in us so that we can help to bear their burdens.
The apostle Paul admonished the Corinthians that his social, interpersonal relationships were the exact opposite of those fraudulent ministers who were “peddling the word of God” (2 Cor. 2:17) and who were characterized by craftiness and deceitfulness. That’s not who we are, he says. On the contrary, his conduct was marked by sincerity in the sight of God (2 Cor. 2:17). “We have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Cor. 4:2). This is the standard for us all in ministry.
3) Authenticity and humility. Authenticity has to do with being who you truly are – not trying to look like one person in public and another in private. Hypocrisy is not to be present in men of God. We need to be men whose lives and relationships are exactly what they appear on the outside to others. That’s what it is to be authentic in our relationships – not pretending to be holy men of God, when in reality we are living a secret, double lifestyle. Remember, Jesus detested hypocrisy.
Humility goes hand-in-hand with authenticity. A humble person is someone who does not try to attract attention to himself. Don’t think that because you are a leader in the church that you are “somebody” and that you should always be the centre of attention. In fact, you are the servant of all (Mk. 9:35).
Pride is the opposite of humility. The apostle Paul warns us about those who are proud: “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions” (1 Tim. 6:3-4). The apostle James says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:5; cf. 1 Pet. 5:5). Again, Paul says: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4).
Conclusion: Men of God must be known for their purity of conduct – sexual, ethical, and social. It is so easy to slip up in these areas and spoil your testimony or, at the worst, ruin your ministry. Satan is so active, trying to cause godly men to sin in their conduct and, thus, bring dishonour to the name of Christ. Satan does not like what we do and his primary objective is to attack our ministry and possibly destroy it. In so doing he not only causes havoc in our lives but in the life of the church as well, not to mention the ridicule and shame that may be brought to the name of Christ.
So, let us strive to guard our moral lives, being godly role models for those we lead and standing strong for Christ, so that we may finish our course with joy, having fought the good fight of faith.
Next time we will continue the subject of being a godly role model through purity in our thoughts, motives, and words.
“The Ministry of Earthen Vessels, Pt. 1: The Nature of Ministry” (2 Cor. 4:7-16)
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
If this God of whom Paul speaks is so powerful as to command light to shine out of darkness and who has shined into our hearts to reveal his glory to us, why is it that the human vessels he uses in ministry are so failing and impotent? Why is there such a contrast between God’s power and glory and the minister’s human weakness and frailty? This is the paradox of ministry. God uses weak messengers to proclaim a powerful message so that there can be no doubt whatsoever as to the divine nature and source of the message.
We will find that the apostle Paul uses a series of paradoxes to describe ministry. This article will examine the first paradox: the weak messenger vs. the powerful message.
THE POWER FOR MINISTRY. The apostle Paul describes it as a glorious treasure contained in an earthen vessel. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels...” (4:7a). “This treasure” is what the apostle Paul refers to earlier as the gospel of Christ’s glory (4:3-4); the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ (4:6). The message we preach is the “treasure”. The “earthen vessels” are the ministers, the human agents, in whom the treasure is incarnated (i.e. embodied and displayed), and by whom it is proclaimed. This is the paradox of ministry - the sharp contrast between the glory of the message and the incredible weakness of the minister whom God uses to proclaim that message.
The picture here is of a fragile, breakable, cheap clay pot which contains a treasure. This picture portrays fragile, frail mortals who contain a divine treasure, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The contrast between the “treasure” and the “earthen vessel” is intentional – “so that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (7b). God has designed ministry in this paradoxical way, using human messengers to proclaim his divine message in order to enhance the source, power, the extraordinary character, and the supernatural effect of the gospel by the very means he chooses to proclaim and display it, namely, through weak human vessels. Since the gospel so radically transforms lives, it could not possibly be a merely human message; its author can only be God. God’s powerful message is not limited by man’s utter weakness – rather, it is enhanced by it. Such is the case for every minister of the gospel: we are weak just so that God’s power may be manifested in us. Thus it was with Gideon and his 300 men, who put to flight the Midianites by merely breaking their earthen vessels so that the light shone out (Judges 7:15ff.; Heb. 11:34). And such it is with us - in our confessed and evident weakness, God displays his power and glory.
This gives us a proper perspective on ministry. We can be thankful for our bodily weakness and mental limitations, because that is what God uses to bring glory to himself. The messenger is weak, dependent, and temporal, but the message is powerful, sovereign, and eternal. We are creatures formed from the dust of the ground, whom God in his grace has chosen to bear his name, his gospel.
That’s the paradoxical power for ministry. Then, THE PRESSURES OF MINISTRY (4:8-9). Paul gives examples from his own life of how he experienced the paradox of his own human weakness contrasted with God’s superabundant power. Despite the most crushing circumstances, God always delivered him. What humanly speaking looked like impossible straits were no challenge to God’s power. He experienced…
Pressure: “Hard pressed on every side...but not crushed”. Satan wants to overpower us with daily pressures, but he cannot crush us.
Perplexity: “Perplexed...but not in despair”. Situations occur in ministry that we cannot figure out. We don’t know what to do but we do not despair.
Persecution: “Persecuted...but not forsaken” (see 2 Tim. 4:16-17; 2 Tim. 3:12; Jn. 16:33; Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:20).
Physical attack: “Struck down...but not destroyed”. Paul was struck down by stoning at Lystra (Acts 14:19f) and left for dead, but he was not destroyed for God raised him up again.
These are some of the paradoxical experiences of the weakness of the messenger through whom God’s powerful message is proclaimed.
So, we have seen the paradoxes experienced in the power and pressures of ministry. Now, THE PURPOSE OF MINISTRY (4:10-12). These verses are a summation of verses 8-9. The reality for authentic ministers is that, paradoxically, they die to live. The weakness of the human vessel is manifested in “always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus” (10a). But, the power of God is manifested in our weakness for the very purpose that “the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body” (10b). The servants of Christ are united with Christ so that his dying is ours and his life is ours. “For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (11). Any suffering experienced by the minister of Christ is not for suffering’s sake, but solely for “Jesus’ sake.” We do not wish for such experiences, much less inflict them on ourselves. Rather, as He suffered, so do we. As the world hated him, so it hates us. As we are identified with him, so we will experience what he experienced. We are “delivered to death for Jesus’ sake”, living as dead to the world and alive to God, for to live is Christ and to die gain.
In dying with Christ, his life is “manifested in our mortal flesh.” We bear the marks of Christ’s death in ourselves and we also manifest his resurrected, glorified life. “So then, death is working in us, but life in you” (12). In other words, through Paul’s death experiences (persecution, crushed, struck down etc.) he had brought the gospel to the Corinthians which produced life in them. For them to live in Christ, he had to die spiritually and metaphorically. Ultimately, that makes every hardship worthwhile. There is a purpose to being “delivered to death for Jesus’ sake” – viz. that others may live in him. Such was the case for Jesus himself. He died so that we could live. And that cycle is now reproduced in us and will continue to be until he comes again.
This is a biblical principle: life arises from death. “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abides alone. But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit” (Jn. 12:24). Thus men and women are giving their lives (spiritually and, in some cases, physically) in Christian ministry so that others can live.
Finally, THE PERSPECTIVE OF MINISTRY (4:13-15). Despite the pressures of ministry, we minister from a faith perspective. Faith prompts us to speak for Christ. Paul says, What the Psalmist in Psalm 116 said about his spirit of faith is true of me: “I believed; therefore, I spoke” (13). What we say expresses what we believe (cf. Rom. 10:9f.). Conversely, belief must be expressed in words.
Despite the pressures of ministry, we minister to others because of a future perspective. Christ’s resurrection is the first-fruits (precursor) and guarantee of our resurrection. Just as God “raised up the Lord Jesus” from the dead (cf. Eph. 1:19-20), so he “will also raise us up with Jesus and will present us with you.” One day, those who are the fruits of our ministry will be “presented” together with us before God (cf. Col. 1:22, 28).
The future perspective of our own resurrection, along with those to whom we have ministered, is our encouragement for ministry, despite our experiences, even suffering and death (cf. vv. 8-11). “All things” (15) – all experiences in ministry - are “for your sake” (those to whom we minister). What we suffer for Christ extends to what we suffer for his people, so that, paradoxically, through our experiences of suffering and hardship, the grace of God will spread to many and “cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.” That’s the right perspective of ministry.
“Therefore, we do not lose heart” (4:16a). Notice how this phrase bookends this passage in verse 1 and again here in verse 16. Everything that is said in between (vv. 2-15) is an explanation of why “we do not lose heart” in ministry. And this entire passage links back to the ministry described in 3:7-18 and links forward to 4:16-5:11, which views actual, physical death as the ultimate destiny to which present suffering in ministry leads.
So, the sequence of thought is this:
1. A picture of the glorious ministry of the new covenant (3:7-18).
2. This ministry causes us to not lose heart despite circumstances (4:1-16a).
3. Even if we physically die in the course of our ministry, we do not lose heart because of the prospect of future resurrection (4:16-5:11).
It’s easy to lose heart in ministry, but here is the proper perspective: let us live as those who are prepared to die for the gospel. Let us not allow circumstances, perplexities, or despondency to take us out of ministry. That’s the price of being a genuine minister of the gospel for Jesus’ sake and the sake of his people.
For the English audio version of these messages, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 4:1-3; Link 2 - Jn. 4:4-11; Link 3 - Jn. 4:12-14; Link 4 - Jn. 4:14-18
Title: The Master’s Approach to Evangelism
Subject: Overcoming spiritual and social barriers in evangelism
Point #1: Cross Social Barriers (7-9)
1. By ignoring cultural prejudice
2. By engaging in personal conversation
Point #2: Move to Spiritual Truth (10-15)
1. By moving from the physical to the spiritual (10-12)
2. By moving from the temporal to the eternal (13-15)
Point #3: Reach the Guilty Conscience (16-18)
1. By soliciting a voluntary admission (16-17a)
2. By speaking divine revelation (17b-18)
1 Adapted from Stephen Olford, Anointed Expository Preaching (Nashville: Broadman & Holman,1998), 43-44.
2 Olford, Anointed, 44.
3 A. W. Tozer, quoted by Austin L. Sorenson, in Pulpit Helps, April 1979.
4 John MacArthur, “The Man of God,” in The Believer’s Study Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991), 1866.
5 William Hendriksen, “Commentary on 1 Timothy” in Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1957), 205.
Fall 2013 Edition
Produced by ...
Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
www.tibp.ca
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
“The Preacher and the Work of God” Pt. 3
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
In the Spring and Summer 2013 editions of this Pastors Journal (published on this website), we discussed the spiritual and personal preparation of the preacher. We are continuing that subject again in this edition. What we are learning is that before you can preach the Word with power, accuracy, and credibility, you need to be spiritually and personally qualified to do so. The person who is qualified to preach the Word is called a “man of God” by the apostle Paul.
We also noticed that, in order to be qualified for the privilege of serving the Lord in ministry, the four main areas that we need to give priority to are: (1) guarding your moral life; (2) directing your home life; (3) nourishing your inner life; and (4) disciplining your ministry life. Last time we completed our discussion of “Guarding Your Moral Life”. In this edition we are going to look at the other three aspects of being a man of God.
A man’s true character, values, and lifestyle are shown at home. That’s where he is truly himself. John MacArthur says: “Since the pastor is to be a leader of the Lord’s church and a loving parent to the family of God, what better way can he qualify than by proving his spiritual leadership in his own family?” 1 If a man cannot relate well and properly to his wife and children, and if he cannot “rule” his household well, how can he lead the church? (1 Tim. 3:5). Godly leadership in the home is a pre-requisite for leadership in the church. The same sacrificial, servant leadership you would expect from someone leading the church must be evident at home.
Therefore, your family life must be characterized by balance, happiness, submission to the Word, discipline, obedience, love, spontaneity, service, sacrifice for others, mutual respect etc. So, devote adequate and meaningful time and attention to your spouse and family and take responsibility for the spiritual tone and direction in your home by setting the example of spirituality. You are responsible to set the spiritual priority and focus of your home. Since you preach and counsel the priority of the Scriptures and obedience to God in your ministry life, make sure you are an example of that in your family life.
If you do not set the example for, and command the respect of, your spouse and children at home, how can you do so in the church, or mission agency, or para-church ministry?
So let me encourage you to set aside adequate and appropriate time for your spouse and your children. Don’t put them in second place to your ministry or the church. You would probably criticize someone else in your congregation for doing that, so don’t do it yourself. Show your family that you are prepared to set aside other pressing matters because you value them highly. Be accessible to them, be available to them in your presence, your mind, and your emotions.
Take responsibility for the spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental well-being of everyone in your home. If you don’t take this responsibility at home, how can you do it in your ministry with any degree of credibility or success?
So men of God must be loving and faithful husbands and fathers.
I would encourage you to let your wife develop and establish her own identity, exercise her own gifts, rather than deriving her identity from you and your vocation as a pastor. Nonetheless, she needs to be supportive of you in your role as a pastor and her life must enhance what you do, not detract from it.
There are so many sources of stress for pastors’ wives:
All of these sources of stress can lead to marital difficulties. So let’s be loving, sensitive, supportive, and faithful to our wives.
Be kind and gentle to your children (cf. 1 Thess. 2:7, 11). By your relationship with their mother and your Christian testimony show your children what it is to be a godly, consistent Christian. If you expect to be used by God to be the spiritual leader of the church, start by being the spiritual leader of your children.
Remember to never use your children as illustrations from the pulpit, not even if they agree to it. Children tend to easily agree to such things but when they are publicly spotlighted they may secretly resent it.
Don’t neglect spending time with your children. There is no such thing as “quality” time that somehow makes up for lack of “quantity” of time. What your children need is your time and attention.
Your family is of paramount importance. It’s a responsibility you are charged with when you have children. You can’t get out of it. So step up and take that responsibility as a godly leader.
Don’t ever let your children feel that they take second place - not even to ministry – or they will quickly resent it. If ministry and family responsibilities are in conflict on a regular basis, simply adjust your ministry schedule.
Give your children space as they grow up to become the individuals God has created them to be. Often, children raised in pastors’ homes feel pressured to be perfect. If your wife feels like she is living in a fishbowl, how much more do your children! So, let’s not add to that pressure by making them conform to other people’s expectations. We can help them deal with that by maintaining privacy in our homes and by helping them live as normal a childhood as possible.
Finally, let’s protect them from becoming cynical by not discussing church problems in front of our children.
In ministry you expend a tremendous amount of emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical energy. Not only does ministry make its demands on the total personality, but it easily becomes all-absorbing. Before you know it, you have no life or interests outside your ministry. For this reason, you must discipline yourself to take care of your personal well-being, to set aside time for:
If you are a local church pastor, you are giving out to your congregation all the time – encouraging, exhorting, warning, counselling, preaching, teaching. If you do this long enough without being fed spiritually yourself, you will eventually run dry. On one occasion Jesus told his disciples to come apart into a desert place for a period of rest.
You need to be fed spiritually. How can you do this? One way is to have someone else minister to you. Listen to other preachers, read devotional books, attend conferences, or invite guest preachers on a regular basis to preach for you - it’s good for the church and for you. Whatever way you decide to receive spiritual restoration, discipline yourself to engage in it regularly so that your spiritual batteries don’t run down.
A healthy mental life requires mental relaxation as well as stimulation. Mental relaxation may take different forms such as regular vacations, walks with your spouse, an evening of good fellowship with friends with whom you can relax and be yourself. And don’t forget to schedule time to be alone – solitude is good, especially for mental relaxation.
The opposite is also needed - mental stimulation. The apostle Paul wrote: “Whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things” (Phil. 4:8). “These things” stimulate your mind with good thoughts and challenging subjects that will edify you.
Don’t become lazy or defiled in your thinking. You can keep your mind alert and stimulated by:
In 1 Timothy 4:8, the apostle says: “Bodily exercise profits a little” – i.e. it is of some value. Every pastor needs to take time out for manual and physical recreation to compensate for the mental and spiritual demands of preaching. Make no mistake about it, preaching and pastoral ministry are hard work. Spending all day in meetings, counselling, administration, and study means that you must schedule time to do something active.
Physical activity is good not only for your body but also for your mind. Looking after our bodies is a stewardship that is just as important as the stewardship of our money, time, and spiritual gifts. Paul taught that the body is to be dedicated (Rom. 12:1); preserved (1 Thess. 5:23), exercised (1 Tim. 4:8), and disciplined (1 Cor. 9:24-27). And remember, “your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Therefore, we must take care how we use it. We must keep it pure for the glory of God. We must maintain its health. And we must “glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20).
Part of the process of taking care of our body is engaging in some form of physical exercise in order to keep it fit and healthy. Try to discipline yourself to do this. As you get older you will be glad you did.
Pastors are very visible and audible – everyone sees what we do and hears what we say. Some things we say and do will generate:
Conflict and criticism take a great toll on us emotionally. Therefore, from time to time we need to recuperate emotionally. How can we do that? Some suggestions are:
A godly leader / preacher has the solemn responsibility to “be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15)
This standard for biblical preaching is described earlier in the chapter through three word pictures of disciplined endeavour - the daily discipline and commitment of a soldier, an athlete, a farmer (2 Tim. 2:1-6). The pictures that are drawn in these verses depict discipline, duty, and devotion, which, when displayed, bring reward.
Firstly, the singular focus of a soldier is to always be willing and ready to suffer (2:3) – to “endure hardship.” Suffering is to be expected in ministry because of spiritual warfare (cf. Eph. 6:1-20) and ill treatment.
Secondly, the singular focus of a soldier is always to be willing and ready to sacrifice (2:4a). You cannot be preoccupied with the “affairs of this life” in order to be always on duty and available. This is a call to sacrifice – to disentangle yourself from any other duties that would distract you from your main task. It’s not that there is anything wrong with the “affairs of this life,” but if they have the tendency to entangle us, they must be cast aside. Anything that would rob us of the necessary time with God (in prayer and the Word) and time for God must be sacrificed.
Thirdly, the singular focus of a soldier is to always be willing and ready for service (2:4b) - “to please him who has enlisted (you) to be a soldier.” As soldiers of Jesus Christ, we must be ready to serve the One who has enlisted us in his service. We are always on duty.
A genuine soldier is marked by wholehearted devotion to duty, complete commitment, nothing held back. A soldier’s reward is the approbation of his superior officer. That’s what we work for – the Lord’s approval.
An athlete displays strenuous effort in training and competing. In order to win an athlete must strive toward three objectives:
The farmer labours long and hard without any sign or assurance of success. This takes great self-discipline, steadfastness. After preparing the soil and planting the seed, then he must wait for the crop. This takes trust – trust in God, for only God can make a seed grow and produce a harvest. Farmers need wholehearted labour and dependence.
Godly preachers can prepare the best of sermons and Bible lessons and deliver them with great fervour but the results belong to God to bring to life those who were dead (Eph. 2:1).
Only through hard work, wholehearted commitment, and self-discipline can we present ourselves “approved to God” workers who do “not need to be ashamed” (2:15). It is so easy in ministry to become lazy, lose commitment, and become discouraged.
Let’s discipline ourselves to put in the time and the energy necessary to get the job done well. Let’s conduct ourselves so that people see that we are committed to our Christian testimony and ministry. Don’t be half-hearted about your Christian life or satisfied with mediocrity in your ministry. Preaching and church leadership are hard work! All that we do must be done for God’s glory and that means we do it with all our might and with excellence.
At a personal level, the measure of Christian ministry for the man of God means on the one hand, being diligent to present yourself approved to God, and on the other hand, being a workman who does not need to be ashamed.
At a practical level, the measure of Christian ministry for the man of God means accurate, appropriate, and authoritative preaching and teaching – rightly dividing the word of truth.
“Your Personal Holiness”
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario
We continue the topic of personal holiness from our last edition of the NET Pastors Journal. Last time we discussed purity in our social lives. In this edition, we are going to look at purity in our thoughts, motives, and words.
Our thoughts can be so subtle and sinful, can’t they? Sometimes you wonder where certain thoughts come from. Undoubtedly they spring from our sinful nature, prompted by Satan and the temptations he puts in our way.
To maintain purity in our thoughts we must be careful what we think about. We need to discipline our minds in order to control the thoughts that we entertain. When our thoughts are uncontrolled, fantasies can so easily take over. And fantasies that are uncontrolled tend to become reality. The Bible says, “As a man thinks, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). Our thoughts shape our character and our behaviour. Every action or habit begins with a thought.
So, let’s be careful what we think about. If you find yourself thinking unhealthy or sinful thoughts, pray for God to banish them from your mind. It works! God delivers us from evil, for the power of God is greater than Satan or any earthly temptation.
Our thoughts are often generated by things we have read or seen. So be careful what you look at, because what you look at enters your heart and impacts your desires. “When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is full-grown, it brings forth death” (James 1:15). That’s the pattern if our thoughts go unchecked.
Probably what goes on in the mind is the most dangerous of all (more so than even outward actions) because nobody can see your thoughts. No one can hold you accountable for what you are thinking because they don’t know. But remember what Jesus said: “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man” (Matt. 15:18-20). What goes into your mind will come out – whether good thoughts or bad. And those thoughts will form the basis of who you are and what you do.
Impure motives are when we do the right things for the wrong reasons - doing something to achieve a desired result but for the wrong reason. So, let’s ask ourselves: Why do we do ministry? What is our motivation? We must do the right things and for the right reasons.
In Rev. 2:2-3 the church at Ephesus did the right things but with an impure motive - namely, they were not doing it out of love for Christ. The warning is that if they would not repent of their impure motives, God would remove their lamp-stand (their public testimony as a church). What do we do ministry for? What are we living for?
Do we do ministry for our own self-glory like those who “commend themselves,” who, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Cor. 10:12)?
Are we living for our own personal gain, like those who “suppose that godliness is a means of gain” (1 Tim. 6:5)?
Are we seeking our own self-promotion? Jesus said “I am among you as one who serves” (Lk. 22:27). Paul said that he had “served the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials” (Acts 20:19).
In his book, “Shepherding the Church,” Joe Stowell writes: “Those who serve for His glory and His gain find their greatest joy not in the affirmation that may come at the door after the sermon, but in a life that, over time, is functionally changed through the ministry of proclamation. In a life that now brings more glory to God than in days gone by. In a life that gives credit to God – not us – for what God has done in their lives through us.” 2 Yes!
Pure motives cause us to serve for Christ’s glory and the benefit of his kingdom. Paul’s motive for ministry was that “Christ be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die gain” (Phil. 1:20). Paul said, “I am the last of the apostles and do not deserve to be called an apostle” (1 Cor. 15:9). John the Baptist’s motive was that Jesus Christ “must increase but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30).
Let’s check our own hearts for what our motives are as leaders of God’s people.
Our speech is an area that can be the most dangerous and the one most easily slipped up on. What we say (the words and phrases we use) and how we say it (body language, tone of voice) can either empower our leadership role or immobilize it. You can give totally different meaning to the words you use just through emphasis on different words or body language.
We need to be careful about our choice of words. I’m noticing more and more inappropriate secular words and expressions coming from Christians (and preachers), that once would never have been used by believers. I have heard pastors and Christian leaders say things that make me cringe. Sometimes they use expressions that are common in our society but which ought not to be part of our communication. I hear leaders in the church using slang words all the time that are derivatives from curse words (and I don’t think they even know it).
Words slip out so easily and they cannot be retracted. When they come out, they are like water spilled on the ground – it can’t be gathered back up (2 Sam. 14:14). When the wrong words are said, it’s too late, the damage is done.
Words are the stock-in-trade for Christian leaders. Our craft revolves around the use of words. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to be experts in their use – not only in the pulpit but in all our interactions. We are to be wordsmiths, carefully choosing the words we use so that they accurately convey what we want to say.
But accuracy and truthfulness are not sufficient. “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt” (Col. 4:6). “Speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). “Be slow to speak and swift to hear” (James 1:19).
So, try to avoid vernacular or slang – it will get you into trouble. Don’t use harsh or coarse words (Eph. 5:4) – it’s not Christ-like. Try not to use words with double meanings. Wherever possible, be conscious to use polite, positive, constructive, well-chosen words.
Beware of gossip, slander, lying, deceit, inferences, innuendos, seduction, murmuring, complaining, boasting, exaggeration. They all stem from the wrong use or application of words (cf. Eph. 4:25, 29, 31; 5:4; Col. 3:8-9; 4:6; Matt. 15:11, 17-20). Stay away from words that can have impure connotations.
Let us use “sound speech”(Tit. 2:8) that is a testimony to others of the “gracious words” that proceeded out to the Lord’s mouth, of the purity of speech that we want others to adopt, and of the kind of words that point others to Christ.
Teachers used to say to us: “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me” - not true! Words spoken in anger, jest, teasing, criticism can hurt a lot longer than physical hurts and cause untold hurt in Christian relationships. The words we use are important, so choose them carefully.
“The Ministry of Earthen Vessels, Pt. 2: The Motivation for Ministry” (2 Cor. 4:16-5:9)
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
In the Summer edition of this journal, we began studying the subject of “The Ministry of Earthen Vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7-5:21). We looked at 2 Corinthians 4:7-16, which deals with the topic of “The Nature of Ministry.” Now we continue with the next section, 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:8, which deals with the topic of “The Motivation for Ministry.” The apostle points out three motivations for ministry: (1) the motivation of future transformation (4:15-5:8); (2) the motivation of accountability to God (5:10-13); and (3) the motivation of Christ’s love (5:14-17). In this edition of this Pastors Journal, we will cover only The Motivation Of Future Transformation (4:16-5:9).
The apostle develops this subject of the ministry of earthen vessels around four paradoxes of ministry. Last time we noticed the first paradox of ministry: the weak messenger vs. the powerful message. Now, in connection with the motivation for ministry (specifically, the motivation of future transformation) we have the next three paradoxes.
The second paradox of ministry is: outward decay vs. inward renewal (4:16-17). For the Christian the paradox is that “Even though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is being renewed day by day” (16b). There is a difference between the outward and the inward – the outward is decaying and the inward is being renewed. On the one hand, we suffer from the progressive decay of our physical being. Our “outward man” (i.e. what is visible - our physical body and faculties) is “decaying” (i.e. steadily and irreversibly heading toward death). On the other hand, our inner being is progressively being renewed in God’s image. Our “inward man” (i.e. what is invisible - our new life in Christ, our spiritual being, our Christ-likeness) “is being renewed day by day” (i.e. being sanctified, transformed into Christ’s image).
The reality for the non-Christian is petrifying. They experience only outward decay without any inner renewal, because they have no spiritual life. “For” introduces the explanation of this paradox of outward decay vs. inner renewal “our light affliction which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (17). Note the contrasting elements of the Christian paradox:
Paul is not teaching that physical suffering is rewarded with spiritual merit. He is not endorsing asceticism. Rather, Paul is still dealing with the issue of how the glory and power of God are displayed in earthen vessels (7); the issue of spiritually (and perhaps physically) dying with Jesus (10a); the issue of the life of Jesus manifested in us (10b); the issue of being delivered to death for Jesus’ sake that the life of Jesus may be manifested in us (11).
“Paul’s theme throughout this epistle is that the frailty of the human frame and the affliction which it sustains in the cause of the gospel magnify, by reason of the astonishing contrast, and provide the opportunity for experiencing, the all-transcending glory and power and grace of Almighty God.” 3 No matter how severe our physical suffering may be “for Jesus’ sake” (i.e. suffering that is endured and incurred for Jesus’ sake in the cause of the gospel), it is “light” and “momentary” compared to the “eternal glory” which is reserved for us in heaven.
The third paradox of ministry in this passage is: the visible vs. the invisible (4:18). The eye of faith is not preoccupied with what is seen but with what is not seen. “We do not look at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen.” We do not focus on our human weakness, suffering, dying (i.e. the decay of our outward, physical existence), and difficult circumstances, but rather, we look at “the things which are not seen.” The non-Christian is focused on the physical, the outward, and the present (treasures on earth, perishable things), but the Christian is focused on the spiritual, the inward, and the eternal. We are focused on spiritual realities (e.g. truth, life in Christ). We are focused on inner power, the renewal of the Holy Spirit. We are focused on eternal glory – a future, heavenly perspective, when we will be fully and finally like Christ. We are pressing forward not looking back (Phil. 3:14). We endure the present in the assurance of the future. We know that the transient will give place to the permanent. We look for the temporal afflictions to be replaced by eternal glory.
The fourth paradox of ministry is: our earthly tent vs. our heavenly building (5:1-8). The explanation for the previous paradox now follows: “For we know…” The basis of our perspective on present suffering and decay is our knowledge of future glorification, the redemption of our bodies as well as our souls, the certain hope of glory. The only uncertainty is whether we will die before Jesus comes – “…if our earthly house, this tent (lit. our tent-dwelling on earth) is destroyed…” (5:1).
The body in which we now live is temporary and transient, not our permanent dwelling place. But even if it is destroyed in death, “…we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” The imagery of a “tent” vs. a “building” is an allusion to the Israelites’ tabernacle in the wilderness vs. the permanent temple in Jerusalem (cf. Heb. 11:8ff.). Like them in the wilderness, we are pilgrims and strangers on the earth, just passing through - our citizenship is in heaven. And when we get to heaven, we will have bodies suited to that heavenly existence - “not made with hands” (not this-world, earth-bound creations), not temporary, not subject to decay, not affected by sin, but permanent, eternal, glorified, resurrection bodies like Christ’s glorious body (Phil. 3:21).
“For” (explanation of v. 1) “in this (body) we groan (cf. Rom. 8:23) earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven...” (2). In our present earthly tent-dwelling we groan (because it is subject to decay, suffering, pain). That’s why we long for our glorified bodies (our habitation which is from heaven), which are viewed as being put on like clothes over our earthly bodies (cf. 1 Cor. 15:53) so that there is both continuity and transformation – our earthly bodies will be covered and changed by our glorified bodies. What we really long for is the possibility (“...if indeed”, v. 3) of receiving our glorified bodies without dying (“...having been clothed”) - to be alive at Christ’s coming so that, “having already been clothed” with our glorified bodies, “we shall not be found naked” (3). The hope expressed here is that we shall not be stripped of our bodies at death, that we never experience a disembodied state at all, that we do not die before we receive our glorified bodies, “clothed with our habitation (dwelling) which is from heaven” (2b).
“For” (further explanation) we who are in this tent (this temporary, decaying physical existence) groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but (because we want to be) further clothed, so that mortality may be swallowed up by life” (4). We groan because of the burden of our present bodies, not because we want to die (i.e. be unclothed and our bodies go back to dust) but because we want to be further clothed by our glorified bodies (bodies suited to glory), so that our mortal bodies (our present, decaying bodies) may be swallowed up by (taken over by, absorbed in, clothed with) eternal life at Christ’s return, so that we never die and experience corruption.
This is what will happen to those who are alive at Christ’s coming. We will not be “unclothed” (naked, disembodied) but “further clothed” by putting on our glorified bodies over our mortal bodies. When that happens, our mortal, earth-bound bodies will be instantly absorbed by and transformed into our glorified state, so that our mortal flesh (our living, earthly but mortal bodies) will be “swallowed up” (disappear inside, absorbed, integrated into, digested) “by (what will be really) life.”
So, the imagery in 5:1-4 is that our mortal bodies are like a garment that covers the soul, which at death becomes naked because it will be separated from the body. On the other hand, our immortal bodies are likened at Christ’s coming to a garment that re-clothes (or covers) our souls, or, for those who are alive at that time, “further clothes” us - i.e. is put on over top of our mortal bodies.
“Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God” (5a). God himself has fashioned us for the reception (clothing) of our glorified bodies. This final transformation into our glorified state is entirely and solely the work of God. This gives us assurance because it is not dependent on us but God and thus it will surely come to pass. What God has begun, He will complete (Phil. 1:6), for He “…also has given us His Spirit as a guarantee” (5b). Not only do we have the apostle’s instruction on this future certainty that God will accomplish our final transformation, but right now we have the internal deposit (the down payment) of the Spirit as the guarantee that God will surely do it (cf. Eph. 1:14; cf. Rom. 8:11ff.). The Holy Spirit constantly and continuously reassures us that the power that raised Christ from the dead will raise us up in glory (Eph. 1:9-20).
What confidence and motivation this gives us, particularly in suffering and old age! Our outward bodies are decaying, we suffer from our mortality, but more specifically for Jesus’ sake. But all that is lost in the assurance and hope of our future transformation into Christ’s likeness, for it does not compare to the glory which shall be. “So” (as a result of this assurance that God will do it and has given us his Spirit as our guarantee), “we are always confident…” (6a) – our confidence in God’s fulfillment of our transformation is unshakeable and constant – “...knowing that (confidence is based on knowledge) while we are at home in the body…” (living in this earthly tent) “…we are absent from the (presence of the) Lord. For (because) we walk by faith, not by sight (cf. Heb. 11:1). We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body (i.e. to die) and to be present with the Lord” (6b-8) – i.e. when sight will replace faith. Though death is our final enemy, it does not cause us to fear. Rather, we are full of confidence and motivation.
God is in control both in life and in death. The Spirit of God gives us inner assurance that God will complete our transformation. Our temporal life is our constant reminder that we are not yet in the presence of the Lord – indeed, in this state we live by faith not sight. Our desire is to leave our present earthly life and be with the Lord even though we would enter a period of nakedness, waiting to be clothed with our new bodies. This is not a death wish but an expression that the desire to be with Christ overshadows the obstacle of death (cf. Phil. 1:21).
But the best of all circumstances would be to be alive at his coming, transformed and translated to be with Christ without death (cf. Phil. 1:21-13).
Conclusion: “Therefore, we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him” (9). No matter what happens, whether we are here at home in the body at the time Christ comes or absent from the body at the time Christ comes, our aim and the motivation for our ministry is to be well-pleasing to the Lord.
For the English audio version of these messages, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 4:19-22; Link 2 - Jn. 4:22-26; Link 3 - Jn. 4:27-30; Link 4 - Jn. 4:31-42
Title: The Master’s Approach to Evangelism, Pt. 2
Subject: Overcoming spiritual and social barriers in evangelism
(Continued from point #3 in the last edition of this journal...)
Point #4: Point the person to God (4:19-24)
1. Through an awakened response (19-20)
a) About who Jesus is (19)
b) About finding God (20)
2. Through an enlightening reply (21-24)
a) About where God is found (21)
b) About how God is worshipped (22-24)
Point #5: Reveal Jesus’ Deity (4:25-26)
1. By finding out what they know about him (25)
a) About his coming again
b) About his revelation of truth
2. By revealing what they don't know about him (26)
Point #6: Develop faith in others (4:27-38)
1. Develop faith in others through your personal testimony (28-30)
a) By demonstrating that God changes lives (28)
b) By inviting others to see for themselves (29a)
c) By declaring what Christ has done (29b)
d) By pointing to who Christ is (29c-30)
2. Develop faith in others through a proper theology (31-42)
a) That God’s work in the world is Christ’s mission (31-34)
- to do God’s will
- to finish God’s work
b) That God’s work in the world is an “unlikely” mission (35)
- spiritual harvest spring up at the most unlikely times
- spiritual harvests spring up in the most unlikely places
c) That God’s work in the world is a team mission (36-38)
- God’s team is composed of sowers and reapers
- all members of God’s team are equally important
- all members of God’s team labour for the same result
Point #7: Conclusions - the results (4:39-42)
1. Some will believe through your personal testimony (39-40)
2. Many more will believe through God’s word (41-42)
1 John A. MacArthur, Rediscovering Pastoral Leadership (Dallas: Word, 1995), 91.
2 Joseph Stowell, Shepherding the Church, 233.
3 Philip Hughes, 2 Corinthians in “The New International Commentary on the New Testament,” 157.
Winter 2014 Edition
Produced by ...
Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
www.tibp.ca
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
“Selecting Texts And Topics”
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe
The Institute for Biblical Preaching,
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
One of the questions that is often asked by preachers is, “How do you select the text you are going to preach on?” The other question is, “When should you select the text you are going to preach on – well in advance, just a few days before you preach, or when you stand up to speak?”
Text selection is a very important part of preparing to preach. First, let me point out two dangers to avoid:
1. Too short a text – a single verse or sentence. If the text is shorter than the author’s unit of thought (which we would usually call a paragraph), you must be aware of its immediate context in order to properly understand and preach its meaning. That is the danger of preaching from a single verse or sentence – you run the risk of wrongly interpreting and applying it by missing the particular emphasis in the text.
2. Too long a text. If the text is too long you run the risk of just giving an overview by generalizing a large text without due regard to the flow of thought.
Selecting your text forces you to think through what preaching is all about:
Ultimately our responsibility is to preach what the Holy Spirit directs us to preach, but how does this work in practice? How do you decide what to preach on? What is the right text? Which comes first, text or topic? How do you respond to a crisis (e.g. in world events or in your church) that does not fit with the series of sermons you are currently preaching? When do you decide what to preach on? Do you decide each week what to preach on next Sunday or do you plan a preaching calendar? If a preaching calendar, for how far in advance?
The value and rightness of planning your sermon topics and texts in advance has been debated down through the years. The question is, “How do you plan a sermon series in advance and at the same time be obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit concerning what you should preach on? Is there a conflict between pre-planning a sermon series and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you as to what to preach on?”
Some preachers would say, “Yes, there is a conflict.” They would argue that you should not pre-plan your preaching series and texts, and that the preacher must daily and weekly seek the leading of the Holy Spirit as to the text to preach. If that assertion is true, that would mean you could never plan on preaching a series through a book of the Bible or a particular theme.
I would say: “No, there is no conflict.” Those who oppose pre-planning your sermon series assume that the Holy Spirit only leads you from week to week and not month to month, or year to year. But there is no reason why the leading of the Holy Spirit is restricted to a certain time frame - i.e. that the Holy Spirit will only lead you from week to week in your text selection and not for a longer period of time in advance. I believe that the Holy Spirit can and does direct preachers to a specific text for a particular need for this week and that He directs preachers to a book of the Bible or theme from the Bible for a sermon series over a longer period of time.
A pre-planned preaching series does not mean that you are not sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, nor does it mean that you would not deviate from your series in order to address a certain crisis or need in your church or in the world. For this reason, if you decide to preach a series, I would recommend that you not publish the passages and titles of your sermons in advance, so that you are at liberty to change your preaching plans as you sense the leading of the Holy Spirit.
I agree with Martin Lloyd-Jones who said: “Having asserted that we are subject to the Spirit, and that we must be careful to make sure that we really are subject to Him, I argue that He may lead us at one time to preach on odd texts and at another time to preach a series of sermons” (Preaching and Preachers, 188-189).
The important principle concerning text selection is:
From a practical viewpoint, I would argue that preaching demands as much planning as it does study in order to be as effective for God as you can be. Since we would not think of approaching any other organizational task with no planning, how much more should we plan our preaching. Why should we approach such a serious task as preaching and think that we can do it without any planning?
A preacher who preaches without planning is guilty of:
Here are four advantages and good reasons to adopt preaching plans:
1. Planning will help keep your preaching balanced and intentional. It will be balanced in that it will take into account the biblical priorities for preaching and not dwell on your pet themes or popular topics. It will be intentional in that your sermons will cover the full scope of Scripture, exposing your people to Scriptural truth that will build them up in their knowledge of the Scriptures, their relationship with God, and their spiritual maturity.
2. Planning will help your efficiency in preparing sermons. It helps your efficiency because:
3. Planning will help you meet ministry needs. When you plan your sermon series in advance, you can take into account the long term and short term ministry and spiritual needs of the church.
4. Planning will help you assess your ministry progress. Whether you are in a church ministry, para-church, or mission, you will have a yardstick to measure yourself by and you will be able to say that you have proclaimed the full scope and balance of Scriptural truth – i.e. that you have fed your people balanced and nutritious spiritual food; that your preaching is Christ-centered; and that you have not been negligent.
“Your Personal Devotional Practices”
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
As we have seen in the last few issues of The NET Pastors Journal, being a godly role model extends to every aspect of our lives. We have looked at “your personal holiness” and how it impacts your ability and effectiveness as a godly role model. Holiness cannot be properly maintained or pursued without disciplined spiritual practices in your life. Spiritual disciplines are vital for us to become more like Christ - for our own relationship with God; for personal spiritual growth; for personal purity and for personal spiritual power and vitality.
Godly character stems from spending time with God. Disciples spend time with their leader (cf. Mk. 3:13-14). Our character is to be an expression of Christ’s character (Gal. 4:19) and our conduct is to be an expression of Christ’s conduct. How we live, what we do, and who we are must reflect how Christ lived and who He is. We can only reflect Christ’s character and conduct if we know him intimately. And we can only know him intimately if we spend time with him.
We talk about “doing” our devotions. In one sense we shouldn’t “do” devotions – rather, we should live in a constant state of devotion, so that “doing” devotions does not become merely a mechanical act or duty, but a delight.
1 Timothy 4:7 instructs us “to discipline (ourselves) for the purpose of godliness.” Spiritual disciplines are the means by which spiritual growth is developed in us through (1) reading, memorizing, and meditating on the Word; (2) prayer; (3) worship; (4) evangelism; (5) and service.
It is vitally important to set aside a certain time and place for a daily quiet time with God – a daily routine for reading, meditating, praying. For most of us, this is a difficult practice because so many other things that seem to be more important constantly compete for our time and attention. I find that if I don’t spend a quiet time with the Lord first thing every day, the chances of doing it later in the day dwindle as the day wears on. This is probably true for you as well.
If you are like most Christians, you probably find prayer specifically to be a difficult daily, consistent practice. Satan does not want us engaged in daily quiet times, particularly prayer. So, let me outline what I think are the basic components of a daily quiet time with the Lord. You may vary this to suit your own practice, but these are the main items.
1. Waiting quietly on God - in solitude. This is where we truly get to know God. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” In those times when God forces us to wait (particularly in the dark, hard times of our lives), I believe that we learn more about God and ourselves than we do during the good times. We need quietness, stillness, a time apart from the routine and rush of life in order to meet with God. You need a place where you can shut yourself away, and you need a time that you schedule for this purpose.
2. Listening attentively to God – in silence. Talk as little as possible and listen for God to speak through his Word. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He influences your mind, heart, conscience.
3. Reading meditatively – in Scripture. Take time every day to read, meditate, and pray through the Scriptures. Eastern meditation requires the emptying of the mind, but Christian meditation requires the filling of the mind with the thoughts of God as he has revealed them to us in his Word.
This is not studying Scripture. This isn’t preparing a sermon or a Sunday School lesson - that focuses on how you are going to explain it and apply it to others. But this is a different form of reading that focuses on your own spiritual life and personal application. This is the time when you allow Scripture to speak to you, when God nourishes your heart and soul in the Word, when you become saturated in the Word, such that it prompts you to praise to Him, to understand Him better, to love Him more.
The daily reading of the Scripture was one of the ingredients that gave George Mueller such a powerful life. He knew the truth that “man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).
Be systematic, purposeful, and sequential in your reading. Plan your reading schedule. Try to read from various parts of the Bible: from Proverbs or Psalms; from an O.T. book; and from a N. T. book.
Think through what you read. As you read, ask yourself some questions to stimulate your response:
Let the words “abide in you” (Jn. 15:7). From your reading, pray your thoughts back to God in adoration, confession, thanksgiving, intercession, and supplication. Memorize Scripture as you read it. “Your Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Ps. 119:11).
Let the words produce fruit in you. Share what you have learned at the appropriate time with others.
Be obedient to the word you have read. Throughout the day, put into practice what you have read that morning.
4. Drinking deeply – from devotional books. I find devotional books to be very helpful in nourishing and stimulating my heart toward God. Examples of books that I have found helpful in my quiet times are:
These kinds of books stir you to a deeper relationship with God. They generate in you a deeper knowledge of Him.
1. Repenting contritely - in confession…to God, to your wife, to an accountability partner, or perhaps a pastoral colleague.
2. Conversing intimately - in prayer. Your prayer life is fundamental to spiritual power and vitality. It’s mandatory for a meaningful, relevant, powerful, Christian life. And yet, it is one of the most difficult practices in which to be consistent and it is one of the most lacking in the lives of Christian leaders.
Most of us find it hard to be disciplined in prayer. There are so many other things we would rather do and that crowd in on us. Martin Luther prayed more when he was burdened down with extra duties. He said: “Work, work from early to late. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” When Jesus was very busy and preoccupied, he spent whole nights in prayer (Lk. 6:12).
Prayer is the channel through which we converse with God. We can’t know him without conversing with him; we can’t speak well of him publicly to others if we don’t extol him privately ourselves. Discipline yourself to pray. Get into a habit. Always try to combine Scripture reading with prayer.
Pray intentionally – e.g. at a specific time each day. First thing in the morning is usually best before you get absorbed with other things. You can’t be powerful in public prayer if you aren’t committed to regular, intentional, private prayer.
Pray unceasingly – i.e. throughout the day (1 Thess. 5:17). Pray whenever something or someone comes to mind - in your car or while you’re walking. Pray out loud or silently.
Pray methodically by using a prayer journal or list of prayer items. My prayer journal is broken down as follows:
Pray mutually – i.e. with a partner. Pray with your wife or with a colleague or a friend.
Pray responsibly. Pray as though you are the one responsible, but knowing that God is the only One who can bring it about. Wrestle in prayer (Col. 4:12; Eph. 1;16). Intercede on behalf of other people (e.g. pray through your church directory). Supplicate God for needs. Adore God for who He is. Pray in the energy and power of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 6:18).
Pray attentively. Listen to God. Let him speak to you through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:26-27).
“The Ministry of Earthen Vessels, Pt. 2: The Motivation for Ministry” (2 Cor. 5:10-13)
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
In 2 Corinthians 4 and 5, the apostle Paul points out three motivations for ministry:
We discussed the motivation of future transformation in the fall 2013 edition of this journal. Now we are going to look at the second motivation for ministry: THE MOTIVATION OF ACCOUNTABILITY TO GOD (5:10-13). Here Paul has two sources of motivation...
The motivation of our future transformation reminds us of our present responsibility to be conformed to Christ’s nature and character even now on earth, “for” (9) our motivation to be well-pleasing to him is that “we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (5:10). We are responsible for how we live. The present expectation of being with the Lord ought to heighten our desire to please him now and our awareness of the future judgement seat of Christ.
Christians face a day of accounting. In that day, everything we have done down here will be exposed. “All things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13). This prospect of future accountability ought to motivate us to holy living, so that our outward actions are consistent with our inner thoughts and beliefs. We are not exempt from the standard and scrutiny of God's moral law. We have been justified (Acts 13:39; Rom. 8:1) and cleansed, and now we are responsible to glorify God in our bodies (1 Cor. 6:20). Hence, the evaluation by God of everything we have done here on earth, whether good or bad.
As one commentator puts it, this is an “assessment of worth” not a “declaration of doom”, in order for Christ to assign or withhold rewards. This has nothing to do with condemnation but everything to do with commendation. Every Christian is responsible not for earning salvation (for we cannot), but for building on that foundation that is laid, which is Jesus Christ (see 1 Cor. 3:10-15). Our foundation is absolutely secure: if we are true believers we cannot lose our salvation. But we are accountable to God for what we have built on that foundation – whether it is “gold, silver, precious stones” or “wood, hay, straw.” Every believer will stand before Christ’s judgement seat, not to determine one’s salvation or condemnation, but to receive either rewards for deeds done for Christ or to have burned up those things not done for Christ – i.e. bad things. For “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26) and our works will be exposed for what they truly are. Only now in this life do we have the opportunity to glorify God in word and deed, in our bodies which are his (1 Cor. 6:20).
This surely should be a great motivation for our ministry – the accountability of believers at the judgement seat of Christ. Then, secondly, there is...
“Therefore” (in the light of the judgement seat of Christ before which all believers will stand), “knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men” (11a). This motivation of future accountability to God motivates Paul to do his ministry of persuading men (unbelievers) of the truth of the gospel. The prospect for believers of the judgement seat of Christ where our deeds done in the body will be assessed as to whether they were good or bad is serious enough. But how much more serious is it for unbelievers to stand before God in the final judgement at the Great White Throne? That will be abject terror. No wonder Paul says, knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men. That is a serious motivation for our ministry of preaching the gospel.
Nonetheless, Paul is not trying to justify himself and his ministry activities for, he says, “we are well known to God and I also trust are well known in your consciences” (11b). God knows Paul’s genuine motivation for ministry, so he does not need to justify what he does and why he does it. And, he hopes that his motivation for ministry is equally well known in (the Corinthians’) consciences also. He hopes that his labours among them will convince them in their consciences of the validity and purity of his calling, as they consider his life and ministry in the light of all the accusations brought against him by false apostles.
“For we do not commend ourselves again to you” (cf. 3:1) “but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart” (12). He isn’t trying to convince them of his trustworthiness all over again, but rather to give them an opportunity to come to his defence and to actually boast about him. He doesn’t just want them persuaded in their consciences as to his authenticity as a minister of the gospel, but rather that they will actually speak up for him against those who are the exact opposite of himself - viz. those who “boast in appearance and not in heart”. That is the quintessential definition of false ministers – hypocrites who look good on the outside but in their innermost being are corrupt; who care more about show, money, and power than they do about “persuading men” or shepherding God's people.
This is exactly the opposite of Paul who counted all those things rubbish (money, power, heritage, religious lineage etc.) for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ (see Phil. 3:1-11). “Most gladly, therefore, will I boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Cor. 12:9). Paul boasted in the cross (Gal. 6:14). He didn’t try to impress others with high-sounding intellectual speech but he came to them in fear and weakness (2 Cor. 5:1-5). Thus, the genuine minister of Christ glories in heart and not in appearance. His values are spiritual and internal, not material and external.
Conclusion: “For (because) if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you” (13). Paul says, “If I am out of my mind as my accusers say (Acts 26:24; 2 Cor. 11:1,16;12:11) – i.e. a religious extremist who takes risks and hardships that a sane person would not - it is to serve God. But if I am sane, I use it for your benefit in the preaching of the gospel.” May we also use all the abilities and opportunities God gives us for his service. May our future accountability to God motivate us to minister for God out of the pure motive of benefitting others.
For the English audio version of these messages, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 8:1-5; Link 2 - Jn. 8:6-7; Link 3 - Jn. 8:8-11
Title: A Confrontation with Hypocrisy
Point #1: The accusers defy Jesus (8:3-6a)
1. The set-up of the woman (3)
2. The show-down with Jesus (4-5)
Point #2: Jesus discredits the accusers (8:6b-9a)
1. Jesus refuses their demand (6b, 8)
2. Jesus reveals his divine wisdom (7)
3. Jesus reaches their consciences (9a)
Point #3: Jesus deals with the accused woman (8:9b-11)
1. Jesus deals with her personally (9b-10a)
2. Jesus deal with her protectively (10b-11a)
3. Jesus deals with her pastorally (11b)
Spring 2014 Edition
Produced by ...
Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
www.tibp.ca
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
“Selecting Texts and Topics”
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe
The Institute for Biblical Preaching,
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Let’s continue our discussion on the subject of “Preparing for Preaching: Selecting Texts and Topics.” The first aspect of “selecting texts and topics” we discussed last time (Winter 2014 Edition) was how a “Preaching Plan” helps you in preparation for preaching.
In this edition of the NET Pastors Journal, I would like to discuss some biblical principles and some good practices for selecting preaching texts and topics.
In Paul’s farewell address to the elders at Ephesus (Acts 20: 28-30), he outlines at least three principles that govern a preaching ministry in order to faithfully discharge our responsibility to preach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).
Paul sets out the biblical principle concerning the nature and content of what we must preach. At Ephesus, Paul preached evangelistic messages (21, 24-25) and edifying messages (20). In sum, Paul’s preaching covered what he calls the whole counsel of God (27), which, we could say, is the general principle for a preaching ministry
Paul does not describe for us the content of, or exactly what he means by, “the whole counsel of God,” but evidently it embraces the full scope and comprehensive teaching of the Scriptures - the entirety of God’s revealed truth.
The whole counsel of God undoubtedly includes (a) “repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (21); (b) “the gospel of the grace of God” (24); and (c) “the kingdom of God” (25). In other words, it probably includes both evangelistic messages and messages for edification, exhortation, and comfort (1 Cor. 14:3).
Preaching the whole counsel of God amounts to the full discharge of our obligation as preachers. Paul’s point seems to be that, whatever the content or nature of his preaching was, he had fully and faithfully carried out his responsibilities so that he was “innocent of the blood of all men” (26). He had neither been negligent in his preaching nor had he shunned to declare certain truths to them, whether they were pleasant or unpleasant, received by them or rejected by them. He had “left behind (at Ephesus) a comprehensive message and instruction that would enable further growth of the church in the future (20).”1
Therefore, to preach the whole counsel of God, we must...
This means making sure your preaching has width (scope). Be fully committed to declaring the full scope of God’s Word and God’s message.
This means making sure your preaching has breadth. Embrace the full range of biblical truth (the “whole” counsel) in order to (i) edify (teach) the church; (ii) exhort the church; (iii) admonish the church; (iv) strengthen the church; (v) grow the church.
When you “preach the whole counsel of God,” you will preach comprehensively in that you will instruct believers in the truth of God and thus build them up in “their most holy faith”; and you will invite unbelievers to repentance. The Word of God is applicable and effective for all people in all situations (cf. 2 Tim. 3:14-17).
This means making sure your preaching has depth. Be methodical and systematic in your preaching. Research its meaning carefully. Make sure you know what you’re talking about. Be precise. Pay attention to detail.
This means making sure your preaching has balance so that (i) you do not favour certain topics or texts more than others; (ii) you exposit the full scope of Scriptural truth; (iii) you declare what is needed, not necessarily what is wanted. This means seeking out the right Scripture for the occasion through the leading of the Holy Spirit.
This, then, is a biblical principle for the scope of your preaching. Then there is ...
Your preaching and teaching will be powerless if it is not supported by your personal example. So ...
The third principle for selecting texts and topics is...
What you preach and teach has a direct impact on your church’s leadership – their spirituality, style, training, mentoring etc. Preparing church leaders, according to the apostle Paul, includes: appointing them (28), instructing them (28-31), exhorting them (31), and entrusting them with the responsibility of shepherding the church (32).
When you preach the whole counsel of God and practice it in your own life, you will go a long way to preparing and training other leaders by instructing them in the whole counsel of God, and by demonstrating how to put the Scriptures into practice in their own lives.
If you preach the whole counsel of God, your preaching will have a profound impact on your church, mission organization, or other Christian ministry. You will leave behind a lasting legacy. You will strengthen your organization in the truth. You will train up leaders to give godly oversight. As a result, you will not be ashamed of, nor feel regret about, your preaching.
In addition to these Biblical Principles for Selecting Texts and Topics, let me suggest some...
Prayer is the only solid basis for selecting preaching texts and topics. Prayer safeguards the dangers and concerns of preaching plans – viz. that they will be of the flesh and not of the Spirit. Ministry planning that is done prayerfully recognizes and bows to the sovereignty of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Be sure to establish your preaching plans under the authority of the Spirit. Whether you preach message by message, series by series, or whether you plan your preaching on a quarterly, annual, topical, or thematic basis, the sermons must be planned prayerfully under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Be sure to take time for this. Make it a priority. Be intentional in praying about what you should preach over the next few weeks, or the next year, or the next season (e.g. Christmas or Easter). Wait on God - be open to His direction for a series or a single message.
The process of planning begins with establishing priorities in your church. Church leaders need to establish a plan for the congregation as a whole and for small groups within the congregation based on certain priorities and goals that they prayerfully decide need to be addressed. Too many churches have no plan for their preaching and teaching ministries. Then they wonder why their people are spiritually immature, or biblically illiterate.
The following priorities start with the centre of ever widening concentric circles:
Biblical Priority #1: Preach Christ. This is the central theme of the Bible. Paul said, “We preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor. 1:23; 2:2; cf. Col. 1:28) – i.e. “the gospel” (Rom. 1:16). This is the focus of the entire Bible and, therefore, every sermon must somehow relate to this theme.
Biblical Priority #2: Preach the faith. This refers to the central doctrines of the Bible - i.e. the truth of the gospel; “the faith which was once-for-all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3); the defined set of truths that constitute the essence of Christian belief. You can make a list of these central doctrines from biblical or systematic theology books, or from your own study of Scripture.
Biblical Priority #3: Preach the Scriptures. Text selection must give attention to the whole counsel of God, the entire scope of Scripture, since God has given it all us to preach. You may not be able to preach the whole Bible during your lifetime, but the point is that we preach the Old Testament and New Testament, character studies, doctrines, historical narratives, prophetic Scriptures, wisdom literature, epistles, gospels etc., taking into account the diversity and depth of Scripture.
Text selection is affected by the realities that occur from day-to-day. In this regard, there is no set pattern to follow other than the fact that you apply the biblical priorities for preaching to the practical priorities of ministry – i.e. relate the reality of what is needed in your congregation or organization to the obligations of preaching.
This will depend on (a) your ministry (i.e. youth, seniors, evangelism etc); (b) your gifting (prophetic preaching, evangelistic preaching etc); and (c) the type of opportunities you have to preach (Sunday morning services, funerals, weddings etc.).
This brings together three components: (i) the gift God has given you; (ii) the ministry God has called you to; and (iii) the message God has given you.
“Your Personal Surrender to the Holy Spirit”
Leaders must be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led people. We often talk about the filling of the Spirit, but what does it really mean to be filled with the Spirit? And what does that look like in reality? How do you obtain this filling and what difference does it make in your life? How does a Spirit-filled person act, relate to others, speak, think etc.?
For our answer, we’re going to Ephesians 5, but before doing so I want you to notice the importance of the subject of the Holy Spirit for Paul in Ephesians. He talks about the sealing of the Spirit (1:13); the indwelling of the Spirit (2:22); the strengthening of the Spirit (3:16); the uniting of the Spirit (4:3); the grieving of the Spirit (4:30); and the filling of the Spirit (5:18).
Further, Paul emphasizes in Ephesians this matter of “filling” or “fullness” - the fullness of the times (1:10); the fullness of the church, Christ’s body (1:23); the fullness of God (3:19); the fullness of Christ (4:13); the fullness / filling of the Spirit (5:18).
The word in Greek is πληρωμα, which can be active or passive. Actively it refers to that which fills up, to fill to the full. Passively, it refers to that which has been filled or completed, to be filled. Fullness, as Paul uses this word, speaks of that which is full of something; or that which is brought to fullness or completion; the sum total, the full measure, the abundance (cf. Rom. 11:25; 15:29; Col. 2:9; Eph. 3:19; Jn. 1:16), or the state of being full (cf. Gal. 4:4; Acts 13:52).
Eph. 5:18 introduces the subject of the filling of the Spirit in the believer, which is then developed as to what that looks like in various aspects of life (in the church, in the home, in the workplace, and in the world) right through to 6:20.
This is not intended to be an exhaustive study of this passage, but to give you a flavour of what the filling of the Spirit is in precept and what it looks like in practice. First...
What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? It says: Do not be drunk with wine in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit (5:18). The context is that the unwise, foolish, reckless person (5:15, 17) is controlled by his passions (the flesh), which is sometimes manifested in drunkenness. On the other hand, the careful, circumspect, wise person (5:15), who understands what the will of the Lord is (5:17), is controlled by the Spirit, which is manifested in (a) Spirit-filled unity in the church (5:19-21), (b) Spirit-filled harmony in the home (5:22-6:4), (c) Spirit-filled co-operation in the workplace (6:5-9), and (d) Spirit-filled victory in the world (6:10-20).
So, what’s the connection between being “drunk” and being “filled with the Spirit?” It’s a contrast between alcoholic and spiritual intoxication, both of which are the result of coming under the control of an external power. It has to do with who is in control of our lives. The drunk person lives recklessly, controlled by the power of alcohol. The spiritual person lives carefully, controlled by the power of the Spirit.
Everything about a drunk people indicates that they are under the influence of a power other than their own - that they are out of control, in the way they walk, talk, look, and think. Everything about Spirit-filled people, on the other hand, indicates that they are under an authority more powerful than themselves - that they are in control of the way they walk, talk, look, and think.
Drunk people gain temporary happiness, temporary forgetfulness, temporary relief from reality through drunkenness, but it soon fades until it starts all over again. Spirit-filled people, on the other hand, don’t have to search for happiness because they have it. They don’t need a fake substitute; they have the real thing. They aren’t drunk; they are filled. They aren’t under the influence of wine, but under the influence of the Spirit. The Spirit of God fills them with a joy and peace that passes all understanding – their life overflows with it.
Grammatically, the phrase “be filled with the Spirit” tells us that:
This is a peculiar grammatical construction. How can we obey a passive command? It is both passive and a command in the sense of “Let yourself be filled …”. We must allow the Holy Spirit to do it and in no way hinder Him from filling us. It is imperative in that we must and can respond to it - it is not something that occurs without our effort or action. But it is passive in that it is something the Holy Spirit fulfills.
So, what does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? What does this look like in reality?
The filling of the Spirit is not some sort of dramatic phenomenon – e.g. falling to the ground, twitching, or making strange noises. It is not a second blessing subsequent to conversion. It is not a temporary experience of ecstatic speech or visions. It is not a progressive process by which we gradually receive more of Him until we are full of Him, since all believers possess him in fullness (not in part, as though He could be divided up – see Jn. 3:34).
It is not the same as being “indwelled by the Spirit”, since all believers are indwelled at the moment of salvation (Rom. 8:9). It is not the same as “the baptism of the Spirit”, since all believers are baptized with the Spirit at the moment of conversion, when we become part of the body of Christ. It is not the same as being “sealed w/ the Spirit”, since this also an accomplished fact (1:13). Nowhere are believers commanded to be indwelled, baptized, or sealed with the Spirit. The only command is to “be filled with the Spirit.”
To be filled with the Spirit means to manifest what we truly are. We are sealed with the Spirit when we trust Christ and we manifest that sealing by letting him “fill” us, so that it is evident who controls our lives. The disciples were “filled” with the Spirit at Pentecost so much so that everyone knew it.
When He fills us, we live in the fullness of His presence and His power. He enables us to live according to the new man, to be God-centred, to be light (8-14), to live carefully and use our time wisely (15-16), to understand what the will of the Lord is (17), worshiping God (19-20) and living together in unity (21).
To be filled with the Spirit is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, to live in the power of the Spirit, to be sensitive to the operation of the Spirit, to surrender moment by moment to the Spirit. Just as some people are filled with sorrow, fear, or anger, and that emotion takes control of their life, so we are to be so consumed by the Holy Spirit that He has control of our lives. When He fills us, we are not under our own control but His - dominated by Him, overpowered and mastered by Him.
To be filled with something means that there is no room for anything else. That’s the very nature of something that is filled – you can’t get a drop more in; if you could, it would not be filled. That’s the nature of being filled with the Spirit – no room for self, the world, or the flesh.
And whatever you are filled with characterizes your entire life. Someone has pointed out that a Christian who is filled with the Spirit is like a glove. A glove without a hand in it is powerless and useless, since a glove works only as the hand controls and uses it. A glove’s only work is the hand’s work – it can’t complete any tasks without the hand, nor can the glove take any credit or boast about what it does. In the same way a Christian who is not filled with the Spirit can accomplish no more than a glove that is not filled with a hand. Anything done without the Spirit is of no value.2
Here are twelve aspects or evidences of being filled with the Spirit:
1. Confessing your sins.
2. Renewing your mind through the transforming power of the Spirit.
3. Dying to self; mortifying the flesh (Gal. 5:16, 24).
4. Presenting your body as living a sacrifice (Rom. 12:1).
5. Being God-centred, not self-centred.
6. Being light, not darkness.
7. Being careful how you live, not reckless.
8. Living according to the new man, not the old.
9. Living in the consciousness of the personal presence of the Lord; letting his life dominate yours.
10. Filling yourself with the Word of God so that His thoughts are your thoughts, His standards your standards, His holiness your holiness.
11. Keeping in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25); living your life under his control - every thought and every decision.
12. Manifesting the fruit of the Spirit which He produces in you - love, joy, peace etc (Gal. 5:22-23).
Spirit-filled living is most fully realized in community, when we are together and dwelling together in unity.
That, then, is the meaning of the Spirit-filled life. In subsequent editions of the NET Pastors Journal we will continue to look at the necessity of the Spirit-filled life, the reality of the Spirit-filled life, and the activity of the Spirit-filled life.
“Manna in the Morning”
By: Dr. Stephen F. Olford
If you and I were to discuss the matter personally, probably you would say that it is a most commendable practice for every Christian to have a daily meeting with God through the Word and prayer.
And you would be right, of course. Except that this daily communion, this “quiet time” with God, is more than a commendable practice; it is absolutely vital to a life of sustained spirituality, effectiveness and love. It is the barometer of the Christian life.
Let me support that position. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).
Read that without the negative comparison and you will see what man is to live on. “Man shall live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Literally it is: “Man shall live by every spoken word that comes from God.”
That is not the Bible memorized, nor the Bible on your bookshelf or in your study. It is the word that God speaks to your soul in the quiet place of prayer and meditation. That is how man lives. You can be doctrinally correct, and yet be spiritually dead. The thing that maintains life is the living word of God which is spoken to your soul every day.
The quiet time is vital to spiritual health, whether you are newly converted or a mature Christian (see 1 Peter 2:2 and Heb. 5:14).
The quiet time is vital for spiritual cleansing. You are initially cleansed by the precious blood, that is true, and again and again you have to come back to the cross for restoration. But the day-to-day cleansing is from the laver of the Word (see Ps. 119:9; John 15:3; 17:17).
The quiet time is also vital to spiritual counsel.You can never know the true principles that determine a life of holiness and righteousness without letting the Word of God “dwell in you richly” (see Col. 3:16 and Ps. 73:24).
The quiet time is likewise vital in equipping you for spiritual conflict. The supreme example is our Lord Jesus Christ when He encountered Satan in the wilderness. I feel sure that for forty days and nights He had fed His soul on the book of Deuteronomy, and could therefore make His sword thrusts from personal experience of the written Word.
Paul later exhorted the believers at Ephesus to “take…(unto them) the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17).
Important as all these things are, however, the greatest incentive to your having a quiet time each day is not your need, great as that is, but the fact that God wants to meet with you. Therefore, it is not merely a duty. It is a privilege and an honour.
God in Christ, your Lord, has a trysting place with you. His heart is saddened when you fail to keep the appointment. He longs, as He did with the woman of Samaria, to drink afresh of your love, devotions and worship (see John 4:23, 24).
I would warn you that establishing your quiet time is never easy. As a minister, I will confess frankly that it is harder for me to have my quiet time now than it was when I was first converted. The reason for this is that what counts costs.
You will find that the most vicious attacks of the adversary will be directed toward robbing you of that daily time with your Lord. And you will have to guard it fearlessly if you are to keep it.
Whatever your sphere of service – as a pastor, Sunday school teacher, missionary, or Christian in the office or home – I give you little hope of living victoriously unless you are successful in maintaining your quiet time.
But now I want to turn to some practical and specific requirements which I feel are necessary for the quiet time.
First, you will need a definite place and time – that almost goes without saying. And don’t ever say you can’t have a quiet time because you haven’t a place or a prearranged time. Consider again the example of the Lord Jesus (see Mark 1:35).
Next, have a good sized Bible, one with print you do not have to strain to read. Don’t get into the habit of waking up in the morning, rolling over in your bed, and with sleepy eyes trying to read a Bible with small print. Don’t stay in bed at all! Get up and wash your face, or have a shower, so that you are fully alert.
I love the story of a young student at Cambridge who wanted to be a burning light for God, but couldn’t get up in the morning. So he rigged up a clock in such a way that when the alarm rang it released from the ceiling a sponge filled with water which fell on his face!
Another essential is a prayer list or prayer cycle, something to keep reminding you to stress a different request for each day. My wife and I use one that works this way:
Monday: “M” is for missionaries.
Tuesday: “T” is for thanksgiving – that’s when we give the Lord special thanks for wonderful answers to prayer.
Wednesday: “W” is for workers.
Thursday: “T” is for tasks – our job at the church, the ministry that God has given us. Friday: “F” is for our families.
Saturday: “S” is for the saints – and especially young Christians, that Christ may be formed in them.
Sunday: “S” is for sinners and, in particular, the gospel services for which we are responsible.
Then you should have what I call a quiet time notebook. I believe that the thoughts of every quiet time should be written down, even if only in brief sentence form. God gives you there something you’ll never find in a commentary or anywhere else – and the thoughts are worth keeping. (To be continued next time).
For the audio versions of these sermons, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 13:1-3, Pt. 1; Link 2 - Jn. 13:1-3, Pt. 2; Link 3 - Jn. 13:1-3, Pt. 3; Link 4 - Jn. 13:4-5; Link 5 - Jn. 13:6-11
Title: True Servanthood
Point #1: We must understand the basis of true servanthood
1. The basis of true servanthood is the confidence that comes from knowledge (1-3)
a) The knowledge of where we are going and how we are getting there (1a-b)
b) The knowledge of who we are and how we fit in (3a)
c) The knowledge of where we have come from and why we are here (3b)
2. The basis of true servanthood is the motivation that comes from love
a) The motivation that comes from love is shown in the object of that love (1c)
b) The motivation that comes from love is shown in the extent of that love (1d-2)
Point #2: We must demonstrate the character of true servanthood (4-11)
1. In the way that we present ourselves to others (4b-c)
2. In the things we do for others (5)
3. In the manner we relate to others (6-11)
a) ... by being courteous to those who oppose us (6-8)
b) ... by being patient with those who don’t understand us (9-11)
1 Olford, Stephen F. with David L. Olford, Anointed Expository Preaching (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1998), 82.
2 MacArthur, John, Ephesians (Chicago: Moody Bible Institute, 1986), 250.
Summer 2014 Edition
Produced by ...
Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
www.tibp.ca
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
“Selecting Texts and Topics”
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe
The Institute for Biblical Preaching,
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
In the last edition of the Net Pastors Journal, we looked at some biblical principles and some good practices for selecting preaching texts and topics. In this edition, I want to continue that discussion with....
a) Am I covering the whole scope of biblical teaching? - Old and New Testaments, historical narratives, wisdom literature, gospels, epistles etc.?
b) Am I covering the whole range of biblical doctrines? – God, man, sin, salvation, heaven and hell etc.?
c) Am I dealing with the whole range of biblical applications? - to old and young, parents and children, men and women, church and community?
a) What has been the focus of recent preaching in the church?
b) What spiritual events and situations have recently happened in the church?
c) What is the spiritual condition of the people right now?
d) What aspect of truth is required to strengthen the people?
e) Is there a particular aspect of truth that the church really needs to hear?
Book series follow the text as the biblical writer wrote it under inspiration. You wouldn’t study any other book the way some preachers select their preaching texts – i.e. a paragraph from this book one week or a paragraph from another book the next week or reading the conclusion before the story.
If you preach sequentially through a book, your audience will understand your sermons within their context.
Book series allow you to preach topical messages while preaching through a specific section of the Bible. For example, you can take topics from your sermons which you don’t have time to deal with fully in one sermon and develop them for individual messages.
Book series develop greater biblical literacy in your congregation. You will teach them the introductory and interpretive issues of the book. You will teach them the biblical theology of the book. They will see where the book fits into redemptive history.
Book series provide a consistent context for the congregation. They understand the context of all the messages within the series. They can study along as you preach and, thus, gain greater understanding. They know where you are going to preach from next week. This gives them a sense of coherence to the messages. They understand how the messages fit together. They can understand key theological truths as they are presented within the biblical book.
Book series maximize the use of your study time. You only have to study the context, background etc. once, and you only have to explain it to your congregation once.
Book series can be approached differently. You can start with Genesis and work through the Bible. You can balance your preaching between O.T. books and N.T. books, between Gospels and Epistles, Law and History, Psalms and Wisdom, Prophecy and Apocalyptic. You can present books series in different ways:
Even though you may be preaching a book series, that does not mean that that is all you preach. Add variety by running several series at a time or by mixing individual messages in with series messages. For example, you could preach a series for your communion services, another series at your Sunday morning services, and yet another series at your Sunday evening services.
Other possibilities for freedom and variety include: biographical studies; thematic studies; social issues; Christian growth and discipleship series; evangelistic services.
Freedom and variety have definite advantages. They keep people interested and prevent boredom. They keep balance in the ministry. They keep the preacher fresh. They keep you open to the Spirit.
Preaching needs to be exercised within the context of the total ministry needs of the church. Other preachers may need to be utilized where you may not be gifted for a particular line of preaching (e.g. evangelism). In this way, the church benefits from being exposed to a variety of preaching gifts.
Because of the time demands on a pastor, you should consider a balance between preaching new sermons with sermons that have been partially prepared on a previous occasion but never used, or sermons that you have preached before. In this way you balance your preparation time for new messages (which take the most time to prepare) with old messages that take less time to prepare.
Weeks that become crowded by unexpected events (e.g. funerals) may require that you make use of someone else to preach, or that you preach a sermon you have given previously.
a) What do you sense God leading you preach on for this occasion?
b) What text and topic is needed for this particular occasion?
c) What aspect of God’s revelation is called for, needs to be preached, is right for this occasion?
a) If you have decided to preach a series, the text selection may be predetermined - i.e. either the next literary unit in a book series, or the next doctrine in a theological or thematic series. In any event, determine how long the series is to be. It’s probably wise not to make a series more than 10 or 12 weeks (unless it is broken up with other messages for other occasions).
b) If you have decided to preach topical messages, approach your text selection process by trying to select one text that presents fully each theme or doctrine in question, so that you can exposit that text and then make references to other appropriate texts (rather than jumping all over the place without a primary text). A primary text provides a textual focus for study rather than just a thematic focus and you give your audience a text to hang on to. They may forget all the other references that you turned to, but they will more likely remember your primary text.
a) The boundary of a literary unit of text (a paragraph or chapter or even several chapters if it is a long narrative). In the text selection process, make sure that you select a literary unit. Know what the divisions of the text are within the literature. Make sure you are dealing with a complete unit of text. Ask yourself:
- In what sense is this text really a literary unit, a unified paragraph?
- Does it have a specific or clear theme?
- Does the text have a complete theme or thought within its context?
b) The boundary of the literary genre. The literary genre determines how you interpret it and how you apply it.
c) The boundary of the original author’s intended meaning of the text. Do not arbitrarily select a text to make it say what you want it to say – that is an abuse of the text. Be fair and faithful to what the original writer intended to convey. The sermon may focus on a section of a literary unit or it may combine several units, but whatever you select you have to know what you have selected (in terms of where it fits into the overall literary unit) and what the original writer intended to convey in the full unit.
Text selection is the beginning place for preparing a specific sermon. After you have selected your text, then you can make decisions like how much text to read in the service; when it will be read; who will read it. Be prayerful. Be careful. Know the text. Know the people. Know the occasion. Be sensitive to the Spirit.
“Your Personal Surrender to the Holy Spirit,” Pt. 2
In the Spring 2014 edition of the NET Pastors Journal, we began our study of Ephesians 5:18-6:20 on the subject of “Your Personal Surrender to the Holy Spirit.” In that edition we looked at “The Meaning of the Spirit-Filled Life” (Eph. 5:18). In this edition, we continue that study by looking at...
You may ask, why is the filling of the Spirit a necessity? First, it’s a necessity because the Word of God commands it. Notice that it is an imperative: Be filled! (Eph. 5:18). C. H. Spurgeon said, “This is not a promise to claim, but a command to be obeyed.” Since this is the command of God, to not obey it is sin.
Second, it’s a necessity because the work of God demands it. When Peter was preaching in Acts 4:8, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Similarly also Stephen (Acts 7:55) and Paul (Acts 13:9). Effective preaching is the product of a Spirit-filled preacher and the Spirit-inspired Word acting together to produce a Spirit-transformed life. If we want to be effective in the work of God, we must be filled with the Spirit
How can this be a reality in my life? It can be a reality in my life through the initial acceptance of the Holy Spirit’s control. Notice that it’s the passive voice: be filled – i.e. let the Holy Spirit fill you; relinquish control; accept the control of the Holy Spirit, not for us to get more of him, but for him to get more of us.
It’s the present continuous tense: Go on being filled… This isn’t a one-time experience as with the indwelling and baptism of the Spirit, which occurs once at the time of conversion. This is something that should be a continuous reality in our lives all the time.
It can be a reality in my life through continued dependence on the Holy Spirit’s control. Continued dependence on the Holy Spirit’s control means not grieving the Spirit (Eph. 4:30). The reality of being filled with the Spirit can be realized by erasing anything in your life that grieves the Spirit of God. So, we must not allow sin in our lives – we must crucify it (Gal. 5:24). Put to death the “self” in your life – nail it to the cross, thus taking it out of the way (Col. 2:14). Be sensitive to sin just like the eyeball is sensitive to dirt. We cannot walk in the Spirit if we are not aware immediately when we grieve the Spirit. We must confess sin immediately – name it and nail it (1 Jn. 1:9).
Continued dependence on the Holy Spirit’s control means not quenching the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19). The reality of being filled with the Spirit can be realized by not permitting anything in your life that quenches the Spirit. Don’t put out the fire of the Spirit by taking glory from God for yourself or by shutting down the activity of the Spirit and replacing it with the work of the flesh.
Lastly, continued dependence on the Holy Spirit’s control means being filled with the Spirit (5:18). Allowing the Holy Spirit to do his work in you - teaching you, illuminating you, comforting you, guiding you, convicting you of sin. The result of this will be the manifestation of the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22) in our lives.
“Manna in the Morning”
By: Stephen F. Olford
We continue with Dr. Stephen Olford’s exhortation on the necessity and the practice of maintaining a vibrant devotional life in his little booklet called, “Manna in the Morning.” Last time I published the first part of this booklet, dealing with the reasons and requirements for a quiet time with God. Now here is the second part.
“Be sure to come to your quiet time with a spirit of expectancy. I believe that such expectancy has at least three contributing factors.
There is first of all the physical factor. You cannot go to bed at all hours of the night and expect to get up fresh n the morning. Going to bed when you ought to takes discipline, and some of these social occasions that you enjoy may be sweet; but they are not as precious or vital as your quiet time.
There’s a moral factor, too, in this matter of expectancy. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Ps. 66:18). When there’s something in your life which is out of line with the will of God, don’t expect to have fellowship with Him. If you have something against this person or that, leave your gift at the altar and go and be reconciled first.
Then there’s a spiritual factor involved in this matter of expectancy. You’ll find it stated in John 7:17: “If anyone wants to do...he shall know concerning the doctrine” – that is, shall know the teaching. Revelation and obedience are like parallel lines. As you obey, so He reveals. When you cease to obey, He ceases to reveal.
My experience is this: when I have tried to pray and read the Word and found it impossible to “get through,” so to speak, so that the Bible has become a dead book to me; on examination, I’ve discovered that there was an issue of obedience on which I had not followed through. And before proceeding with my quite time, I have had to get right with God.
We have considered the reasons for the quite time. We have considered the requirements of the quite time. Now let me share with you several simple rules that I feel help me in my daily time with God.
The first rule is waiting. Samuel Chadwick says, “Hurry is the death of prayer.” You can get more from the Lord in five minutes spent unhurriedly than in thirty-five minutes with your eye on the clock.
Hush yourself in His presence. Wait until the glory of His presence seems to come upon you. Seek the power of concentration. Seek the cleansing. Seek the illumination of the Spirit. Above all, seek to consciously come into His presence.
From waiting go on to reading. Read from the Word of God. I believe with George Muller that you can never pray aright until He has spoken to you from His Word. When I say reading, I mean, of course, the passage set aside for that particular day. God save you from the “lucky dip” method. Such a practice is an insult to the sacredness of the Word of God.
Read the portion at least three times. Read it carefully to discover what is there generally. The next time, peruse it for what is there specially. Then study it for what is there personally.
Move from reading to thinking or meditation. Look at the passage in the presence of God.
Say: “Lord, as I look at this passage this morning, is there any command to obey? Is there any promise to claim? Is the are new thought to follow and pursue? Is there any sin to avoid? Is there an new thought about God, about the Lord Jesus, about the Holy Spirit, about the devil?” Seek to discover what God is saying to you from the passage you have read.
From meditation go on to what I call recording. Take that notebook that you keep just for your quite time and jot down briefly what the Lord has said to you. Always make it personal. Always make it devotional. Put it down in such a devotional, personal way that it will be a message to your soul.
Now pray. Praying has three aspects in your quite time. First there is adjustment. Take the message the Lord has given you – the message recorded briefly in your quite time notebook – and pray it back to Him. That’s one great secret of keeping your prayers alive and fresh. Pray it back until God’s will becomes your will in relation to the particular message He has spoken to you.
Then adore him. Pour out your soul to Him. Thank Him. Think of His majesty and glory and mercy, and revel in the sunshine of His presence. Talk as a child to his father, as a servant to his master. And listen - as a lover to his beloved.
Only then do you come to asking. Present your requests not only for yourself but for others. Intercede for others.
After prayer, there are two more very important steps which I believe are essential to the quite time. One is sharing. Share God’s message to you with somebody – that day.
What you share you enjoy. What you share you keep. The manna God’s people gathered every day had to be shared and eaten. When hoarded it bred worms and stank. You can always tell the person who merely hoards what he gets in his quite time.
Most important of all, obey. Get up from your knees and say, “Lord Jesus, as I face this day, I ask You by the power of Your indwelling Spirit to give me the grace to translate into action what You have told me to do this morning.” Then go out and obey.
God’s best for you is closely linked with this daily meeting with Him. The barometer of your Christian life can be observed by the attention you give to your quite time every day.
You cannot tell me that you have surrendered to God, that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life, or that you know the fullness of the Holy Spirit, unless you have your Manna in the Morning. May your prayer be:
“Help me, O Lord, Thy Word to read,
Upon the living bread to feed,
Seeking Thy Spirit’s quickening lead,
That I may please Thee in all things.”
For the English audio version of these sermons, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 13:12-13, Pt. 6; Link 2 - Jn. 13:14-17, Pt. 7
Title: True Servanthood (continued – see Spring 2014 edition for points 1 and 2)
Point #3: We must imitate the nature of true servanthood (12-17)
1. By remembering that the Lord is our Master (12-13, 16)
2. By doing for each other what Jesus has done for us (14-15)
3. By practising what we preach (17)
1 Adapted from Sinclair B. Ferguson, “Exegesis,” in Preacher and Preaching: Reviving the Art in the Twentieth century, 197, cited in Stephen Olford, Anointed Expository Preaching, 91-92.
Fall 2014 Edition
Produced by ...
Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
www.tibp.ca
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe
The Institute for Biblical Preaching,
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
There are two essential foundations that every preacher or minister of the gospel needs for stability in your ministry and credibility in your message. In this edition of the NET Pastors Journal we will look at the first essential foundation:
Your ministry probably will not have stability and endurance if you do not have these four foundational motivations for ministry:
The apostle Paul’s call to salvation was “a pattern to those who are going to believe on (Jesus Christ) for everlasting life” (1 Tim. 1:16). In Gal. 1:15-16, the apostle amplifies the story of his conversion to include his call to preach. Two points are important in the pattern of Paul’s conversion and testimony: first, God’s grace (Gal. 1:15) and second, God’s call (Gal. 1:15). Paul was called to preach by God when he was in his mother’s womb - his call by God was an eternal call (before he was even born), which became an effectual call at his conversion. The circumstances of Paul’s call to conversion may be different from ours, but the essence of God’s call of Paul to preach is not different.
In the Scriptures, God called people in special ways to serve him. He called the patriarchs (e.g. Abraham, Jacob), judges (e.g. Joshua, Gideon), prophets (e.g. Moses, Samuel, Jeremiah) and apostles (e.g. Paul). While the circumstances and manner of their call may not be the normative mode of God’s call today (although each of their modes was different, so there evidently was not one normative mode), nonetheless these instances of God’s call clearly and conclusively teach that God calls his servants individually, directly, and specifically. Just as God chose individuals whose call is recorded in Scripture, so he chooses and calls people today to ministry.
All Christians are called ones. We are called to salvation, by trusting Christ as Saviour and Lord (Eph. 1;18; 4:1; 2 Tim. 1:9; Heb. 3:1; 2 Pet. 1:10) and we are called to service, by performing good works (Eph. 2:10) and by using our gifts (1 Cor. 12:1-14).
One area of service to which God calls some is that of preaching. The call to preach does not, in its first instance, emanate from the church, nor is it controlled by the church (even though the elders of the local church are expected to confirm the call according to 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6). As Dr. Olford states it: “In the final analysis, the call to preach is the sovereign initiative of God in the life and experience of the one who is predestinated to fulfill that role.” 1
Let’s look at seven aspects of God’s call to preach:
Salvation comes to those who call on the Lord to save them, trusting Christ and his atoning work at the cross (Rom. 10:9-10). But the question is how can they call on him if they do not believe in him? Obviously, they need to believe in him before they can call on him, and, in order to believe in him, they need to first hear about him. So, how can they hear about him? They hear about him through preaching. That’s the reason God calls preachers.
Therefore, the logic of this progressive argument concerning God’s call to preach is this:
1) God calls preachers to preach the gospel so that those who have never heard of Christ may hear.
2) Those who hear the gospel may believe.
3) Those who have heard and believe then call to God for salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The final step in this logical argument is this: “How can those preach unless they are sent?” (10:15). This is scriptural confirmation of God’s call to preachers - God sends those whom he has called. It is God who calls, equips, and sends people to preach the gospel. This teaches us that:
1) God calls people to preach so that others may come to belief and faith in Christ.
2) Without this call of God we cannot be successful in preaching.
3) Therefore, those who are not called to preach the gospel ought not to be preachers. Just because someone claims to be a preacher does not mean necessarily that God has called him or her to preach.
God’s call is an “eternal” call of his grace. “God…called me from my mother’s womb” (Gal. 1:15), Paul says. It was before time; predetermined by God (cf. Jer. 1:4-5)
God’s call is an “effectual” call of his grace (Gal. 1:15; cf. Acts 9:4; 22:7; 26;14). What God determines to be done, actually is done. He makes his call effectual. From this we can conclude that what God did in Paul, he has been doing in others down through history and continues to do.
A call to preach is initiated by an inner sense of calling, an inner, fervent passion to preach. The knowledge of that call is linked with the ministry of the indwelling Christ who impels us to preach. God gave Paul the inner witness of His call to preach, the inner revelation of his Son - “God... revealed his Son in me, that I might preach Him” (Gal. 1:16).
I would suggest a fivefold test as “proof” of God’s call to preach.
Test #1: The Spiritual Conviction of a Call - i.e. the inner desire and compulsion.
The God who indwells us by Christ also impels us by Christ to preach (Rom. 10:15; 1 Cor. 1:17; 9:16-17). The conviction that you are called to preach may grow over time as God works in your heart and providentially orders circumstances that move you to respond to the call to preach. This may be why some people do not begin their preaching until later in life.
The same Holy Spirit who gives me the assurance of salvation also gives me the assurance of my calling to preach (Rom. 8:14; Gal. 1:15-16; 2 Tim. 1:8-11). The more you pray about it, if it is from God, it will grow; if not it will die.
Test #2: The Practical Gift of a Call - i.e. the gift emerges.
It becomes evident through your preaching that God has given you the gift to preach (Eph. 3:18; 2 Tim. 1:6). “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all” (1 Cor. 12:7).
Test #3: The Visible Results of a Call.
God uses your gift for the edification, exhortation, and encouragement of the saints, and the salvation of non-Christians (1 Cor. 9:2; 2 Cor. 3:3). Fruit from your preaching is the “seal” of a call from God.
Test #4: The Public Affirmation of a Call.
Your gift will be affirmed by others (e.g. the leaders of the church). 1 Tim. 4:14 and 2 Tim. 1:6-7 indicate that when there is a divine call, it is confirmed by human affirmation (cf. also Acts 13:1-4).
Test #5: The Spiritual Qualifications of a Call.
a) Separated to God: “A chosen vessel” (Acts 9:15-16; 13:2; 22:14-15).
b) Orthodox: “...preached the Christ…that He is the Son of God” (Acts 9:20).
c) Servant character: “A minister and a witness…” (Acts 26:16-18).
The clear call to preach has the effect of keeping preachers focused and motivated for the task. It gives endurance and strength for the journey. Without this clear sense of calling, not only will the difficulties of the task push you off course but you probably should not be in that vocation at all.
A clear call of God gives certainty, direction, drive, and depth to your ministry. Quitting will not be an option, nor will man’s approval be important.
It is the divine call that gives stability, boldness, and confidence in the midst of diversity and opposition. It lifts the preacher’s heart when he feels most like quitting. Clovis Chappell wrote that God calls men to preach:
a) In order to know with certainty and clarity what task he has called them to.
b) Because without God’s call they would not have the stamina and courage to take on such a difficult task.
c) To keep us steady and true throughout the fulfillment of this task.
We need to be constantly reminded of God's call to preach - to go back to “Bethel,” to that moment when it was so clear and invigorating that we had no doubt about it. We need to revisit the places and relive the experience of knowing with certainty that God has called us. This is what keeps us steady and true in the task when things get tough and we might be tempted to give up. It is this that keeps the passion for preaching alive in our hearts.
We are called by God, who gives us a message which we are to proclaim for God to people who are in desperate need of a word from God. The call of God has three primary purposes:
We are called to “preach the Word” (2 Tim. 4:2), the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), “sound doctrine” (2 Tim. 1:13; 4:3; 1 Tim. 4:6), “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
God does not call us to preach our own ideas or our favourite topics, but to preach the word, to preach the sincere milk of the word and solid food to those who can digest it (Heb. 5:12-14).
We are called to “preach the gospel” (Rom. 1:15-16; 1 Cor. 9:16; 15:3-4; cf. Acts 16:10; Rom. 15:20; Mk. 16:15; 1 Cor. 1:17; Gal. 1:11-12). The gospel, as the Reformers expressed it, is justification by God’s grace alone, through faith in Christ alone, based on God’s Word alone, for God’s glory alone.
Paul was not distracted with other things like baptizing people, good as that is, but Christ sent him to “preach the gospel” (1 Cor. 1:17). We must preach “Christ”. This was the apostle Paul’s motivation for ministry: “That I might preach him among the Gentiles” (Gal. 1:16); “We preach Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 1:23; 2:2). Paul was called to proclaim “Christ” (Col. 1:28-29). To this single, simple, and clear message, Paul gave his whole life, despite opposition and discouragement. That was his life’s occupation.
Undoubtedly, Paul’s focus on this message was derived from his own salvation experience and the call of God on his life. The call of God is not simply an abstract experience devoid of substance. God calls preachers to preach and he gives them the message to preach.
Preaching is inseparably linked with the doctrine of the Gospel of God (Acts 20:24; Rom. 1:1). We are not called to preach any message we want but only the truth of his Word. We are Christ’s ambassadors, calling men to reconciliation with God through Christ (2 Cor. 5:19-20). Even those who are gifted primarily as teachers are compelled to do the work of an evangelist (2 Tim. 4:5). “The nature of the call is bound up with the eternal and effectual grace of God.” 2
We are called to teach the saints. We must not only preach to and for the lost but also for the saved, so that they know why they believe what they believe. “These things command and teach” (1 Tim. 4:11). “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2; cf. Jn. 21:17; Acts 2:42; 15:35; Rom. 12:7; Col. 3:16; 2 Tim. 4:2-3).
Paul expressed his compulsion to preach this way: “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:16).
The noted Methodist preacher, Samuel Chadwick, stated:
“I would rather preach than do anything else in the world. I would rather preach than eat my dinner or have a holiday. I would rather pay to preach than be paid not to preach. It has its price in agony and sweat and tears, and no calling has such joys and heartbreaks, but it is a calling an archangel might covet. Is there any joy like that of saving a soul? Any thrill like that of opening blind eyes? Any reward like the love of children to the second and third generation? Any treasure like the grateful love of hearts healed and comforted?” 3
May all preachers who read this NET Pastor Journal know and be assured of God’s call to preach. As a result may you preach with the conviction, courage, and consistency that God alone can give, despite opposition or criticism. May the motivation of a conscious call to preach, as I have outlined in this article, be true of each of us.
“Studying The Text”
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe
The Institute for Biblical Preaching,
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Dealing with the text, applying good hermeneutical and homiletical principles is hard work, requiring diligence and discipline, but we must do it. We must research and study the Scriptures in order to be accurate in our interpretation of them.
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15)
The biblical mandate for communicating the truth of God is to “commit these (things) to faithful men” (2 Tim. 2:2). The biblical means is to have the singular focus of a soldier (3-4), the strenuous effort of an athlete (5), and the steady perseverance of a farmer (6). And the biblical method in preparing to communicate truth is to “rightly divide the word of truth” (15) through accurate, analytical, and authoritative interpretation.
Let me review these three aspects of the biblical method for studying the text:
“Rightly dividing (or, accurately interpreting) the word of truth”
We must be historically accurate. Historical accuracy asks “when, where, by whom” were these words spoken? What were the customs, culture, and climate of the day when the words were written? What is the historical background of the text? What was the historical situation that motivated the writer to write this passage?
We must be contextually accurate. Contextual accuracy means that we never take a Scripture out of context. It means that we maintain consistency between Scriptures that speak to this same doctrine or topic, by comparing Scripture with Scripture and by never interpreting one Scripture in such a way that it contradicts another.
We must be grammatically accurate. Here we are trying to determine (as best we can) what the author meant to communicate to his original audience. What did he mean? What would his audience have understood this to mean? This takes into account word forms (morphology), the relationship of words, phrases, and clauses (syntax), and the possible range of meanings of words (semantics).
We must be doctrinally (theologically) accurate. From what we know from this text, as well as others that speak to the same topic, we must be doctrinally accurate. This requires some understanding of systematic theology (i.e. what the entirety of Scripture has to say about a certain doctrine) and the application of that revealed truth in the passage under consideration.
“Rightly dividing (or, analytically interpreting) the word of truth”
To rightly “divide” the word of truth means to make a straight furrow (as a farmer), to cut a straight line (as a carpenter), to make a straight path. In other words, to cut a straight course of orthodoxy through a jungle of error.
It means to rightly interpret the word of truth as Paul did – not as his opposers and the false teachers who argued about genealogies, “disputed about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers” (2:14), and engaged in “profane and idle babblings” (2:16).
When you “rightly divide” the word of truth, then you will preach right doctrine, which should lead to right behaviour (2:20-26).
“Rightly dividing (or, authoritatively interpreting) the word of truth”
This means we must have competence in the Scriptures – understanding the word of truth, having comprehensive knowledge of the Scriptures, and full belief in the Scriptures as truth.
We must also have confidence in the Scriptures that they are the Word of God, that we can properly and fully understand them through the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn. 14:17; 15:26; 16:13).
“Your Personal Surrender To The Holy Spirit,” Pt. 3
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe
The Institute for Biblical Preaching,
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
In the Spring and Summer 2014 editions of this NET Pastors Journal, we examined different aspects of the Spirit-filled Christian life based on Ephesians 5:18-6:20. So far we have looked at (1) The meaning of the Spirit-filled life; (2) The necessity of the Spirit-filled life; and (3) The reality of the Spirit-filled life. In this edition, we are going to continue this subject with...
Spirit-filled activity encompasses every aspect of our lives – the church, the home, the workplace, our neighbourhood, and the world in general. Where the Spirit of God is active, you find Spirit-filled unity in the church, Spirit-filled harmony in the home, Spirit-filled cooperation in the workplace, and Spirit-filled victory in the world. First, let’s consider...
Notice, firstly, that unity in the church comes from Spirit-filled people worshipping together - ... speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (19). Congregational worship has a mutually edifying component, speaking to one another – i.e. teaching one another and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Perhaps, in the first century church, they read Psalms and hymns out loud to one another, similar to our responsive readings. But, perhaps this simply means that their singing of psalms and hymns “spoke” to one another, edified and exhorted one another.
This mutual edification has both horizontal and vertical aspects. Horizontal worship takes place in singing (19). In singing we mutually edify one another, which is not an aspect of worship that we usually think of in our music. Vertical worship takes place by making melody in your heart to the Lord (19). The melody is that sweet delight rendered to the Lord in our singing. It’s worship to the Lord not merely edification of each other. It’s worship in your heart, not merely on your lips – it’s internal not just external. Spirit-filled people worship in their hearts because that’s where the Spirit dwells.
Secondly, unity in the church comes from Spirit-filled people thanking God together - ...giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (20). This is another aspect of congregational worship – giving thanks together. One component of our congregational worship is thanksgiving, but it is also a vital component of our individual lives. Spirit-filled people are thankful people. Those who grumble and complain are not filled with the Spirit. Thankfulness is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). Spirit-filled people delight in giving thanks, habitually and unceasingly. The ungodly, on the other hand, do not give thanks (Rom. 1:21).
Spirit-filled people give thanks concerning all things. There are reasons to be thankful in good circumstances and in bad.
Thirdly, unity in the church comes from Spirit-filled people submitting to one another - ...submitting to one another in the fear of God (21). This is true servant-hood. Spirit-filled people serve one another by submitting to one another, not only in our church life, but also in our home life, our work life, and our community life.
Spirit-filled people are meek, gentle, and mutually submissive, not haughty, aggressive, self-assertive, or proud - not it’s-my-way-or-the-highway kind of people. The filling of the Spirit leads to mutual submission, not individuality, pride, or disunity. Spirit-filled leaders submit to one another in the fear of God, thus reflecting His humility in themselves.
This is the key to unity. Without mutual submission any organization will fly apart. That’s one reason why churches sometimes are divided, because their leaders don't practise and demonstrate a submissive, humble spirit. They don't manifest the presence of Christ in how they relate to others. Division in a church, by definition, is spawned by wilful people wanting their own way - members not submitting to leaders and leaders not respecting their members.
How does this work itself out in your leadership roles and relationships? In the church, among your elders and deacons? In your home, with your wife, children? In your workplace, with your colleagues? In your neighbourhood, community, school?
How does mutual submissiveness work? How do you make decisions in an environment of mutual submission? Does that mean that you live in a constant state of leadership gridlock? Does it create a benign kind of leadership, where everyone is scared of taking a stand in case others don’t agree or in case someone gets offended, so that no one does anything? Well, no. Mutual submissiveness works by displaying a spirit of co-operation, humility, and respect, even when making decisions and taking actions that others might not like. It all has to do with your attitude and the way you act.
What does mutual submissiveness look like in your church meetings, elders meetings, ministry committee meetings? More importantly, is the filling of the Spirit evident in your life? When others look at you, talk with you, listen to you, do they see and hear the Holy Spirit at work in your life? Do they see mutual submissiveness practised? Does the Holy Spirit have his way in your life (in your attitude to God and to other people), or are you permitting things in your life that grieve the Holy Spirit? Are you known for pushing your own will, having your own way, wanting prominence, or are you known as a humble and contrite person?
In the next edition of the NET Pastors Journal (Winter 2015), we will continue with the subject of Spirit-filled harmony in the home.
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe
The Institute for Biblical Preaching,
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
After meeting with the disciples on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus turns his attention to Peter. In this dialogue, we learn three foundations for Christian service.
First, the pledge in serving the Lord is to love him (15-17). Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him. The first time (verse 15), Jesus asks him, Do you love me more than these? Presumably, these refers to the other disciples, since Peter had at one time claimed to be more loyal than the rest of them. Peter doesn’t answer Jesus’ question as to his love for Jesus compared to the other disciples, but he pledges his love for the Lord. Yes, Lord. You know that I love you. Jesus commissions him to feed my lambs. The second time (verse 16), Jesus simply asks, Do you love me? with no reference to the other disciples. Peter again replies, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Jesus commissions Peter to shepherd my sheep. When Jesus asks the third time (verse 17), Simon, do you love me? Peter becomes upset and, again, appealing to Jesus’ knowledge of all things he affirms, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you. Jesus replies, Feed my sheep.
Just as the examination of Peter’s heart was necessary before Jesus commissions him for His service, so the examination of our own hearts is necessary before we undertake service for the Lord. The principle here is that our pledge in serving the Lord is to love him. Despite our feeble loyalty, Jesus still values our love. And despite our feeble loyalty, Jesus still wants our service. He wants or past failure and sins to be dealt with, confessed (which evidently Peter’s were at an earlier meeting with Jesus – cf. Lk. 24:34), and forgiven, so that our fellowship with the Lord is restored and he affirms us in his service.
The problem is, that when we fail, Satan is so quick to try to run us into the ground. He is, after all, the “accuser of the brethren.” But we have an Advocate, who pleads on our behalf before God, thus restoring us to fellowship with Him. No wonder Peter when he wrote his epistle, says, “Love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter. 4:8). He probably learned that on the beach that day.
Despite our feeble loyalty, Jesus still values our love and wants our service. He wants us to serve him in feeding his lambs (15), shepherding his sheep (16), and feeding his sheep (17). Our pledge in serving the Lord is to love him unconditionally and unreservedly, and, in His grace, Jesus commissions us to His service. Our job, as ministers of the gospel, is to serve Him among His flock, helping those who are inquiring about Christianity to overcome stumbling blocks, mentoring and discipling those who have recently been saved, and encouraging those who are old and tired. These are God’s lambs and sheep who need to be fed and shepherded.
The second principle we learn here is that the purpose in serving the Lord is to glorify Him (18-19a). We are to glorify him when we are younger (18a), when we still have the energy and enthusiasm of youth, when we are still strong and capable.
We are also to glorify Him when we are old (18b-19a). When you are old refers to a future time when each of us faces physical and mental limitations. It refers to the time when you will stretch out your hands for support and guidance by someone else, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not wish. This is the time when you will experience complete dependence on others. In other words, this is the end of our lives when we become weak, incapable, and dependent. Perhaps, in Peter’s case, this also referred to a future time when he would be martyred for Christ, when his hands would be stretched out, he would be dressed by someone else, and carried where he did not want to go, which, according to history happened around A.D. 61.
Life is a cycle from birth to death and we must serve the Lord at each stage. The time between those cycles is very short, so we must not put off serving the Lord until later in life. We must glorify the Lord by serving Him in whatever stage of life we are in now.
The third principle we learn here is that the pattern in serving the Lord is to follow Him (19b-22). Jesus repeats the same call to Peter as he did when he first called the disciples (cf. Matt. 4:19), namely, Follow me. This is what discipleship really is, isn't it? Following the Lord. So, how do we follow the Lord?
We follow the Lord by responding to His call. When we hear His Follow me, we must respond in obedience, just as Peter did, not knowing what the end of that commitment would entail. We follow the Lord by keeping our eyes on Him (20). Peter turned around and momentarily took his eyes off the Lord, as he had done once before and began to sink beneath the water. Now, he takes his eyes off the Lord again while he looks at John following them, and he asks, What about this man? (21).
Not only do we follow the Lord by responding to His call and by keeping our eyes on Him, but we follow the Lord by minding our own business (21-22). What Jesus would commission John to do was none of Peter’s concern. His task was to follow Jesus faithfully and obediently, not comparing himself with others.
Discipleship is individual. It’s not our concern or responsibility what God calls others to do in serving Him. They have their own spiritual gifts and calling from God and we have ours. The challenge to one is not necessarily the challenge God gives to another. Like Peter, some people are more concerned about what others are doing for the Lord than what they ought to be doing themselves. Let’s be sure to listen carefully to what God has commissioned us to do for Him. Let’s be attentive to what He is saying to us through His Word, through our consciences, through our gifts, and through our obedient desires.
Only by God’s grace are we commissioned to serve the Lord and not by our own worthiness. God wants us to know that he can use us right where we are, despite our faults, failures, and periodic indifference. So, don't quit because of past failures. Don't draw back because of questions about the future. And don't slow down or stumble by comparing yourself with others. Let’s redeem the time for the days are evil (Eph. 5:16). Let’s learn to number our days and apply our hearts to wisdom (Ps. 90:12).
Let’s remember that true Christian service demands that our pledge in serving the Lord is to love him; the purpose in serving the Lord is to glorify him; and the pattern in serving the Lord is to follow him. May God help us to fulfill these vital principles of Christian service.
By: Dr. Roger Pascoe
The Institute for Biblical Preaching,
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
For the English audio version of these sermons, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 18:33-34, Pt. 1; Link 2 - Jn. 18:35-37, Pt. 2; Link 3 - Jn. 18:37-38
Title: The Conflict of Kingdoms
Point #1: The Kingship of Jesus Exposes a Conflict of Kingdoms (33-35a)
1. The kingship of Jesus separates cynics from seekers (33-35a)
(1) Cynics sneer at the kingship of Jesus (33b)
(2) True seekers hunger for the kingship of Jesus (34)
(3) The heart displays the difference (35a)
2. The Kingship of Jesus separates the physical from the spiritual (35b-38a)
(1) Jesus explains that his kingship is not a physical entity (36)
(2) Jesus explains that his kingship is a spiritual entity (37-38a)
Point #2: See the Winter 2015 edition of the NET Pastors Journal when published.
1 Stephen F. Olford, Anointed Expository Preaching, (Nashville: Broad & Holman, 1998), 8.
2 Olford, Anointed, 17.
3 Cited in Olford, Anointed, 18.
Winter 2015 Edition
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
http://tibp.ca/
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
In the last edition of this Journal, we began to explore the first of “Two Essential Foundations for Preaching” – namely, the preacher’s motivation for ministry, answering the question, “Why do we do what we do?” There are four characteristics of a preacher’s genuine motivation for ministry. Last time we covered the first characteristic – the motivation of a conscious call to preach. The second characteristic of a preacher’s motivation for ministry is...
“My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Cor. 2:4)
This is divine empowerment – not merely natural training or talent. Each person has certain gifts, either by natural talent or training. Prior to conversion, those gifts are used for self, but after God calls you, he takes all or some or none of those gifts and uses them for his purposes.
I say “all or some” because God may use us in an area of ministry that does not necessarily utilize all our gifts. For example, you may be a very talented athlete, but your athletic gifts may not be applicable to the ministry God calls you to. You may be a business manager, but God may not use your management abilities in the church.
Or, he may use “none” of your natural talents and give you new spiritual abilities. You may not have been a generous person prior to your conversion, and God may give you the gift of giving. You may have been a harsh, critical person before, and God may give you the gift of mercy.
Only God makes a preacher. Man can sharpen the skills of oratory, argument, methods of presentation, and even exegetical skills, but only God can make a preacher. Unless God gifts you as a preacher, it is unlikely that you will become one merely by seeking training from human teachers.
A degree from college or seminary does not indicate God’s call or a gift from God to preach. One must have a call from God to preach. Teachers can give you tools to improve your preaching, but only God can put passion into a man’s heart to preach. God makes preachers and calls them to the task, part of the preparation for which may involve formal education.
Timothy, and every preacher, is charged to do two things:
“Stir up ... the gift of God that is in you” (2 Tim. 1:6). “The gift of God that is in you” refers to your God-given abilities, talent - those gifts God has given you to use for him in his service. This God-given talent may be so obvious, as in Timothy, that it was confirmed by the laying on of hand by the elders.
Don’t let your gift lie dormant, unused – stir it up! “Stir up” means keep it active and productive and effective through the enablement and empowerment of the Spirit. Utilize your gift for God. So, how do you “stir up” your gift? This brings us to the next point.
“Do not neglect the gift that is in you” (1 Tim. 4:14). To “neglect” means to make light of it. Don’t make light of (neglect) the gift God has given you. Rather, practise it and develop it. That’s our obligation - to use it for him. Exercise your gift. It’s given to you by God for the benefit of the body of Christ and the glory of God.
The first characteristic, then, of a preacher’s motivation for ministry is a conscious call to preach (as we noticed in our last edition). The second, is a consecrated gift to preach. The third is...
“I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2)
There needs to be a burden, a compulsion to preach the truth with a specific aim:
1. To glorify the Son of God (1 Cor. 1:29, 31; Jn. 16:14)
2. To magnify the Word of God (1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Tim. 4:5)
3. To edify the church of God (Eph. 4:12, 16)
4. To satisfy the heart of God (1 Cor. 1:21)
We must preach with the same compelling aim as the prophets. The prophets spoke as a consequence of “the burden of the Lord” which came to them (Hab. 1:1; Zech. 12:1; Mal. 1:1). They were so weighed down with the message from God that they could not refrain from declaring what God had said to them.
This is incarnational preaching. (We’re going to write more on this in the next edition). God spoke to them and they spoke the message of God to the people. The people saw the truth lived out before their eyes.
Declaring the Word of God must be a burden that compels us to preach it. According to C.H. Spurgeon, a preacher’s compelling aim must be to preach the gospel with sincerity and truth, and completely disinterested from selfish motives. He says that a preacher must have no ulterior motive or self-interest for preaching because the Lord abhors those who commercialize the Gospel and seek to make personal gain from the Lord’s work.
We must preach only because we are convinced that God has called us. Preaching is not a means to any other end than the glory of God and the transformation of people’s lives through the preaching of the Gospel. True preachers serve the living God, not men or self. They are on assignment by God and are responsible to God, and, therefore, their motivation for preaching comes only from God and not from selfish interests.
Some people are encouraged to go into pastoral ministry because they have an innate desire to help people, or because they have a natural ability that can be used in ministry. But that misses the point concerning a true call from God. The call of God is first and foremost a vertical call (a call from God), not a call from self or other people. Without this call of God a preacher cannot survive or endure.
The fourth characteristic of a preacher’s motivation for ministry is...
The task of preaching is overwhelming at times. This caused the apostle Paul to ask: “Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Cor. 2:16). He answers his own question: “Our sufficiency is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5).
The burden of preaching is great. What keeps us going? How do we maintain drive and endurance? What is our daily incentive? We have three sources of incentive (see 2 Cor. 4:17-5:15):
This is forward looking, a future orientation of hope. This involves the right perspective - “…an eternal weight of glory…” (2 Cor. 4:17-18). Preachers derive their incentive to keep on preaching from their eternal perspective which outweighs any “suffering” here. We derive our hope by looking, not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen – looking up not around us.
The incentive of the hope of glory also involves the right objective. The first right objective is the realization of a glorified life - “…we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1-3). Our ultimate incentive is our glorification when our “groaning” and “mortality” will be swallowed up by life. This is the prospect of heaven, of being with and like Christ, when faith will give place to sight (5:7) and our anticipation will become reality. The hope of being with and like Christ should be our incentive each day in our service for him. The future gives value and direction to the present.
Then there is the satisfaction of a glorified Lord - “…we make it our aim…to be well-pleasing to him” (2 Cor. 5:9). That’s the bottom line – to please him.
In addition to the incentive of the hope of glory, there is ...
First, our accountability to God – “we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ” (5:10). We will have to give account of the things done in the body. Then will be manifested whether what we did in our lives and ministry had the lasting value of gold, silver, and precious stones, or whether it was of no eternal value at all, like wood hay stubble (1 Cor. 3:10-15). This is an incentive to serve God diligently to the end.
Then, there is our responsibility to men – “knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:11). Our knowledge of the judgement of the Lord on those who are not saved is a driving incentive to preach.
This is the greatest incentive of all – “for the love of Christ constrains us” (2 Cor. 5:14). The love of Christ constrains us in two ways. First, The love of Christ compels us. We should be compelled by the love of Christ to reach others. Christ was so compelled by love that he laid down his life for those who were his enemies. We should project the love of Christ through our preaching – his love working in us, compelling us to preach the gospel.
Also, the love of Christ confines us. It confines us within a certain course of action. Jesus was “straitened” (confined) by love – confined to take a certain course of action even though the end meant death. We are confined by the love of Christ to preach his message to a dying world.
Conclusion: Make sure of your motivation for ministry! Paul’s injunction remains irrevocably the incentive for all who give themselves to serve the Lord. “Therefore, my brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:58).
If our motivation for ministry is genuine, our labour will not be in vain and the proof of it will be at the judgement seat of Christ. Until then, we should press on having a single eye of faith, and a devoted heart of love for God, so that we preach the Word with all diligence and faithfulness for the glory of God and the blessing of souls.
In our next edition of the Net Pastors’ Journal, we will look at the second essential foundation for preaching: the preacher’s incarnation of the message
“Studying the Text”
Before we can begin to prepare a sermon, we must study the text. In the last edition of this Journal, we outlined some biblical principles for studying the text – accurate interpretation, analytical interpretation, and authoritative interpretation.
In addition to biblical principles for studying the text, I want to suggest...
As we stated above, biblical preaching demands accurate interpretation of the Scriptures. Let me now develop an exegetical methodology with some practical suggestions for achieving accurate interpretation. The two disciplines that are vital to this commitment are exegesis and hermeneutics. What do we mean by these terms?
Exegesis is the task of investigating and determining the meaning of the text by discovering what the author intended to communicate to his original audience; exposing (bringing into view; drawing out) the meaning of what the author wrote and meant. This is the opposite of eisegesis, which is imposing on the text what is not there and which the author did not intend to say or mean.
Hermeneutics is the philosophy and methodology that guides the exegetical process. It is the interpretive discipline that sets out guidelines, techniques, and principles that govern the exegetical process (e.g. in deciding between interpretive options).
Integral to this process is “bridging the gap” between the ancient text, language, culture, audience and the contemporary language, culture, and audience; bridging the gap between what it meant then and what it means now in today’s context (i.e. its relevance, significance). David Larsen explains it this way: “The biblical text comes alive... when correspondence occurs between the situation the biblical writers address and the situation of the modern reader or hearer.” 2
The Word of God is living and powerful and no more so than when it is preached so that the written word of God’s ancient people becomes the spoken word for God's people today. Therefore, we need to determine what it meant then in order to determine what it means now - what its message is for us today. The basic, most accurate, and practical approach to studying the text in order to determine what it says and means is what I call the Grammatical-Historical-Contextual-Theological approach.3 This is an expanded version of what is commonly called the grammatical-historical method.
To fully and properly understand the text, we need to study the grammar, the context (historical and literary), and the theology. This approach to studying the text helps us arrive at the best understanding possible of what the original author meant.
Grammatical study is fundamental to biblical preaching. This is the attempt to discover through grammatical observation and analysis precisely what the author meant. We are trying to answer the questions: “What did the text mean then? How do we explain it in our culture today? What does it mean to this congregation?” This is where the detailed, heavy work takes place in the research process.
The purpose of this procedure is to understand the specific words, phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and the relationship between them in such a way that you discern the author’s meaning. To do so, ask the following questions of the text ...
a) What is the subject? What is the text about?
b) How is the subject expressed? What is being said about the subject? These thoughts make up the theme and structure of the sermon.
c) Why is the subject written about? What does the writer want to accomplish in this passage? What response is he expecting? What is the application of the text to life?
A comprehensive knowledge of grammar and the ability to conduct grammatical analysis is essential to the accurate understanding of the written Word. For example, you must be able to identify the subject and complements of the clause or sentence.
Grammatical study consists of two subcomponents:
This is an examination of the structure of the passage in order to determine, as best we can and as accurately as we can, the author’s intended meaning. This has to do with how the author conveys meaning by the arrangement of words to form phrases, clauses, sentences, and paragraphs, and their functional relationship to each other (i.e. the way in which words are put together to form thought units) with a certain flow and interrelationship.
We need to study the flow of words and their interrelationships in order to arrive at an accurate understanding of the text. This is how we discover the overall theme and purpose of the passage. We will see how syntactical study works when we look at textual structure in a subsequent edition of this Journal.
In studying the words, we want to explore the various ways they are used to convey meanings (semantic range of meaning) and the various ways they are constructed to convey meaning (morphology).
So we need to examine the possible semantic range of meaning of each word (most words can have more than one meaning) as it was used historically in the day the document was written. From the semantic range, our task is then to uncover (1) what meaning the author had in mind when he used that word (this is usually discovered from the context and subject matter); and (2) what the contemporary equivalent might be.
Next we need to study the form and structure of words. Traditional grammar classifies words based on eight parts of speech - verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. Each So, in studying words, we need to determine what part of speech it is, how it is used in the sentence, and the form of the words used. Nouns have three basic forms: (1) number (singular or plural); (2) case (nominative, accusative, genitive, or dative); and (3) gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). Verbs also need to be parsed as to their form (tense, voice, and mood). Word studies provide excellent insight into the passage. They safeguard the preacher from explaining something that the text does not mean or say, and they open up the historical, geographical, and literary context. Be especially careful in looking up unknown words, key words, difficult words, and factual words like names of people and places, dates, numbers, and historical data. This is where we research issues related to contextual and introductory matters. The biblical error of most cults is typically rooted in contextual inaccuracy. They take texts out of context and give them their own private interpretation. God chose to reveal himself within various contexts: a) Cultural context. The life setting, the type of people, the way their society operated etc. What were the customs and traditions of the people addressed? b) Economic and political context. What was the political scene and economic conditions going on behind the scene? c) Geographic context. What was special about the climate, terrain etc that impacts our understanding of the text? d) Historical context. What factors of time and circumstances impacted what the author wrote and, therefore, what he meant. Try to gain a sense of the history of the text (i.e. the history behind the text) by asking: What was going on historically that impacts what the author is saying? Also, try to gain a sense of the history about the text by asking: Who is writing? Why was it written? To whom was it written? When was it written? What is the subject? Where was it written (location of writing and recipients)? By answering these questions you will be more able to place the text within the historical realities that were going on around the writing of the text. e) Literary context. In order to “rightly divide the word of truth” and be contextually accurate, we must never take a verse out of context. As Dr. Olford used to say: “A text out of context is a pretext.” So, never interpret a Scripture passage or verse in isolation. Move from the immediate context (the verses and passages round it) to the broader context (its book) and to the broadest context (the canon). Ask: what role does the passage play in the immediate context of its chapter or section of the book? Survey the flow of thought in the unit of thought itself and how it connects to the surrounding passages, the book as a whole, and the canon of Scripture. Try to gain a sense of the structural relationship of the text to the context. Know what comes before and after the passage. Understand the major divisions of the book in which the passage is located. Get a sense for its primary features, basic themes, emphases, patterns, and key words. Know why this book is in the Bible – what role the book as a whole plays in its Testament and section of the testament (e.g. gospels, epistles). And always be sure to consider the literary genre of the passage - e.g. prose, Hebrew poetry, allegory, narrative, parable, gospel, apocalyptic, prophetic, wisdom, epistolary etc. Genre recognition helps you to understand how the literature works. Every type of literature communicates in a different way and is subject to different interpretation. Look at the key characteristics of the literary genre in which the document is written and determine how that genre impacts meaning. Theology has to do with who God is, what he is doing, how he relates to human beings etc. A theological study of the text, therefore, is the determination of what the passage is telling us about God and divine truth. “Teaching” in Paul’s terminology (2 Tim. 4:2) means the explanation of the theological (doctrinal) meaning of the text. The Bible is a book about God. So, we want to know what the text is saying about God - his will, works, his character, his nature, his world, purposes, plans, kingdom, rule. In order to interpret Scripture accurately, every text must be interpreted in the light of its theological significance both within the passage, text itself, the book and the canon. You need to understand the theological significance of the text... (1) within the thought of the author; and (2) within the context of biblical revelation. This process helps you concentrate on permanent principles and precepts – not just facts, figures, and textual specifics. Ask: what are the principles that transcend time and culture? That’s what we want to know and to preach. We want to know: (1) what the text reveals about God; (2) what the text reveals about our relationship to God and to one another; and (3) what ethical instruction the text contains. So, study the passage for its theological significance. What is the writer telling us that is of theological significance and, therefore, timeless? View the text theologically. Focus on its essential truths. Write them out. Conclusion. Studying the text using good study principles and methods is hard work, but must be done in order to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15) so that we may clearly explain and apply the Scriptures. “Your Personal Surrender to the Holy Spirit,” Pt. 4 Godly leaders live Spirit-filled Christian lives. But what exactly is the Spirit-filled life? What does it look like? How can we pursue it ourselves? In seeking to understand this concept better we have already discussed in previous editions of the NET Pastors Journal, (1) The meaning of the Spirit-filled life (Spring 2014); (2) The necessity of the Spirit-filled life (Summer 2014); (3) The reality of the Spirit-filled life (Summer 2014); and (4) The activity of the Spirit-filled life, specifically Spirit-filled unity in the church in Eph. 5:19-21 (Fall 2014). In this edition, we continue to explore the activity of the Spirit-filled life in the very practical and personal arena of... Unity in the church depends on harmony in all our relationships and that harmony begins at home. People who are filled with the Spirit live consistent, Spirit-filled lives in every arena of life – church, home, workplace, the world. The idea of mutual submissiveness expressed in Eph. 5:21 characterizes both the preceding passage (5:19-21) dealing with unity in the church and the subsequent passage (5:22-6:4) dealing with harmony in the home. Harmony in the home stems from the Spirit-filled relationship between husbands and wives as well as children and parents. First, harmony between husbands and wives (Eph. 5:22-33). Harmony between husbands and wives is initiated by a Spirit-filled wife yielding to her husband respectfully (5:22-24, 33). “Wives submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord” (22). Since the fall, submission doesn't come naturally for any of us. Eve wanted to dominate the relationship with Adam, rather than enjoy mutual submission and creation equality. The nature of true, Spirit-filled submission is to voluntarily yield yourselves. This yielding isn’t imposed on wives; it’s something Spirit-filled wives do willingly. They yield (submit) to their husbands as to the Lord - in the same way as they do to the Lord; out of obedience to the Lord, recognizing that the Lord has invested certain authority in their husband and, therefore, that behind their husband is the Lord. Thus, to yield to your husband is to yield to the Lord. Submissive harmony is marked by this spirituality. The basis for their yielding is “because the husband is head of the wife, just as Christ also is the head of the church; and he is the Saviour of the body” (23). Submission presupposes headship and the basis for the wife’s submission is the husband’s headship which comes from God. That’s why Spirit-filled wives yield to their husbands, because they recognize the divine order and authority in society. There is a correspondence between Christ’s headship of the church and the husband’s headship of the wife. “Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything” (24). Harmony in the home not only stems from a Spirit-filled wife yielding to her husband respectfully, but it also stems from a Spirit-filled husband loving his wife redemptively (5:25-29). Notice the following aspects of redemptive love. a) Redemptive love is a selective love (25a). Christ “loved the church” – his bride, his body. His love was selective, exclusive, only for her. Spirit-filled husbands only have eyes for their wife (1 Tim. 3:2). b) Redemptive love is a sacrificial love (25b). “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself.” Spirit-filled husbands must love their wives with the same kind of sacrificial love with which Christ loved the church, a love that is willing to die for her – to give himself. c) Redemptive love is a selfless love (25c). “Christ also loved the church and gave himself.” He gave up his rights and privileges, renounced his power and position, and gave himself. He didn't send someone else; he made the ultimate selfless sacrifice. He didn’t think of himself, but entirely of her. d) Redemptive love is a substutionary love (25d). He gave himself “for her” – on her behalf, He took her place, suffered the death she should have suffered. e) Redemptive love is a sanctifying love (26-27). “That he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word” (26). Christ’s immediate purpose was to make his bride holy. To this end, He has sanctified us positionally. We are fully sanctified at the moment of conversion, set apart from the world and for God. And He continues to sanctify us practically. Throughout our lifetime he makes us more and more like himself in character and conduct. Sanctification involves “the washing of water in (or, by) the word” – spiritual cleansing through the agency of the word of God. The “washing of water” is figurative of spiritual purification. The means of cleansing is the word of God that washes us clean from the defilement of the world. So, there is this daily aspect of spiritual cleansing that makes us fit for communion with a holy God. This is the kind of love that Spirit-filled husbands ought to have for their wives, seeking their spiritual cleansing, their progressive sanctification to be more like Christ. The ultimate goal, of course, of sanctification is “that he might present her to himself, a glorious church, not having spot nor wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (27). The ultimate goal of every Spirit-filled husband is to present his wife before God in all her spiritual beauty, for God’s pleasure and glory. Glorious because the glory of God shines from her. Glorious because she is arrayed in the splendour and beauty of a bride on her wedding day. Glorious because she will be free from every spiritual blemish (spiritually beautiful) – no wrinkles; no age spots; no evidence of earthly pollution or traces of defilement; no moral or spiritual stain; but a bride adorned for her bridegroom, the holy, spotless Lamb of God. f) Redemptive love is a sympathetic love (28-29a). “In the same way (that Christ loved the church, so) husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one yet hated his own flesh.” “Sympathy” is a relationship between persons in which the condition of one induces a parallel or reciprocal condition in another. That’s what is meant here. You consider your wife as your own flesh and you treat her as such. There is a harmony of feeling, a sympathy between what you feel for yourself and what you feel for her. Whatever happens to her happens to you. However she feels, you feel. She is a member of your body, just like your arm or leg. That’s the intimacy, unity, and bond of the marriage relationship; no distinction between yourself and your wife. You love her as you love yourself. That’s a sympathetic love, a reciprocal feeling for her. g) Redemptive love is a sustaining / supportive love (29b-30). “For no one yet hated his own body, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.” When you love your flesh, you take care of it, you provide it with needed and nutritious food, you sustain it. Just as you care for your own body with nourishment and protection and exercise, so you do spiritually for your wife. It’s a sustaining love. Because she is your flesh, you express your love for her by protecting her from danger, by preserving her to live a life for God’s glory, by meeting her spiritual, emotional, sexual, and physical needs. And all of this is in accordance with the principle of Gen. 2:24. This is the love a Spirit-filled husband is to have for his wife. Your love is to be selective (eyes only for her), sacrificial (pay the utmost price for her; if necessary, die for her), substitutionary (take her place; suffer for her), sanctifying (making her more and more like Christ), sympathetic (giving the same love and attention to her as you would to your own body), and sustaining / supportive (nourishing and cherishing her). She is a member of your body. She is your equal who voluntarily submits to your leadership. So, make sure you earn her voluntary submission. What’s the conclusion of the matter? “Let each of you (husbands) in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (5:33). For the husband it’s matter of love for his wife. For the wife it’s a matter of respect for her husband. For the English audio version of these sermons, click on these links: Link 1 - John 18:38-19:3; Link 2 - John 19:4-9; Link 3 - John 19:9-10; Link 4 - John 19:11-12. Title: The Persuasion of Power, Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 Point #1: See previous edition of this Journal. Point #2: The Kingship of Jesus Exposes a Conflict of Powers (18:38-19:12) 1. The controlling power of public opinion (18:38b-19:6) 2. The crippling power of fear (19:7-9a) 3. The confident power of knowledge (19:9b) 4. The conceited power of position (19:10) 5. The comprehensive power of God (19:11) 1 Adapted from Stephen F. Olford, Anointed Expository Preaching (Broad & Homan), 295-303 2 David Larsen, Telling the Old, Old Story,” 79. 3 Adapted from Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Toward An Exegetical Theology (Baker, 1981), 67-147.Study The Context
Study The Theology
Part III: Leadership – Being A Godly Role Model
Spirit-Filled Harmony In The Home (Eph. 5:22-6:4)
Part IV: Sermon Outlines
John 18:33-38, Jesus’ Dialogue With Pilate
Spring 2015 Edition
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
The first foundation for a stable and enduring ministry is the preacher’s proper and adequate motivation for ministry. We have studied that topic in the last two editions of this journal. Now we come to the second foundation for preaching…
Not only will your ministry lack stability and perhaps endurance without the four foundational motivations for ministry, but your message will not be believable and powerful if you do not practice the message you preach.
All true preaching is incarnational preaching - i.e. preaching truth that is embodied in and lived out by the preacher. This is foundational to preaching - you cannot detach yourself from the message you preach.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones believed that preaching involves “communication through personality.” Dr. Stephen Olford writes: “If a message is to be effectively communicated, it must be felt inside and fleshed outside” – i.e. it must be incarnational. [1]
This is what Jesus meant when he said: “He who hears you hears me” (Lk. 10:16). That’s incarnational preaching - the word of God made flesh. We cannot be detached from the truth we declare. We must live in the Word of God and the will of God until we can speak the “testimony of God” (1 Cor. 2:1) authoritatively as those who are absorbed by it and who live in it and by it.
Incarnational preaching has been defined as expressing truth through personality. [2] As ministers of the gospel, the Word of God must become flesh in us, must be lived out in us. We must identify ourselves with the message we proclaim, just as Jesus (the Logos) was so identified with the Father whom he proclaimed: “The Word became flesh” (Jn. 1:14). Jesus fleshed out, embodied the Father - deity in humanity. He exposed the Father to view in bodily form. He identified himself in flesh with the Father. Jesus incarnated the Father, and, by doing so, Jesus explained (exegeted) the Father – i.e. “declared him” (Jn. 1:18) so that we are able to know and, in effect, “see” the Father.
Dr. Olford says: Jesus was “incarnational revelation …(which is) the essence of redemptive preaching. What is not incarnational is not redemptive, and what is not redemptive is not life-transforming.” [3]
Just as Jesus was born to incarnate deity in human form, so we must live out the Word we preach in our lives so that others can see the Word in us – they can “see” what Christ is like and, thus, “know” him.
Incarnational preaching is a divine mystery, just as the incarnation and crucifixion of Christ is “foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Cor. 1:23). In order for this mystery to become living and tangible, as preachers we must identify ourselves with the message we proclaim.
The apostle Paul describes incarnational preaching in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. In this passage we learn three characteristics of incarnational preaching.
First, when you preach, your message should be persuasive, not because of your speech or wisdom but because of Christ’s person and work. “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1-2). Paul is saying that our communication of the gospel does not derive its persuasion from our oratory nor from the cleverness of our human wisdom, but from the nature of who Christ is and what He has done. Our message is influential only when we preach “Christ and Him crucified.” Only the Holy Spirit can persuade people to believe the truth about Christ. Only the gospel can open up people’s understanding and change their attitude so that they are receptive to the truth of God’s Word.
Second, when you preach, your message should be powerful, not because of your person and words but because of the Spirit’s action and work. “I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (3-4). Only the Holy Spirit can take truth and marry it to the person. There must be that divine fusion which transmits truth through the minister to the congregation by the Holy Spirit. It’s the Spirit’s action and work that changes people lives and gives them new life, not our personal impressiveness. When the gospel is accurately, clearly, and appropriately preached and people respond positively to it, that is evidence of the Spirit’s power, not our personal impressiveness, ability, or persuasiveness. How this happens is indeed a mystery. This is the mysterious and holy work of the Spirit of God who alone can infuse new life into lost souls.
Third, when you preach, your message should be productive, not because of faith in human wisdom but because of faith in God’s power. “So that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (5). When we preach we do not try to impress people with our human intellect or wisdom as though somehow that might persuade people to believe the gospel. We do not want people to have faith in us or our knowledge, but “in the power of God” as told out in the gospel. Only then will our preaching be productive. Only then will our preaching produce fruit for God.
May we never stand up to preach until we can say: “The Word has become flesh in me.”
“Resources for Studying the Text”
In order to accurately interpret the Scriptures we must use all the research tools at our disposal. We start with A SINGLE PRIMARY SOURCE. An accurate application of the term “biblical exposition” requires that the message has only a single source - the Bible. You may utilize other sources but only for supporting material (e.g. for clarification, application, illustration, or appeal). The Bible is your primary source of material and the essence of your message. There are many other sources of information, but the Bible is primary – it’s the foundation of our faith.
Many other religions claim to be Christian, but there is only one source that is truly Christian – the Bible. What differentiates the Christian faith from all others is that it only has one source – the Word of God. Therefore, the Scriptures must be the sole, primary source for our preaching.
The term “preacher” means “herald”. A herald is one who announces the unaltered message of the king. Just so, the Bible expositor has the responsibility to preach the unaltered message of our King. Therefore, the biblical text must be the preacher’s primary source.
How can you guard the priority of the biblical text when you are preparing sermons? One way is to review your draft sermon and mark any material that lacks the support of a specific text and make sure that it is only supportive material and not expositional material.
Then, there are MULTIPLE SECONDARY RESOURCES. We have one primary source that forms the essence of our message, but we also have many secondary resources that help our preaching. You can increase your accuracy, effectiveness, and clarity in preaching by using many of the available secondary resources and still remain faithful to your commitment to declare your messages from the single primary source of the Bible.
These secondary, multiple resources are tools in your arsenal that assist you in achieving your primary aim of Bible exposition. These resources include:
1) A Dictionary. Use a dictionary to clarify any words whose meaning you do not understand or know.
2) Concordances. Concordances are cross reference manuals. They cross-reference where a particular word is used throughout the Bible. Most concordances use the English word as it is translated in the Bible, so that you have to use a concordance for your particular translation (e.g. NIV, NKJV).
In addition to cross referencing the English words in the Bible, a concordance like Strong’s also has a cross-reference number assigned to each word of the original language (e.g. Hebrew or Greek) so that you can see all the places in the Bible where that identical original word is used and how it is translated.
You must learn how to use a concordance not merely to look up the meaning of a word but also to see how a word may be translated differently depending on how it is used, or to see how different words are translated the same way but which are not synonyms, or to see how a word is used in context.
3) Lexicons. Lexicons reference words in the original biblical language, give the primary and secondary and tertiary meanings of a word, and reference them to texts. They show variations of meaning based on mood and context. The use of lexicons usually requires ability in the original biblical language.
4) Word Study Books. Word study books are a hybrid concordance-lexicon. They list English words and show you various words in the original language that are translated that way and the associated textual references. They are an excellent tool for those not acquainted with the original biblical languages.
5) Bible Atlas. A Bible atlas associates places with historical events and provides resource material on culture, climate etc.
6) Bible Dictionary / Bible Encyclopaedia. These reference books give short articles on Bible subjects (places, people, customs etc). Bible encyclopaedias also include long articles on various subjects. These resources give you the benefit of scholarly research in condensed form.
7) Bible Commentaries. Before using commentaries, try to uncover the theme and thrust of the passage on your own through your study of the text. Then, select at least four or five good commentaries on the text being studied. As you read these commentaries, do the following:
Be careful not to get sidetracked with commentaries that deal with matters that have nothing to do with your sermon. Remember, these books are commentaries and a sermon is not a commentary. It is a message from God for his people at this time, which is rooted in the text of his word.
The thrust of your message needs to be determined, if possible, before you consult commentaries, which should be used primarily to clarify interpretive issues. Do not derive your message from commentaries - that is not what they are intended for. They cover a wide range of issues – interpretive, textual, contextual, canonical etc. They are not intended for specific sermons. They can easily lead you down rabbit trails about topics that you appreciate but which are not pertinent to your message.
I recommend that you use commentaries as supporting helps to enrich the message God has given you from your original study of the Scriptural text. Commentaries should be used to: (1) aid your comprehension of the passage; (2) to get a “second opinion” on your interpretation and use of the text (i.e. might safeguard you from saying something stupid or wrong); (3) to wrestle with difficult interpretive passages.
Make sure you always use several commentaries to ensure that you are on safe ground. One commentary might not give you the right interpretation or spell out all the possibilities. The great benefit of commentaries is that they usually contain the results of years of scholarly research, which you will not have time to do for each sermon. Obviously, we want to benefit from that research and should do so.
My caveat is simply that you study the text and discover the message in the text for yourself first. If, however, the text is of such a nature that you cannot fathom what it is about, its sequence and interconnection of thoughts, or what it means, you may need to consult commentaries earlier in the preparation process.
8) Systematic Theology Textbooks. They allow you to study the organized presentation of biblical doctrine by scholars, though each may have a personal doctrinal bias.
9) Bible Software. Bible software is now making some of these traditional secondary sources redundant since many Bible software programs contain much of the information you would otherwise have to consult several sources for. Many of these software programs also include volumes of books that you can gain access to for an additional charge.
10) Christian Websites. Many Christian websites now contain very useful resources for preaching, such as illustrations. One such website is, of course, the one that publishes these Pastors Journals, (https://bible.org/net-pastors-journal).
Conclusions. These ten resource tools will give you sufficient material to aid you in a thorough study of the biblical passage under consideration. In addition to these tools, you should make use of several reliable Bible translations to show you various ways that translators have interpreted the text.
“Your Personal Surrender to the Holy Spirit,” Pt. 5
In the last four editions of this Pastors Journal (2014 Spring, Summer, Fall, and 2015 Winter), we have been studying the topic of your personal surrender, as a leader, to the Holy Spirit based on the teaching in Ephesians 5:18-6:20. We have examined the meaning of the Spirit-filled life, the necessity of the Spirit-filled life, the reality of the Spirit-filled life, and we are in the midst of studying the activity of the Spirit-filled life.
One’s surrender to the Spirit-filled life affects all aspects of our daily activity: (1) unity in the church (5:19-21), (2) harmony in the home (5:22-6:4), (3) cooperation in the workplace (6:5-9), and (4) victory in the world (6:10-20).
Spirit-filled harmony in the home involves harmony between husbands and wives and harmony between children and parents. In the last edition we completed the section on Spirit-filled harmony in the home between husbands and wives (Eph. 5:22-33). In this edition we are going to look at Spirit-filled harmony in the home between children and parents (Eph. 6:1-4) and Spirit-filled co-operation in the workplace (Eph. 6:5-9).
Harmony in the home not only involves the relationship of husbands and wives but also children and parents. In that regard, harmony in the home comes from Spirit-filled children relating to their parents properly.
The proper behaviour of children is to obey their parents. “Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honour your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth’” (6:1-3). To obey is to literally put yourself under the words and authority of your parents. This is another aspect of mutual submission (Eph. 5:21) – the voluntary submission of children to parents. Their obedience is governed by being in the Lord - this is Christian discipleship. Children show their reverence for the Lord by submitting to the authority of their parents. Children obey their parents because they are in the Lord and because it is right. It is what God commands and expects.
The proper attitude of children is also to honour their parents. If obedience is a right act or behaviour, then honour is a right attitude. Two important points here come from the 5th commandment:
1. The key to all human relationships is the relationship to your parents – honour your father and mother. Honour them for who they are.
2. This is the first commandment with a promise – that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth. Under Jewish law there were rewards for keeping certain laws. The reward for keeping this law was prosperity and length of life. Christians aren’t under law and we certainly have no promises regarding prosperity and length of life. So why is this promise here?
(a) Because it reinforces the significance and importance of the command - i.e. if it was that important in the O.T., it ought to be important to us.
(b) Because honour of your parents does bring with it certain rewards – not material prosperity or length of life, but spiritual prosperity, relational prosperity (harmonious relationships in your family), right attitudes to authority etc.
Second, harmony in the home comes from Spirit-filled fathers raising their children responsibly.
Stated negatively, don't make them angry. “Fathers do not provoke your children to wrath” (6:4a). Don't misuse your power and authority. Don't be like the fathers in the Greco-Roman culture who could sell their children as slaves, or even kill them. Fathers are the most likely to provoke their children to anger, to produce in their children a deep-seated exasperation and resentment that erupts in hostility.
What kind of treatment can produce that kind of response? Favouritism, criticism (which leads to discouragement), expecting them to be adults rather than letting children be children, and physical and verbal harshness.
Stated positively, train them properly. “Bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (6:4b). It’s a father’s responsibility to discipline his children. Discipline has the sense of what is done to and for a child. Train them to be disciplined, self-controlled, orderly, upright. And when necessary, discipline includes punishment.
It’s a father’s responsibility to instruct his children. This has the sense of what is said to a child – what he or she is taught verbally. This would include verbal correction and instruction - warning them of things that are wrong, without breaking their spirits; counselling them from your own experience, without lording it over them; instructing them, without being burdensome; encouraging them, reproving them, remonstrating with them, without breathing down their necks all the time.
This is the discipline and instruction of the Lord. That’s the spirit in which it is to be done. This is Christian training by instruction and example.
If you don’t have harmony in your home, how can you provide unifying leadership in the church? Your home is a reflection of who you truly are, and if a harmonious, loving, respectful, supportive relationship doesn’t exist there, then you’re disqualified from leadership in the church.
So much, then, for Spirit-filled harmony in the home. Now let’s examine...
In the 1st century the relationship of masters and servants existed in the home as well as the workplace. In fact, it could be argued that the home was the workplace for many servants. Indeed, probably business and commerce were carried on at home. But for us the home and workplace are quite distinct.
We must not be distracted into thinking of slaves / servants like slaves in the southern U.S. in the last century. Many slaves in Greco-Roman culture had good jobs and were well treated. Some slaves were actually professional people like doctors.
For the purposes of this study, I am looking at this passage as a workplace relationship rather than a home relationship. This workplace relationship for a Christian is to be characterized by mutual respect, co-operation, working together, a Spirit-filled attitude of Christian employees to their employers and of Christian employers to their employees.
First, cooperation in the workplace comes from Spirit-filled servants obeying their masters sincerely (6:5-8). “Bondservants, be obedient to your earthly masters” (5a). This is not conditional on receiving fair treatment from your employer. Rather, the Christian employee is to keep on being obedient no matter what (cf. 1 Pet. 2:18).
Christian obedience is shown in your attitude. It’s an attitude of respect – with fear and trembling (5b). This doesn't infer cowering like a scared puppy. This infers honour, esteem, because you acknowledge that the source of their authority is God. It’s an attitude of sincerity – in singleness of heart (5c). You are undivided in your loyalty – no hypocrisy, no ulterior motives, but untarnished integrity. It’s an attitude of Christian service – as you obey Christ (5c). This is the perspective that makes such obedience possible. This is the fundamental motive for Christian obedience.
This attitude can make your testimony very believable and powerful. If your work ethic is different from others (in the way you speak, think, respond), you can have a powerful testimony. But if you always arrive at work late and leave early, do poor quality work, take long lunch breaks etc., then your testimony won’t be believable.
Notice also, Christian obedience is shown in your diligence (6-8). A diligent Christian doesn’t work to impress others - “... not with eye-service as men pleasers” (6a). A diligent Christian is not one who tries to curry the boss’s favour. Doesn't just work hard when the boss is looking. Doesn't do a good job just to make a good impression.
Rather, a diligent Christian works for the Lord: “... as a servant of Christ” (6b). A servant of Christ does “the will of God from the soul” (6c). You’re not just going through the motions of work but you are engrossed in doing the will of God from your innermost being. Doing God’s will is part of your everyday life. God’s will is generated inwardly in your heart and soul and expressed outwardly in your attitude, diligence, wholeheartedness. This is in direct contrast to those who pay lip service but have no inner convictions about how they do their work. A servant of Christ serves with enthusiasm as you would serve the Lord not men (7). The one who does the will of God also does the work of God. Your enthusiasm comes from a new perspective – no longer seeing yourself as a slave of men but of Christ.
Further, a diligent Christian works for God’s reward – “... knowing that anyone doing good will receive the same from the Lord whether he is a slave or free” (8). You work diligently because you know that the Lord, not your boss, is your final judge. It’s this eschatological perspective that makes it all worthwhile – you know that when you do the will of God for the glory of God that God will take note.
Second, cooperation in the workplace comes from Spirit-filled masters respecting their servants impartially (6:9). Christian masters need to demonstrate three principles. The first is: Do to others as you would have them do to you – “Masters, do the same to them” (9a). Treat your employees the way you want them to treat you. The environment of any organization stems from the top. If you want them to show a good attitude toward you, then show it to them. If you want them to be obedient to you, then show a submissive, obedient spirit yourself. If you want them to be conscientious and genuine toward you, then make sure you treat them honestly and uprightly. If you want them to work diligently for you, then you be diligent in providing them with good work conditions and wages. If you want them to work with enthusiasm, then give them something to be enthusiastic about. Don't get a high opinion of yourself because you’re the boss. Do to and for your employees as you expect from them
The second principle is: Don’t misuse your power - “...give up threatening” (9b). Don't use threats to get your own way. Don't use your position of authority unlawfully. Don't provoke them like some fathers do their children.
The third principle is: Remember, you are accountable yourself - “... knowing that your own Master also is in heaven” (9c). You have a master as well – the ultimate Master in heaven. He holds ultimate power. His decision is final. You’re accountable to him. So, in that sense you are a fellow servant of Jesus Christ – the Christian employee and employer are both accountable to the same Master. You aren’t any more important than they are because “there is no favouritism (partiality) with God” (9d). Your heavenly Master isn't influenced by your position, rank, or power. So, don't be deceived into thinking that somehow he will favour you.
For the English audio version of these sermons, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 20:1-2; Link 2 - Jn. 20:3-10; Link 3 - Jn. 20:11-18
Title: The Shock and Reality of the Resurrection, Part 1,2,3
Point #1: The empty tomb turns observers into believers (1-10)
1. The empty tomb turns observers into followers
(a) At the cross, some were observers (Lk. 23:55-56)
(b) At the empty tomb, some were followers (1-2)
2. The empty tomb turns followers into believers (3-10)
(a) For some, the empty tomb leaves them sceptical (6-7)
(b) For some, the empty tomb inspires them to believe (5, 8-9)
Point #2: The risen Christ turns sorrow into joy (11-18)
1. Ignorance of the resurrection produces sorrow (11-13)
(a) It produces sorrow despite the evidence (11)
(b) It produces sorrow despite the testimony (12-13)
2. Knowledge of the resurrection produces joy (14-18)
(a) It produces joy through recognizing him (14-16)
(b) It produces joy through obedience to him (17-18)
[1] Olford, Anointed Expository Preaching (Broadman & Holman), 233.
[2] Philips Brooks, The Joy of Preaching (Kregel, 1989), 25ff.
[3] Olford, Anointed, 233.
Summer 2015 Edition
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
“The Lost Power and Authority in Preaching”
Every preacher is capable of preaching with great spiritual power so long as he is genuinely called of God to preach.
“Divine unction for preaching is available to all. It is not reserved for some chosen people... Divine unction is freely given by God. It cannot be learned, earned, or manufactured but only given through yearning. There are two sides to it: human and divine. It has something to do with prayer but everything to do with God.”1
To preach with power, you must (a) know God intimately; (b) understand His Word; (c) be adequately prepared, and (d) be empowered by the Holy Spirit. When we fail in our preaching task we become more aware that the power for preaching is not from us but from God. Only when we are conscious of this do we derive power from the Lord.
The most revealing factor that a preacher has spiritual power is the transformation of people’s lives by the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Word of God so that (a) their hearts are touched; (b) their minds are stretched (i.e. we teach them what they did not know); (c) their wills are yielded (i.e. submissive); and (d) their consciences are pricked, with the result that their lives are spiritually transformed.
The measure of spiritual power is not outward response, but the internal awareness of sin, the desire for holiness, repentance, and love for Christ.
Let me suggest some causes of lost spiritual power in preaching
1. Lost passion for God. The main cause of lost power among preachers is that they lose their passion for God. When that happens, they become mediocre in their thinking, ministry, and preaching, and they become susceptible to a worldly spirit. This may occur when a preacher has been at a church for a period of time and becomes settled and comfortable with the church and the church with him, because then it is very tempting to relax spiritually. Then he may be tempted to quit striving for the Lord and he loses a sense of vigilance and freshness. That is when the devil gains opportunity to devour him. This problem is amplified by the fact that many churches not only do not seek godly leaders but do not want godly leaders, and instead are willing to settle for mediocrity.
2. Conformity to the culture. Preachers often lose power because they act in a way that is compatible with their culture rather than with their calling and position. This attempt to relate better to the people and culture often results in a compromise of moral standards and a style of dress and talk that takes on the character of the culture around them. Conformity to the culture puts out the fire of God in a preacher’s heart. The warning, “friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4) is just as applicable to preachers as to anyone else.
3. Lack of authority. So many preachers today do not (perhaps, cannot) preach with conviction or authority. They do not (perhaps, cannot) say “Thus says the Lord”. So, what is our authorization to preach? Dr. Mohler (President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) has put it this way,
“What is our warrant to preach? What is our authorization? It comes down to this – God has spoken. God has revealed Himself, forfeiting His personal privacy that we might know Him. He is not silent, and He has commissioned us to speak. He calls and equips men to preach His Word. He is not silent and we are not to be silent. We are to speak, preach, and teach His Word.”2
Our only authority and authorization for preaching is to speak the Word of God. If you preach anything else, your preaching will have no life-changing power. If you do not preach the Word, you will not speak with authority because what you say is not authorized by God – it is not God’s Word.
Many preachers today are not preaching the Word! They speak about cultural issues, philosophical issues (mainly their philosophy of life), psychological issues, and motivational issues, but they do not preach the Word of God. They may briefly read or quote a Scripture to give their message a spiritual flavour, but they do not preach that text. They do not preach biblically; therefore, they do not speak God’s words and they do not preach with authority.
Why do so many preachers not preach with authority? Several reasons come to mind:
1. They do not preach with authority because their thinking is worldly. It comes back again to this issue of conformity to the culture that I just spoke about. Many preachers have adopted (especially in our N. American society) postmodern thinking, even though they may not admit it or even consciously know it. That’s why they do not speak with authority, because postmodernism says, “There is no absolute truth for everyone. So, I’ll believe what I believe; you believe what you believe. Don't try to tell me what is right or wrong.”
Further, in worldly thinking it’s fashionable and intellectual to not be adamant, not be dogmatic – everything has to be left open for other possibilities. You see this particularly in academic institutions. Students are left to figure out what they believe on their own. The professors are not supposed to influence them. Biblical interpretation keeps changing to accommodate new insights, discoveries, and possibilities that are more in line with worldly thinking. What the Bible meant clearly yesterday is questioned today. Systematic theology is more systematic than it is theological – all kinds of options are given about important matters (like the nature and character of God in Open Theism).
But what kind of teaching is that? How confusing is that for the next generation of pastors and teachers? When worldly thinking invades the church (as it seems to do), the result is that (a) preachers do not speak authoritatively, but tentatively, (b) preachers do not challenge (our thinking and behaviour), but comfort us, (c) preachers do not teach, but merely suggest, (d) preachers do not speak with boldness, but hesitancy, (e) preachers do not give answers, but questions, (f) preachers do not deliver certainties, but doubts, (g) preaching is not offensive, but accommodating.
Or, to put it in the words of another,
“There are question marks where there should be exclamation points. There is hesitancy where there should be boldness. There is advice where there should be teaching. There are ideas where there should be doctrine. There are impressions where there should be imperatives.”3
Fred Craddock (Distinguished Professor of Preaching and New Testament Emeritus in the Candler School of Theology at Emory University) put it this way ...
“Rarely if ever in the history of the church have so many firm periods slumped into commas and so many triumphant exclamation marks curled into question marks...Where have all the absolutes gone? The old thunderbolts rust in the attic while the minister tries to lead his people through the morass of relativities and approximate possibilities.”
In a previous era, Craddock continues, preachers “ascended the pulpit to speak of the eternal certainties, truths etched forever in the granite of absolute reality, matters framed for proclamation, not discussion.”4 How true! That was written back in 1971, and how much worse has it gotten since then? Many younger preachers today don't even know the legacy of their predecessors (e.g. from the Reformation to the 19th century) or how they preached!
2. They do not preach with authority because they are afraid of the people. One thing leads to another. If your thinking is worldly, then you will not speak with authority because you fear the people. Why? Because the people’s thinking is worldly as well and worldly thinking says, “Don’t tell me what to do. You have no authority over me. I’ll live however I please. If you don't say what I want to hear, then I’ll go elsewhere.”
Postmodern thinking in the clergy is a response to, and reflection of, postmodern thinking in the pew. Richard Holland of The Masters Seminary, says, “Where truth is relative, ethics are situational, and authority is ever-questioned, there is certainly no welcome mat out for the expository sermon that delineates truth, defines morality, and declares the authority of God.”5
Someone else has said, “We dare not speak with authority ... because people simply will not accept it. An age of question marks is allergic to the exclamation mark. An age that finds comfort in commas will find resistance to periods.”6
3. They do not preach with authority because they do not understand, and have not applied to themselves, the Word. To preach with authority, you must first know what the Word says and what it means and apply it to yourself. Failing that you cannot speak with authority. How can you teach it to others, if you don't know what it means? How can you apply it to others, if you have not first applied it to yourself? This takes two things:
(a) You have to study it well, based on solid hermeneutical principles, exegetical practices, and dependence upon the Holy Spirit.
(b) You have to apply it personally, based on obedience to the Lord and your relationship with Him.
So, what is the antidote for this lack of authority? The antidote is to imitate Jesus who taught “as one having authority” (Matt. 7:28-29). The context is that Jesus had just finished the Sermon on the Mount, in which he challenged the people about life in the kingdom and what that entailed: to be salt and light on earth, to lay up treasure in heaven not on earth, to trust God to provide for our daily needs, and to build our lives on the solid rock and not on sinking sand. The concepts that Jesus taught here and which he challenged the people to obey, were radical. “You have heard it said ... but I say to you” - e.g. that (a) murder and adultery begin in the heart; (b) marriage is lifelong; (c) love your enemies.
Clearly, Jesus’ teaching stood in contrast to the teaching of the scribes. What was the teaching of the scribes like? Apparently, their teaching was like so much of the teaching of our day. They could make Scripture say and mean what they wanted it to say or mean. By the time they finished telling the people all the different possible interpretations of the various rabbis, nobody knew what it meant – there was no authority. They employed misleading arguments and subtle distinctions that so confused the issue that nothing was definitive. And that’s what they wanted. They were like those that the apostle Paul warns us about – those (a) “ who give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification” (1 Tim. 1:4); (b) “who speak lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:2); (c) “who have a form of godliness but deny its power” (2 Tim. 3:5); (d) “who because they have itching ears ... turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to fables” (2 Tim. 4:3-4).
Someone has said,
“Sadly, many preachers today are also artisans of nuance. They will hint at what a text might be about, but leave a seed of doubt ... These modern spinners of elasticity and masters of equivocation speak a dozen possible interpretations of a text without coming to nay firms conclusions. Even worse, they label as “dogmatic” anyone who claims to have a sure and certain understanding of a text of Scripture. Further, when the plain understanding of a passage threatens to offend their congregation, these preachers assure their listeners in the pew that there is a way through the trouble, an interpretation that will not bother their modern ears.”7
In contrast, Jesus’ teaching was straightforward, plain, and directive – “do this ... don't do that; believe this ... don't believe that” (cf. also, Mk. 11:18; Lk. 4:32; Jn. 7:46; Mk. 6:2). We find this model of teaching also imitated by the apostles in the exposition and authority of the Word of God. When we faithfully speak God’s Word (clearly, plainly, accurately), we are authorized to speak with the full authority of God himself – we are his mouthpiece.
How, then, do we preach with spiritual power? Spiritual power is a power that results from holiness of life and the spirituality of the preacher. It is the power that emanates from one whose life is acceptable to God, and the life of one in whom the Holy Spirit is operative. It is power that God infuses into those whose lives are like Christ, who walk as Jesus walked (1 Jn. 2:6). Only through holiness of life can we reclaim spiritual power in preaching. In order to preach with spiritual power (i.e. for the Word to be life-transforming in its proclamation and in its results), four essential ingredients are necessary:
1. The power of God
2. The power of the Holy Spirit
3. The power of Prayer
4. The power of Scripture
We will look at these four ingredients in our next issue of this journal.
“Studying The Text: Personal Resources”
The primary reason for reading is our own spirituality, to know God. Just as you study secular subjects, so you must read, research, study, and think through the Bible. Make sure you have a Bible reading program. One of the most neglected areas of study is reading the Bible. We spend so much time reading secondary resources that we often neglect reading the Bible. You must know the Bible inside out so that you can embrace the scope of Scripture in your study and messages, and so that you can recall from memory the words of the text or at least the reference.
Prayer is a primary means of understanding what God has said and is saying. Prayer cannot be separated from the work of the Holy Spirit who inspired the Bible writers. Prayer and the illumination of Holy Spirit go hand-in-hand in our study. You cannot understand the Bible properly (2 Cor. 2:13-14) or ascribe proper value to it simply by study.
Prayer is a reaching out for God’s help in (a) understanding the Bible; (b) deriving a message from it for this particular people at this time in this place; and (c) applying the Bible to them.
The Holy Spirit has promised to lead us into all truth. He leads us into an understanding of the Word of God which we cannot get in any other way. There is, therefore, no shortcut to this part of sermon preparation.
In addition to “reasoning”, God has given us the ability to “meditate.” Christian meditation differs from other types of secular meditation (e.g. Yoga, TM). Secular meditation focuses on emptying the mind and entering into a mental / spiritual state of nothingness. Christian meditation focuses on filling the mind with thoughts from the Word of God and entering into a state of spiritual connection with God and his Word.
Christian meditation is a matter of turning over in the mind what God has told us in his Word, just as a cow chews cud, to get all the nutrients out of it that we can, to get more than just the taste but the nourishment of it. This allows the Holy Spirit to work in your mind and heart to open up the scope of the text and give a deeper appreciation for it.
Christian meditation produces spiritual light that cannot be gained purely by reasoning or study. As you meditate on the Scriptures:
(a) The Holy Spirit brings to mind other Scriptural connections that you might not otherwise think of while studying the text.
(b) The Holy Spirit grants you an appreciation for the truth of the text - “a knowledge that gets beyond the mind and pierces the soul.”8 This is what Jonathan Edwards described as “A true sense of the divine excellency of the things revealed in the word of God, and a conviction of the truth and reality of them.”9
(c) The Holy Spirit gives you insights into the application of the text for your congregation.
To fully understand the Word and be qualified to preach its message, we must obey what we know. If we do not obey what we know, God will not give us what we do not know. Why should God give us more if we do not obey what He has already given us? Obedience is merely applying the Word we have learned to our own lives.
“Your Personal Surrender to the Holy Spirit,” Pt. 6
In the last five editions of this NET Pastors Journal, we have been studying the topic of your personal surrender, as a leader, to the Holy Spirit based on the teaching in Ephesians 5:18-6:20. We have studied the meaning of the Spirit-filled life, the necessity of the Spirit-filled life, the reality of the Spirit-filled life, and (in the last two editions) the activity of the Spirit-filled life.
As we have already seen, the activity of the Spirit-filled life includes Spirit-filled harmony in the home (Eph. 5:22-6:4); Spirit-filled co-operation in the workplace (Eph. 6:5-9); and Spirit-filled victory in the world (Eph. 6:10-20), which concludes the study of this subject in this edition.
Unlike our relationships in the church, the home, and the workplace, our relationship with the world can never be harmonious, but it can be victorious. Filling with the Spirit is immediately followed by warfare in the world. If you’re not attacked by the devil, you’re not filled with the Spirit. To stand against the schemes of the devil, we need God’s strength and protection. I’m just going to outline this passage, not deal with it in detail.
(a) We have the spiritual protection of God’s power (10). Finally, my brothers, be strengthened in the Lord in the power of his might. Since we cannot strengthen ourselves, God provides the strength (hence, the passive be strengthened) for us to withstand the onslaughts of the devil. As with previous instructions the key is in the Lord (10b) - our strength is in and comes from the Lord. We can’t do it ourselves. Because we are in the Lord, we have access to God’s mighty power (10c). His power is ours through Christ.
(b) We have the spiritual protection of God’s armour (11). Put on the whole armour of God (11a). We are protected by putting it on. Armour is no good unless we put it on. God supplies it: we are responsible to put it on. We are protected by a complete armour – the “whole” armour of God. God provides us with a full suit of armour, which includes every weapon, every resource we need for battle. We are protected by divine, supernatural armour – the whole armour “of God.” Our armour for battle is from God. It’s his armour.
(c) We have the spiritual protection against God’s enemy (11b-12) - ... so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil (11b). Satan’s schemes began in the Garden of Eden and climaxed at the cross, where Christ overcame him so that we have been liberated from the devil’s bondage. Though Satan has been defeated, he has not yet surrendered. He still wages war with God through God’s people, but God enables us to stand firm against his attacks.
The enemy is the devil – the chief of the opposing army. He is a real being walking around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He is the accuser of the brethren. In order to win the battle we must know the enemy and his tactics.
The devil’s tactics are cunning schemes. His basic nature has not changed since the beginning – “the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field” (Gen. 3:1). His methods are crafty, shrewd, ingenious, and viciously destructive because he is the arch-deceiver.
The battle is not with human forces but spiritual. We do not struggle against flesh and blood (12a). The battle is a struggle, but not a struggle against flesh and blood. Our battle is not with humanity in its weakness and mortality. If that were the case, the fight would be much easier. But the struggle is not with human forces but with spiritual forces of evil. We struggle against rulers (principalities), against authorities (powers), against the world powers of darkness of this age (present darkness), against spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places (12b). It’s a struggle not with flesh and blood but rulers and authorities and world powers. It’s a struggle not with human governments or even demonic dictators but with malevolent, evil, spiritual forces of darkness. These spiritual forces wield cosmic power (κοσμοκρατορες). They are spiritual forces of evil. They operate in and over the darkness of this age. These spiritual forces of evil operate in heavenly places, not the heavenly realms where Christ reigns far above all these forces, but in the heavenly sphere below this realm but above the earth (cf. Eph. 2:20).
Therefore, take up the whole armour of God (13a). Don't just stand there! Do something! Put it on! ... so that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and, having done all, to stand (13b). You are responsible to put on the armour in order to be able to withstand in the evil day in which we live. In the end result, it’s not about fighting, it’s about standing, and we can’t stand in our own strength.
We experience spiritual victory in our Christian lives through spiritual protection and spiritual preparation. And our spiritual preparation involves being prepared with all the spiritual armour and with all the power of prayer.
(a) Be prepared with all the spiritual armour (6:13-17). Be prepared with the armour of truth. Stand therefore ... having girded your waist with truth (14a). Be prepared with the armour of righteousness. Stand therefore ... having put on the breastplate of righteousness (14b). Be prepared with the armour of the Gospel. Stand therefore ... having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace (15). Be prepared with the armour of faith. Stand therefore ... having taken up the shield of faith (16a). Be prepared with the armour of salvation. And take the helmet of salvation (17a). Be prepared with the armour of the Word. And take ... the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God (17b).
So, be prepared with all the spiritual armour, and ...
(b) Be prepared with all the power of prayer (6:18-20)
Wearing armour does not of itself assure victory. To be victorious we need power and wisdom to know how to act and think in battle - to listen to our Commander; to hear and understand his tactics. All this we derive from prayer. Notice...
A Spirit-filled life is the normal Christian life, but many Christians do not live in obedience and submission and are, therefore, not filled with the Spirit. Graham Scrogge said, “Every Christian has eternal life but every Christian may not have abundant life.”
Understanding the will of the Lord (17) is vital for being filled with the Spirit. You can’t be filled with the Spirit if you do not understand and walk in the will of the Lord. To do so would be a contradiction. In other words, to be filled with the Spirit, your life must be compliant with the will of the Lord – submissive and obedient to the revealed word of God.
Spirit-filled people are those who live their lives carefully not recklessly (15). They are careful to imitate God, to walk in love, to abstain from evil, to produce goodness, righteousness, and truth, to expose the evil deeds of the people of darkness, to use their time wisely, to live in the full understanding of the will of the Lord.
Spirit-filled people are careful to give God the glory. You know that you are sealed by the Spirit for time and eternity. You know that the Spirit guarantees you the completion of your redemption. When you are filled with the Spirit, your brain isn’t dull, your speech isn’t impaired, and your conduct isn’t lewd. Rather, your perception of spiritual things is sharpened, your understanding of the will of God is opened, your appreciation of the Word of God is heightened, your overall spiritual well-being is enhanced, your security is complete in Christ, and your face beams with the love of God.
1. Your influence on others by being a godly role model. Others will want to be like you, because they see Christ in you and that is a powerful factor in church leadership. You will lead by virtue of the power of your personhood.
2. Your credibility and trust as a church leader. Credibility and trust are major factors in leadership. The greatest source of credibility is a godly life – a life filled by the Spirit. The surest way to develop trust is a godly life – a life filled with the Spirit. How can people distrust someone whose life demonstrates that they are filled with the Spirit of God?
3. Your God-given wisdom and direction. There are many leaders in our churches who have experience, money, and ability but lack wisdom and direction.
Experience (and age) does not mean you have wisdom. Wisdom is knowledge coupled with judgement as to right action. Wisdom is discernment and insight in appropriate decisions, actions. Wisdom looks beyond the external, superficial to the internal, real. Wisdom distinguishes between what is easy and quick and what is hard but long term, and chooses to do what is right. Wisdom has its roots in the fear of the Lord. Wisdom is one of the primary and essential components of leadership that is most lacking today in our churches and I believe that stems from the lack of men and women who are filled with the Spirit.
Experience does not mean you have a clear sense of direction. To be an effective leader, you must have a clear sense of direction for the organization you lead. How do we obtain a clear sense of direction for the organization we lead? First, we can only have a clear sense of direction from the word of God. Therefore, we must “study to show ourselves approved to God.” Second, we can only have a clear sense of direction if we are living a Spirit-filled life, in dependence upon God and in obedience to his word. Third, we can only have a clear sense of direction if we live a prayer-filled life. These three components add up to a holy life – the truth of the word of God, the power of the Spirit of God, and the efficacy of prayer.
For the English version of these sermons, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 20:19-21; Link 2 - Jn. 20:21-23; Link 3 - Jn. 20:24-31
Title: The Shock and Reality of the Resurrection, Part 4,5,6
Point #1: Jesus’ resurrection turns fear into courage (20:19-23)
1. The resurrected Jesus allays our fears (19-20)
a) He allays our fears by what he says (19)
b) He allays our fears by what he does (20)
2. The resurrected Jesus activates our courage (22-23)
a) He activates our courage to continue his work (21)
b) He activates our courage to speak with authority (22-23)
Point #2: Jesus’ resurrection turns unbelief into faith (20:24-29)
1. Unbelief is not convinced by second-hand testimony (24-25a)
2. Unbelief requires concrete proof (25b-28)
a) Concrete proof is what Christ says (26)
b) Concrete proof is what Christ has done (27a)
3. Concrete proof demands a verdict (27b-29)
a) Belief is proven by a great confession of faith (28)
b) Faith is honoured by a great blessing from Christ (29)
(i) It’s good to see and believe (29a)
(ii) It’s better to believe before seeing (29b)
Conclusion (30-31)
1 Johnson T. K. Lim, Power In Preaching (University Press of America, 2002), 125.
2 R. Albert Mohler, Jr., As One With Authority in “The Masters Seminary Journal (Spring 2011, 89-98), 89.
3 Mohler, 97.
4 Fred B. Cradock, As One With Authority (St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press, 1971, reprint 2001), cited by R. Albert Mohler, in As One With Authority, “The Masters Seminary Journal” (Spring 2011, 89-98), 91.
5 Richard Holland, Expository Preaching: The Logical Response to a Robust Bibliology in “The Masters Seminary Journal” (Spring 2011, 19-39), 20.
6 Mohler, 92.
7 Mohler, 93.
8 R. C. Sproul, The Soul’s Quest for God (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), 51.
9 Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 2, revised and corrected, Edward Hickman (Carlisle: PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1995), 14ff.
Fall 2015 Edition
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
“The Power Of God” (2 Cor. 4:5-7)
In the last edition of this Journal, we introduced a series on “The Power for Preaching” in which we discussed “The Lost Power and Authority in Preaching.” In that article, I suggested three causes for lost spiritual power in preaching: (1) lost passion for God; (2) conformity to the culture; (3) lack of authority. Then I suggested three reasons why so many preachers do not preach with authority: (1) because their thinking is worldly; (2) because they are afraid of the people; (3) because they do not understand and have not applied the Word to themselves.
We concluded that article by listing the four essential ingredients for powerful preaching: (1) the power of God; (2) the power of the Holy Spirit; (3) the power of prayer; and (4) the power of Scripture. In this edition we are going to explore “The Power of God” in preaching. As the basis for this discussion, let’s look at 2 Cor. 4:5-7, where the apostle Paul’s thesis is basically that the power is of God and not ourselves.
Notice firstly, that preaching is not about us - “...we do not preach ourselves” (5). Preaching is not about us and the message that we preach is not about us. Our motivation in preaching is the exact opposite of “the god of this age” whose objective is to “blind the minds of those who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (4)
If your mind is blinded, it means that you cannot accept or comprehend the truth of God. Satan’s objective is to blind unbelievers from comprehending the gospel of Christ, because it reveals the glory of Christ; to block unbelievers from hearing the truth about Christ. Satan does not want unbelievers to know God through Christ. He doesn’t want unbelievers to see or hear or accept the spiritual, life-giving light of the gospel, so he blinds their minds.
Our objective, on the other hand, is to preach Christ with such clarity and power that others see and hear only him, and certainly not us. Preaching is not about us and the message that we preach is not about us. If it were about us, you could understand why some don’t believe it. But it isn’t - it’s about Him who is the exact representation and full revelation of God. It’s about Christ Jesus the Lord (5a) - Christ, the anointed One; Jesus, the Saviour; the Lord, our Master, the supreme One, the Sovereign One. There is only one Lord, one Master, and that is not us. We are not lords over Christ’s flock (1 Pet. 5:3), but servants of his flock, “your bondservants for Jesus’ sake” (5b). We are servants of the church, ministers who serve God’s people “for Jesus’ sake.” That’s our motivation - “for Jesus’ sake”. That’s why we preach.
Just as Jesus became a bondservant (Phil. 2:7), so we make ourselves servants of God’s people “for Jesus’ sake” – for the sake of the gospel. Ministers who make themselves prominent and around whom their ministry revolves (when it’s more about the minister than the message; more about the vessel than the treasure) are not authentic ministers "for Jesus’ sake." Authentic ministers of the church are those who “do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord.”
So, firstly, preaching is not about us. But, secondly, preaching is all about God. “For it is the God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (6). God is the One who, at creation, “commanded light to shine out of darkness.” And, similarly, he is the One who has shone his spiritual light into the darkness of our hearts in order to illuminate our understanding of God’s glory as reflected in the face of Jesus Christ. We cannot bring about salvation, only God can - “Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9). Only the God of creation is the God of redemption (re-creation). Only the God who created physical light can create spiritual light. The light of the world is Jesus. The One who created light has become the Light. This was so vivid in Paul’s memory, when the light of God enveloped him on the Damascus road and flooded his soul with the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ. Only the face of Jesus Christ could adequately, properly, and fully manifest the glory of God such that we could understand it.
God commanded the light to shine “out of” darkness and through the gospel he has shone “into” our hearts the light of the knowledge of himself as incarnated (portrayed) in the human face of Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:14). Just as in his work of creation, God commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, so in his re-creation through the work of redemption he commanded the Light to shine into the darkness of our human condition so that we could know him. The source of ultimate truth (about who we are, who God is etc.) is only from God. “I am the way, the truth, and the life” Jesus said. He is the final and full revelation of God. Hence, it is in his “face” (his person, his incarnation, his self-revelation) that we come to know our glorious God.
Question: If this God of whom Paul speaks is so powerful as to command light to shine out of darkness and who has shone into our hearts to reveal his glory to us, why is it that the human vessels he uses in ministry are so frail, so lacking in glory? Why is there such a contrast between God’s power and glory and the minister’s weakness and frailty? Answer: So that there is no doubt whatsoever as to the divine nature of the message.
This brings us to the third point: preaching is a paradox (the treasure vs. the vessel). “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels ...” (7). On the one hand, what we preach (the gospel) is a treasure, but on the other hand, preachers ourselves are merely earthen vessels. Lest we think that the vessel (the minister) is as glorious as the message, Paul draws a sharp contrast between, on the one hand, God’s glory (the glory of the message, the gospel, our ministry) and, on the other hand, the incredible weakness of the human vessels whom God uses to proclaim that glory. The gospel we preach is a “treasure”. “This treasure” is what Paul elsewhere calls the ministry of the New Covenant (3:6); the ministry of the Spirit (3:8); the ministry of righteousness (3:9); “this ministry” (4:1); our gospel (4:3); the gospel of Christ’s glory (4:4); the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ (4:6).
So what we preach is a treasure (the gospel), which stands in stark contrast to the “earthen vessel” in which the treasure is contained. The preacher himself is merely an “earthen vessel”. “Earthen vessels” are the ministers, the human vehicles in whom the treasure is incarnated and displayed and through whom it is preached. The picture here is of a fragile, breakable, cheap clay pot which contains a treasure. Ministers of the gospel are fragile, frail mortals who contain a divine treasure - the light of the knowledge of God’s glory.
The contrast between this “treasure” and the “earthen vessel” is intentional – “... so that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (7b). The purpose (“so that”) of God’s design in using human messengers to proclaim his divine message is to enhance the message (its source, its power, and its results) by the very means he chooses to proclaim and display it, namely, through human weakness. To put it another way: in order that no one can mistake (1) the source of the message, (2) the extraordinary character (“excellence”) of its power, and (3) the supernatural effect of the gospel as coming from anyone else other than God himself, God chose to incarnate (embody) his message in weak human vessels. Since the gospel so radically transforms lives, it could not possibly be a merely human message - it must be divine. The power of the message we preach is of such a character (i.e. superabundant, overpowering, magnificent, beyond human comprehension, life-transforming) that its author can only be God and not ourselves, the human messengers. The messenger, then, is weak, dependent, temporal but the message is powerful, eternal. We are creatures formed from the dust of the ground, whom God in his grace has chosen to bear his name, his gospel.
If the message were moderately powerful it may be attributed to our human wisdom, genius, invention. But such exceeding power that radically transforms lives, emanating from such weak, inadequate vessels must be from a divine source. Further, God’s powerful message is not limited by man’s utter weakness – rather, it is enhanced by it. Such is the case for every minister of the gospel: we are weak precisely so that God’s power may be manifest in us. Thus it was with Gideon and his 300 men, who put to flight the Midianites by merely breaking their earthen vessels so that the light shone out (Judges 7:15ff.; Heb. 11:34). Such it is with us - in our confessed and evident weakness, God displays his power and glory.
This gives us a proper perspective on ministry. We can be thankful for our bodily weakness and mental finitude and frailty because that is what God uses. The messenger, then, is weak, dependent, temporal but the message is powerful, eternal. We are creatures formed from the dust of the ground, whom God in his grace has chosen to bear his name, his gospel. So that when others see what a transformation the gospel produces in the lives of those who believe they can only conclude that “the power is of God and not of us.”
“Understanding The Text”
Everything in sermon preparation begins with a thorough reading of the text. There is no substitute for reading the text. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your understanding as you read.
Read the book in which the text is located. Read it as many times as possible before beginning to prepare your sermon. This accomplishes several objectives: (1) it gives you an overview of the broad scope of the book; (2) it gives you an overview of the context of the particular passage; and (3) it gives you a feel for the flow of the passage and its main points.
Read the particular text for your sermon. Read it repeatedly so that you are saturated in it, so that you can repeat it by memory (not necessarily word-for-word). Read it thoroughly and prayerfully. Reading it in various translations can be helpful. If you are able, reading it in its original language is a good idea.
Read the text in order to: (1) derive a sense of what the text says and means; (2) remove barriers to understanding - i.e. preconceived notions of what it is about and what it means; and (3) hear the text as the original audience would have heard it.
Identify personal spiritual issues from the text that you must be deal with in your life. If you don’t deal with them, you won’t adequately and properly preach the text because you are not being obedient to it, in which case, how can you expect it to be effective in your audience?
As you read the text, identify any textual difficulties, variances, complexities, and problems that you need to research and deal with in your sermon.
As you read, note the flow of thought in the text. How did the author present his material? Why did he write it? What is the subject? What is his point and how does he prove it?
After you have read the passage repeatedly (and perhaps in various translations), summarize the essential thoughts within each paragraph. One way to help you do this is as follows:
a) Download the biblical text to your computer.
b) Divide the text into separate paragraphs, one for each new idea that you have identified as you read the passage.
c) Leave wide margins so that you can write in them and then print this out.
d) Write in the margins the thoughts (ideas, points) expressed in each paragraph of the text, as you have divided it up. These are the main thoughts of the passage. Remember, since there is only ever one subject of a passage, each thought (idea, point) that you identify in each paragraph must relate to the subject of the whole passage. We will talk about identifying the subject of a passage in future editions of this journal.
e) Then, underneath the main thoughts that you have written in the margin of each paragraph, write the subordinate thoughts in the margin as well.
Now you will have at least a preliminary visual summary of the passage, which you will use to structure your sermon.
Paraphrasing the text is a good way to determine if you really understand it. If you are unable to paraphrase it, you probably don’t understand it.
Paraphrasing the text means writing out the passage in your own words as you understand it. Writing out a paraphrase of the text makes sure that you have a coherent grasp of the passage, by being able to express each thought in the passage clearly and connect each idea to the thought that went before it and that comes after it. This exercise solidifies your understanding of the text by putting it in your own words.
As you write out your personal paraphrase, be sure to amplify your paraphrase so that it contains the intent and application of the text as well as its basic meaning. If you have an “Amplified Bible”, read it to see how it does this.
Another method for identifying the structure of the text (its subject and complements) is to diagram the text (if you are able) by analyzing it grammatically and showing that grammatical structure diagrammatically.
Diagramming provides an objective, grammatical basis for the structure of the passage. The diagrammatical form displays the flow of thought in the text and the connection between the various thoughts in the text. Diagramming makes apparent the flow and structure of the passage and establishes the grammatical relationships between phrases, clauses, and words, which relationship is vital to a proper understanding of the text.
Diagramming the text means displaying main clauses and subordinate clauses, along with adverbial and adjectival qualifiers, in diagrammatic form. This is a way of allowing the structure of the text to emerge from the text and not from the imposition of your own structure on the text.
There are two ways of diagramming: (1) block diagrams in your own language, or (2) Greek diagrams. I am only going to try to explain “indented block diagrams” in your own language.
1. The Purpose Of An Indented Block Diagram is to portray the text visually (according to its grammatical structure) so that its overall composition (or, literary structure and divisions) becomes apparent. This will help you in outlining your sermon following the author’s original structure.
2. The Way To Make An Indented Block Diagram (see examples below) 1
a) Identify the first independent clause and copy it word for word from your text.
b) Copy succeeding material phrase by phrase, locating each phrase carefully under the word it supports or modifies. This will place main ideas to the left margin, with supporting ideas falling to the right below them.
c) If there is a series of equal ideas, they should be lined up vertically under each other in the order they occur in the text.
d) Set connectives apart in [brackets]. Put italicized words in (parentheses).
e) Underline verbs and circle words carrying the main themes of the text.
3. Examples Of Indented Block Diagrams
a) Psalm 1:1-2 (from, McDill, 37)
Blessed is the man
who walks not
in the counsel
of the ungodly
[nor] stands
in the path
of sinners
[nor] sits
in the seat
of the scornful
[But] his delight is in the law
of the Lord
[and] he meditates in the law
day [and] night
He is like a tree
planted by the rivers of water
that brings forth its fruit
in season
whose leaf also shall not wither
[And] whatever he does shall prosper
b) Romans 12:1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren
... by the mercies of God
(a) that you present your bodies a ... sacrifice
living
holy
acceptable to God
... which is your reasonable service
[and] (b) (that you) do not be conformed
to this world
[but] (c) (that you) be transformed
by the renewing of your mind
... so that you may prove what is that ... will of God
good
[and] acceptable
[and] perfect
c) Mark 4:35-41 (narrative analysis)
When diagramming narratives, we use a different format. This format is not grammatical but sequential, based on the typical structure of narratives. Typically, narratives are structured around five progressive building blocks as follows:
i) The life situation (or context, background, setting) of the narrative (vv. 35-36):
On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.
ii) The problem (or issue) that arises (v. 37):
And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beta into the boat, so that it was already filling.
iii) The conflict (or climax) of the story (which leaves you wondering how this is going to be resolved) (v. 38):
But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
iv) The resolution (v. 39):
Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
v) The application (or, response) (v. 40-41):
But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
4. Analyze Your Diagram
Once you have diagrammed the text, then analyze your diagram. Identify the main clauses and subordinate clauses. Identify the adjectival and adverbial qualifiers on your diagram. Identify key nouns, verbs, connectives, repeated words, and key phrases. Research the case of the nouns (e.g. type of genitive, dative etc.). Parse the verbs. Understand the conditional clauses, participial phrases (adjectival, substantival, adverbial), and prepositional phrases.
Assess the relationship between sentences and paragraphs. How does the thought expressed in a subsequent sentence or paragraph relate to what went before and what comes after?
Circle key phrases, contrasting words, and modifiers for special study (e.g. Rom. 12:1, “living” = unusual description for a sacrifice). Identify the various sections of the passage in its flow of thought – e.g. where each thought in the development of the passage starts and stops.
This process will help you understand the flow of thought, how the passage all holds together, how the various parts of the passage relate to each other and how they help develop the writer’s point. The key purpose of a diagram is to allow you to see the text grammatically and define its details.
“Your Personal Credibility in Ministry” (Acts 20:17-35)
We learn much from final words of great leaders. Acts 20 records the final words of the great apostle Paul to the Ephesian Christians among whom he had laboured for several years. This final farewell of a godly leader are Paul’s final words of reflection, exhortation, and instruction for the church leaders. His final words point out four essential pre-requisites for credibility in church leadership.
In our service for the Lord, our personal attitude must be one of humility, even in times of deep trial. “You know in what manner I lived among you,” Paul says, “with all humility and with many tears and trials” (18-19). This must be our personal attitude in everything we do. If it isn’t, then we need to examine our hearts as to what our motive really is. We must have clarity about our motives.
Our public activity must be open and inclusive, like Paul who “kept nothing back that was helpful” (20a). His public activity was marked by transparency, openness, giving, sharing. There was no secrecy in what he did: “I proclaimed to you and taught you publicly and from house to house” (20b). It didn’t matter if he was preaching publicly or teaching privately in people’s houses, Paul’s ministry was open and inclusive, “testifying to Jews and also to Greeks” (21a). His public ministry was applicable and available to everyone, regardless of race or religion. It didn’t matter what their religious or racial background was, he declared the same message to them all, namely, “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (21b).
We must have clarity about our motives. Ask yourself, “Why do you do what you do in ministry? What’s your attitude towards your ministry? How do you do your ministry? Are you proud of yourself and your accomplishments? Are you working for a larger following? Are you ministering to all kinds of people with all kinds of needs, or are you working only with an exclusive group of spiritually elite people, cut off from the rest of the world?” We must have clarity about our motives in ministry.
The men who have been role model and mentors to me all have been men with great confidence in the future. We must have confidence despite present uncertainty. For Paul that meant “not knowing what will happen to me except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me” (22-23). You might interpret this to mean that the Holy Spirit was saying: “Don’t go!” But I don’t think that’s what this means. I think it means that the Holy Spirit is warning him that everywhere he goes chains and tribulations would be ahead, for to be forewarned is to be forearmed.
Now, this kind of warning would set most of us back. This would make you think twice about going on. This would cause most of us uncertainty about the future. Our reaction would probably be, “I better pray about this. Perhaps I shouldn’t go.” But circumstances are one of the most unreliable indicators for decision-making. First and foremost we must rely on God’s word and God’s call on our lives. That was always uppermost in Paul’s mind. He was motivated to continue on because he was bound in the spirit (22a) and that superseded any possible deterrent of chains and tribulations in the future. That’s undoubtedly why he could say, “But none of these things move me nor do I count my life dear to myself” (24a). Little things like imprisonment aren’t going to put him off or change his outlook or plans. Why? Because he was imprisoned by his inner conviction to go to Jerusalem, which not even the potential loss of his life would interrupt. That’s confidence in the future, isn’t it, despite present uncertainty?
That’s why he also had confidence in view of future completion. No earthly circumstances, threats, or opposition by the enemy would hinder or prevent him from completing the ministry God had called him to. Paul was confident that the One who had called him to be the apostle to the Gentiles would enable him to complete his ministry. The future held no doubts or hesitation for Paul. That’s why he could confidently look forward to the joyful completion of his work: “so that I may finish my race (course) with joy and (so that I may finish) the ministry, which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (24b) (see also 2 Tim. 4:7-8; Phil. 2:17). In God’s time and God’s way, Paul was confident that he would complete the work that God had given him.
This passage concludes with three convictions (“therefores”). Firstly, the conviction that you have acted with a clear conscience. “Therefore, I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men” (26). Innocent because “I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God” (27). He had done what God had called him to do. He hadn’t left anything out. Therefore, whatever the outcome of his ministry might be, however people might respond to it, he is “innocent of the blood of all men.” No one could say to Paul: “You didn’t tell me.” No, Paul had fully declared “the whole counsel of God” and thus discharged his responsibility as God’s servant. Thus, he had acted with a clear conscience.
Secondly, the conviction to warn others about spiritual dangers. In order to be qualified and able to warn others about spiritual dangers, church leaders must take care of themselves. “Therefore, take heed to yourselves” (28a). Paul is saying, “Take care of yourself as the servant of God.” He is speaking to the elders of the church here. Church leaders must take care of themselves before they can take care of the church. They have to pay attention to and protect themselves from spiritual dangers. You do this by examining your own moral, spiritual, practical, theological, and personal health before you can take care of the people of God.
Once you have made sure that you are personally fit and qualified to lead, then church leaders are to take care of the church. “Take heed... to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with his own blood” (28b). To “shepherd the church of God” means to guide them, care for them, protect them, nurse them, nourish them. Remember, the “flock” is precious to God, for “He purchased them with his own blood.” Shepherding the church of God means protecting them from spiritual attack. “For I know this that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock” (29). Savage wolves kill, steal, and destroy the flock. Savage wolves have no mercy for the flock; they just want to satisfy their base appetites.
Shepherding the church of God means protecting them from divisive men. “For this I know also ... that men from among yourselves will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after themselves” (30). “Perverse things” refers to false teaching. “Drawing away disciples after themselves” refers to false motives - accumulating personal power and a popular following. This is the work of Satan to divide and destroy the people of God.
Thirdly, the conviction to teach others by your example. “Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears (31a). Paul warned them faithfully (without ceasing), continuously (night and day), and passionately (with tears). That was the legacy that Paul left them. His example to the Ephesians is his example to us as leaders of God’s people. Leadership isn’t just about public activity, preaching and teaching. What we say and do publicly must be based on who we are. Our personal example speaks volumes to those who see and hear us. So, teach others by your example of faithful warning, continuous labouring, and passionate commitment.
Paul’s shows his compassion of the congregation in his final commendation: “I commend you to God and the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (32). These are the unchangeable foundations for ministry - God himself and His inspired word. These are the two resources that alone can keep us true and faithful. We must rely on God and grow in his truth. We need the Word of his grace for our edification. It alone “is able to build you up” spiritually in your most holy faith. It contains all that we need for life and godliness, so that we can live strong and stable lives for the glory of God. We need the Word of his grace also for our sanctification - “to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”
This is Paul’s final benediction, commending the people to God for his care and provision, and commending the people to God’s word as the foundation of their spiritual lives.
Paul also shows his compassion for the congregation in his Paul’s final exhortation: “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities and for those who were with me” (33-34). Ministry is not about taking. It’s not about taking any person’s silver or gold or clothing. “I wasn’t a freeloader, expecting something for nothing.” Rather, “I have shown you in every way by labouring like this that you must support the weak” (35a). Ministry is not about taking. Ministry is about giving - labouring for the benefit of others and supporting the weak.
“And remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (35b). Paul’s ministry was an example of this principle – giving not taking.
Conclusions. Let me challenge you with these questions. Who are you following? Who you follow will determine where you end up Are the leaders that you look up to showing these characteristics in their leadership? Do they have clear, unselfish motives? Do they demonstrate confidence in God’s care and control of the future? Do they express certain convictions about what ministry is about – or are they wishy-washy? Do they practise care and compassion for the people?
How are you leading? What are the characteristics of your leadership style and activity? Is your leadership marked by clear, pure motives? confidence in the future? convictions about ministry? care and compassion for the people?
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 21:15-17; Link 2 - Jn. 21:18-19; Link 3 - Jn. 21:19-25
Title: Lessons in Christian Service
Point #1: The pledge in serving the Lord is to love him (21:15-17)
1. Despite our feeble loyalty, Jesus still values our love
2. Despite our feeble loyalty, Jesus still wants our service
Point #2: The purpose in serving the Lord is to glorify him (18-19a)
1. We are to glorify him when we are young (18)
2. We are to glorify him when we are old (18-19)
Point #3: The pattern in serving the Lord is to follow him (19b-23)
1. We follow him by responding to his call (19b)
2. We follow him by keeping our eyes on him (20)
3. We follow him by minding our own business (21-23)
1 For more details see “Twelve Essential Skills for Great Preaching,” Wayne McDill, pp. 27ff.
Winter 2016 Edition
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
“The Power Of The Holy Spirit”
The great Puritan preacher, John Owen, writes: “The sin of despising (the person of the Holy Spirit) and rejecting his work now is the same nature with idolatry of old, and with the Jews’ rejection of the person of the Son.”1 Dr. Olford states: “If the sin of the Old Testament was the rejection of God the Father, and the sin of the New Testament times was the rejection of God the Son, then the sin of our time is the rejection of God the Holy Spirit.”2
There are two ways that the Holy Spirit is rejected in our times (especially given the emphasis on the Holy Spirit in some circles). At one end of the spectrum the Holy Spirit is rejected by the sin of escapism - some preachers will not even mention the Holy Spirit. At the other end of the spectrum the Holy Spirit is rejected by the sin of extremism – i.e. shallow ministry, subtle manipulations, and senseless manifestations that do not comport with the Scriptures and are not for God’s glory.
We need to ensure that we maintain biblical balance concerning the Holy Spirit. It is impossible for any preacher to be effective, fruitful, or balanced in his ministry without acknowledging, and giving place to, the lordship, leading, illumination, and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can transform all your preparation (study of the text, outline of your sermon etc.) into a message from God that is accompanied by the power of God. You may rightly divide the word of truth; you may correctly study and analyze the text (the subject, structure, and substance of a text) and you may preach what you have prepared logically and flawlessly, but only God through the Holy Spirit can give your sermon the power to effect a spiritual transformation in someone’s life.
This is sometimes called the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit, or the “unction” of the Spirit, or the “empowerment” of the Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit to enable us to conduct thorough, scholarly study of the text in preparation for preaching, and we must also seek the blessing and power of the Holy Spirit to use the message to accomplish His work.
So, what is anointed preaching? What does it mean to preach with “unction”? How does a preacher obtain this empowerment of the Spirit?
First, let’s look at a definition of the term itself. “Unction” is an old fashioned word that is synonymous with “anointing.” For the purposes of this article, we will refer to “anointing” as the special empowerment of the Holy Spirit on the preacher. This is not the general empowerment of the Spirit that enables us to live the Christian life. This is the preacher’s access to special power for preaching through the Holy Spirit such that what we preach has supernatural consequences. Or, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones puts it: “It is God-given power ... that lifts it (what we preach) up beyond the efforts and endeavours of man to a position in which the preacher is being used by the Spirit and becomes the channel through whom the Spirit works.” 3 E.M. Bounds puts it this way: “(Divine unction) supports and impregnates revealed truth with all the energy of God. Unction is simply putting God in His own Word and on His own preacher.” 4
Now, let’s look at some key biblical references. Luke 4:18-19, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Here, Jesus is in the synagogue reading from Isa. 61:1-2. In what sense does Jesus mean that the Spirit of the Lord had “anointed” him?
There was no evidence of any particular bodily change in him, no change in his manner of speaking, nor any sort of spiritual experience. It appears to have been a normal reading of Scripture. The only difference from any other Scripture reading in the synagogue was his characterization of the text as prophetic of his ministry, and the claim that the prophecy was that day fulfilled.
In the way Luke has constructed his narrative, however, it becomes apparent that this event (Lk. 4:18-19) is directly connected to the infancy narrative (Lk. 1:35) and the baptism (Lk. 3:21-22), all three of which are designed to emphasize that Jesus is the anointed Son of God – the One sent by God, the One set aside by God, the One empowered by God to proclaim (and, indeed, to inaugurate) his kingdom. 5
This seems to be, then, the nature of Jesus’ anointing here – namely, the affirmation of Jesus as the one whom God has specially set apart for the task of preaching the good news and specially empowered for his ministry. What is most striking about this is that even the Lord Jesus himself received special anointing from the Holy Spirit to carry out his earthly mission.
Luke 24:49, “Tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Here the disciples, who had followed the Lord for three years (they had heard him preach, learned his teaching, imbibed his commands, witnessed his miracles, observed his death and burial, and seen him after his resurrection) are now promised that they will be “endued” (invested) with power by the Holy Spirit, which, of course, took place at Pentecost as Acts 2:4 records: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
You would not think that men such as this would need any special empowerment for their ministry. They didn't need any additional knowledge or conviction of the truth about Jesus. What they needed was the power and ability to carry out their ministry and mission (the extension of Jesus’ ministry) now that Jesus had gone. And this is what they were endued with in Acts 2 – a special power from the Holy Spirit specifically to enable their witness and work to have supernatural effect.
The effect of this special empowerment is astounding. Peter, who had previously denied the Lord with oaths and curses, is now able to preach with boldness and authority such that 3000 people are converted in one day.
Acts 4:7-8, “And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, ‘By what power or by what name have you done this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders of Israel…’”. Clearly, Peter was “filled with the Holy Spirit” at Pentecost. So, why did he need to be filled again? Because the filling of the Spirit is a repeated process by which the Spirit empowers God’s servants to accomplish specific ministry. Once again he received a fresh supply of the Spirit of God that filled him for the particular task on hand here in this chapter – namely, his trial for healing the lame man in ch. 3. There are many more references to this same phenomena in Acts (e.g. Acts 4:31; 6:3, 5; 7:55; 9:17; 11:24; 13:9, 52), but these will suffice for our purposes.
1 Cor. 2:1-5, 1 “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
This is Paul’s self-testimony concerning the manner of his preaching and teaching which shows us that spiritually powerful preaching is not accompanied with outward evidences and inward subjective experiences of some sort of mystical power. Indeed, neither the content of Paul’s message nor the manner of his preaching were designed, at least at a human level, to be manifestations of power.
In fact, Paul’s message (namely, Christ and him crucified) was, in his own words, “foolish” and his manner was marked by weakness, fear, trembling, and the noticeable absence of persuasive words of human wisdom. Though his own resources and abilities were weak, yet his speech and preaching were accompanied by, and demonstrated, the Spirit’s power, with the result that their faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
So, what is he referring to here? Paul’s point is that neither his manner (not with excellence of speech or wisdom; not with persuasive presence or oratory) nor his message (Christ and him crucified) would persuade them as to the truth of the gospel, but that only the Holy Spirit could and did do that. If his message and manner had been designed to persuade them to have confidence in him, then he would have presumably delivered a different message (one based on human wisdom) and in a different manner (charismatic, fluent, confident, awe-inspiring; visually and orally powerful). There is no evidence in any of the biblical accounts of Paul’s preaching and demeanour that he ever experienced subjective feelings (as some preachers claim), nor that his preaching was ever accompanied by powerful experiential or mystical effects in him. The only time he refers to an “out-of-body” type of experience is in 2 Cor. 12 where he is relating his vision of the third heaven – hardly applicable to preaching or to preachers today.
On the contrary, the power of Paul’s preaching was evident not in his feelings or experience but in the power of the Holy Spirit in the recipients such that their lives were transformed - their faith was not in men’s wisdom but in God’s power and, as with Peter’s preaching, they effectively said, “What must I do to be saved?” In the case of the Thessalonians, for example, their lives were turned from following and worshipping idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven (1 Thess. 1:9-10). That was the manifestation of the anointing of the Spirit on Paul’s preaching among them, not some sort of subjective experience on his part or some sort of mystical phenomenon.
Again, in the case of the Corinthians, the evidence of the power of the apostle’s witness among them was that their lives became written epistles of Christ, ministered indeed by Paul, but written by the Spirit of the living God on their hearts (2 Cor. 3:3). In other words, it was a radical life change that testified to the transforming work of the Spirit in them through Paul’s anointed preaching. For Paul, evidently, the practical outworking of the anointing of the Spirit on his ministry was precisely that his own resources and abilities were weak but the Spirit was powerful so that “your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
This is supported further by 2 Cor. 4:7. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” And again, in 2 Cor. 12:9, “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
These texts debunk any notion that the anointing of the Holy Spirit has to do with external evidences of human power or internal experiences of emotion. Paul is making the point at length here that the power of God is manifested in preaching precisely because the vessels through whom God is pleased to proclaim his message are nothing more than cheap, cracked, clay pots, which, ironically, display the magnificent and powerful treasure within. In other words, Paul is emphatically stating that anointed preaching is not loud, verbose, arrogant, self-confident, personally authoritative, or linguistically impressive, nor is it warm, fuzzy, out-of-body experiences or any other such phenomena of the preacher. Rather it is the exact opposite.
Anointed preaching is weak human agents into whom God has poured the light of the gospel in the face of Jesus Christ and who, in their daily experiences of weakness, suffering, and sorrow, leave the hearers with no doubt as to the divine source and truth of the message. That’s anointed preaching.
Paul gives not a single hint as to any sort of feeling of “soaring” above the preaching event by the preacher or any sort of intensified speech etc. etc., but quite the opposite. “My strength,” God says to Paul the preacher, “is made perfect in weakness.” Paul took courage in his weaknesses, infirmities, reproaches, needs, persecutions, distresses, for Christ’s sake, precisely so that the power of God may rest upon him. “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:4).
We have studied Ephesians 5:18 in a previous version of this Journal. You may wish to look at that text again in the context of our study concerning the power of the Holy Spirit in us.
Let’s look briefly at two other texts that speak to this same topic. Col. 1:28-29, “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” Though Paul was “striving” as hard as he could to fulfill his ministry, what made it effective was “His working which works in me mightily.” This is the unction / anointing of the Holy Spirit.
1 Thess. 1:5, “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.” The power that Paul is describing here is, again, the power of the Holy Spirit wrought in the hearers. He is not claiming some sort of inherent power in himself, whether spiritual or physical. First and foremost it was the “Word” that came to them in the Holy Spirit’s power, which transformed their thinking and behaviour. Further assurance, of course, was derived from observing “what manner of men we were among you for your sake.” Evidently the apostles’ lifestyle was of such consistency and made such an impression that, it not only affirmed the truth of what they said, but also caused the Thessalonians to become “imitators / followers of us and of the Lord” (1 Thess. 1:6).
So radical was the change in their lives that everyone in the region knew what had happened to them. They became effective witnesses to the truth of the gospel to everyone they came in contact with, the external evidence of their conversion being that they “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thess. 1:9). That is the evidence and result of Spirit-empowered (anointed) preaching.
In the next edition of this Pastors Journal we will draw some conclusions about what the empowerment of the Spirit is and what it is not.
“Identifying the Structure of the Text: Pt. 1, Subject and Complements”
Identifying the subject and its complements is a crucial step in the process of preparing for preaching. As we have seen in previous editions of this Journal, the sermon preparation process that I am outlining involves: (1) studying the text, (2) understanding the text, and now (3) identifying the structure of the text. All of this preparation will lead to eventually outlining the sermon from the text.
Every complete idea (syntactical unit) has to have both a subject and a complement. The complement expresses something about the subject – e.g. the action performed by the subject or the state attributed to the subject.
For example, you would never simply say, “The bird” – that is the subject but it is not a complete idea. You have to add something about the bird – i.e. a complement. What is it that you wish to communicate about the bird? You may say, “Look at the bird.” Or, “The bird is pretty”. Or, “The bird flies like an eagle”. Neither would you simply say: “is pretty”. Or, “flies”. Or, “like an eagle.” Those complements need a subject. What is pretty? “The bird is pretty.” What flies? “The bird flies.” How does the bird fly? “The bird flies like an eagle.”
So, a subject and complement (sometimes called a predicate) are the two main structural components of a simple sentence, which, when expressed together, form a complete idea. Without one or the other you cannot communicate ideas that others will understand properly.
Thus, every Scripture passage has a subject (also known as “the dominating theme”) and complement (also known as “the integrating thoughts”). A subject / dominating theme is what the author is talking about. After studying the text, you have to decide what is the subject / teaching of the text? What is the primary truth of the passage? This is what you are going to preach. The dominating theme / subject of the text must be the theme / subject of your sermon. We will address how you identify the theme later. Here, it is sufficient to say that our general hermeneutical approach to sermon preparation includes identifying the theme of the text because that forms the basis of what you preach. This is one of the first things you do when preparing a sermon.
Further, not only does every Scripture passage have a subject, but every subject has complements / integrating thoughts. A complement is what the author is saying about the subject.
The entirety of your sermon must be about the subject of the passage, and the complements form the points that your sermon will express about that subject. By identifying the subject and the complements you identify (1) the subject of your sermon (what you are going to speak about), and (2) what you are going to say about that subject. This is the basic structure of the text.
Never preach a sermon unless you know what the passage is about, in particular, what it is about theologically. So, we really want to know the theological subject of the passage. The structure of the passage and its flow of thought cannot be properly developed or accurately determined until and unless you know the subject – i.e. what the author is writing about. Knowing what the passage is about is the starting point for any sermon. You cannot preach on a passage if you do not know what the author is writing about. Neither can you properly or accurately determine the structure of the passage and its flow of thought until you know the subject
To identify the subject, ask yourself: “What is the writer writing about?” - not the "event" or "story", but the theological subject that lies behind the event or story. Sometimes the theological subject is the same or close to the textual structure - especially in the epistles where the writers are writing straight theology. But in narrative passages, we have to look behind the story for the theology that we will preach from the story. In answering the question, “What’s the writer writing about?” (the dominating theme) be sure to not make the subject too broad – i.e. don’t say, “Love.” What is it about “love” that the writer is writing about? Always try to limit the subject by what the writer is saying specifically, not generally.
For example, in Psalm 1, the broad subject is the godly person and the wicked. We can limit this broad definition by saying that it is a contrast between those two types of persons. Therefore, you would define the subject as “The contrast between the godly and the wicked.”
Another example might be Phil. 2:1-11. The broad subject is “unity.” We can limit this broad definition by saying that it is dependent on a Christ-like attitude. Therefore, we would define the subject as “A Christ-like attitude that produces unity.”
How do you find this dominating theme / subject? Well, one way is to look for a single statement in the text that states the subject. For example, 1 Tim. 4:6-16 “Pay close attention to yourself…and to your teaching” (16). The 1st part is developed in 4:6-10 and the 2nd part is developed in 4:11-15. In Gal. 6:1-10, Paul states that his subject is “doing good to the saints” when he says, “Let us do good to all men and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (10).
Another way of identifying the subject is to look for an overall theme. Or, look for recurring words.
Since an idea needs both a subject and a complement, the next step is to identify the complements.
A subject cannot stand alone. It needs a complement or multiple complements. As the author develops the passage, he will say different things about the subject he is writing about (the complements). The subject and its complements form a complete idea. The complements are what we would call the “points” which break the passage into sermonic divisions. Usually, the writer will make 2 or 3 points about the subject.
Each point in the passage will say something different about the same subject. By each point relating to the same subject, the passage holds together in a unit of thought – i.e. it has coherence, unity. And by each point saying something different about the same subject, the passage has movement – i.e. progression, flow of thought.
The subject, then, is what the passage is about and the complement is what the writer is saying about the subject. So, once you have discovered the subject by asking yourself, “What is the author writing about?”, then ask yourself the second question; “What is the author saying about the subject he is writing about?” The answer to this question produces the complements.
One way to identify the complements is to turn the subject into a question by asking: “what? when? why? (answer: “because” or, “so that”) how? (answer: “by”) where? who?” This will help you determine the complements. So, if the subject is “the test of a person’s character”, you might ask the question, “What is the test of a person’s character?” The answers to this question form the complements.
Therefore, when we preach the passage, we preach about one subject and we make several points (complements) about that subject all of which relate to the same subject. These complementing points come out of your research of the text (reading and studying) and your grammatical and structural analysis of the text.
After identifying the subject and its complements, you should be able to articulate the complete textual idea in one sentence (i.e. what the passage as a whole is about).
Examples Of Subject, Complements, And Textual Idea
Subject: The Man who is blessed by God (or, the godly man)
Question: Who / what kind of man is blessed by God?
Complements:
1. The man who does not (negatively) …
a) … walk in the counsel of the ungodly
b) … stand in the path of sinners
c) … sit in the seat of the scornful
2. The man who (positively) …
a) … delights in the law of the Lord
b) … meditates in his law day and night
Textual idea: The man who is blessed by God separates himself from the world and is devoted to God’s word
Subject: Not just “wisdom” or “how to obtain wisdom,” but “How to obtain wisdom in the midst of trials.”
Question: How do we obtain wisdom in the midst of trials?
Complement: Ask God for it in faith
Textual idea: Wisdom in trials is obtained by asking God for it in faith
1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 gives us a portrait of biblical leadership. It’s a portrait of fatherhood and biblical masculinity the way God meant it to be, specifically as it relates to church leadership.
Thessalonica was a city which Paul visited with Silas and Timothy on his second missionary journey (Acts 17:1-9). Paul preached in the synagogue there and some Jews and many Greeks were saved, and thus the church was birthed in that city.
Paul has many pleasant memories of his days there with this fledgling, vibrant church, whose faith, hope, love, and perseverance were evident despite persecution for their faith. I think we see in this letter that, as their spiritual father, Paul was proud of these young Christians and his parental relationship with them is no more evident than in these verses.
The central point of this passage is that a strong Christian leader is a tender and true spiritual father. Here Paul himself models the traits of a strong Christian father-leader in his relationship with these Christians.
Firstly, notice that A STRONG CHRISTIAN LEADER IS A LOVING CARE-GIVER (7-9). “We were children” (7). Notice this first metaphor that Paul uses to describe a Christian leader. First, it’s a metaphor that contrasts a mother’s tenderness in v. 7 with Paul’s apostolic authority in v. 6. Second, it’s a metaphor that shatters the 21st century image of a leader as the “boss,” the unemotional, hard-driving, disciplinarian. The first picture in this metaphor is that... gentle among you as a nursing mother cherishes her own
They don’t just produce children, they care for them. Their care is marked by gentleness, just as “a nursing mother cherishes her own children”. A nursing mother is the epitome of gentle care and affection and protection. Literally, she “keeps her child warm” by cradling her child in her arms, by holding it against her body. A nursing mother is a source of nourishment - she imparts her own life to the child. Her body transforms the food she eats into milk for her baby, which can’t be done by anyone else. She holds the baby close to her heart, where a bonding, oneness takes place. She provides security, comfort, warmth, protection.
Strong Christian leaders nourish their spiritual children gently. They tend to them like a nursing mother, providing physical, emotional, and spiritual nourishment. Physically, they provide the staples of life – warmth, good food, security. Emotionally, they support and encourage their children, giving them confidence to face the challenges of life. Spiritually, they teach their children the Word, so that they can grow in the Lord (1 Pet. 2:1-3), remembering that children need the milk before the meat and being careful not to feed their children the wrong things.
It’s not easy to be a “nursing mother”. Listen to Moses speaking to God about the Israelites about just such a role: “Did I conceive all this people? Did I give birth to them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child?’ … From where shall I get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now … and do not let me see my wretchedness.” (Num. 11:12). This gives a sense of how burdensome and frustrating fatherly leadership responsibilities can be sometimes. But these burdens and frustrations are overcome by the second characteristic in this metaphor. Not only do strong spiritual leaders nourish their children gently, but...
They love them so deeply that they yearn for them affectionately - “... affectionately longing for you” (8a). This is a unique term in the N.T. It means to “feel oneself drawn to something or someone”. It’s a term of strong intensity, a term of endearment taken from the nursery - one that is both masculine and tender. This is a picture of a father’s deep love for his children. Such is his unity with his children that he feels himself affectionately drawn to them. Because of his deep love for them he longs for them – can’t bear to be separated from them. He yearns to hear their laughter and to receive their kisses and to give them his comfort and affection.
The tenderness of a father may decline over time. As children grow they become less dependent, grow stronger, don’t need to be held like they once did. Soon they are taller than we are. But that doesn’t lessen their need for our touch, our love, our comfort, our encouragement. Similarly, spiritual leaders must continuously show tenderness and compassion to their spiritual children. The tendency sometimes is to be sharp and judgmental – the disciplinarian rather than the “nursing mother.”
It never occurred to the prodigal son that his father wouldn’t let him return home, despite all the insults and hurt that he had heaped on his father. So, he said: “I will arise and go to my father” (Lk. 15:18-19). But he was anticipating his father’s wrath and discipline. Hence his proposal, “Make me as one of your hired servants”. But no discipline came. Instead, “When he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him” (20). That’s deep affection – no hesitation, no inquisition, no probation, only compassion.
Don’t you think that the spiritual children whom God has given to our care need to be treated by us with compassion? How can we do this appropriately? By affirming them for who they are and appreciating what they do.
Strong spiritual fathers, then, love their spiritual children so deeply that they yearn for them affectionately. And they love them so deeply that they give of themselves sacrificially - “We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us” (8b). Paul loved them so deeply that not only did he bring them the gospel of salvation, but he gave them himself. He was prepared to die for them if necessary. He wasn’t lukewarm in his ministry among them. He was intensely committed to serving them. He gave himself sacrificially for them because they were “dear” to him.
It isn't enough just to provide for their physical needs. It isn’t even enough just to teach them spiritual truths, important as that is. The truth of the gospel is necessary but we must also impart to them our own lives - share ourselves, serve them sacrificially - so that our lives become part of theirs; so that they continue on the legacy we leave them.
How do we impart our lives to our spiritual children? We impart our lives to them by influencing their thinking and values, by demonstrating how to make good decisions, by modelling how to stand for what’s right, by teaching them how to handle finances responsibly, by giving them our time, attention, and affection, by admitting when we’re wrong and apologizing, by investing ourselves in them. We impart our lives to them by living out the gospel in our day-to-day practice, by being transparent before them so they can see our weaknesses as well as our strengths, our fears as well as their courage, our hopes as well as our disappointments.
Strong spiritual leaders love their spiritual children so deeply they yearn for them affectionately; they give of themselves sacrificially, and they love them so deeply they work for them diligently - “For you remember, brethren, our labour and toil; for labouring night and day, that we might not be a burden to anyone of you, we preached to you the gospel of God” (9).
Serving his spiritual children involved “labour and toil” for Paul. The Macedonian churches were extremely poor, so Paul worked in order to be financially self-supporting. “Labour and toil” means weariness, hardship, and hard work, especially, as in Paul’s case, when it includes making tents and preaching at the same time. Spiritual leaders must be diligent in their work, especially when it’s easy to slack off when no one’s looking. Spiritual leaders are duty bound to work hard for their congregations’ spiritual needs - to show them the way of salvation, to model Christianity before them. That’s hard work!
Diligence in these things exemplifies a good work ethic, by which you teach your congregation to be hard-working, responsible, devoted, dedicated, to be proud of a job well done, to be loyal. Providing emotional, social, and spiritual support is tough work. Being a spiritual father-leader takes tremendous diligence. And those who can keep their work lives in balance with their family lives and church lives are to be honoured.
In the next edition of this Journal we will continue our study of this passage and the topic of “A Biblical Portrait of a Strong Spiritual Leader.”
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 6:22-34; Link 2 - Jn. 6:34-40
Title: Jesus, The Bread of Life (6:22-40)
Point #1: What people want is temporal (26-34)
1. People want perishable food to eat (26-27)
2. People want religious works to perform (28-34)
Point #2: What Jesus offers is eternal (34-40)
1. Jesus offers eternal life (35-36)
2. Jesus offers eternal security (37-40)
a) Eternal security is by the gift of God (37)
b) Eternal security is by the will of God (38-40)
1 Cited in Stephen Olford, Anointed Expository Preaching, 29.
2 Olford, Anointed, 29-30.
3 Martin Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers, 305.
4 E.M. Bounds, Under the Dew of Heaven, cited in Stuart Olyott, Preaching Pure and Simple, 158
5 Darrel L. Bock. Luke (Baker), 407.
6 This procedure taken from Haddon Robinson, Biblical Preaching, 39-41.
Spring 2016 Edition
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
(http://tibp.ca/)
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
“The Power of the Holy Spirit”
Let’s continue our discussion from the last edition of this Journal (Winter 2016) on the subject of “The Power for Preaching,” specifically, “The Power of the Holy Spirit”. In order to preach with power, you must be “filled” with the Holy Spirit. In the Spring 2014 edition of this Journal we talked about the filling of the Spirit in connection with being a godly role model. Now I want to discuss the filling of the Spirit in connection with being a powerful preacher.
To be “filled with the Spirit” means to be controlled by the Spirit, to be under the dominion of the Spirit, to be directed by the Spirit, to live your life in the Spirit, to live according to the new birth, to be sensitive to the operation of the Spirit, to surrender moment by moment to the Spirit. To be filled with the Spirit means to allow the Spirit to do his work in you – illuminating you, guiding you, teaching you, convicting you. It means to be so occupied with the things of God that there is no room for anything else in your life.
In order to preach with the power of the Spirit, we must be filled with the Spirit and anointed (empowered) by Him for preaching. In order for this to be so, we must confess our sins, submit our will and thought to the Spirit, be God-centred not self-centred (Eph. 5:1-7), be light not darkness (Eph. 5:8-14), live in the consciousness of the personal presence of the Lord, fill ourselves with the Word, keep in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25), manifest the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22).
So, what then is this Spirit-empowered, anointed preaching? “Anointing”, as we are using that term here, is the setting aside and special empowerment of someone for divine service. Anointing is the Spirit’s empowerment of a person’s ministry that manifests itself in the effectiveness and fruitfulness of the Word in the hearers in such a way that the power is evidently of God and accomplishes God-glorifying ends. The Spirit’s empowerment (sometimes called “unction”) is “an impartation of the power of God coming upon the preacher mightily during his preaching that enables him to preach with power, authority and liberty which leads to conviction of the conscience and conversion of the listeners.” (Johnson T. K. Lim, Power in Preaching, 121.)
A preacher’s empowerment of the Spirit, it seems to me, has nothing to do with the manifestation of dramatic phenomena or mystical experiences. It is not some sort of charismatic feeling or esoteric sense of power (cf. 1 Cor. 2:1-5). It is not a temporary experience of ecstatic speech or visions. The Spirit’s empowerment is not a personal, subjective feeling or experience, but rather it is the work of the Spirit in us and in our audiences with the specific view of glorifying God.
Preaching in the power of the Spirit, biblically, has everything to do with being meek, submissive, prayer-dependent, Spirit-filled, Word-based, gospel-centred, Christ-focused, holy preachers, whose lives are pleasing and acceptable to God, whom God has called (1 Cor. 1:17; Gal. 1:15-16; Rom. 10:14-15) and whom the Holy Spirit has gifted and specially empowered for preaching (Eph. 3:18; 2 Tim. 1:6; 1 Cor. 12:1-14; 1 Tim. 4:14). In Peter’s words, it is the “ability that God supplies” (1 Pet. 4:11).
Preaching in the power of the Spirit is about the sovereign work of the Spirit in people’s lives through the application of the Word (which is “living and powerful”) to their minds, hearts, wills, and consciences, resulting in their spiritual transformation through, for example, repentance for sin, healed relationships, changed attitudes, correct beliefs, deeper love for God and his Word. Without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, our efforts would accomplish nothing. But with the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, our human feebleness and frailty is overshadowed by God’s supernatural power (2 Cor. 4:7).
Preaching in the power of the Spirit is about the Spirit enabling us to lead godly lives. He is the agent of practical sanctification (Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 5:16-23), continuously transforming our moral and spiritual character. Life in the Spirit is in total contrast to life in the flesh. The work of the Spirit in sanctification is not merely the negative work of mortification of the flesh but also the positive work of producing in us likeness to Christ (cf. Rom. 8:29). And only to the degree that we lead godly lives can we preach with power.
Preaching in the power of the Spirit has to do with the Spirit empowering us with that gift, for only He can do that. Preaching is a sovereign gift from God, which is to be used for the benefit of the body of Christ.
So, why do some preachers seem to have this power of the Spirit while others do not? Why do some preachers achieve such powerful results while others do not appear to do so? Does this mean that if our preaching produces no visible results that we have no spiritual power? For example, was Jeremiah an utter failure? Did his preaching lack the power of the Spirit because his ministry produced little or no visible results? No! Jeremiah’s message was the true and faithful word of the Lord, which word was rejected and opposed – e.g. he was imprisoned under King Zedekiah (37:11f.) and denounced by Hananiah (28:10f.).
The Spirit sovereignly applies the word of God to people’s hearts, minds, wills, and consciences with a view to their transformation. Such transformation may or may not take place but that is the sovereign work of the Spirit and not an indication of the preacher’s spiritual empowerment. Take, for example, Jesus’ own ministry. He received two reactions to his ministry – the reaction of wonder and the reaction of wrath (Lk. 4:22; 28-29). Some people responded positively to his message (“wonder”) and some reacted negatively (“wrath”). Both reactions are the product of the work of the Spirit in the hearers. So, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that no reaction at all might be more of an indication of no empowerment by the Spirit. The biblical truth is that the “wind blows wherever it wishes” (Jn. 3:8). We have no control over the sovereign action of the Spirit of God, but we can hinder it. So, visible results (especially in the form of subjective physical manifestations) are not the indicator as to whether you are preaching with spiritual power. However, I am not denying that the subjective type of reactions to the Spirit’s work may be and can be true.
We don't know when or how God will use our preaching to accomplish his purposes. It may not even be in our lifetime. Therefore, we should not rely on visible results as the affirmation that we are preaching with spiritual power. Immediate and identifiable results certainly are an encouragement to us, but the end results are known only to God and will be manifested in eternity.
“Identifying the Structure of the Text”, Pt. 2
In studying how to prepare for preaching, the last few editions of this journal have taught us the importance of reading the text, writing out the text in your own words, preparing a grammatical diagram of the text, and, lastly, finding the structure of the text by identifying its subject and complements. From this process, you should now understand the grammatical structure of the text and from the grammatical structure you should now be able to identify the literary structure of the textual (i.e. how the passage is constructed in units of thought or “scenes”). The textual structure is a vital stepping stone for preparing your sermon outline.
It is important never to force a structure on the biblical text. Always allow the text to reveal its own structure. This is fundamental to expository preaching in order to allow the Word of God to speak and to be faithful to the text.
The structure of the text exposes the author’s ideas in the passage and it expresses those ideas in the terms employed by the text – i.e. it usually speaks in the past tense (since the action of the text happened at a specific time in the past); uses the names and places in the text (since it has to do with specific people in particular places - e.g. Paul said…; Moses told the people…; the Ephesians were…); and reflects the argument, rebuke, exhortation, or teaching of the text.
Finding the structure of the text ensures that you know the subject of the passage and the flow of thought in the passage (the complements) – i.e. the points that the biblical author has expressed to his audience; how the author has crafted his material; how one sentence or group of sentences relates to the one before and the one after (i.e. the syntactical structure of the passage).
Let me now show you the textual structure of a few passages of Scripture so that you can see actual examples of what we have been learning:
Psalm 1:1-3
Subject: The man who is blessed by God
Question: What is a godly person like?
Answers (complements):
1. He separates himself from the ungodly (1)
2. He delights in the law of God (2)
3. He is like a tree planted by the water (3)
Genesis 21:8-21
Subject: God’s intervention when things go wrong
Question: What happens when things go wrong?
Answers (complements):
1. Sarah’s bad attitude resulted in resentment (9-10)
2. Abraham’s bad decision resulted in a predicament (11-14a)
3. Hagar’s bad circumstances resulted in banishment (14b-16)
4. God’s goodness resulted in His intervention (17-21)
Romans 12:1-2
Subject: Paul’s exhortation on Christian devotion
Question: What is Paul’s teaching about Christian devotion to God?
Answers (complements):
1. Paul exhorts the Christians in Rome to sacrifice themselves to God (1)
(1a) A sacrifice that is living, holy, and acceptable to God
(1b) A sacrifice that is their reasonable service
2. Paul exhorts the Christians in Rome how to sacrifice themselves to God (2)
(2a) By not being conformed to the world
(2b) But by being transformed in their minds
... through renewing their minds
... with a view to finding God’s will
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Subject: Paul’s preaching
Question: How and what did Paul preach?
Answer (complements):
1. The persuasion of Paul’s preaching (1-2)
(1a) Not human oratory or wisdom (1)
(1b) But only Christ and his crucifixion (2)
2. The power of Paul’s preaching (3-4)
(2a) Not from his personal presence or words (3)
(2b) But from the Spirit’s power (4)
3. The purpose of Paul’s preaching (5)
(3a) Not for faith in human beings (5a)
(3b) But for faith in God’s power (5b)
Galatians 5:16-25
Subject: Living by the Spirit
Question: What is living by the Spirit?
Answer (complements):
1. Living by the Spirit is a life of conflict (16-18)
2. Living by the Spirit is a life of contrast (19-23)
– works of the flesh vs. fruit of the Spirit
3. Living by the Spirit is a life of crucifixion (24)
4. Living by the Spirit is a life of conformity (25)
Philippians 3:1-14
Subject: Paul’s conversion
Question: What changed when Paul got saved?
Answers (complements):
1. Paul changed his priorities – his confidence in the flesh (4-6)
(1a) Confidence in his family heritage (5)
(1b) Confidence in his religious activity (6)
2. Paul changed his perspective (7-8c)
(2a) What once meant everything (vv. 4-6) now meant nothing (7)
(2b) What once meant nothing now meant everything (8a-c)
3. Paul changed his purpose (8d-12)
(2a) His life-long purpose was to be like Christ (8d-10)
(2b) His life-long purpose was to be with Christ (11-12)
4. Paul changed his pursuit (13-14)
(3a) He forgot what was behind – failures and successes (12-13a)
(3b) He reached forward to what was ahead – the upward call of God (13b-14)
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Subject: The example of the church in Thessalonica
Question: What was their example?
Answers (complements):
1. How their testimony is remembered (2-3)
(1a) By their work of faith
(1b) By their labour of love
(1c) By their endurance / patience of hope
2. How the gospel changed them (4-10)
(2a) They became followers of the apostles and Christ (4-6)
(2b) They became examples to others (7-10)
1 Timothy 3:14-16
Subject: The house of God
Question: What is God’s house to be like?
Answers (complements):
1. The description of God’s house (15)
(1a) It is the church of the living God (15a)
(1b) It is the pillar and ground of the truth (15b)
2. The doctrine of God’s house (16)
(2a) The revelation of God by Christ
(2b) The vindication of Christ by the Spirit
(2c) The observation of Christ by the angels
(2d) The declaration of Christ among the nations
(2e) The response to Christ in the world
(2f) The reception of Christ into glory
We are continuing our study of 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 from the last edition, where we saw that a strong Christian leader is a loving care-giver. Now, notice also, that A STRONG CHRISTIAN LEADER IS AN AUTHENTIC ROLE MODEL (10-11). A spiritual father is portrayed here as a role model in his walk and his words. First...
Paul’s spiritual life had been exemplary and his spiritual children could testify to it. A spiritual father’s walk must set a good example for his children to follow. “You are witnesses and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe” (10).
Not only had the Thessalonians witnessed Paul’s exemplary life, but God himself had also witnessed it. Paul wasn’t afraid of God’s scrutiny. His life among them had been holy (devout, pious, set apart for God), righteous in his dealings with others (marked by integrity), and blameless in his public reputation - his enemies might accuse him but no one could bring a legitimate charge against him.
To be an example to others what we do must confirm and emphasize what we say. As Christian leaders, we cannot be a testimony to our spiritual children unless our behaviour complies with our teaching.
At a family level, spiritual leadership is the responsibility of the father but, sadly, it often falls mostly to the mother. It’s about time men took up this responsibility. Fathers should set the standard for spirituality by modelling godliness in front of their wives and children. The older our children grow the more the world has a pull on them and the more important their decisions. Daughters need to see their fathers as a model of the man they would like to marry - strong but tender, decisive but understanding. Sons need to see their fathers as models of the man they would like to be - manly but soft-hearted, a leader but a servant.
Take the example of St. Augustine whose father was not a Christian. In his “Confessions” Augustine speaks to God about his father:
“No one had anything but praise for my father who, despite his slender resources, was ready to provide his son with all that was needed to enable him to travel so far for the purpose of study. Many of our townsmen, far richer than my father, went to no such trouble for their children’s sake. Yet this same father of mine took no trouble at all to see how I was growing in Your sight or whether I was chaste or not. He cared only that I should have a fertile tongue, leaving my heart to bear none of Your fruits, my God, though You are the only Master, true and good, of its husbandry.”
That’s not what we want our children to say about us, that we were only interested in their worldly advancements. No! We need to be interested and active in all aspects of their lives, setting before them a role model of how to live as a Christian. And that’s our responsibility as Christian leaders towards our spiritual children as well.
Well, strong Christian leaders are role models in their walk. And …
“You know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged everyone of you, as a father does his own children” (11). A spiritual father is a role model in his words of caution. To “exhort” means to caution, challenge, encourage. That’s what a father does for his children. He challenges them about decisions they make and conduct they display. He cautions them about consequences of actions they take. He warns them of danger ahead. He encourages them in the face of discouragement.
A spiritual father is also a role model in his words of comfort. To “comfort” means to cheer up, to console. This is an intensification of “exhortation”. A father makes his children feel better when they are sad, hurt (cf. 2 Cor. 1:4), by showing his tenderness, understanding, gentle care and affection.
Notice also, a spiritual father is a role model in his words of compulsion. To “implore” means to entreat, charge, appeal, urge. This is done within the framework of giving the benefit of one’s experience. On the basis of his experience, a father urges his children to follow his counsel. The ultimate charge of every Christian, spiritual father to his children is “that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory” (12).
This is the goal of every strong Christian leader - that his children “walk worthy of God” (1 Thess. 2:12); that his children “walk in the truth” (2 Jn. 1:4); that his children “walk worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing” (Col. 1:10); that his children “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Eph. 4:1). Every strong spiritual father wants to channel his children to follow the Lord, to teach them how to walk as Jesus walked (1 Jn. 2:6), to see them enter God’s kingdom and share his glory, to hear them voluntarily respond to God’s call on their lives, to witness them display a worthy life of holiness and obedience.
A strong spiritual leader, then, is faithful and true. He is a loving care-giver and an authentic role model. A spiritual leader is someone who is his spiritual children’s greatest cheer leader, who exhorts, encourages, and implores, who so models the Christian life that his spiritual children will want to be like him. Someone has said that “Each day we make deposits into the memory bank of our children.”
A Christian father does not fit a sexual stereotype at home, where the mother feeds and cares and the father provides and disciplines. Scripture encourages rather than discourages the sharing of responsibilities. And that is the message that Paul is conveying by using these two metaphors here – the nursing mother (7-8), the devoted father (9-12). Like Paul, strong spiritual leaders must love their spiritual children as a mother and exhort them as a father.
Biblical masculinity is a balance of gentleness and strength, affection and discipline, instruction and exhortation, comfort and correction. When we look at our heavenly Father, we don’t see a passive uninterested father, but we see one who is actively involved in our lives. We don’t see a father who distances himself from us, but we see one who reaches out to us. We don’t see a father who abandons his family, but we see one who remains faithful even when we are unfaithful. We don’t see someone who is content to have his family in discord and chaos, but we see someone who unifies us and calls us to the bond of peace. We don’t see someone who is self-centred, focused on personal pleasure, but we see someone who sacrifices for the well-being of the human family even to the point of sacrificing his own beloved Son. We don’t see someone with a half-hearted, lukewarm attitude toward his family, but we see someone who is zealous, intense, passionate in his concern. We don’t see someone whose son does not model him, but we see one of whom his Son is the exact replica so much so that, Jesus said, “he who has seen me has seen the Father”
And so, to all of spiritual leaders, I encourage you to keep the model of our heavenly Father always in front of you. To those of you who demonstrate godly leadership at home and at church with diligence and commitment, love and care, I applaud you and honour you. To those of you who are struggling with the responsibilities of being a spiritual leader, I urge and encourage you to imitate the example of our heavenly Father as demonstrated in the apostle Paul, to make this a matter of prayer and dependence on God. This task isn’t easy but with God’s help and in submission to the Holy Spirit, we can fulfill the task he has given us to be “godly men”.
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 8:12, Pt. 1; Link 2 - Jn. 8:12, Pt. 2
Title: Jesus is the Light of the World (Jn. 8:12)
Point #1: Jesus is the source of spiritual light (12a)
1. He is the exclusive source of spiritual light (“I am the light…)
2. He is the universal source of spiritual light (“…of the world)
Point #2: Jesus is the way to spiritual light (12b)
1. Those who follow Christ will not walk in darkness
2. To follow Christ is to have the light of life
Summer 2016 Edition
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
(http://tibp.ca/)
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
“The Power of the Holy Spirit”
In the last three editions of this journal we have been discussing the subject of the power of the Holy Spirit for preaching. In the last edition, we asked several questions like: (1) What is Spirit-empowered preaching? (2) Why do some preachers seem to have the power of the Spirit while others do not?
In this edition we are going to address another question that this subject raises: What is the difference between the “filling” of the Spirit and the “empowerment” of the Spirit? Here it is important to understand three distinctions between the baptism, the filling, and the empowerment of the Spirit (adapted from Dr. Stephen F. Olford).
1. The baptism of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13) represents our “spiritual position” in Christ. This occurs only once at the time of our regeneration, at which time we are “indwelled” by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; 2 Tim. 1:14; James 4:5). All believers are baptized / indwelled by the Spirit.
2. The filling of the Spirit (Eph. 5:18) reveals our “spiritual condition” in Christ. There is one baptism of the Spirit but many fillings of the Spirit. Filling signifies saturation, no room for the flesh, self, or sin. This is not the indwelling of the Spirit (that is a fact of new birth). This is being controlled by the Spirit, as we have already discussed. This is a function of living according to the new birth. This involves obedience to, submission to, dependence on, and allegiance to the Holy Spirit in everyday living. “This is normal Christian living and Christ-likeness” (Olford, Anointed Expository Preaching, 216). We are to “be filled” with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18). This almost seems like a grammatical impossibility – an imperative in the passive voice; a command to do something that is done to us! But the conflict is resolved as follows: we obey the command by actively ridding our lives of anything that would grieve or quench the Spirit (by virtue of our manner of life, holiness etc.) and, in response, we are passively (i.e. something done to us) controlled by the Spirit as He works in us and through us in our lives and ministries.
3. The empowerment of the Spirit (Acts 1:8) reinforces our “spiritual vocation” in Christ. In order for our ministries to be effective for God, we need to be empowered by the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:1-5; 1 Thess. 1:5). We cannot produce spiritual results ourselves. We are engaged in a spiritual vocation which demands the sanction and efficacy of the Spirit in order to be effective. So, we must first be filled with the Spirit before we can be empowered by the Spirit to effectively preach God’s word. And I would argue that if we are truly filled with the Spirit, we will be empowered by the Spirit.
So, let me ask the same question as last time: Why are some preachers Spirit-empowered and others not? The difference has nothing to do with indwelling of the Spirit for all believers are indwelled by the Spirit. Rather, the difference seems to lie in the “filling” of the Spirit. Some preachers are “filled” with the Spirit and, thus, are able to serve in the “power” of the Spirit while others are not. If a preacher is not “filled” with the Spirit, then it stands to reason that his preaching will not be accompanied by the empowerment of the Spirit. Some preachers are living in obedience to the Spirit while others are not. Some preachers are gifted by the Spirit to preach and others are not. It’s all a question of how we live (whether we are in submission to and dependence upon the Spirit or whether we are living in our own resources) and how God has gifted us.
Therefore, if there is present in your life’s activities, thoughts, desires etc. anything that would “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Eph. 4:30), then the Holy Spirit will not be active in your life and ministry. It’s impossible. I am not denying the sovereignty of the Spirit to use even dumb donkeys or even unsaved people to achieve his purposes, but the principle in the believer’s life is that the Spirit does not operate for blessing when our lives are not suited to his indwelling. Similarly, if there are things in your life that would “quench the Spirit” (1 Thess. 5:19), then the Spirit will not be active in blessing or empowering your ministry.
It is right and proper, then, that we should want the empowerment of the Spirit in our lives and ministries. Indeed, we cannot conduct meaningful, fruitful ministry without the empowerment of the Spirit and the liberty of the Spirit to do his work in us and in our audience.
In order to preach with power, we must allow the Spirit of God to do His work in us, sanctifying us (so that we are usable by God), illuminating us (so that we understand the Word correctly), and enabling us (so that we can express the Word properly). And, the Spirit of God must do His work in our audiences, convicting them concerning sin, righteousness, and judgement to come (Jn. 16:11), and transforming them into people of God, Christ-followers. This is the evidence of the empowerment and, therefore, blessing, of the Spirit – vessels who are fit for the Master’s use and audiences whose lives are radically changed.
Let me now add a word of warning and a word of encouragement. First, a word of warning. Beware of “having a form of godliness but denying the power” (2 Tim. 3:5). Beware of thinking that because you can create a certain atmosphere in the congregation or draw out a certain response from them, that you are preaching with power. Beware of focussing on experiences, phenomena, and subjective feelings, while missing the genuine work of the Spirit. Beware that you don’t confuse preaching in the flesh with preaching in the Spirit. “When you preach in the energy of the flesh, you feel exalted and lifted up. When you preach in the power of the Spirit, you are filled with humble awe at the work of God” (Martyn Lloyd-Jones, cited in Arturio G. Azurdia III, Spirit Empowered Preaching, Christian Focus Publications, 2003, preface).
We must be convinced every time we preach that “the message I am preaching can do no good to anyone unless it is accompanied by the Spirit of God” (Stuart Olyott, Preaching Pure and Simple, Wales, Bryntirion Press, 2005, 154). It is only the empowerment of the Spirit of God that can produce spiritual results. On our own, we can accomplish nothing.
How do you know, then, if you are preaching with the empowerment and blessing of the Spirit of God? You know it when the Word of God applied by the Spirit of God produces a response from the people. And you know that people’s lives are being changed when some get saved, marriages are restored, relationships are healed, people become more devoted disciples of Christ, people become more engrossed with the Word etc.
Now, a word of encouragement. This analysis of “the empowerment” (anointing, unction) of the Spirit ought to be a great encouragement to preachers, who day in and day out, year after year, are quietly serving God in their ministries, who are faithfully and accurately explaining and applying God’s Word, who are trusting the Spirit of God to take his Word and use it to the conversion of souls and the transformation of lives, such that people become fully devoted followers of Christ “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect person, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13).
That’s Spirit-empowered ministry. It is the preaching of one whose sole desire is to glorify God, to magnify Christ, with a view to “presenting every person perfect in Christ Jesus” (Col. 1:28). I would argue that what we should seek in our preaching is God’s blessing, which will be manifested in such ways as: (1) fruit in our ministry (people being saved; people growing in Christ etc.), (2) spiritual fruit in our own lives (Gal. 5:22), (3) the affirmation of the leaders of the church in affirming us for ministry, and (4) the centrality of Christ and the glory of God in our preaching.
So, for those pastors and preachers who do not see visible results before, during, or after preaching, take courage. “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty, and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are so that no flesh should glory in his presence ...that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord’” (1 Cor. 1:27-29, 31).
May this article be an encouragement to us all as preachers, that we cannot accomplish the great purposes of God in the lives of our hearers, but through living holy lives, supplication in prayer, and dependence on the Spirit of God, we can be used by God for his sovereign purposes. Sometimes we may know what some of those results are, but many times we will not. Our comfort is that the work is God’s work – he alone can save souls; he alone can change people’s lives. Without that assurance our ministry would be discouraging. But with that assurance our ministry is fulfilling.
Outlining the Sermon
Up to this point, in our discussion of “preparing for preaching” we have been talking about selecting texts and topics, studying the text, analyzing and understanding the text, and identifying the structure of the text. That process can be both exciting and discouraging – exciting when you discover the flow of thought in the passage (i.e. the structure of the text), but discouraging when you work at it for hours and fail to discover it. Perhaps you can see why sermon preparation is hard work.
But now, finally, you are ready to prepare a sermon outline of the text. Perhaps you are wondering, “What is the difference between the structure of the text and the outline of the sermon? Are they not the same?” For some preachers they are the same. Many preachers preach from the structure of the text - and that’s alright, but it doesn’t really quite go far enough, because our sermon outline needs to reflect the theological principles and application of the text to us today, so that our congregations can see how it applies to them. One of our jobs as preachers is to bridge the gap between the ancient text, people, language, and culture, to our present day.
So, while a sermon outline follows and flows from the textual structure, it differs from the textual structure in that it determines how you are going to preach what the text says. By the time you have determined the structure of the text, you know the subject of the passage and what the writer says about that subject (the complements). In other words, you know what the author has written about and how he has arranged his material. Now you need to decide how you are going to preach the theology contained in the text and make it applicable to your audience today. I think that this is perhaps the most important function of a preacher, because this is something that our audiences do not usually do for themselves. They read the Bible and they understand what it says, but often they do not understand what it means and implies, and how it applies to us today. It is our job to communicate this.
Another question that may come to your mind is, “Why do we need our sermons to have an outline?” Many preachers do not use outlines and as a result fail to explain the theological meaning and implications of the text, as well as its application to today’s audience. Our sermons need to be structured because:
1. The entire Bible is structured. Each biblical writer has a purpose in writing. No writing in the Bible is haphazard (i.e. without structure and purpose).
2. If you do not have an outline that follows and flows from the structure of the text, you will not have a logical sermon that the people can follow.
3. If you do not have a clear, biblical structure, you will fail to preach a clear, biblical message.
A sermon outline is the “skeleton” of a sermon, the skeleton that the flesh of your message hangs onto, the “framework” that your exposition is nailed to. It is the main points that divide up and hold together the body of your sermon.
A good sermon outline accomplishes the following:
1. It divides your message into “main points” (i.e. sermon divisions).
2. It helps you present your flow of thought with clarity, order, unity, progress, completeness.
3. It keeps you on track by preventing you from wandering or forgetting important points.
4. It balances the message between the introduction, the body (explanation, application, illustration), and the summation.
5. It controls the length of the message by preventing the message from being too long or too short.
6. It serves as a road map (or, table of contents) for the congregation to follow.
7. It makes the message more memorable for the listeners.
A sermon outline divides the subject of the text into major divisions, which form the main points of the sermon. Then the main points may be further subdivided into sub-points, which merely clarify the main points by breaking them down into smaller units. However, the degree to which you subdivide your message is a matter of personal preference. I think that it is simpler for the audience to follow if you only use main points in your outline and preach your sub-points as explanatory material for the main point. You can still word your sub-points so that they stand out, but they flow with the explanatory material of the sermon and are not articulated as separate sub-points. Otherwise, your audience can easily lose track of where you are.
I try to make my main points stand out by using common wording and repeating them as I go. For example, Philippians 1:19-20 could be outlined this way:
1. We can have confidence in the prayers of Christ’s people (19a)
2. We can have confidence in the provision of Christ’s Spirit (19b)
3. We can have confidence in the preservation of Christ’s testimony (20)
You never want the sermon outline to overpower your message or to impress your audience. It merely gives structure to your message.
The starting point for a sermon outline is the main thought (subject) of the passage. It is important to write down the main thought and the statements about that thought (the complements) to form the core of the sermon.
Every sermon has to have structure. The main structural components of every sermon are: (1) the beginning (introduction); (2) the middle (exposition, body); and (3) the end (summation, conclusion). In turn, these main structural components need to achieve the following objectives:
1. Your introduction should…
a) Get your audience’s attention
b) Create a need that the sermon will address
c) Connect to the Scripture passage
d) State the subject
e) State your thesis (i.e. the overall point and teaching of the passage)
f) Transition to the body of the sermon
2. The body of the sermon is where you…
a) State and explain your main points
b) Illustrate your points where necessary and appropriate
c) Apply the teaching to your audience
3. In your conclusions you…
a) Summarize the points you have just brought out of the passage.
b) Help the audience to visualize the truth you have explained – i.e. to see what this teaching looks like in daily life.
c) Challenge them to actualize the truth – i.e. to put it into practice, to respond to the truth they have just heard.
Starting with the next edition of this journal, I will cover these sections of a sermon outline in the order in which you prepare them (not the order in which you preach them) as follows:
1. Wording the main points.
2. Stating the thesis - some people call this the proposition, or “the sermon in a sentence”.
3. Drafting the body of the sermon – the explanation (including illustrations) and applications
4. Structuring the close of the sermon.
5. Designing the introduction.
“The Character Of The Gospel” (1 Cor. 1:18-25)
By: Dr. Stephen F. Olford
We come now to one of the most revealing passages on the subject of the gospel and the nature of the Christian ministry that we find anywhere in the New Testament. Paul has been dealing with the curse of divisions in the church, but now he proceeds to consider the causes of divisions in the church; and right through to chapter 4, he addresses two misconceptions that are basic to all division. The first is the misconception concerning the Christian message (1:18-3:4), and the second is the misconception concerning the Christian ministry (3:5-4:5). To begin with, let us consider the misconception concerning the Christian message. First of all, this involves a misconception concerning The Character of the Gospel. This is our message today from 1 Corinthians 1:18-25.
Let us remember as we address ourselves to these verses that Paul is writing to a church that was divided. As we have observed already, there were no less than four parties with their respective watchwords. Part of the problem was that the believers were being drawn to men rather than to the Master, but there was also the tendency to exalt the messenger instead of the message. So Paul is compelled to set forth a clear statement on the character of the gospel. He first of all speaks about:
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us who are being saved, it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18). Paul’s emphasis here is not so much on the presentation of the gospel, as on the “word” of the gospel, as distinct from the wisdom of words referred to in verse 17. His supreme objective is to point out the uniqueness of the gospel as a revelation of the wisdom and power of God. These were the key words of the ancient world. The Greeks were ever seeking after wisdom, while the Jews were obsessed with signs. Thus Paul delineates the distinctive character of the gospel by observing:
1) The Wisdom of God in Contrast to the Wisdom of Man - “…Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24). Paul leaves us in no doubt as to what he means by the wisdom of God. A little further down in the paragraph he says, “But…in Christ Jesus…God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30). There is no greater statement on the message of full salvation than that which is contained in this verse. First, Christ is our righteousness. In and through Jesus Christ, we have been made right, or just, before a holy God. This aspect of the gospel answers the ancient question: “How can man be justified with God” (Job 25:4). Because Christ has died for our sins and risen again to justify us, we can know the righteousness of God imputed to us through faith in His Son. Secondly, Christ is our sanctification. We could never attain holiness in our own strength, but through His indwelling, sanctification is accomplished day by day. This work of grace sets us apart entirely for the purpose of God. In terms of behavior it means living out experimentally what we are positionally in Christ. Thirdly, Christ is our redemption. This word means “release” or “deliverance.” In this particular context it refers not only to redemption from the penalty and power of sin, but from the very presence of sin. It is that final act of God by which we are made to conform to the very likeness of Christ at His coming.
What a revelation of the wisdom of God in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. But in contrast to this, Paul describes the wisdom of man. With the writer James, he agrees that man’s “…wisdom…is earthly, sensual, devilish” (James 3:15). Human wisdom is earthly. “…For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). Now here is an all-important factor to remember: that God in His wisdom has decreed that the world by its own wisdom should not and cannot know God. This forever annihilates the notion that man by his own reasoning or intellectual attainments can find God, let alone know God. Human education at its very highest and best is wholly inadequate. Human wisdom is sensual. This is why Paul, with a touch of irony, says, “…the Greeks seek after wisdom” (1 Cor. 1:22). There is nothing which appeals to sensual or carnal people like the so-called “intellectual approach” of sophisticated preachers or silver-tongued orators. Human wisdom is devilish. It is described thus because it is associated with the devil who fell by pride. This is why human philosophy is nothing more than intellectual arrogance and conceit. Every movement that has undermined the authority of the Scriptures – call it what you will: modernism, liberalism, or humanism – is all part of this philosophical approach. Because of human pride, men seek to be associated with famous names of the philosophical approach, not realizing that the Bible condemns it as devilish.
So Paul reminds the Corinthians “…it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” (1 Cor. 1:19-20). The whole point of this quotation is to show that man has to learn that all his schemes and efforts to accomplish his own salvation are utterly futile. God only saves through the word of the cross (Isaiah 29:14). The second quotation from Isaiah 33:18 illustrates how God utterly confused the worldly-wise counsels of the Jewish rulers. And what He did in those days long ago He has continued to do when men will not renounce their philosophical reasoning in favor of the wisdom of God. But in describing this distinctive revelation of God, Paul not only contrasts the wisdom of God as against the wisdom of man, but also:
2) The Power of God in Contrast to the Power of Man - “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us who are being saved, it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18). How this reminds us of Paul’s great affirmation in Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” At the heart of the gospel is the very dynamic of God which has power to save and to deliver. There is nothing else in the whole universe which can transform human life like the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The power of the cross is the only answer to human sin.
In contrast to this, there is the vaunted power of man. “The Jews require a sign…” (1 Cor. 1:22). As Leon Morris says, “The Jews, throughout their history, were very matter of fact. They showed little interest in speculative thought. Their demand was for evidence, and their interest was in the practical. They thought of God as manifesting Himself in history, in signs and mighty wonders.” This is why the Jews were forever seeking signs from the Lord during His earthly ministry (Matthew 12:38; 6:1, 4; Mark 8:11; John 6:30). They thought of the Messiah as One who demonstrated His authority by striking manifestations of power and majesty. To them, a crucified Christ was a contradiction of terms.
Thus Paul sums up his analysis of divine wisdom and power against human wisdom and power in those tremendous words found in verses 22, 23, and 24: “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”
The second characteristic of the gospel that Paul spoke about was:
“But unto those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24). Here is presented the perfect balance of the Christian gospel. Not only does God give us a revelation of Himself, but also an invitation to Himself. This is more than human wisdom and power can do. Consider then:
1) God’s Pleasure in the Gospel Invitation - “…it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). The word “preaching” is not the same as that found in verse 18. The emphasis here is on the proclamation of the glorious message of the gospel. Paul tells us here that the supreme pleasure of God, or more literally, “God’s good pleasure,” is that through the foolishness of preaching men and women should be saved. Could anything be more majestic and wonderful than that God should set His heart upon the sons of men, and that through the foolishness of preaching, communicate the saving message of the cross? But think again of:
2) God’s Purpose in the Gospel Invitation - “The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18). Here is a combination of words that comprehend the total saving work of God in Christ. Let us remember that every man outside of Christ is lost. Indeed, the verb rendered “perishing” denotes not extinction, but ruin and loss of well-being. A person who is perishing is failing to fulfill the very purpose for which God created him. But this is where the gospel of Jesus Christ meets him and saves him unto eternal life. The idea behind this word “saved” is not only that of reclamation but also of transformation.
But observe once again what we are calling:
3) God’s Process in the Gospel Invitation - “…it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe…But unto them which are called…Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:21, 24). There are two words which sum up the divine process in the gospel invitation. One is the word “call.” The other is the word “believe.” The one describes the offer of God, while the other denotes the response of man. Jesus is always calling men and women to Himself; and thank God, people out of every tribe, tongue, and kindred are responding. This glorious process will continue until the Body of Christ is complete.
So we see that this redemptive invitation of God demands a verdict. Man can never be confronted with the revelation and invitation of the gospel without giving an answer. If he believes, he is saved. If he rejects, he perishes.
Conclusion: The Corinthian believers were divided because they had false notions concerning the message of the gospel. This is why Paul takes pains in this first paragraph to set forth the true character of the evangel. Having treated it as thoroughly as we have seen, he concludes with the words, “…the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger that men” (1 Cor. 1:25). The philosophies and human demonstrations of power may come and go, but the gospel of Jesus Christ is unchanged and unchanging for its character is that of Jesus Christ Himself – “…the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 10:1-2; Link 2 - Jn. 10:3-4; Link 3 - Jn. 10:4-8; Link 4 - Jn. 10:9
Title: Jesus is the Door (Jn. 10:1-9)
Point #1: False religious leaders are intruders (1-2)
1. They do not enter by the door but climb up some other way
2. They are thieves and robbers
Point #2: True religious leader are shepherds (3-5)
1. They lead God’s people by evoking our response (3a-b)
2. They lead God’s people by issuing us a call (3c)
3. They lead God’s people by giving us directions (3d-4b)
4. They lead God’s people by eliciting our trust (4c-5)
5. They lead God’s people by drawing us to Christ (6-9)
a) Christ is the door of the sheep (7-8)
b) Christ is the door of salvation (9a)
c) Christ is the door of liberty (9b)
d) Christ is the door of nourishment (9c)
Fall 2016 Edition
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
(http://tibp.ca/)
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
“The Power of Prayer”
E. M. Bounds says the following:
“What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Spirit can use – men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men – men of prayer…Prayer makes the man; prayer makes the preacher; prayer makes the pastor…Every preacher who does not make prayer a mighty factor in his own life and ministry is weak as a factor in God’s work and is powerless to advance God’s cause in this world.” [E. M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer (Moody, 1979), 10, 15].
The heart of spiritual power is prayer. The apostle Paul asked for prayer: “Brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified.” (2 Thess. 3:1). Again Paul asks, “...praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints – and for me, that utterance may be given me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel...” (Eph. 6:18-20). And again, “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains” (Col. 4:2-3)
Notice in these texts, the direct connection Paul makes between prayer and preaching. Clearly in his view, the heart of spiritual power is prayer. So, with that in mind, let’s ask ourselves some tough questions:
To preach with renewed power year after year, a preacher needs to have renewed experiences with God and this can only be entered into through prayer. Personal prayer is the means by which we experience a fresh fellowship and walk with God. It is in private communication with God through prayer that our souls are refreshed and we rediscover over and over again the heart of God.
Nothing encourages and gives spiritual vision more than prayer and the reading of the Word. If a preacher does not pay the price of spending lots of time with God on a consistent basis, he will run dry. But when we spend time in God’s presence, God replenishes our spiritual resources and vitality. Secret prayer changes us and rekindles our passion for God. Only secret prayer keeps us sharp spiritually.
In order to have power in preaching, a preacher must be a man of prayer. Indeed, we are invited by God to come boldly and regularly into His presence to “obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). Through prayer God reveals to us what he wants us to say to the people. This is why personal prayer is a vital issue regarding unction in preaching.
Prayer is a difficult discipline to maintain because our adversary, the devil, wants to keep us from it. Satan knows that there is a direct connection between private, personal prayer and power in the pulpit, and he does not want power in the pulpit. There are always things that vie and clamour for our attention. When they rob us of time in prayer, they are tools that Satan is using to draw us away from prayer and from dependence on God.
The major reason why there is so little prayer in the lives of many preacher is the lack of personal discipline in their lives. So many of us are lazy and neglectful in the matter of prayer. We spend time on sermon preparation, but we tend to neglect preparing our hearts through prayer because we lack discipline.
We need to discipline ourselves in preparation for preaching by studying God’s Word and by praying for God’s help and direction. Prayer requires the same kind of discipline as any other occupation that demands training and commitment. Just as athletes diligently train themselves and deny themselves the pleasures that others might indulge in so that they can be in the very best shape possible, so we, as preachers, must be committed to spiritual “training” and the discipline of prayer.
Prayer is like a compass to the sermon in that it acts as a rudder does for a ship. It keeps us going straight. It marks out the course ahead of us. We know where we want to end up in our sermon, and prayer makes sure that we go in the right direction to end up there.
Prayer and holiness are inseparably linked together. Prayer keeps the preacher’s spirit in harmony with God and we can only be in harmony with God to the degree that we have holy lives. Prayer is the medium that keeps our hearts attuned to God; and to be attuned to God demands holiness of practice.
We cannot enter into meaningful, genuine prayer with sin in our lives. Therefore, the discipline of prayer keeps us sensitive to sin and anything that disrupts our communion with God. Prayer is a divine encounter with God and a meeting with God puts us on holy ground where we must remove our shoes. In prayer, we are convicted of anything in our lives that is contrary to the nature and character of God, which, in order for us to continue in prayer, we must judge and confess.
Only as we saturate ourselves in prayer are our lives made holy. And only then are we filled with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Without unceasing prayer we cannot be truly holy; and without being truly holy we cannot preach with power. We can have the best sermon outlines and do the most diligent study, but without holiness in our private lives we cannot preach the Word with power.
If our private lives are morally impure, then our preaching will be ineffective and weak. We cannot preach God’s Word with power if we do not live in a way that is consistent with that Word. The Word must be effective in the preacher’s life before it will be effective in the congregation’s life.
John Wesley wanted preachers who “fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God.”
In order to be powerful for God, we must live holy lives that spring out of prayerful lives.
A life that is weak in prayer is weak in practice and weak in preaching. A strong prayer life produces a strong holy life and, consequently, a strong preaching life. If we do not live a pure life we will not pray; but if we walk a pure life with God, we will not keep from praying.
Outlining the Sermon, Part 2
In order to outline a sermon we need to move from textual structure (which we have talked about at length in previous editions of this journal) to the sermon outline. The textual structure is the first step in developing a sermon outline. Sermon outlines follow the flow of thought in the textual structure and are derived from the textual structure. But there is a shift from the textual structure to the sermon outline – sometimes called the “sermonic shift.”
The shift from the textual structure to the sermon outline is a shift from the “biblical world” (i.e. the world of the biblical author) to the “contemporary world” (i.e. the world we live in), so that the ideas we express are (1) not bound to a specific time, (2) not restricted to certain people (other than God or the Lord Jesus), and (3) not limited by particular geography or places.
In other words, sermon outlines are not past tense, nor people and situation specific. Rather, the ideas in a sermon outline are abiding principles, universal truths. What we are trying to do here is give our sermon outline a form that is communicable to, understandable by, and relevant to today’s audience, (1) by moving from the specific textual ideas up what is sometimes called the “ladder of abstraction” to arrive at general, timeless truths; and (2) by expressing these timeless truths as life-applications (i.e. applicable to our audiences).
If you don’t do this, your audience could well say, for example, “That was fine for the apostle Paul but what does it have to do with me? Why should I listen to this sermon?” We overcome this objection by outlining our sermons with main points that are universal in their truth and application for today. Thus, sermon outlines consist of main points that are oriented to universal truths (i.e. timeless principles) and focused on contemporary application (i.e. relevant to our present audience).
Every text has a message of timeless theological truth in it for today. Our task is to determine what those timeless truths are and express them as principles. This is what Dr. Walter Kaiser calls “principlization.” These principles become the “main points” of our sermon outline.
After writing out the textual outline, the next task is to write out the sermon outline. The starting point for a sermon outline is to formulate main points and sub-points. Main points form the structure (skeleton) on which the sermon hangs. They are like chapter headings in a book.
Main points are one sentence summaries of each thought (idea) in the text. They are restatements of the textual structure in the form of universal principles, abiding truths. Main points answer the question: “What can we learn from the text today? What does this have to do with me? What are the abiding principles (timeless truths) that apply to us?”
Main points arise from your study of the text and are derived from the textual structure you have discovered. That’s why the textual structure is the first step in developing a sermon outline. Like textual structure, therefore, the main points for sermon outlines follow and are structured around the “flow of thought” of the text.
You discover main points in the biblical text by identifying the abiding principles (timeless truths) that the biblical author is conveying, not only to his immediate audience but to us.
Main points are statements of principle whose thrust is “life application.” As Walter Kaiser puts it, main points “state the author’s proposition, argument, narration, and illustrations in timeless abiding truths with special focus on the application of those truths to the current needs of the church.” (Kaiser, Toward An Exegetical Theology, 152). They are statements of timeless and universal truth that are worded as application to the lives of our audience. They are propositions that call the hearers to some kind of response – i.e. propositions that internalize the truth.
Main points, therefore, are one-sentence summaries of each thought (idea) in the biblical text and they are formulated so that (1) they do not dilute or change the content of the passage; (2) they express the original author’s purpose and theme in writing; and (3) they reflect the timeless truth the original author wanted to convey.
How you state the theological principle varies depending on the genre of text. If you are dealing with didactic material (e.g. Romans), this is relatively simple. All you have to do is word the teachings into a propositional form (homiletical points) that call the hearers to some type of response.
If you are dealing with non-didactic biblical material, the task is more complex. In that case, you need to summarize the theme of each paragraph of your preaching passage in a single sentence that corresponds to the author’s intent and which gives the theological and practical essence of what that paragraph is about. Figuring out what the paragraph is about can be very challenging in, for example, narrative material.
Because main points are universal and timeless biblical principles, each main point (1) should be expressed in either the present or future tense (not past); (2) should be stated in full sentences (i.e. contain a full “principlized” idea so that the sermon is fully understandable from the points alone); (3) should not include names of persons (except God or Christ) or places; and (4) should not be a description of past events, since that leaves the sermon in the realm of ancient history without relevance to our audience.
These biblical principles, then, form the outline of your sermon. By doing this, you bridge the gap between the ancient world of the biblical text to the contemporary world of our audience. That is essentially the difference between a textual structure (world of the text) and a sermon outline (contemporary world).
In the next edition of this journal, I will show you how to test your main points and then give you examples of sermon outlines compared to their textual structure. When you actually see it in these examples I think you will see the benefit of doing the hard work in developing a sermon outline from the textual structure.
Meanwhile, in the following devotional article by Dr. Stephen Olford (“The Communion of the Gospel”) you will see how he has worded his main points as statements of universal, theological principle which he has developed from the textual structure itself.
“The Communion Of The Gospel” (1 Cor. 1:26-31)
By: Dr. Stephen F. Olford
Continuing his teaching on division in the church, Paul now proceeds to show how strife and contention can result not only from wrong notions about the character of the gospel, but also because of wrong ideas concerning the community of the gospel.
In His divine sovereignty and inscrutable wisdom, God has so designed the appeal of the gospel that man can merit absolutely nothing by responding to it. For this reason, the community of the gospel consists of a company of people who have learned that no flesh should glory in the presence of God. It was because of their failure to see this truth that the Corinthian Christians were vying with one another under the banner of their respective party leaders. The Apostle however, deals with this problem by describing God’s method of calling, choosing, and controlling the community of believers in Jesus Christ. So we see from a study of the verses before us that:
“For you see your calling brethren that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (1 Corinthians 1:26). Using the imperative mood, Paul invites his readers to survey the church at Corinth and observe those who constituted its membership. Quite obviously there were very few within that community who might have been termed “wise,” “mighty,” or “noble.” And this, of course, has been true of the church of Jesus Christ right throughout its long history. The implication is clear and plain:
1) The Selective Simplicity of the Gospel Does Not Appeal to Many People of Intellectual Attainments: “…not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (1 Corinthians 1:26). There is a natural tendency in the unregenerate person to think independently of God. As we have seen already in our consideration of human wisdom, there is that about it which is “earthly, sensational, and devilish” (James 3:15). Unless a person is prepared to repent, or change his mind in favor of God’s wisdom, he can in no wise be saved (see Matthew 18:3).
To corroborate this, it is significant to recall that one of the only times we read of our Savior rejoicing in spirit, during the days of His ministry, was when He looked up to heaven and exclaimed, “I thank you O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight” (Matthew 11:25-26).
The fact is that heaven has decreed that the world by wisdom cannot know God (1 Corinthians 1:21). This unqualified rejection of the philosophical approach to eternal things is in order that “no flesh should glory in God’s presence” (1 Corinthians 1:29).
2) The Selective Simplicity of the Gospel Does Not Appeal to Many People of Influential Achievements: “…not many mighty…are called” (1 Corinthians 1:26). There is a natural tendency in the unregenerate person to work independently of God. The word “mighty” is a general term for people who have gained a place of influence through their own achievements. Now unless this pride of influence is crucified in the church of Jesus Christ there is always lurking trouble. We are all familiar with a character by the name of Diotrephes, whose love of preeminence in the church at Ephesus created nothing but strife and contention (3 John 1:9). Indeed, because of his place of influence he not only attacked the beloved Apostle John, but also refused to entertain within the assembly those who were associated with this man of God. Indeed, there is a strong implication that he actually intercepted one of John’s letters so that it was never read to the members of the church. All this serves to illustrate the corrupting influence of uncrucified power. For this very reason not many “mighty” are called; and God has willed it so in order that “…no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Corinthians 1:29).
3) The Selective Simplicity of the Gospel Does Not Appeal to Many People of Imperial Ancestry: “…not many…noble, are called” (1 Corinthians 1:26). There is also a natural tendency in the unregenerate person to live independently of God. Most commentators are agreed that the word “noble” applies to family connections and indicates those of noble rank. While there are outstanding exceptions, as we shall see, it is true to say that very few of noble rank ever seem to be attracted by the gospel.
In Paul’s day there were great personalities like Dionysius of Athens (Acts 17:34); Sergius Paulus, the proconsul of Crete (Acts 13:6-12); the noble ladies of Thessalonica and Berea (Acts 17:4, 12); and not least, the Apostle himself, who were called into the fellowship of God’s Son. We all know of people like Count Zinzendorf, and Madame Guyon, who have added to that illustrious company of the redeemed.
Lady Huntington, an English woman of great distinction, who was converted under the preaching of Rowland Hill, a flaming evangelist, once remarked that she owed her salvation to the letter “M.” By way of explanation she went on to add that if the text read, “Not any wise, mighty or noble,” she could never have been saved; but as we know, Paul says, “Not many wise, mighty, or noble.” There have been some in the past, and there will be some saved in the future, until the church of Jesus Christ is complete. But the fact remains that by and large, the simplicity of the gospel does not appeal to those of imperial advancements. And, once again, God has willed it so that “no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Corinthians 1:29).
Anyone with knowledge of church life will know of the strife and contention and division which are caused through a carnal desire for recognition. It is only when we realize that we cannot think, work, or live apart from God that true humility and consequent harmony will prevail in the fellowship of God’s people. Now Paul turns to another emphasis of this same subject and points out that:
“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are” (1 Corinthians 1:27-28). To teach man forever that no flesh should glory in His presence, God has designed that His electing grace should demonstrate the utter supremacy of the gospel. In other words:
1) God Has Chosen to Save Foolish Humanity. “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise…” (1 Corinthians 1:27). The word which Paul uses to describe humanity here is the one from which we derive our term “moron,” which means, “dull,” “sluggish,” “silly,” or “stupid.” But in His grace God picks up such material as this and so transforms it by the redemptive work of Christ so as to confound the wise of this world.
Human philosophies can never explain the miracle of regeneration. The psychologist may attempt his analysis, the doctor his diagnosis, and the scientist his experimentation, but all three ultimately are confounded by the transforming change which takes place.
2) God Has Chosen to Save Feeble Humanity. “…God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27). Here is a further characterization of men and women who know nothing of the saving grace of God. Paul speaks of them as “weak” – a word which means “strengthless” or “impotent.” And we are reminded that “…when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6; see also Titus 3:5).
Man is utterly powerless to work out his own salvation. Never was this more evident than in this highly civilized age in which we find ourselves. Philosophy has failed to answer the great questions concerning man’s supernatural origin, purpose on earth, and final destiny. Likewise, the scientific method has proved to be totally inadequate to cope with man’s basic problem of sin. With all the creations of his inventive mind, man has made the world even more problematic and destructive. But once again, this is where the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ supremely triumphs. Through the message of the cross God takes feeble humanity and confounds, or puts to shame, the things that are considered mighty in the estimation of the world.
3) God Has Chosen to Save Fallen Humanity. “…and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are” (1 Corinthians 1:28). Here Paul employs three expressions to describe the utter “falleness” of humanity. “Base things” carries the thought of that which is low-born, and therefore morally worthless. Things which are “despised” represent that which is contemptible. “Things which are not” conveys the idea of the nonentities of this world.
What a hopeless picture of fallen humanity! And yet the Lord Jesus, by His saving cross, takes up such men and women and uses them to bring to naught the things that are – which being interpreted means that Christ, by His creative work in man, exposes the utter futility and worthlessness of that which natural man considers as powerful and important.
So we see that in “the word of the cross,” there is an instructive gospel for foolish humanity, there is a redemptive gospel for feeble humanity, and there is a creative gospel for fallen humanity. Out of all these types of lost men and women God constitutes His community of saints. What a wonderful Savior we have!
But Paul has one more aspect of this truth to share with us. In the closing verses of this paragraph he shows that:
“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God – and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). For those who do respond to the selective and elective gospel, there is a full sufficiency in the Lord Jesus Christ. The revelation of the wisdom of God, as seen in Christ, has made available:
1) A Salvation for our Past Needs. “…Christ, who was made to us…righteousness…” (1 Corinthians 1:30). This means our justification. In Christ we attain a state of life impossible otherwise or elsewhere. It is the assurance of pardon for sin and peace of heart. More than this, it grants us a standing before God that no devil in hell, no man on earth, or no angel in heaven can assail.
2) A Salvation for our Present Needs. “…Christ, who was made to us… sanctification …” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Dr. Campbell Morgan points out that sanctification is “a purification through separation.” It is both positional and progressive. It is the very life of Christ indwelling us moment by moment. And since all the fullness of the Godhead resides in our Savior, there is no demand upon our lives which is not adequately met by the sufficiency which is in Christ.
3) A Salvation for our Pending Needs. “…Christ, who was made to us…redemption …” (1 Corinthians 1:30). “Redemption” here means “final escape from all bondage.” This particular word occurs in the New Testament ten times, and on every occasion it refers to the future and not to the past or the present. Paul is speaking of the same thing when he says, “…now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Romans 13:11). This is the sense in which Christ is made unto us redemption. This is the assurance of ultimate deliverance from all bondage and limitation, when Christ releases us from the very presence of sin. That is the day when He will fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it might be conformed to the body of His glory.
Here is the sufficiency of the gospel by which God protects the community of saints. Paul’s purpose in presenting this truth was to remove man’s basis for boasting. So he concludes with that remarkable quotation from Jeremiah 9:24: “…let him that glories, glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord…”
Conclusion: That which divides a church is the carnality that glories in human knowledge, influence, or reputation. But the Apostle Paul has taken pains to show that no man has anything to glory in, save in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was cradled in a manger, disciplined in a carpenter’s shop, tested on the highways and in the homes of His own people, glorified through crucifixion and resurrection, and then sent worldwide through the lips and lives of common people. To recognize the Savior in this sense is to be leveled to a common ground, united in a common life, and to be satisfied in a common glory. As it is written: “…He who glories, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31).
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 10:10-13; Link 2 - Jn. 10:14-16; Link 3 - Jn. 10:16-18
Title: Jesus is the Good Shepherd (Jn. 10:10-18)
Point #1: The Good Shepherd Works Personally for His Sheep (10-13)
1. He gives his sheep life abundantly (10)
2. He gives his life for the sheep sacrificially (11-13)
Point #2: The Good Shepherd Relates Personally to His Sheep (14-18)
1. It is an intimate relationship (14-15a)
2. It is a costly relationship (15b)
3. It is an extensive relationship (16)
4. It is a secure relationship (17-18)
(1) The relationship is as secure as the Father’s love (17)
(2) The relationship is as secure as the Son’s power (18)
Conclusions:
1, Jesus is the good Shepherd who died for us
2. Jesus is the good Shepherd who lives for us
3. Jesus is the good Shepherd who is coming for us
Winter 2017 Edition
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
(http://tibp.ca/)
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
“The Power of Scripture”
The Scriptures must be operative and powerful first and foremost in the preacher personally. A preacher who is called by God, is one who declares “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) and who believes that ...
1. The Bible is divinely inspired (lit. “God-breathed”)
2. The Bible is divinely preserved through the centuries
3. The Bible is divinely authoritative in all matters of faith and practice
4. The Bible achieves its divinely intended purpose (Isa. 55:11)
5. The Bible reliably reveals God’s redemptive plan (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Therefore, the preacher must be devoted to, dependent on, and directed by the Scriptures.
He must, like Timothy, “continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them” (2 Tim. 3:14). Devotion to the Scriptures through continuance in them and obedience to them requires discipline.
To be dependent on the Scriptures you must know them intimately. To know them intimately you must read them. First, you must read the Scriptures privately. This is a most neglected area in so many preachers’ lives. They read a lot of other material but not the Scriptures. This is the work of Satan to weaken our preaching. Make sure you take time every day to read and meditate on the Scriptures in order to nourish your soul in the Word; to become saturated in the Word. This is not your study time but your devotional time (cf. Ps. 42:2; 1:2).
Daily reading of the Scriptures was one of the ingredients that gave George Mueller such a powerful life. He knew the truth that “man shall not live by bread alone…” (Matt. 4:4). We must be dependent on the Scriptures, just as we are on bread to live.
Be systematic and sequential in your reading. Plan your reading. Think through what you read. Ask, is there...
(a) A promise to claim?
(b) A lesson to learn?
(c) A blessing to enjoy?
(d) A command to obey?
(e) A sin to avoid?
Let the “words abide in you” (Jn. 15:7). Pray your thoughts from your reading back to God. Let the words produce fruit in you. Share what you have learned at the appropriate time with others. Be obedient to the word you have read.
Second, you must read the Scriptures publicly. “Give attention to reading” (1 Tim. 4:13). When Paul instructs Timothy to read the word, he also has in mind the public reading in the assembly. In those days it fulfilled the need for reading to those who did not have the Scriptures or could not read them. Today, it fulfills the need to give the proper prominence to the Scriptures in worship.
“But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:14-17)
Every Christian, and preachers in particular, must be directed by the Scriptures as the Word of God. It is impossible to preach powerfully if you do not hold a high view of biblical inspiration. Believing in the inerrancy of Scripture is part of biblical preaching. By sticking with the inspired text, both the preacher and the congregation will adhere to the truth of the Bible. The inspired Scriptures are our ultimate standard for faith and practice. Thus, they carry authority and power. More than that, the Scriptures are fully sufficient and absolutely trustworthy for all that we need in life and ministry.
Every preacher must be directed by the Scriptures. They are our source for what we believe, how we behave, and what we preach. We need nothing else. Indeed, the all-sufficiency of the Scriptures is the basis for our preaching.
a) The Scriptures are sufficient for salvation. “The Scriptures are able to make you wise unto salvation” (15)
The Bible teaches us our sinful condition before God and reveals the remedy through Christ. No other book can do this.
b) The Scriptures are sufficient for revelation. “All Scripture is God-breathed” (16)
God-breathed means “inspired by God”. Inspiration is the term used to describe the process by which God, through human agents, recorded in written form (i.e. the Bible) his revelation of himself. God communicated his self-revelation to human authors by the Holy Spirit in such a way that the words they wrote were God’s words (verbal inspiration). There is no part of the Bible which is not inspired (plenary inspiration).
The preacher must be committed to the verbal (the very words) and plenary (the complete) inspiration of the Scriptures by God (cf. 2 Pet. 1:21), which means, therefore, that they are inerrant (without error) and infallible (incapable of error) and that through them God still speaks today – i.e. they are still relevant.
Therefore we believe that ...
i) The Bible is “God-breathed” (inspired)
ii) The Bible is without error or contradiction (inerrant)
iii) The Bible is incapable of error (infallible)
iv) The Bible is true in all that is affirms
iv) The Bible is completely trustworthy
The fact of its inspiration is what gives the Bible its authority and guarantees its trustworthiness. This is not a human book written by fallible authors, but a divine book written by an infallible God. This fact for us, as believers, renders the Bible fully trustworthy and authoritative. Because the Scriptures are “God-breathed” they are “profitable” - useful, beneficial, helpful, and authoritative.
In order to preach with power, a preacher must hold a high view of Scripture. A high view of Scripture means that we believe that the Bible is the written Word of God, that it is God’s self-revelation, that it is complete, that it is fully trustworthy, and that it is our ultimate standard for faith and practice.
As John Stott puts it: “It is one thing to believe that ‘God has acted’, revealing himself in historical deeds of salvation, and supremely in the Word made flesh. It is another to believe ‘that God has spoken’, inspiring prophets and apostles to interpret his deeds. It is yet a third stage to believe that the divine speech, recording and explaining the divine activity, has been committed to writing.” (John R. W. Stott, Between Two Worlds, 96).
The Bible reveals God to us. No other book does this like this book. It is unique. This is a high view of Scripture.
A high view of the inspiration of Scripture is vital for preaching the Bible powerfully because it is the sole authority for what we preach; it is the voice / the word of God to us. To have a low view of inspiration is to render God’s Word less than fully trustworthy or authoritative.
The preacher cannot preach with authority and spiritual power if he is not fully convinced that the Word of God is authoritative, without contradiction or error, and is totally reliable and trustworthy. How can a preacher preach with power if the very book that he preaches from is stripped of its authority? A preacher who does not believe that the Bible is inerrant, infallible, and totally inspired by the Holy Spirit cannot fully trust the Bible himself and, therefore, cannot proclaim it to others as fully authoritative and trustworthy. Such preaching, therefore, cannot be powerful.
If a preacher thinks that the Word of God is not reliable, then he must also think that God himself is not reliable. And if God is not reliable, then any sermons about God, based on his Word, cannot be trusted. If a sermon cannot be trusted, it cannot have power.
Any preaching that does not reflect the authority and power of the Bible is itself not authoritative and powerful. Power in the proclamation of the Bible cannot be separated from the authority of the Bible itself. The preacher is merely the mouthpiece for the text, which speaks powerfully for itself.
As Jesus taught in the parable of the sower (Matt. 13), the Word of God itself, as the good seed, bears much fruit. When the Word of God enters the human heart, it produces life because it is living (see Heb. 4:12). The Bible is alive because it is inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16), and because it is alive, it generates its own power. Therefore, when it is faithfully declared, it carries power with it and accomplishes God’s task (Isa. 55:11).
A high view of the inspiration of Scripture is vital for studying the Bible carefully. If we believe that the Bible is indeed the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God, then we should diligently study it in order to understand what it means in its historical context and in order to apply it practically to our lives and the lives of our congregations.
Such a high view of Scripture forces the preacher to carefully research and understand the text. Preachers must exposit the text of Scripture by searching it out, just like the Bereans (Acts 17:11), so that they can accurately convey its meaning and application to their audience.
A high view of the inspiration of Scripture puts an emphasis on the accurate handling of the text rather than an entertaining handling of the text. The primary obligation of the preacher in preparing a sermon outline is to first make sure that it is true and accurate. If we have a high view of inspiration we will obey the biblical injunction to “preach the Word” (2 Tim. 4:2) and nothing else. Homiletical skill should never camouflage hermeneutical accuracy and faithfulness.
c) The Scriptures are sufficient for doctrine – “teaching” and “reproof”
Note that the first two characteristics of Scripture (teaching and reproof) deal with doctrine; the second two (correction and training) deal with behaviour. Also, note that teaching is a positive statement while reproof is a negative statement.
On the positive side, the Scriptures are “profitable for teaching” (16). Scripture is the trustworthy, all-sufficient source for what we believe, teach, and practice. Scripture alone is the basis for pastoral preaching, teaching, counselling – not myths or legends, not psychology, not philosophy, not experience, and not culture or society. It contains all that we need for life and godliness. It is our standard for faith and practice.
On the negative side, the Scriptures are “profitable…for reproof” (16). To reprove means to refute, rebuke, convict. The Scriptures are fully sufficient and our only reliable resource for refuting and rebuking false teachers and false teaching. Scripture convicts those who hold false doctrine. It exposes the darkness of false teaching by its light. Scripture is the standard and pattern of truth (1:13) which we are to guard (1:14) and to use to convict those who are in error. This is the only authoritative reproof of doctrinal and moral error (cf. Tit. 1:9; Jude 3; Eph. 5:11; 1 Tim. 5:20). We refute doctrinal and moral error by the Scriptures. Truth does not change with the changing times. Preachers must stand firm on the revealed truth and reprove and refute error.
Where “teaching” (positive) and “reproof” (negative) have to do with doctrine, the following characteristics of the Scriptures have to do with behaviour.
d) The Scriptures are sufficient for behaviour – “correction” and “training”
Again there is a negative statement and a positive statement. On the negative side, the Scriptures are “profitable… for correction” (16). The purpose of correction is restoration to a right relationship with God. The Scriptures are able to correct and restore someone to a right state of Christian conduct and character. The Scriptures are powerful to change a person’s character flaws, beliefs, and behaviour, to straighten them out, to correct improper and false beliefs and behaviour. Those who stray from the truth must be rebuked, corrected, and then restored. While the process of correction is negative, the end result in view, namely, restoration, is positive.
On the positive side, the Scriptures are “profitable…for training (instruction) in righteousness”. The Scriptures are necessary and sufficient for training / instructing Christians in virtuous, upright, righteous living. The negative process of “correction” is offset by the positive process of “training in righteousness”, which has in view the person’s restoration to a right relationship with God and other people. All Christians, and here preachers specifically, must be trained to live righteously before God and the world (cf. Tit. 2:11-12). This is the training that is attained by discipline and correction (as in training up a child). The Scriptures contain the truth that we believe and the direction for our behaviour in compliance with our belief. This is the life of holiness that comes from being directed by the Scriptures.
Now we move from the sufficiency of the Scriptures for doctrine and behaviour to their purpose.
e) The Scriptures are sufficient for edification - “…so that the man of God may be proficient (fit, capable), fully equipped for every good work” (17)
The ultimate purpose of the Scriptures is to render the servant of God spiritually fit and capable of completing the work God has called you to do. The Scriptures provide the training we need for ministry. Just as an athlete requires training to build up his or her muscles, endurance, and capability for a specific sport, so the servant of God is trained for and rendered fit for his or her ministry. The Scriptures are the sole and fully sufficient source of the knowledge and direction we need for ministry.
Through the Scriptures the “man (or, woman) of God” is rendered “proficient (capable) for every good work”. Our ability in ministry is not a matter of natural talent or intellect, but the calling of God and the sufficiency of his Word. To be capable of carrying out your work for God you need to be proficient in your knowledge and use of Scripture, to think biblically and to apply the Scriptures to life - your own life first, and then the lives of your people. The Scriptures build us up in spiritual maturity (“training in righteousness”) ... and for spiritual activity (“for every good work”).
They are our primary resource in ministry – not your education, not your eloquence, not your relationships – but your familiarity with the Scriptures, your understanding of the Scriptures, and your application of the Scriptures to life.
Through the Scripture the man or woman of God is “fully equipped for every good work” – nothing else you need. The Scriptures comprise our complete reference manual for our spiritual work. They are fully sufficient to equip every pastor, church leader, and teacher for “every good work,” which, from a pastoral perspective, is in essence (i) teaching; (ii) reproof; (iii) correction; and (iv) training in righteousness.
The Scriptures are the complete resource for our ministry of the Word – “for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness... to convince, rebuke, exhort” (2 Tim. 3:16 ... 4:2). The Scriptures build us up in our faith and equip us for the work of the ministry. By them we are “proficient (competent), fully equipped, furnished for every good work.” Through the sufficiency of the Scriptures, preachers are enabled to do our work of the ministry. We are equipped by the Word for our ministry of equipping others (Eph. 4:12). God does not leave us to our own resources when he calls us into his service. We have the inspired Scriptures which not only make us wise to salvation but also contain all that we need for life and godliness. They “thoroughly equip us for every good work” (cf. Eph. 2:10).
Outlining the Sermon, Part 3: Testing Your Main Points
We are continuing the subject of “outlining the sermon” from the last two editions of this NET Pastors Journal. In this edition, I want to show you how to test the main points of your sermon outline. Your sermon outline should be structured to reveal two essential components:
By this I mean that the points of your sermon must be separate thoughts which flow from the text. The language used in your points should follow the natural structure (i.e. development of ideas) in the text. To produce a sermon whose points are homiletically distinct, ask three primary questions of every passage:
By finding the subject of the Scripture passage, you expose the unifying thought or truth that holds the passage together. And by relating all your sermon points to this subject, your sermon will have unity. So, ask yourself: what is the dominating theme (the big idea, the thesis, the subject) of this passage?
Our task is to preach the message of the text not our own message. Therefore, we do not create the subject of the sermon – rather, the text does. Once we have determined the author’s subject, our task is to construct a message around that subject.
Since you can only preach one subject at a time (unless you want to thoroughly confuse your audience), where a passage of Scripture seems to have more than one subject, select the “dominating” subject that emerges from the text as the one that governs your message. It’s good to state the subject of your message in your introduction.
Main points are the integrating thoughts that provide structure and movement to the passage and, therefore, to your sermon. Ask yourself, “What are the integrating thoughts” of this passage?
The subject is exposed and developed by the author through integrating thoughts which emerge from the passage and which link together to provide the structure and movement of the sermon.
So ask yourself: “What is the structure of the passage? What thoughts build up and expose the overall theme? What does the writer say about his subject? What are the various “complements” to the subject (to use Haddon Robinson’s terminology)? What is the movement (flow of thought) in the passage? How does the writer integrate his thoughts together to develop his subject? What are the individual ideas and how do they connect together to form an argument, an explanation, or an exhortation?” These questions force you to look for the structure and movement in the passage.
Each thought is an expansion of the subject. The thoughts of the writer become the hooks on which you hang your sermon, the sign posts which direct the sermon, the infrastructure around which you build your sermon, the main points which divide the sermon into points (or, chapters).
Do not force the points by imposing your own structure on the passage. Do not force the text to say what you want to say. You must say what the Word of God says – that’s expository preaching!
The main points of your sermon must be “homiletically distinct” – i.e. clear and distinct from one another so that the audience can follow the development of your sermon. You can test your points by asking the following questions
Am I letting the Word of God speak for itself (exegesis) or am I imposing my thoughts on the Word (eisegesis)? Is it true to the context? – historical, literary, grammatical, theological, syntactical (even sub-points must come out of the text and integrate with and support the main point). Can your audience see it for themselves in the text?
Are your points sequential? Do they flow with the text? Is each point progressive in that it moves the ideas of the message forward? Does the progression make sense? Does each point help the sermon move toward a goal? Do they follow the flow of the text? Can the audience see intuitively how you moved from point #1 to point #2 to point #3? And can they see how the text moves from point #1 to #2 to #3? Does each point relate to the subject? Is each point mutually exclusive - i.e. no overlap with other points?
Does it answer the question: “So what? What does it have to do with me?” Does it transition from the “then” of the biblical world to the “now” of your congregation? Exposition must be pre-eminently practical. Therefore, it must be applied practically and illustrated relevantly. “Exposition must never be divorced from application and illustration” (Stephen Olford, Anointed Expository Preaching, 76).
I suggest that you never leave application to the end of the sermon but relate each point as you make it to the lives of the listeners. Otherwise, they will not get the connection between what you have explained and how you have applied it.
Is each point needed? There must be a purpose, a reason, for each point. Don’t put in points or sub-points that have no purpose and which do not add to the flow of thought and development of the argument.
Don’t be overly zealous in trying to break down your main points into sub-points, sub-sub-points etc. This confuses your listeners and achieves nothing. If you do have sub-points because they are in the text, you do not have to express them as such to your audience – simply make them part of your explanation.
To ensure that each point is necessary and purposeful, you will need to review your structure critically.
This is not a requirement of expository preaching; it’s just a good principle for any public speaking. If you want your audience to go away and be able to remember at least the basic points of what you said, it must be memorable. So, word your main points for “hearers” not “readers” (i.e. the ear not the eye).
You can make your points memorable in several ways:
(i) By using various structural techniques in your main points - e.g.
*”Balanced” statements – i.e. a repeated phrase in each point
*Parallel statements – i.e. similarity of grammar and wording
*Alliteration. Alliteration can be very effective by being memorable, or it can be very ineffective by being annoying, forced, unnatural.
(ii) By repetition
Your sermon outline should be sufficiently well done that your audience can see it - recognize the road map; see the progression, movement, main ideas - but not so that it is dominant. We are not preaching to send them home with an outline but with a message from God’s word that is relevant to their lives.
The motivating thrust provides direction and purpose to your sermon. The motivating thrust is the universal truth that the text is teaching and to which the preacher will exhort his listeners to respond.
Determining the motivating thrust gives significance and purpose to the sermon. Some questions to ask yourself here are:
This whole process of structuring your sermon outline all starts with the subject. The subject provides unity to the sermon because from the subject flow the “integrating thoughts” (main points) and the “motivating thrust” (purpose) of the sermon. Therefore, the “formula” is: Unity (from the subject) + movement (the main points) = purpose.
While the points must be homiletically distinct (i.e. make their own distinct point and not repeat any of the other points), at the same time they must be “harmoniously related.” By “harmoniously related” we mean that there must be “continuity of thought”. Continuity of thought is what we must aim for in every outline. Just as the writer has continuity of thought in what he wrote, so your sermon outline, based on what he wrote, must have the same continuity of thought. In other words, the text drives the structure. That’s expository preaching!
(a) Harmoniously related thoughts give the sermon unity - i.e. hold it together. And unity flows from the one common denominator of every sermon – the subject. When each point is related to the subject, then the whole structure is “harmoniously related.”
(b) Harmoniously related points give the sermon progression - i.e. it’s going somewhere. Progression is derived from the flow and continuity of thought by which each point relates to the point that went before (but doesn’t duplicate it), the point that comes after (but doesn’t duplicate it), and all points relate to the subject and, therefore, are harmoniously related.
Therefore, every point must:
a) Relate to the subject of the passage and sermon. This gives unity and harmony.
b) Relate to the points around it (i.e. the previous and subsequent points). This gives progression. “Without this structure and sequential treatment of the text, there will be confusion in the pulpit as well as in the pew” (Stephen Olford, Anointed Expository Preaching, 76).
A harmoniously related sermon is like a harmoniously related body. The head is joined to the neck; the neck to the torso; the torso to the arms and legs etc. Thus, the body has symmetry (balance; proportion) and continuity (every part works in harmony with the others). This is how good sermons work.
“The Communication of the Gospel” (1 Cor. 2:1-5)
By: Dr. Stephen F. Olford
Having proved that the gospel, while not commending itself to human wisdom, is notwithstanding the instrument of God’s power as well as the manifestation of His wisdom, the Apostle now goes on to speak about The Communication of the Message. As a preacher, he knew of the inherent dangers in the methods and motives of public speaking. Indeed, the church at Corinth was divided on this very issue. There were some who preferred Paul’s approach to the style of Apollos; while others were better satisfied with the rugged delivery of Peter, the one-time fisherman.
With this in mind, the Apostle sets out to correct misconceptions concerning the communication of the gospel in two delineations:
“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:1-2). Drawing heavily upon his own experience, Paul shares with us the twofold secret of the consuming passion of a preacher. The first is:
1) Dedication to the Master: “…I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ…” (1 Cor. 2:2). Paul uses a word here to describe his dedicated resolve. He says, “… I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ…”. This is the true secret of preaching. This man was so Christ-centered and Christ-controlled that nothing else in the world mattered, except Jesus Christ.
Paul could say, “For me to live is Christ…” (Phil. 1:21). “…I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord…that I may know Him…” (Phil. 3:8, 10). “…this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14). How true it is that “…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34). When a person is full of Christ, he cannot but speak of His Savior and Lord. So there was dedication to the Master. Then also there was:
2) Concentration on the Message: “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). Instead of conforming to the philosophical approach and oratorical excellence which were so characteristic of public speakers in Corinth, Paul deliberately determined to present Christ in all the simplicity of the essential facts of His death and resurrection. His supreme passion was “Christ and Him crucified” – “not in His glory but in His humiliation, that the foolishness of the preaching might be doubly foolish, and the weakness doubly weak. The incarnation was in itself a stumbling block; the crucifixion was much more than this” (Bishop Lightfoot).
Some students of the Bible maintain that Paul’s emphasis in Corinth on the cross was because of a sense of failure in the alleged philosophical approach he adopted at Athens. But a study of Acts 17 makes it evident that his preaching there was not basically philosophical. His sermon began with a biblical revelation of creation and ended on the note of the resurrection (Acts 17:24, 31). In other words, even in Athens his central message was that of Christ and Him crucified. Paul knew only too well that only the message of the cross could meet the need of a pagan world. It might seem foolishness to the philosophers and a stumbling block to the religionists, but to those who were being saved it was both the wisdom and the power of God.
Martin Luther’s preaching aroused the church from a thousand year slumber known as the devil’s millennium. It is easy to understand why when we discover how Luther preached. He said, “I preach as though Christ was crucified yesterday, rose again from the dead today, and is coming back to earth tomorrow.” With the supreme passion of the preacher in mind, we now turn to what Paul describes as:
“And I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Cor. 2:3-4). The Apostle knew that the content of his message was so unacceptable to the carnal mind that he had no confidence in his ability to communicate it. In fact, he says that he came to Corinth “…in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling” (v. 3). J. B. Phillips puts it even more dramatically by quoting Paul as saying: “I was feeling far from strong, I was nervous and rather shaky.”
At the same time, it might be added that his fear was more of God rather than of man. It was a fear in the light of the task committed to him, or what Kay calls “anxious desire to fulfill his duty.” So he says, “…my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (v. 4). This means that Paul did not depend on what was known as “the Corinthians words” of excellent speech and poetic persuasion; his confidence, rather, was in:
1) The Power of Divine Revelation: “And I was with you in…demonstration of the Spirit…” (1 Cor. 2:3-4). The word translated “demonstration” signifies “the most rigorous proof.” As Dr. Leon Morris says, “It is possible for argument to be logically irrefutable, yet totally unconvincing.” Paul’s preaching, however, carried conviction because of the power of the Spirit. This is the essential difference between human reasoning and divine revelation.
If preachers of the gospel trusted in their own speaking powers to convince men and women of sin and righteousness and judgment, they would miserably fail. Only the Holy Spirit can do this (see John 16:8-11). In addition to this, it is clear from this passage that Paul also put his confidence in:
2) The Power of Divine Application: “And I was with you…in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Cor. 2:3-4). The phrase “of power” carries us back to what Paul has been saying concerning the dynamic of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). There is something inherent in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ which has a dynamic relevance, and therefore an application to everyday life. Preach the gospel to any creature in any country in any age and you will find it just as authoritative and applicable as in the days of the Apostle. This is why Paul exclaims: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
William Barclay tells of a man who had been a reprobate and a drunkard, but who had been absolutely captured and changed by the Lord Jesus Christ. His work mates knew about this and used to try and shake his faith. They would say, “Surely a sensible man like you cannot believe in the miracles that the Bible talks about. You cannot, for instance, believe that this Jesus of yours turned water into wine.” “Whether He turns water into wine or not,” replied the man, “I do not know. But in my own house I have seen Him turn beer into furniture!” This is the power of divine application.
When a preacher believes that the message he declares can work a miracle, he has learned the secret of spiritual power. However much he may tremble, he can be sure that God will vindicate and demonstrate the power of the cross in transformed lives. To conclude, Paul moves on to:
“…That your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:5). This was Paul’s single purpose because it was the divine purpose. No preaching of the gospel fulfills what God has designed unless men rest their faith in the power of God. As we have observed already, the power of a preacher is nothing less than the word of the gospel, even our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and risen again. The problem in Corinth was that the members of the church were seeking to pin their faith on Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas. Therefore, the Apostle was determined to correct such a divisive misplacement of their confidence. For the purpose of the gospel, he realized men and women must be led to exercise:
1) A Sound Faith: “…That your faith should not be in the wisdom of men…” (1 Cor. 2:5). Paul has convinced us in the preceding verses of the earthly, sensual, and devilish nature of the wisdom of men. For faith to be sound, it must be reposed in the Savior Himself, without dependence upon human wisdom. Paul amplifies his point when he writes later concerning the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus: “…if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). If Christ were not alive from the dead, then sin was not put away, the gospel is not true, the Corinthians had believed a lie, the Apostles were false witnesses, and the loved ones who had fallen asleep had gone forever. So to be fundamentally sound in the faith, a person must believe in the Son of God who literally and physically rose from the dead. All other tenets of evangelical faith are both included and implied in this one central and focal fact of the resurrection of Christ.
Is your faith sound? Does the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead mean more to you than anything else in the world?
2) A Saving Faith: “…That your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:5). Paul has interpreted to us the meaning of the power of God in a previous verse. You remember how he said “…the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but to us which are saved, it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18). A saving faith to Paul was a faith which had and was effecting a mighty transformation in the believing soul. It meant knowing the Lord Jesus as Savior in every sense of the word. Is Christ a living, indwelling, and transforming Savior in your experience? But this faith as interpreted by Paul was also:
3) A Steadfast Faith: “…That your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:5). It has well been said that what depends upon a clever argument is ever at the mercy of a clever argument. This is not so with faith when it is reposed in the unchanging Son of God. This is why Paul employs the term “stand” (KJV - “should not stand”) which conveys the idea of steadfastness. Two times in this letter he exhorts the believers to be “steadfast in the faith.” The first mention follows the glorious treatment of the unalterable facts of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ in chapter 15. Having declared the Savior as the triumphant one, he says: “…be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the lord (1 Cor. 15:58). The second reference coincides with the conclusion of the epistle where the Apostle exhorts: “Watch, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).
Conclusion: So we have seen what Paul means by the communication of the gospel. He has made it abundantly plain that this unique revelation from heaven is something that cannot be communicated or understood apart from a God-given passion, power, and purpose. Whoever claims to be a preacher must be able to testify to the fact that he has only one determination, and that is to know Christ and Him crucified. A preacher must have only one dynamic, and that is the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. A preacher of the gospel must have only one design, and that is that his hearers should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Like Paul, the preacher must recognize that the church of Jesus Christ can never survive the storms of life unless she is built upon the rock of divine revelation rather than on the sands of human philosophy. Let us then go into all the world with the preacher’s passion, power, and purpose – until every creature hears the message of Christ and Him crucified. Such a commission will leave no time for division in our churches and God will add to our membership daily such as should be saved!
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - John 11:25; Link 2 - John 11:26-27
Title: Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life (Jn. 11:25-27)
Point #1: Jesus claims the power that is given to him (25a)
1. Jesus claims the power of resurrection
2. Jesus claims the power of life
Point #2: Jesus promises the life that is in him (25b-26)
1. He promises resurrection life (25b)
2. He promises immortal life (26)
(1) Conditional on faith – “those who believe”
(2) Conditional on personal faith – “do you believe this?”
Point #3: Jesus honours the faith that trusts him (27)
1. He honours faith that responds to his word – “Yes”
2. He honours faith that submits to his authority – “Lord”
3. He honours faith that confesses his person – “Messiah”
- He is the promised Messiah, the Son of God
- He is the One who is to come into the world
Spring 2017 Edition
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
(http://tibp.ca/)
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
“The Power of Scripture”
In the last edition of this journal, we discussed the power of Scripture in the preacher himself. In this edition we are going to discuss the power of Scripture in the preaching event. The Scriptures are powerful in preaching because…
We are God’s voice speaking God’s Word to God’s people through the power of the Holy Spirit. Hence, we can declare, “Thus says the Lord!” It’s what God says that’s important. That’s the only thing that has eternal relevance and power. People need to hear the voice of God speaking week after week as you declare the Word of God. Biblical preaching takes the preacher out of the way and gives the Word of God prominence. Then, the Word of God works with power in the people.
Biblical Preaching is God-centred not man-centred. Biblical preaching focuses on God (his will, his purposes, his plans, his person, his work etc.), not on man (his problems, his needs, his wishes etc.). I am not inferring that the Bible does not address the issues of life – it surely does for it contains all that we need for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). But what I am saying is that the focus of all biblical preaching is to expose the theological truth – what it tells us about God – and then to apply that truth to life. The emphasis on so-called “felt needs” in so much preaching today is producing a generation of biblically illiterate and spiritually immature Christians. It focuses on “my needs and my problems” and not on God. Biblical preaching, on the other hand, focuses on “real needs” whether “felt” or not. And those needs are met in the Scriptures and by knowing God.
The Spirit of God reveals the meaning and application of Scripture to the preacher as he studies the text and prepares his sermon. The Spirit of God also reveals the meaning and application of Scripture to the audience as the preacher exposits the text. In this way, the people become educated in the truth of the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit brings them to obedience to that truth.
It exposes the faith in all of its detail. This is not the subjective faith of a sinner who believes, but the objective faith of the evangelical Christian church - doctrinal truth. The church is built on the teaching of the apostles, whose epistles give us practical instruction and theological truth.
The expository preacher will preach systematically through the Scriptures and he will preach biblical theology. In this way, he will “preach the faith” – i.e. the great doctrines of the Christian church. Such preaching keeps down doctrinal error, keeps heresy at bay by “rightly dividing the Word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15), and builds up Christians in their most holy faith.
Thus biblical preaching encourages a balanced preaching ministry as you preach systematically through the Word of God. By doing so you preach a balance of ethical and doctrinal truth. You preach the whole counsel of God. This keeps the preacher from the temptation of preaching personal pet themes or issues.
When the expectation for the type and substance of the preaching is established and agreed upon, this helps to unify the church and establish an atmosphere of harmony and co-operation between the preacher and the congregation. Since biblical preaching focuses on the centrality of the Word and the lordship of Christ, when expository preaching is the expectation of the congregation and the practice of the preacher, then both the preacher and the congregation share a common, unifying denominator – namely, that God’s Word is the foundation for faith and practice and, therefore, the basis of preaching.
Sin is being tolerated in many churches today. The world’s standard is creeping into the church. Biblical preaching helps to purify the spiritual life of the church because it brings the people into contact with the Word of God and its demands for holiness. It brings all of God’s Word to bear on all the moral and practical questions that the church faces. These issues, then, are not decided by popular opinion in the church or by the leaders in the church but by the Word of God.
Further, biblical preaching is powerful because it generates a hunger for God’s Word in the lives of the people. When the Bible is preached, people will start to bring their Bibles to church and begin to study it for themselves. Thus, it aids in the spiritual growth of the people by engendering spiritual education, edification, and maturity.
Biblical preaching keeps the church on track spiritually and morally because personal and corporate obedience are required by God in his Word. When the Word of God is preached expositorally, it exposes the people to the righteous demands of a holy God and it calls for obedient submission to those holy demands. Biblical preaching keeps the church on track – spiritually, practically, ethically, doctrinally.
The amount of time the preacher spends studying the Word and praying has a direct relationship to the power of the preaching. If we give the study of the Word and prayer priority during the week, only then will we have power in the pulpit. R. G. Lee once said: “You cannot live on skim milk during the week and preach cream on Sunday.” Diligent study, prayer, and intimacy with God is the key to effective and powerful preaching. W. E. Criswell said: “No man can meet the demands of a pulpit who does not constantly and earnestly study.”
The study is a private and quiet place where the preacher spends time with God and where the Holy Spirit illumines his understanding of the Word. This cannot be done in an environment of noise and commotion. Only when the preacher is fully prepared from his time in the study can he enter the pulpit with confidence that he has something to deliver to the people from God. H. C. Brown Jr. said: “There is no substitute for the intimate knowledge of the words and thoughts of the text.” John Calvin once said: “None will ever be a good minister of the Word of God unless he is first of all a scholar.” And C. H. Spurgeon said: “He who no longer sows in the study will no more reap in the pulpit.”
As you study, wait on God until he steps in and gives you a message from the text of Scripture. It is a matter of waiting before God for the direction of God as to the message for the people. Indeed, this ought to be the main party of study. The message must have the fire that God alone can give it. Any other message has no fire from God.
The expository preacher can claim Isaiah 55:8-11. God’s thoughts and ways are far higher than ours and His Word will not return void. The Word of God has come down to us just as the rain comes down from heaven and it accomplishes its task as it is preached accurately and fully to the people.
The Word of God will accomplish the task to which God sends it because “the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). This assurance gives the preacher great comfort and encouragement that his efforts are not in vain and that his weakness will be used to magnify God’s strength through his mighty Word. The primary task of the proclaimed Word is to transform lives. The exposition of the Scriptures transforms saints (including the preacher) and sinners.
Why has preaching lost its priority? Preaching has lost its priority because some people have a low opinion of preachers and preaching. Some people have a low opinion of preaching because they have shifted the focus from the pulpit to counselling. Modern churches seem to think that secular strategies are the answer to the people’s problems rather than spiritual approaches.
Some people have a low opinion of preaching because they do not understand what God is doing. They do not pray for souls or for spiritual victory. They do not understand the attacks of Satan against God’s servants. For them, as long as the services and programs of the church go on, then everything is fine.
The discrediting of preaching is one of the marks of our time. People discredit preaching by telling the preacher not to preach at them or by accusing him of preaching too long. Instead, people should be more concerned with the content and power of the message that God is delivering rather than the length of the message. In addition, some preachers themselves discredit preaching by telling stories and jokes, and by a bad attitude towards the preaching task. Often, preachers think that their preaching does not have any impact and that it is redundant.
How important is preaching? Preaching is the pastor’s primary task and the most important aspect of his ministry. The pastor’s greatest peril is to attend to things of lesser importance to the neglect of preaching. The preacher holds a position of supreme privilege and responsibility, for he is God’s mouthpiece. It is the greatest honour to speak God’s Word for God. There is nothing else that a preacher does that is more important than when he preaches, because when he preaches he fulfills his divine commission.
The pulpit is the centre of God’s kingdom work. It is the front line of the spiritual battle that is waged in every generation. Preaching and the pulpit are God’s mightiest weapons against spiritual coldness and lethargy in the church. Through preaching, the lost will be saved, the needs of people will be met, and their spiritual lives will be changed for the glory of God.
Maintaining focus and energy in the preaching task is the most important concern of the pastor. Other duties clamour for attention, but the pastor must always be focused on his primary task, preaching. In keeping this in the forefront, the preacher must remember that he belongs to and serves the Lord Jesus Christ - not the congregation, the denomination, or any of the myriad urgent matters that cross his path. Indeed, it is the absence of, and inattentiveness to, biblical preaching that, at least in measure, accounts for the ills of our modern society. The moral landslide that besets our nations will not stop until changes are made in our pulpits.
The foundation of biblical (expository) preaching is biblical authority – that the Bible is the ultimate standard for all matters of faith and practice. The challenge to biblical authority came primarily during the Enlightenment (the age of reason). As David Allen points out, “Modernity distrusted authority. Postmodernity dismantles authority.” (David Allen, “Preaching and Postmodernism: an Evangelical Comes to Dance,” in Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 5, no. 2, Summer 2011, 73, cited by Richard Holland in The Masters Seminary Journal, Spring 2011, 27).
Disputes over biblical authority quickly degenerate into disputes about biblical interpretation. And thus begins the slippery slope as to what it says, what it means, and how it applies to us today.
The power for preaching stands or falls on this issue of biblical authority. If you deny biblical authority, your preaching won’t have spiritual power. If you acknowledge and bow to it, your preaching will have spiritual power. Biblical authority means not only that Scripture is true in all that it affirms, but that Scripture is binding in all that it prescribes. “It’s questions demand answers of us ... its exclamations should become the shouts of our hearts ... its promises must be relied upon, and so forth.” (John Frame, The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God (Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R, 1987), 201, cited by Richard Holland in The Masters Seminary Journal, Spring 2011, 27).
The Word of God is central to the worship of God. The Bible becomes the focal point of our worship only when it is the focal point of the study of the preacher. The Bible will be the central point of our worship services only if the preacher has laboured over it in his preparation for preaching and only when the preacher presents his preaching as an offering to God.
Preaching is not an obligation of the preacher to please the people or the leaders of the church, but to please God. When a sermon is preached as an offering to God by the preacher then the preacher only looks to God for approval of that sermon.
The preacher is God’s servant, delivering God’s message, based on God’s Word in and through the power of God’s Spirit. When the preacher preaches the Word accordingly it is an offering to God. Then he is offering the sermon back to God and only God can truly evaluate its acceptability. Therefore, we should prepare and preach as unto God because God is the audience that matters and his approbation is all that counts. For a sermon to be an offering to God it must cost us something – namely, hard work and prayer in the study. “Preaching that costs nothing accomplishes nothing” (Jowett).
Outlining the Sermon, Pt. 3 (continued): Testing Your Main Points
In the last edition of this journal, I talked about outlining your sermon - specifically, how to test your main points. I said that the main points of the sermon must be homiletically distinct and harmoniously related.
I thought it might be helpful for you if I gave you some examples from my own sermon outlines that may help you see that the main points are distinct from each other and yet also relate to each other by being tied to the subject.
Subject: Preaching the gospel
1. When you preach the gospel, your message should be persuasive (1-2)
(1a) ...not because of your speech or wisdom (1)
(1b) ...but because of Christ’s person and work (2).
2. When you preach the gospel, your message should be powerful (3-4)
(2a) ...not because of your person and words (3-4a)
(2b) ...but because of the Spirit’s action and work (4b)
3. When you preach the gospel, your message should be profitable (5)
(3a) ...not because of faith in human wisdom (5a)
(3b) ...but because of faith in God’s power (5b)
Subject: Justification before God
1. If you rely on your own works, you are condemned (10-12)
(1a) …because you can’t keep the law in its entirety (10)
(1b) …because righteousness is only by faith (11-12)
2. If you rely on Christ’s work, you are blessed (13-14)
(2a) …because the condemnation of the law is transferred to Christ (13)
(2b) …because the blessing of faith is transferred to us (14)
Subject: Living in spiritual freedom
1. Living by the Spirit is a life of conflict (16-18)
2. Living by the Spirit is a life of contrast (19-23)
3. Living by the Spirit is a life of crucifixion (24)
4. Living by the Spirit is a life of conformity (25)
Subject: Trusting Christ rather than self
1. When we trust Christ, our perspective changes (4-8c)
(1a) What once meant everything (4-6), now means nothing (7)
(1b) What once meant nothing, now means everything (8a-c)
2. When we trust Christ, our purpose changes (8d-11)
(2a) Our lifelong purpose is to become like Christ (8d-10)
(2b) Our lifelong purpose is to be with Christ (11)
3. When we trust Christ, our pursuit changes (12-14)
(3a) We put away what is past (12-13a)
(3b) We pursue what is future (13b-14)
Subject: The occupation of pastoral ministry
1. In pastoral ministry...we suffer for the sake of the church (24)
2. In pastoral ministry...we serve as stewards of the church (25-29)
3. In pastoral ministry...we strive for the spirituality of the church (2:1-5)
Subject: Transformation from spiritual death to life
1. God has conferred on us two great benefits (13)
(1a) He has conferred spiritual life
(1b) He has conferred forgiveness of sins
2. God has conquered for us two great enemies
(2a) He has conquered the Law’s demands (14)
(2b) He has conquered Satan’s forces (15)
Subject: A Portrait of a Model Church
1. God-centred people are known by what they do (3)
(1a) We demonstrate our faith through works (3a)
(1b) We demonstrate our love through serving (3b)
(1c) We demonstrate our hope through perseverance (3c)
2. God-centred people are known by who they are (4-10)
(2a) We are living testimonies to the saving power of the gospel (4-5)
(2b) We are living testimonies to the transforming power of the gospel (6-10)
Subject: The character of God’s house
1. Our conduct is governed by the nature of the church (14-15)
(1a) It is the church of the living God
(1b) It is the pillar of the truth
(1c) It is the foundation of the truth
2. Our confession is governed by the message of the church (16)
(2a) The church confesses the incarnation of Christ
- he was “manifested in the flesh”
- he was “vindicated by the Spirit”
(2b) The church confesses the testimony to Christ
- the testimony of the angels (“seen by angels”)
- the testimony among the people (“preached among the Gentiles”)
(2c) The church confesses the response to Christ
- the response on earth (“believed in in the world”)
- the response of heaven (“received up in glory”)
Subject: Approaching God in Worship
1. If you approach God on the basis of your own works, you will receive God’s righteous judgement (18-21)
(1a) To approach God on the basis of his law is a frightening experience - power, fear, death, distance (18-19)
(1b) To approach God on the basis of his law is a condemning experience - you can’t measure up (20-21)
2. If you approach God on the basis of Christ’s work, you will receive God’s redeeming grace (22-24)
When we approach God on the basis of Christ’s work...
(2a) We come into the holy city without barrier (22) - “to Mt. Zion and to the city of the living God”
(2b) We come into a great celebration without disappointment (23a) - “to the joyful assembly and church of the firstborn”
(2c) We come into the presence of the Judge without fear (23b) - “to the Judge of all”
(2d) We come into the company of the righteous without imperfection (23c) - “to the spirits of just men made perfect”
(2e) We come to the Mediator without conscience - “to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant”
(2f) We come in by the blood of Christ without sin - “to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better thins than that of Abel”
Subject: The source of and solutions to our trouble
1. Trouble often finds its source in our bad attitudes (9-10)
- Sarah’s bad attitude leads to resentment
2. Trouble often finds its source in our bad decisions (11-14a)
- Abraham’s bad decision leads to a predicament
3. Trouble often finds its source in our bad circumstances (14b-16)
- Hagar’s bad circumstances lead to banishment
4. Trouble always finds its solution in God’s goodness (17-21)
- banishment leads to God’s intervention
Subject: Running Away from God
1. Running from the past doesn’t solve your problems (22-24a)
(1a) It may separate you from your family (22-23)
(1b) It may leave you isolated and alone (24a)
2. Meeting with God brings you to your senses (24b-29)
(2a) A meeting with God stops you in your tracks (24b-25)
(2b) A meeting with God makes you cry for a blessing (26-29)
3. Facing the future gives you renewed hope (30-31)
(3a) You can face the future with hope, when you’ve “seen the face of God” (30)
(3b) You can face the future with hope, when “the sun finally rises” (31)
Subject: Encountering God in the everyday events of life
1. In an encounter with God, He meets you where you are (1)
(1a) ...in an ordinary activity (1a)
(1b) ...in an ordinary place (1b)
2. In an encounter with God, He attracts you to himself (2-4)
(2a) ...by appearing in a “burning bush” (2-3)
(2b) ...by calling you by name (4)
3. In an encounter with God, He reveals who he is (5-10)
(3a) He reveals that he is a holy God (5)
(3b) He reveals that he is a faithful God (6)
(3c) He reveals that he is a redeeming God (7-10)
-a redeeming God who takes notice of his people (7)
-a redeeming God who delivers his people (8)
-a redeeming God who sends a Saviour for his people (8-10)
“The Comprehension of the Gospel” (1 Cor. 2:6-16)
By: Dr. Stephen F. Olford
Having dealt with the character, communion, and communication of the gospel, Paul now concludes this section with a paragraph on the Comprehension of the Gospel. He anticipates those who might infer from his argument thus far that there is no place at all in the economy of God for wisdom, and that Christian truth is wholly outside the realm of the intellect. The Apostle meets this objection by pointing out that the gospel does contain a wisdom, but this wisdom is spiritual and therefore only comprehended by spiritual means. Failure to understand these important facts was another cause for division among the believers at Corinth. So Paul corrects the existing situation insisting that the comprehension of the gospel is made possible by:
“However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory” (1 Corinthians 2:6-7). In effect, Paul is saying here: “Do not imagine that Christianity is devoid of philosophy, of wisdom, that it is something outside the realm of the renewed intellect. It is not. It has its own wisdom, its own philosophy. Indeed, what Paul is showing here is that the Christian philosophy is the ultimate philosophy. It is not to be tested by other philosophies. They are to be tried by it.
It is clear therefore, that Paul is drawing a clear distinction once again between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God. The wisdom of the world is limited by its “age”. This is literally the word Paul uses. The supreme characteristic of human philosophy is that it is always bounded by the age in which it is evolved. So in a very real sense, men are circumscribed in their reasoning by the period in which they live. But not so with divine philosophy. The wisdom of God is timeless, and therefore changeless. Paul describes this wisdom as a mystery, “even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7). It is a wisdom which comes out of eternity, invades time, and lives on throughout the ages. To know such wisdom, men and women must be spiritually initiated. That is why Paul uses this term “mystery.” The Greek word signifies “something whose meaning is hidden from those who have not been initiated, but which is crystal clear to those who have” (William Barclay).
Now the question arises as to how men and women can be initiated into this wisdom of God, which is nothing less than the revelation of God in Christ and Him crucified. The answer is implicit in the little word “mature” which Paul equates with those who are spiritual (see verse 15). This means that for a spiritual initiation to take place, there must be:
1) A Spiritual Birth. “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature…” (1 Corinthians 2:6). The word translated “mature” means “full grown” in contrast to “babe.” Before there can be development and maturity, there must be a spiritual birth. This was the whole thrust of our Savior’s approach to one of the most intellectual men of His day named Nicodemus. Although versed in philosophy and steeped in theology, he was not born again, and to him the Savior said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3, see also 3:5). There is only one realm in which the revelation of God can be understood, and that is the kingdom of God. That realm can never be entered except by a spiritual initiation – a new birth. But with this spiritual birth there must also be:
2) A Spiritual Growth. “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature…” (1 Corinthians 2:6). William Barclay maintains that the word translated “mature” describes “an animal or a person who is full grown and who has reached the height of his physical development.” He goes on to say that “Paul uses this word to indicate the spiritual and mental growth of those who can appreciate the deep things of God.” Barclay also states, “…to those who have just newly come into the church, we talk about the basic elements of Christianity; but when people are a little more mature, we give them deeper teaching about what these basic facts mean.” It is in this respect that Paul limits the understanding of the wisdom of God to the “initiated.” The wisdom of this world passes away, or “comes to nothing” (verse 6), but the eternal wisdom of God, ordained before the world, is designed to bring men and women into the full purpose of God’s glory, by a crisis and a process of initiation which we call spiritual birth and spiritual growth. Have you experienced this initiation by the Holy Spirit? Without this experience you can never understand the wisdom of God as it is revealed in our Lord Jesus Christ. But the comprehension of the gospel involves, in the second place:
“But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). Following spiritual initiation there must be the illumination of the Spirit. One of the hardest lessons men and women have to learn is that human observation, human inculcation, and human contemplation can never penetrate or discover the deep things of God. In other words, the philosophical approach and the scientific method are limited by time and sense, and can only bring us to the end of human reasoning. But where human investigation fails, spiritual illumination prevails. Thus Paul proceeds to show that if a person is qualified by spiritual birth and growth, he can know:
1) The Revelation of the Spirit. “But God has revealed them (spiritual things) to us by His Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:10). To illustrate his point, the Apostle, says, “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11). What he is saying is simply that there are certain things which only a man’s spirit can know. Everyone is aware of this. No one can really see into our hearts and know what is there except our own spirits. Now Paul goes on to argue that the same is true of God. There are deep and intimate things about God that only God’s Spirit knows, and therefore it is only the Holy Spirit who can lead us to understand the mind of God. To put it in another form, there are areas of truth that the unaided power of thought can never find out. The Holy Spirit alone must reveal them to us. This is why, when the Lord Jesus was leaving His disciples, He promised them the Holy Spirit who would teach them all things, and bring all things to their remembrance (John 14:26). With revelation of the Spirit also comes:
2) The Exploration of the Spirit. “For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). The function of the Holy Spirit is not only to reveal truth as it is in Christ, but also to explore truth. The word “searches” in our text is a most interesting one. The term is found in ancient manuscripts for a professional searcher’s report, and for the search of custom officials. Just as an experienced custom official brings to light the hidden articles from a traveler’s suitcase, so the Holy Spirit, in a more wonderful sense, explores the deep and hidden things of God, and makes them understandable and available to the humblest Christian who is prepared to trust Him (see also 1 John 2:20). This amazing phenomenon is what baffles the intellectuals of every age. The philosophers and scientists have never been able to understand how it is that even the unlettered mind can appreciate and discuss truths that are utterly hidden to the world at large. The answer, of course, is that there is such a thing as spiritual illumination. The Lord Jesus rejoiced in this fact (Luke 10:21; Matthew 16:17).
Do you know anything about this spiritual illumination in your life? There is nothing more wonderful than to share in the revelation and exploration of the Spirit of God. Anyone who has reached this point can say with the Apostle Paul: “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12). But for the complete comprehension of the gospel, there must be not only spiritual initiation and illumination, but also:
“These things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:13). Now we reach a point in Paul’s argument where we need to follow him very closely. These words that we have just quoted are often used as a proof text by the proponents of verbal inspiration – a doctrine that is both biblical and true. But Paul here says “we speak,” not “we write.” Thus he is referring not so much to inspiration as to interpretation. He is teaching us that knowledge of truth can be arrived at by an understanding of two necessary essentials:
1) The Spirit’s Use of Language. “These things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual”(1 Corinthians 2:13). It cannot be emphasized enough that he who knows the mind of God also chooses the words of God to interpret divine truth. This is essentially the ministry of the Holy Spirit. What an importance this places on the Scriptures throughout this church age. His work is to interpret the Bible to men and women who know the experience of spiritual initiation and illumination. Let it be stressed, however, that the Holy Spirit never speaks outside of the context of the divine revelation we call the Holy Bible. That is why we need to give special attention to the Spirit’s use of language. Not one jot or tittle is inconsequential. This is why Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). He also said, “…when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth…” (John 16:13). This is the secret of interpretation: the Spirit using His own words to make known the mind of God. But with the Spirit’s use of language, there is also:
2) The Spirit’s Terms of Reference. “These things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:13). Commentators have found it extremely difficult to expound this sentence. Some say it means “matching spiritual things with spiritual words.” Others maintain that it reads “interpreting spiritual things to spiritual men.” I am personally convinced that both positions are right. The point the Apostle Paul is making is that no Scripture is of private interpretation (2 Peter 1:20). The Holy Spirit has His terms of reference, and through the body of truth, as we know it in the Bible, there is sufficient precedent and support for every cardinal doctrine we hold dear. What is more, we have what is known as a Christian tradition that is made up of the contributions of doctrinal men down through the centuries. So we are not left to guess about divine revelation. There is no truth that is vital to Christian life and practice that has not the support both of divine revelation and Christian tradition. When Paul writes to Timothy concerning the comprehension and communication of divine truth, he says: “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (1 Timothy 2:2).
So Paul concludes this amazing paragraph by pointing out “…the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). In other words, without spiritual initiation, illumination, and interpretation, truth is nothing more than foolishness to the unregenerate – the man of the world. He looks upon revelation as an absurdity. Once we have understood this we have a complete explanation of the attitude that is adopted by the non-Christian to spiritual things. We must therefore be patient with him and pray that he may submit to the terms of divine revelation. On the other hand, the Apostle says, “…he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one” (1 Corinthians 2:15). In other words, the man who knows spiritual initiation, illumination, and interpretation possesses a faculty which enables him to sift and examine things divinely revealed, as well as things human and natural. At the same time, he cannot be subject to examination and judgment by the one who is destitute of the Spirit. No unregenerate person has the right to criticize or judge a Christian man regarding his personal faith in Christ. He is without the faculty of spiritual discernment, and cannot therefore understand the nature of the miracle that has taken place. Just as he cannot judge the Christian, so he cannot instruct the Lord (see verse 16). It is nothing but utter human impertinence for the natural man to raise his voice against the God he is unwilling to accept.
By contrast, the Christian has “the mind of Christ.” The passage closes with this tremendous statement. The wisdom of God is nothing less than the mind of Christ. The word “mind” here means “intellect” or “consciousness.” We have the consciousness of Christ, the mind of Christ, the outlook of Christ. This is not the same word that Paul uses in Philippians chapter two. There it is the disposition of Christ; here it is the intelligent understanding or wisdom of Christ.
How wonderful it is that you and I can know the very mind of God. The wonder of it is that throughout eternity we are going to continue to explore the mind of Christ, becoming more and more like Jesus. What a vast universe of blessing stretches out before us! It makes us feel like Isaac Newton, when he said, “I am like a little child standing by the seashore, picking up a pebble here and a pebble there, and admiring them, while the great sea rolls in front of me.”
So Paul climaxes a mighty subject with the loftiest of concepts. What he is saying to these Corinthians is that if they know the initiation, illumination, and interpretation, they will know the mind of Christ. And to know the mind of Christ is to know unity of thought, life, and practice. There is no division in the mind of Christ, and no division in the local church that knows the mind of Christ. O that our prayer might be: “May the mind of Christ, my Savior, live in me from day to day, by His love and power controlling all I do and say.”
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 11:38-44; Link 2 - Jn. 13:1-3, Pt. 1; Link 3 - Jn. 13:1-3, Pt. 2; Link 4 - Jn. 13:1-3, Pt. 3
Title: Washing the Disciples’ Feet
Point #1: We Must Understand the Basis of True Servanthood (1-3)
1. The basis of true servanthood is the confidence that comes from knowledge
(1a) The knowledge of where we are going and how we are getting there (1a)
- “Jesus knew that his hour had come…”
(1b) The knowledge of who we are and how we fit in (3a)
- Jesus knew… that the Father had given all things into his hands”
(1c) The knowledge of where we have come from and why we are here (3b)
- Jesus knew… that he had come from God and was going to God
2: The Basis of True Servanthood Is The Motivation That Comes From Love (1c)
(2a) The motivation that comes from love is shown in the object of that love (1c)
- “having loved his own”
(2b) The motivation that comes from love is shown in the extent of that love (1d)
- “having loved his own that were in the world, he loved them to the end”
Summer 2017 Edition
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
(http://tibp.ca/)
Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership
“Final Challenges”
The first great irony in preaching is the display of divine power in our human weakness (1 Cor. 2:5). The apostle Paul made a conscious decision not to come to the Corinthian church as one who spoke eloquently or as one who communicated human wisdom. He did not come to them to impress them with his oratory or his intellect, but to preach the message that God had entrusted to him, namely the “testimony of God” (2:1), the message of “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (2:2). In doing so he came “in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.” (2:3). Such weakness and fear was not due to the opposition or ridicule of men but due to the possibility that his own personal intellect and accomplishments might be displayed and, thus, tarnish the message of the Gospel. His “weakness” was his own abilities and education, which might cause people to trust the preacher rather than the message.
As a result, this consciousness of his own human weakness caused him to speak in such a way and preach such a message that those who heard him could only conclude that his message was from God and not from him. The absence of persuasive words and human wisdom (2:4) served to magnify the “demonstration of the Spirit and power” (2:4) when people responded to the message. The response of the people in faith was, then, evidently not because of him but because of the power of God displayed in him (2:5).
The second great irony in preaching is that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Paul had a thorn in the flesh which he asked God to remove but God refused to do so. What his “thorn in the flesh” was we don’t know and it isn’t important. The point is that a person, who has some form of temporal weakness but whose preaching is powerful, displays the truth that God’s power is made perfect in and through that person’s human weakness. God takes us with our insufficiencies and weaknesses and proves that the power of the message we preach is from him and not from us.
Our response should be like that of Paul – “Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (12:9). In other words, we should be willing to step out of the way and recognize our own weakness so that God’s power can be manifested through us (see also the same principle in 2 Corinthians 4:7).
The Holy Spirit can only use a preacher in a powerful way who is fully dependent upon Him for strength and direction and who makes little of self and much of Christ. Only when we are hidden and our human weakness evident can the power of the Holy Spirit come through us.
Those preachers who try to preach the Gospel by using clever methods and even trickery detract from the power of the Gospel itself and attract to themselves. Preachers must realize that our role is subservient to the Lord and to His message. We must realize that “without Me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5). Only then is God pleased to work through us in divine power. This is the irony of divine power in human weakness.
The third great irony in preaching is that preaching is not about us (2 Cor. 4:5). “We do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord”. We are servants who proclaim a message about Christ Jesus the Lord. Preaching isn’t about us but it is about him, Christ Jesus the Lord - the anointed One, the Saviour, the supreme One. We are merely his bondservants who preach about Him. We do what we do “for Jesus’ sake.” Ministers who make themselves prominent in their preaching are not authentic ministers “for Jesus’ sake.”
The underlying and foremost message of the “divine irony” is that God is paramount and we are insignificant. The most important thing we can accomplish in our preaching is that God be adored, loved, praised, and trusted, and not the preacher. Through the “divine irony” the people see Christ and not the preacher. Through and in spite of the preacher’s weakness, the Lord speaks powerfully to His people, so that the people put their trust in God and not in a man.
When pride is present in the preacher, great gifts of skill may become great hindrances for the preacher. Too often preachers themselves can be an obstacle to the Gospel by focusing dependence on them rather than on God. The great gifts that God gives to men can, thus, be their greatest liability. Pride can cause a preacher to use his spiritual gift for self-glorification (cf. Jn. 7:18) instead of God’s glorification. Preachers must not look for, nor accept, the praise of people but direct that praise to God.
Preachers, by virtue of the gifts they have, can generate the accolades of men. But if they want power in their preaching they must never draw the faith and praise of people to themselves but to God. We must “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33). We need to be completely absorbed with God so that through us the message of God flows out to others, totally unencumbered by self and totally identified with Christ. To do this we must be filled with a God-consciousness, with a “holy passion”, and with the Word of God.
We need to have a single-minded devotion to the preaching of the Gospel. It is the same principle as Paul expressed when he talked about straining toward the mark (Phil. 3:14). It is that absolute commitment to preaching the Gospel, a total absorption with the task God has called us to do. It is an unswerving obedience to the call of God, regardless of whether our message or our person is accepted or applauded by men. It must be an all-consuming passion with preaching.
The solution to pride in the preacher is the cross of Christ. The cross of Christ solves this problem of pride in the preacher because it shows us that we are only sinners with nothing to offer to God and by showing us that only Christ’s work on the cross can make us righteous and acceptable to God.
The “old man” that wants praise and approval dies at the cross and the “new man” comes to life (cf. Eph. 4:22-24). Through the cross we “deny ourselves” and give ourselves over to following Christ. By embracing the cross of Christ we give ourselves wholly to God allowing him to direct and use our lives rather than we ourselves. Through the cross we come under a new power, the power of the Holy Spirit. At the cross the old man is reckoned dead and we become new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).
In order to preach with power, preachers must come daily to the cross, recognizing our own nothingness and the supremacy of Christ. It is in the cross of Christ that we must boast (Gal. 6:14) and from which we derive our power in preaching. The cross and our submission to the Lord is the only boasting that we have, so that the only thought that absorbs us is Christ and his Gospel. To do this requires that we be “crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20).
If the great irony of powerful preaching is that God displays his divine power in and through our human weakness, and if the great problem in preaching is pride in the preacher, then perhaps you might think that preachers must inevitably suffer from feelings of insecurity and inferiority. But such is not the case.
Ironically, to depend totally on God as you preach requires a strong personal sense of security. By personal sense of security I do not mean “pride” but a sense of spiritual well-being and security in God. If a preacher preaches in accordance with the “divine irony” (God’s power through personal weakness) and the truth that he is dead to the old self and alive to the new self, dead to sin and live to God, then he needs to have a sense of personal security.
A feeling of insecurity and inferiority is very prevalent among preachers despite all appearances to the contrary. If you suffer from a sense of personal insecurity, it makes it very difficult to remove self from view and allow God to be all in all. Insecurity is, in fact, putting self first because of this sense of personal inadequacy. It is a form of pride and self-centredness.
Preaching is no place for someone who needs human approbation. We must derive our security from knowing that we are approved by God, gifted and called by God, empowered by God, and loved by God. Only when we have this inner awareness of our security in God and a consequent sense of spiritual well-being can we preach powerfully for God, because then we will want no attention on ourselves but all attention to be on God.
To speak faithfully for God may involve rejection by people. Thus, preachers need a healthy self-identity, emotional stability, and security in Christ. It is only to the degree that we know who we are in Christ and that we have God’s approval that we can totally depend on God and not self.
The preaching moment is when we move to the pulpit to preach. The preaching moment is the moment when all else fades from view and we face the congregation; the moment when there is an overwhelming sense that if the Spirit of God does not fill us with power from on high, we are finished and our efforts will be in vain; the moment of absolute truth when we face the acid test of whether the Holy Spirit is empowering us or not.
The “preaching moment” is when we stand in the pulpit faced with the most awesome task in our lives. It’s that moment when we feel our own intense weakness and inadequacy and our total dependence on God. It’s that moment when God mightily works among his assembled people with power, authority, and unction. It’s that moment of total dependence on the Holy Spirit - that moment, above all moments, when we have a sense of God’s presence with us.
When the preacher preaches with unction, there will be an evident effect on the congregation, because they sense a difference in the preacher. When a preacher sets aside self and preaches in the power of the Holy Spirit, something happens to him. He loses self-consciousness and he becomes absorbed with God’s Word being communicated in its essence and power to God’s people. When the preacher preaches with unction it has a practical effect on the hearers. God works through his servant to effect his work through his Word and the working of the Holy Spirit.
The presence of this spiritual power causes the people to be hushed and focused, not on the man but on what God is saying through him. The attention of the people is directed toward God and His message for them. This is not to say that everything that is preached under the unction of the Holy Spirit will be received gladly, but it will have the authenticity and power that only comes from God and which has its effect on the lives of the people. In the end result, the congregation will thank God for such preaching.
“Organizing the Sermon”
What a preacher says is the “content” of the message. What a preacher wants the message to accomplish is the “purpose” of the message. The one general purpose for preaching a message is to move people to action - to cause the hearer to take action inwardly and / or outwardly in favour or against something. All sermons should move the hearers to respond with some sort of action. The Bible speaks of “exhorting one another” – to take what we know and turn it into action.
a) To inspire, to reach the emotion, to motivate (the work of an orator). Paul tells Timothy to “stir up the gift…” – to be inspired to use his gift so that the fire becomes a living flame.
b) To inform, to teach (the work of a teacher). Paul often said: “I would not have you to be ignorant…” His purpose was to teach them. Jesus talked about the use of parables that some would hear and understand; some would hear and not understand. Again, his purpose was teaching.
c) To convince, to win an argument (the work of a lawyer, statesman). “Knowing…the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.” Here the purpose is to convince them.
In most messages, one of these purposes is the dominant purpose (while the other purposes may play a secondary role), depending on the need of the congregation – whether they need to be motivated, taught, or convinced.
Effective expositors prepare and present their message to accomplish the specific purpose of the sermon and its overall purpose. To help you with this, here are five questions you need to ask yourself about every sermon:
(1) “What is my sermon about?”
(2) “Why am I preaching this message?” Not because its Sunday morning again and not to please self. The reason must be to glorify God and to change the hearers.
(3) “What do I want my hearers to know, to do, or to become as a result of preaching this sermon? What action or response do I want them to take?”
(4) “How can I best accomplish my specific purpose?” – by inspiring, informing, or convincing
(5) “How can I best accomplish my overall purpose?” – to move people to action.
Having a purpose serves as a control to your sermon. In biblical exposition, purpose must control everything except the biblical text.
Purpose controls content - what you put in and what you leave out. Only include what contributes to the purpose. Keeping this in mind will save you time in your research of commentaries, which are often repetitious and contain lots of good research but which is no good for your purpose. Everything that does not contribute to the purpose, even though it may be interesting and accurate, should be eliminated
Purpose controls structure. Since purpose determines content, the purpose of each message should be reflected in your main points. Each message should be divided into a series of clearly stated propositional, applicational headings, such that if the people heard nothing more than that, they would understand your message. The result is to present main points in such a way that the people go away with an understanding of at least one truth of the Bible and its many application to their lives.
Purpose controls delivery - how you present your messages and how to apply your messages.
Content and delivery are the means by which preachers achieve their God-given purpose. Paul states that preaching was ordained by God for salvation (1 Cor. 1:17-18). This is a message that Jews would not receive because it was a scandal to them, and which Gentiles would not receive because it was foolishness to them. But this was the message he preached anyway (1 Cor. 2:1-9).
Why preach a message that is not acceptable? Because Paul depended on the Holy Spirit not on his own ability. He preached what was intellectually and culturally repugnant to Jew and Gentile but which was acceptable to God in order to accomplish his purpose – that their “faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (2 Cor. 2:5).
A preacher must preach a message which accomplishes its purpose – either to inspire, teach, or convince, and certainly to move to action. When you know what God’s purpose is in the message, that will direct the composition of your message and your delivery of it.
Preaching is both art and science. Science is the research of the text – what it means and what it is saying. Art is the presentation of the sermon – how to present the material discovered in the research in a way that is informative and convincing. This is creative work. Sermons must be arranged so that listeners can readily understand and follow the message.
Phrasing affects meaning. Choose your phrasing creatively so that your phrases stick in people’s minds. This is true in any form of public speaking - for example, President John F. Kennedy’s line: “Do not ask what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” Or, Martin Luther King’s speech, “I have a dream…” The wording and delivery of these phrases stick in your memory.
Choice of vocabulary is extremely important for effective communication. Vocabulary might be technical (e.g. academic or theological), simple, or even conversational. But you are well advised not to use vernacular, and certainly never to use coarse vocabulary, but to always be refined and dignified in your use of language. Always be aware of the nuances of meaning in words and try to use the most accurate word.
The literary characteristics of a sermon determine the degree of effective reception and comprehension by the listeners. There are four essential literary elements:
1) Clarity. If the meaning of your statements is not clear, they will confuse the audience. When the preacher grasps the meaning, he needs to select words that state his thoughts exactly and that convey the meaning exactly.
2) Brevity. The less time you take to express your thoughts adequately and accurately, the more listener attention and acceptance you will command.
3) Coherence. Coherence is attained and maintained by using connectives between thoughts. Connectives may be transitional sentences or expressions, or repetition of the main point that leads to the next point.
4) Unity. Unity is preserved by making all parts of the message (a) relate to the theme (subject) of the sermon, and (b) support the proposition of the sermon.
“The Comprehension of the Gospel - II” (1 Cor. 3:1-4)
By: Dr. Stephen F. Olford
In the verses before us, Paul is still speaking of the gospel and the problem of its comprehension. He anticipates the question of how people can know spiritual initiation, illumination, and interpretation, and yet be infantile in their understanding of the things of God. The answer he gives is that of carnality instead of spirituality in the Christian life. He shows, moreover, that such carnality is the root cause of division in the church of Jesus Christ. Three aspects of carnal Christians are brought to our attention:
“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1). Bearing in mind the closing verses of the previous chapter, Paul introduces us to three categories of people here on earth:
1) There is the Natural Man. “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). The natural man is the unregenerate man. He is man as he is – shaped in iniquity and conceived in sin (Psalm 51:5). He may be civilized and cultured; he may be educated and refined; but all this improvement is within the realm of his natural character. He is still destitute of the Spirit of God. Although a candidate for the gospel, he is lost and undone. This is the natural man.
2) There is the Spiritual Man. “But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one” (1 Corinthians 2:15). The spiritual man possesses not only physical life, but also spiritual life. He has two lives because he has two births! The first came through Adam, whereas the second comes through Christ. This spiritual life feeds on spiritual food and matures according to its nature; and since the nature of this life is spiritual, all development is spiritual.
The most important thing in the spiritual life is that we should grow. We have, no doubt, all met people who do not seem to grow. Their spiritual life is obviously static and stale; there is nothing fresh in their experience of Christ. Such a condition is as tragic as it is true.
At this point, we might well ask: “Can we produce growth?” The answer is “no.” The power to grow is within the nature of the life in us, whether physical or spiritual. God alone can cause life to develop. At the same time, there are certain conditions which encourage growth. We are exhorted to “…grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” (2 Peter 3:18). This simply means that we are to stimulate growth by abiding in grace as it is in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and we are to emulate growth by conforming to truth as it is in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When a Christian fulfills these laws of spiritual growth, he experiences what it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is the normal Christian life.
3) There is the Carnal Man. “And I, Brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ…for you are still carnal…” (1 Corinthians 3:1, 3). To understand the characteristics of a carnal Christian, it is most important to note the differences which Paul makes between the mentions of the word “carnal” in verses 1 and 3. In the first instance, the word signifies “the partaking of the nature of the flesh;” but in the other reference, the Apostle uses a more severe term which means “sensual” and usually implies a life under the control of the “fleshly nature” instead of being governed by the Spirit of God. As W. E. Vine puts it: “In respect of the first term used in verse 1, the Corinthian saints, while they were not making progress, were not anti-spiritual; they were ‘babes.’ In respect of the term used in verse 3, their jealousy and strife rendered them guilty of yielding to the lusts which have their source in man’s corrupt and fallen nature.”
So we see that a carnal Christian is a person whose spiritual life is dwarfed, and therefore whose spiritual walk is defeated. What category are you in? Are you a natural man, a spiritual man, or a carnal man? In Corinth, the saints were, for the most part, carnal, and so Paul proceeds to discuss:
“I have fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able” (1 Corinthians 3:2). The capacity of carnal Christians is pathetically limited. It is a capacity which is restricted to an infantile formula. Paul describes this diet as milk as opposed to meat. The Apostle longed to feed the Corinthians on the meat of the Word, but he could not. As the Scriptures point out in another place: “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14). In other words, strong meat or solid food is for the spiritual; for those whose measure of maturity enables them to discern both good and evil. On the other hand, the milk of the Word is for carnal Christians whose limited capacity renders them incapable of:
1) Appreciating the Meat of the Word. “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1). Although the Apostle softens his rebuke with the affectionate term “brethren,” he makes it nevertheless plain that he is speaking to people who are incapable of appreciating “the deep things of God.” Nothing is more disappointing, if not discouraging, to the preacher of the gospel, than a congregation of babies who will not grow up! And how true this is of so many Christians today! Saved for years, but still drinking milk; still wrapped up in the baby garments of their first days in Christ! Now and again, they enjoy the milk-and-water ministry of so-called popular preachers; but when it comes to pure, rich milk, or the meat of the Word, it is just not appreciated. Through lack of growth and experience in the Word of righteousness, there is no discernment of truth. Being unable to appreciate truth, carnal Christians are also incapable of:
2) Appropriating the Meat of the Word. “I have fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able” (1 Corinthians 3:2). This is the supreme tragedy of carnality in the Christian life. Because of failure to appreciate truth, there is corresponding failure to appropriate and apply truth. The writer to the Hebrews puts this perfectly when he says: “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe” (Hebrews 5:13). “The word of righteousness” must signify fully-developed Christian teaching. By being unskilled in the word of righteousness, the writer implies the inexperienced handling and applying of God’s Word; or the very opposite of Paul’s injunction in 1 Timothy 2:15, where he says: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Tell me, do you fail in your appreciation and application of truth? After years of so-called church life, are you still inexperienced and unskillful in the word of righteousness? If so, you stand as a self-confessed babe, which to say the least is a major tragedy.
Oh, if you could only see yourself as heaven sees you, you would be done with carnality today! You would strive, in the might of the Holy Spirit, to be spiritual, full-grown and a pleasure to your God. Before we conclude, however, we must consider the third aspect of this carnality:
“For you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, ‘I am of Paul.’ And another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not carnal?” (1 Corinthians 3:3-4). In this classic word-picture of spiritual babyhood, Paul tells us that the believer who never seems to pass the childish stage is carnal in all his behavior. His conduct is characterized by:
1) Unhealthy Discontent. “…For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:3). The word “envy” means “zeal out of control which easily leads to jealousy and the like.” How accurate Paul is! For you know as well as I know how some children are discontented and envious when they cease to become the center of attraction. In a similar way, these Corinthian babies had become envious of one another’s hero speakers, since such hero worship served to draw attention to themselves. The message that the Apostle preached was secondary. What really mattered was whether or not they belonged to the prominent section of the church. What carnality and fleshly lust!
2) Unhealthy Discord. “…For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:3). “Strife” denotes “wrangling” or what Phillips renders as “squabbling.” Watch a nursery of discontented babies, and it will not be long before there is discord and strife. The same is true in the church. Where there are those who refuse to grow up, there is always wrangling and squabbling. Everything that happens, and everyone who ministers, becomes a bone of contention.
3) Unhealthy Division. “…For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not carnal?” (1 Corinthians 3:3, 4). Although the word “divisions” is not in the best manuscripts, the thought is quite clear by the context. So Paul speaks of the factions which these carnal Christians had created. Instead of finding their center in Christ, they were saying: “I am of Paul;” “I am of Apollos;” “I am of Cephas;” “I am of Christ.” Think of it, bringing Christ down to the level of mere men, instead of making Him the one and only center of all true fellowship! Divisions in the church are nothing new. But whether in Paul’s day or in our own day, it is a sure evidence of spiritual babyhood.
Is your life characterized by these marks of carnality? Do you create discontent, discord, and division in the circles in which you move? How repelling are these traits of the flesh! And yet how often are they seen in our lives!
As we examine ourselves in the light of this exposition, how it makes us want to grow until we have left spiritual babyhood behind. No wonder Paul declared: “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1 Corinthians 13:11).
Are you prepared to take that attitude today? It is yours to say a manly “yes” or a childish “no.”
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 13:4-5, Pt. 4; Link 2 - Jn. 13:6-11, Pt. 5; Link 3 - Jn. 13:12-13, Pt. 6; Link 4 - Jn. 13:14-17, Pt. 7
Title: Washing the Disciples Feet
Point #1: We must understand the basis of true servanthood (1-3)
(the audio messages for this point were included with the last edition of this journal)
1. The basis of true servanthood is the confidence that come from knowledge
(1a) The knowledge of where we are going and how we are getting there (1a)
- “Jesus knew that his hour had come…”
(1b) The knowledge of who we are and how we fit in (2-3a)
- “Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into his hands”
(1c) The knowledge of where we have come from and why we are here (3b)
- “Jesus knew…that he had come from God and was going to God”
2. The basis of true servanthood is the motivation that comes from love
(2a) The motivation that comes from love is shown in the object of that love (1c)
- “having loved his own”
(2b) The motivation that comes from love is shown in the extent of that love
- “having loved his own that were in the world, he loved them to the end”
Point #2: We must demonstrate the character of true servanthood (4-11)
1. In the way we present ourselves to others (4b-c)
2. In the things we do for others (5)
3. In the manner we relate to others (6-11)
(3a) … by being courteous to those who oppose us (6-8)
(3b) … by being patient with those who misunderstand us (9-11)
Point #3: We must imitate the nature of true servanthood (12-17)
1. By remembering that the Lord is our Master (12-13, 16)
2. By doing for each other what Jesus has done for us (14-15)
3. By practising what we preach (17)
Fall 2017 Edition
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
(http://tibp.ca/)
“Strengthening the Church in Biblical Preaching and Leadership”
“Ten Suggestions For Powerful Preaching”
A preacher must identify his call – both the call to become a Christian and also the call of God to preach.
It would be no good for a preacher to study and prepare messages if he were not a Christian. We cannot preach to others effectively if we ourselves are not convinced of it and have experienced conversion. We cannot “preach Christ” if we do not know Christ.
Preachers must be “even more diligent to make your calling and election sure” (2 Pet 1:10). Those whom “God predestined, them he also called” (Rom. 8:30). We cannot be sure of the calling of God to preach if we are not sure of the effectual calling of God on our lives.
Once we are sure that we are born again, then we must examine whether God truly called us to preach. Many preachers realize later that this vocation was not what God called them to. There are many other gifts that God has given which must be exercised in and for the church but which do not include preaching. Just because we feel the desire to serve God does not mean it is in a preaching ministry.
Many preachers may have a persuasive way with their congregations, but not have a high view of Scripture. Consequently, their preaching will lack spiritual power. The power that comes from God in preaching is available only to those who have embraced the absolute trustworthiness of inspired Scripture.
A preacher should not enter the pulpit without the absolute conviction of the inspiration of the Scriptures. You cannot preach with authority unless and until you can say of the Bible that is totally accurate and authoritative. You cannot in truth say “Thus says the Lord” unless you believe the Bible to be fully God’s Word without reservation.
If we have been called to be a Christian, and called to preach the inspired Word, then we must consider this vocation above all else. Nothing in our pastoral duties should in any way compromise our commitment to the preaching task. When we plan our week, we should put priority on the preparation and preaching of the Word. Other things and people will try to prioritize their needs and wishes on our daily and weekly schedules. But nothing else can squeeze out the priority of preaching and the preparation for preaching.
We must do our very best to be ready for preaching each Sunday and the only way to do that is to manage our time diligently, giving priority to the preaching task. You cannot preach with spiritual power unless you spend the time in preparation during the week.
Our lifetime goal must be to preach the Bible. “Preach the Word. Be instant in season and out of season” (2 Tim 4:2). No matter what the circumstances or whether we feel like it, our mandate is to preach the Word - nothing else.
The expository preaching of the Word is the responsibility of the preacher in order to communicate God’s message to God’s people. We must, therefore, know the scope of Scripture so that we can preach “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).
Messages that centre on our own thoughts or someone else’s thoughts are not the subject of biblical preaching. We must stick with the Word of God in order for God to bless that Word to his people.
We must preach the text of Scripture in its grammatical and historical context. The allegorical interpretation of Scripture must be limited to what is truly allegorical. Only when we analyze the text in its syntactical and grammatical structure, and in its historical and theological context, can we properly and accurately preach the Word.
In addition, it is important to be Christological in our analysis and study of Scripture, since salvation history is the focus of the Bible from beginning to end. God honours preaching that honours Christ.
A preacher must never become enamoured with himself and the results of his ministry. Rather than focusing on what we can see and measure, we must focus on Christ’s call and the holy task he has called us to, leaving the results to him.
God does not bless anything that is done for the glory of the flesh. On the other hand, a preacher must not get down on himself just because he does not see any response to his preaching. This focus too is an act of self-centredness and pride. Whether anybody responds is not the issue. Our motivation to preach is that God has called us and we must leave the results to him.
God will not bless you with spiritual power if you are going on with sin in your life. A preacher must have a pure heart in order to have an audience with God. “If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me” (Ps. 66:18). We must have personal discipline like that of an athlete so that we can preach to others without ourselves being disqualified (1 Cor 9:27). God is a holy God and he wants us to be holy (1 Pet. 1:16; 1 Tim 3:2).
Preachers themselves need to grow in their faith and relationship with God before they can expect their congregation to grow in their spiritual lives. This means we must be men committed to deepening our intimacy with God and our knowledge of God through his Word.
We are to be genuine shepherds of the sheep, not hirelings (Jn. 10:11-14). Genuine shepherds will spend time with the Chief Shepherd in prayer, study, and meditation, as they develop spiritually.
The truth of the text must have done its work in the preacher first, before he preaches it to the congregation. The preacher must first apply the word to himself, and then to the people. He must be a living example of the truth of the word preached. Otherwise, his preaching has no power. You cannot preach what you do not obey and believe yourself.
Just as “the Word (himself) became flesh and dwelled among us” (Jn. 1:14) so we must embody the truth of God's word before our people. We must be the incarnation of the word we preach as spokespersons for the Living Word himself.
We must not lose a sense of significance and value in our task. Over time, a preacher can easily get into a rut and lose a sense of the greatness of the task to which he has been called and the goodness of the One who has called him.
Preachers must believe that their work has eternal consequences and that their work is highly valued by God. They must prepare, expecting God to bless their sermons, and preach, fully expecting God to bless the preaching. They must preach with zeal and fervency expecting God to meet them there at that preaching moment.
We will all stand before the judgement seat of Christ and give an account of all our preaching – our motives, our preparation, our prayer life, our effort in study, and our earnestness in preaching. It will all be evaluated.
Thus, the people’s opinion of our preaching is not the vital issue. Rather, the ultimate issue is what God thinks of our ministry. Thus, our task must never become mundane or familiar to us. We must serve the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that one day we will face him as to how we fulfilled the task he gave us. Let us preach in view of that day.
We must impress on the hearts of the people the truth of the Word to which we challenge them to respond. Accuracy in interpretation is not enough. We must deliver a specific message from God to this people at this time.
Our understanding of the Word must be preached with a view to changing the lives of the people to correspond to that Word. Preachers are not called to impress people with their grammatical knowledge or interpretive skills. Rather, preachers are called to compel the people to act on the truth of the Word of God. They must ask God to make them powerful in the exhortation and application of the Word as they challenge people to respond to it.
A pastor must have a heart for what God has a heart for – namely, the salvation of souls. That is what it is all about. That’s why God sent his Son to die. That’s why God calls people to himself.
There is rejoicing in heaven over a sinner who comes to repentance. Since this is so, we must preach to that end, so that our preaching will bring joy to God. We must call for repentance from sin and the reception of Christ as Saviour.
This is what God wants. He is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). Therefore, our goal must be to bring people to repentance through the preaching of God’s good news.
“Drafting the Sermon-in-a-Sentence”
Once you have formulated your main points (i.e. the outline of the body of your sermon), the next step is drafting the thesis (overall idea) of your sermon. I like to call this your “sermon-in-a-sentence.” This usually forms part of your introduction.
You may draft it at this point or you may not be able to draft it until further down the road of preparation (perhaps even at the end). But if possible, it is best to draft it now as it gives you direction for preparing the rest of the sermon because all the main points of the exposition must relate to and grow out of this thesis statement. That is why you need to write out your thesis statement (“sermon-in-a-sentence”) if possible before you start drafting the sermon.
The sermon-in-a-sentence is the overall point that the biblical passage is making. It is the sermonic idea which is developed from the main idea of the text. It is an idea, a proposal, a subject to be considered. Greg Heisler puts it this way: “It is the main idea of the text (stated) in a clear, pregnant, and theologically loaded sentence that your audience will never forget.” [Greg Heisler, Spirit Led Preaching (Nashville: B & H, 2007), 77]. J. H. Jowett said: “No man was really prepared to preach until he was able to summarize his message into one single, well-formulated sentence.” [Quoted by William Fitch in “The Glory of Preaching” (Christianity Today, January 20, 1967)].
This is the core of the message; the sermon in a nutshell. It is like the pithy, catchy, condensed headline that journalists use to not only catch your attention but to sum up the whole article. This thesis statement expresses the whole point you are going to make. It is the thrust of your message - what you want the people to know if they don’t remember anything else. It summarizes the teaching of the entire sermon.
Therefore, like main points, the sermon-in-a-sentence will…
1. … be expressed in either the present or future tenses, and
2. … apply to all people of all times.
Its purpose is…
1. To summarize the message of the exposition. It ties together all the ideas expressed in the main points of your sermon outline.
2. To unify the entire exposition.
3. To direct the congregation to what you are going to preach. That’s why I state my proposition in the introduction.
4. To establish the sermon structure.
The purpose of this kind of statement is that you want the audience to be convinced. You are answering the questions: “Is this true? What is your proof?”
The purpose of this kind of statement is that you want them to understand.
You are answering the question: “What does this mean?”
The purpose of this kind of statement is that you want them to be motivated.
You are answering the questions: “Why should I care? What difference does it make in my life? How does this apply to me?”
The purpose of this kind of statement is that you want them to accept this truth.
You are answering the question: “Why should I believe this?”
All these types of thesis statements have as their goal that the people be persuaded and demonstrate that persuasion by responding in faith and obedience.
There are various ways that you can structure your propositional statement.
1. A question which you will answer
2. A declaration which you will prove or explain
3. An exhortation which you will promote – e.g. “Let us…”; “We should…”
Where possible, try to make your sermon-in-a-sentence statement applicable to your audience. You can do this by using “we”, “you”, and “our”, so that the people know that this message is for them today – not simply a message from an ancient text. This makes your sermon more relevant to your people by showing them that the main thrust of your sermon is directed toward them.
Perhaps it will be helpful for you to see some examples of some of my sermon-in-a-sentence statements.
Psalm 1, “The way of the godly and ungodly never meet.”
Gen. 21:8-21, “As darkness precedes dawn, so trouble often precedes triumph.”
Gen. 32:22-32, “The night of agony always comes before the dawn of relief.”
Ex. 3:1-10, “God is the God who appears to ordinary people in ordinary circumstances and reveals to them the extraordinary.”
Jn. 1:1-5, “We behold the glory of God in Christ, who has perfectly and fully revealed God to us, for He is God.”
Jn. 1:6-13, “Christ is the true Light who has come into the world to show us the way to God.”
Jn. 3:22-46, “An authentic ministry is one that magnifies Christ so that he becomes everything and we become nothing.”
Jn. 4:46-54, “Faith in God’s word is the remedy for all our needs.”
1 Cor. 2:1-5, “Power in preaching comes from the Word of God and the Spirit of God, not human wisdom or words.”
Gal. 3:10-14, “The only means of acceptance by God is through Christ by faith.”
Phil. 1:27-30, “A gospel-driven church consistently enhances the gospel in conduct and courage.”
Phil. 3:1-14, “Genuine conversion produces genuine change.”
1 Thess. 1:1-10, “God-centred people walk and talk the gospel.”
1 Tim. 3:14-16, “The message of the church to the world is the truth about Christ.”
Heb. 11:8-10, “Faith gives an eternal perspective in the midst of the temporal.”
Heb. 12:18-24, “The only acceptable means of approach to God is through Jesus Christ and his redeeming work.”
2 Pet. 1:16-21, “We can be certain about the return of Christ because of the trustworthiness of our source.”
“The Minister’s Responsibility, Pt. 1: “Misconceptions Concerning the Christian Ministry” (1 Cor. 3:5-17)
By: Dr. Stephen F. Olford
Introduction. We have seen that the first root cause of division in the church at Corinth was the misconception concerning the Christian message. Now the Apostle turns to the second, which is the misconception of the Christian ministry. Already he has anticipated his subject, but now he deals with it in more detail. The two main considerations that he has in view are, first, the minister’s responsibility to God (3:5-17), and second, the minister’s accountability to God (3:18-4:5). Let us deal with these in turn, the first in this article, and the second next time.
The key verse which opens up this paragraph is a tremendous statement. Paul says, “…We are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field (husbandry), you are God’s building (temple)” (1 Corinthians 3:9). The emphasis in each case here is on the word “God.” This underscores strongly the fact that the human instruments are secondary. God is first, and therefore God must be sovereign in all areas of Christian life and service. Having stated that all Christian workers are co-laborers with God, Paul indicates two areas in which the minister is responsible. The first is in the area of “God’s husbandry” and the second is in the area of “God’s building.” Let us consider these in order, giving special attention to the second metaphor which Paul employs.
Paul says, “I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Cor. 3:6). To introduce his treatment of this aspect of Christian service, the Apostle asks, “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?” (1 Corinthians 3:5). Here Paul employs the neuter gender to take attention away from the preachers and concentrate it on their function. Then he answers his own question and points out that they were nothing more than ministers by whom the Corinthians believed.
The word “ministers” is often used in the New Testament of service Christians render to God. It is clear that Paul is stressing the lowly character of the servant before his Master. In all service it is ridiculous to glorify the minister, rather than the Master who employs him. Paul and Apollos were nothing more than mere instruments through whom God had worked in the church at Corinth. To emphasize this, the Apostle describes ministry within God’s husbandry as follows:
1) Paul was the Planter. “I have planted…” (1 Cor. 3:6). Now planting is a very important work, but the life principle is not in the man who plants; it is rather in the seed that he plants. No planter has completed his responsibility unless he has put the seed into the soil; but he knows better than anyone that he cannot communicate life to that seed.
2) Apollos was the Waterer. “…Apollos watered…” (1 Cor. 3:6). Like planting, watering is absolutely necessary to the growth and development of the seed. But once again the secret of growth is in the seed itself. It needs to be put into the soil and it requires watering, but the life principle that presently is to express itself in the harvest is not in the man who plants or the man who waters, but in the God who gives the increase. It is instructive to observe that the perfect tense is used for planting and watering, but the continuous tense is used for the divine activity in giving the increase. Paul and Apollos had done their work, but God was continuing to give the increase. This is how it has been down through the centuries. Ministers have come and ministers have gone, but God continues forever in blessing His church. All this is necessary in order that men might know that he who plants is nothing, and he who waters is nothing, but God who gives the increase is everything (v. 7). Planters and waterers will receive a reward according to their labors (v. 8), but that is simply because they are mere servants, answering to the Master as responsible men and women. But now we turn to Paul’s other metaphor which he elaborates at greater length.
As we have just observed, Paul has been discussing the work of God in terms of agriculture, but now he turns to a more illustrative figure of speech. He declares that God’s work is a building, and that working for God is building for eternity. As we address ourselves to the Apostle’s teaching on this subject, let us not deflect the truth from ourselves to the preachers and teachers who are said to be Paul’s target here. We must remember that God’s word, however considered, has a challenge for every believing heart. We now consider three important matters which are involved in building for eternity:
1) There Must Be Right Motives. Paul sums these motives up in the words, “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation…” (1 Cor. 3:10). If we build for God, then our motives must ever spring from the grace of God in us. Fundamentally, this includes:
a) Being Saved by Grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). In the context of this statement, Paul declared that those who are not saved are spiritually dead. Dead men cannot build. There must be salvation by grace, for only in a saved life can the right motives be found. So in declaring that Paul was a wise master-builder according to the grace a God, he certainly includes God’s saving grace.
b) Being Made by Grace. “…by the grace of God I am what I am…” (1 Cor. 15:10). With Paul, the believer must be able to recognize an active work of grace operating in the life, purifying and adjusting all motives to conform to the will of God. When Paul says, “According to the grace of God,” he has in mind not only God’s work of salvation, but also of sanctification.
c) Being Called by Grace. “…it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him…” (Gal. 1:15, 16). Only when brought under the sense of such a call can the believer know the joy of pure motives. This is essentially what is implied in verse 10 of our text. Through grace we know not only salvation, and sanctification, but also God’s enabling power for service (v. 10). Paul is stressing the insignificance of God’s ministers outside of divine grace and power.
The right motives are those which attribute to the grace of God not only the authority, but the ability and ambition to build for eternity. In the next place:
2) There Must Be Right Methods. The Apostle tells us that as builders we must take heed how we build (v. 10). He then proceeds to show that the right methods of building are those which are rightly related to the right foundation, Jesus Christ, once and for all laid. His words are, “…as a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation…for no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:10-11). In practical terms, such a relating of our methods to the foundation demands three important things:
a) The Magnifying of the Worth of Jesus Christ. In coming to Corinth Paul said: “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). In this very paragraph he adds, “…The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile. Therefore let no one glory in men…” (1 Cor. 3:20, 21). The Apostle made sure that nothing he did would bring discredit upon the matchless worth and glory of his Lord and Master. You and I must also test our methods of building by such a standard. We must constantly ask ourselves: Does this or that particular service magnify or minimize the worth of our Lord?
b) The Magnifying of the Work of Jesus Christ. Paul’s determination was not to know anything among the Corinthians, “…save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (2:2). This was ever Paul’s method of procedure in all his work of building. Writing to the Galatians he says: “But God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14). He knew that the cross spells out death to anything which is not of God. Indeed, this has been his whole argument in the preceding verses of this Epistle. Likewise, we must see to it that in our preaching, teaching, and working for God we do nothing which minimizes the work of Christ, “…lest the cross of Christ be made of no effect” (1 Cor. 1:17).
c) The Magnifying of the Word of Jesus Christ. In this very same verse (1 Corinthians 1:17), Paul declares with emphasis that “…Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel…” And he has spared no pains to declare what the gospel is. In fact, as we have seen throughout these studies, Paul has expounded not only something of the character, communion, communication, but also the comprehension of the gospel. The supreme message of the servant of the Lord is that of the word of the cross. You can observe how deeply the Apostle felt concerning this by way of his address to the Galatians in 1:8-10: “But even if we, or and angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed… if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? ...if I…pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Strong judgment is pronounced on those who do not base their message on God’s word. His solemn words cannot be misunderstood, and we need to take them to heart. Paul asserts that anything we do which does not magnify the word of the Lord Jesus Christ constitutes worthless service and will not stand the test of eternity. How important it is for us to rightly relate our methods to the worth, work, and word of our Lord Jesus Christ. Methods that in any way minimize the importance and efficacy of this foundation are doomed to failure. Therefore, we need to carefully test our methods before we build a brick higher. Lastly, notice that:
3) There Must Be Right Materials. “Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become manifest: for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is” (1 Cor. 3:12-13). When speaking of these materials, Paul evidently had in mind an event which had occurred at Corinth. A fire had burned through that city and left behind some important lessons for every observer. The carefully built edifices of gold, silver, and precious stones, being marble slabs and granite, had survived, but the poor little hovels of walls stuffed with hay and rough thatched stubble had burnt to the ground. The wise builders with right motives, methods, and materials had saved everything, but the others had lost all but their own lives. So Paul is saying that it is vitally important that we use the right materials. With this symbolic language, Paul teaches that “gold, silver, precious stones” represents:
a) Service that Shall be Rewarded. “Each one’s work will become manifest; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward” (1 Corinthians 3:13-14). That “day” will be an awesome occasion. All believers will be present and their service for the Master will be tested by the searching fire of the judgment seat of Christ. The service which will win the Savior’s approval, and gain the servant’s reward, is described as “gold, silver, precious stones.” The gold speaks of Spiritual Service, for gold is ever symbolic of the nature of God. Spiritual service can only be accomplished in the power of the Holy Spirit. How important, therefore, to know the fullness and anointing of the Holy Spirit for everything we do. The silver speaks of Sacrificial Service. In the Word of God, silver is always typical of Christ’s sacrifice and redemption (see Exodus 30:11-15). To be acceptable to God, service must be sacrificial and redemptive and rendered in the strength of gratitude to Christ for His Calvary love. The precious stones speak of Steadfast Service. These do not refer to a variety of jewels as is generally supposed, but to the numerous marble and granite stones of great buildings, such as the magnificent temple of Diana at Ephesus, which was considered absolutely fireproof and indestructible. These stones represent the steadfast and unmovable faith and work in which the believer is to abound. Here, then, are the characteristics of the good service. The Apostle reminds us that the fire itself shall “test (prove) each one’s work.” Wood, hay, and stubble, on the other hand, represent:
b) Service that Shall be Rejected. “If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss…” (1 Cor. 3:15). Wood, hay, and stubble are perishable materials and have their own symbolic meaning. The wood speaks of Careless Service. It represents man’s independent skill, energy, and power. Hay speaks of Worthless Service. It appears showy and bulky, but it costs nothing in terms of sacrifice. Stubble speaks of Useless Service (see Job 21:18). It signifies the tasks which are done with base ends in view. These are the characteristics of the service which will never stand the test of fire. Indeed, as the Apostle says, “…If anyone’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss…” (1 Cor. 3:15). What a dreadful experience it will be to see one’s so-called service for God go up in smoke, and then have the unutterable shame of picking up the charred embers of a careless, worthless, and useless life and pressing them into the pierced hand of the Master, and having nothing to say except, “This is all I have to offer You from my life.”
Conclusion. Paul sums up this searching passage with some terrifying words. He asks: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (1 Cor. 3:16-17). Paul is saying that the church is the temple of God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Failure to build with right motives, methods, and materials is to destroy the temple of God. Those guilty of such a crime will themselves be destroyed by God. In light of this solemn fact, our responsibility as ministers and Christian workers is to build the temple, and not destroy it. The term “destroy” means to “injure, spoil, mar, or harm.” The Apostle distinctly affirms that if any man spoils, injures, or harms the temple, God will spoil them. Let us take to heart these austere words that come from the very throne of God. Let us remember what constitutes the responsibility of ministers of God. According to Paul, we are co-laborers with God in the tasks of planting and watering in God’s husbandry, and of building and serving in God’s temple. In both aspects, we are answerable to heaven for everything we do. God grant that in that day we shall not suffer eternal loss, but rather receive a full reward hearing the Master’s “…Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:21).
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Jn. 14:1-2, Pt. 1; Jn. 14:2, Pt. 2, Jn. 14:3-6, Pt. 3
Title: I am the way, the truth, and the life
Point #1: Jesus has the remedy for troubled hearts (1)
1. Stop being troubled
2. Keep on trusting
Point #2: Jesus has the assurance for troubled hearts (2-6)
1. Jesus assures us of the existence of heaven (2)
a) Because Jesus has promised it
b) Because Jesus has prepared it
2. Jesus assures us of the entrance to heaven (3)
a) Because Jesus is coming again
b) Because Jesus is taking us there
3. Jesus assures us of the direction to heaven (4-6)
a) Because Jesus is the way
b) Because Jesus is the truth
c) Because Jesus is the life
Winter 2018 Edition
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 519-620-2375
“Drafting The Exposition of the Sermon”
The exposition of the text is the central part, sometimes called “the body”, of the sermon. This is where the summary statement of your sermon (the sermon-in-a-sentence) is expanded to achieve its purpose.
Once you have the outline, you have the skeleton of your sermon. Then the skeleton needs flesh and skin. This is the exposition. The flesh of the exposition is provided by your explanation of the text and your application of those explanations to the lives of your hearers. First let me address…
Your explanation will only be as good as your study of the text, which we have covered in previous editions of this journal.
Your explanation clarifies what the text means by…
a) Dealing with any problems in the text – e.g. textual variances, apparent contradictions etc.
b) Addressing the translation or meaning of words, phrases, sentences, ideas, expressions
c) Bringing out the implications of the text
The question many preachers ask, particularly young preachers, is, “What are some practical ways I can develop my explanation of the text?” So, let me briefly review twelve aspects of developing and amplifying your explanation of the text.
This means expressing the same thought in different words or changing the word order, or by altering the sentence form. Each variation expresses the original thought but may vary the emphasis. For example, “You must be born again” could be expressed as ”rebirth is a necessity” or “to have your nature changed is a divine requirement”. It’s important in using restatement to not constantly say, “In other words” or “To put it another way”. Make sure you vary the way you restate your ideas. Restatement is not repetition; it is expansion and amplification. In fact, restatement is essential to good teaching. It gives the congregation time to absorb what you are saying and to hear it expressed in different ways.
Definition places the idea to be communicated into a general class first, then into a class that differentiates it by contrast, comparison, or function. For example, a general class might be “a ball”. A definition that separates this “ball” from other balls may be “a basketball” or “soccer ball”. Definition is important for conveying meaning.
Scripture itself uses definitions. In Hebrews 11:1, the writer defines what he means by “faith”. Then he goes on throughout the rest of the chapter to illustrate what faith looks like in the lives of faithful men and women.
By describing a concept, situation, person, or thing, you usually do so in terms of the five senses – what does it look like (sight), sound like (hearing), taste like (taste), feel like (touch), and smell like (smell)?
These descriptions help your hearers understand in a more vivid and memorable way what you are trying to explain.
Illustration is a major and very important subcategory of explanation. The purpose of illustrations is to enhance understanding in terms that are readily visualized and experienced. Illustrations clarify an idea by reference to something to which it is similar – similarity to other objects, experiences, attitudes, persons, places etc. By clarifying an abstract idea with a concrete illustration, your exposition is strengthened.
Illustrations serve a variety of functions:
a) Illustrations make the explanation more real and personal. They show how the point of truth works out in real life.
b) Illustrations make the sermon interesting and engaging.
c) Illustrations give some relief to the audience, especially if you are explaining a difficult or abstract idea or truth.
d) Illustrations are meant to illustrate the point! They are not for entertainment nor for humour.
e) Illustrations must be intuitively obvious as to what they are clarifying or explaining. If your illustrations require explanation, then they are no good - they fall flat like a bad joke; they confuse rather than enlighten.
Probably the best source of illustrations is in the Bible itself – such as I just mentioned about “faith” in Hebrews 11, where the author gives illustration after illustration of faith worked out in people’s lives. By using biblical illustrations, the people are taught a much wider scope of the Bible in the sermon; the people get to see in your handling of various parts of Scripture how Scripture all ties together.
Sources of illustrations other than the Bible include: daily experiences (slices of life), newspaper articles, historical events, famous quotes, examples, figures of speech, books, magazines, sources of news (papers, radios, TV), and everyday experiences.
Make sure you do not use illustrations of people in your church (at best it will embarrass someone or at worst it will destroy people’s confidence in you). And don’t use illustrations of your children (even if you have their permission) – they are entitled to your confidentiality.
An idea is clarified through example by specifying an experience, actual use or occurrence. An example is an actual instance of the idea. Let me explain the difference between an example and an illustration. An example of new birth would be Paul’s conversion but an illustration would be a moth that is transformed into a butterfly.
An idea is clarified by the characters or actions of a story. For example, “faith” could be brought alive through the story of David committing himself to fight Goliath, without any armour, simply trusting God (1 Sam. 17). Narration and example are related but in narration the emphasis is on the story (e.g. Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac).
An idea is given greater credence by agreement with an accepted authority – perhaps other Scriptures or known authorities or statistics. It is possible to expand any statement by support.
Discussion allows multiple examinations of the communicated idea from various viewpoints. The idea is examined objectively from various viewpoints – either positive affirmation or negative.
The idea to be communicated becomes the basis for argumentation – either affirmative or negative. Present arguments why your viewpoint should be accepted.
The idea becomes the ground of the invitation for acceptance or rejection. Appeal to the hearers on some basis (e.g. their welfare, security, spirituality, relationships etc.).
Cross references to other related Scriptures help to amplify and support the point you are making.
Express the idea succinctly. Summarize it in your own words.
The tendency is to use the same method of expansion in each message. But this makes your messages monotonous. Try to have variation. Use the method of expansion that best suits your main points. Some methods of expansion are more suited to your personality and may be more effective for you than others.
For each section of your sermon, decide what methods to use. You may conceive of other different methods of expansion in addition to those I have just mentioned. Ask yourself: “Are there other methods that would be more effective?”
By varying your methods of expansion your sermon preparation will be greatly simplified and the message will become more interesting, convincing, and inspiring.
This is how you put “flesh” on the “skeleton” of your sermon, flesh which may either attract or repel your listeners based on the methods and style you use. Amplification adds meat to the bones so that your explanation is interesting and understandable and not merely definitions or word studies.
Study each method carefully. Use any or all of them to the best advantage. Allow them to express your personality, experiences, and speaking style.
Study other sermons and ask yourself: “What is the central thought? How did the preacher organize that thought? How did he expand his sermon points? What method did he use?”
We often spend so much time on doctrine (the fruits of our study) that we fail to give our people something to take home to apply to their lives. All explanation must be applied to people’s lives with a view to producing a response of obedience. We need to give a clear, simple statement of doctrine, then help the people to apply it so that they understand what God wants them to do.
In this regard, it is noteworthy that in the epistle to the Romans, chapters 1-8 deal with doctrine; chapters 9-11 deal with matters of Israel in God’s purposes; and chapters 12-15 address application and duty.
Biblical preaching applies the truth it explains. Application of what the text means and implies is an integral part of the entire sermon from beginning to end. Application is, in fact, one of the major tools in exposition. It makes what is abstract (the truth) become concrete by bringing it into the realm of reality. Application of the truth invites the people to put the truth into action by responding appropriately.
Biblical preaching requires that we present truth in such a way that the truth relates directly to character, conduct, beliefs, relationships, attitudes, values, and priorities. We do not preach merely to inform (though that is true) but to transform. Therefore, apply all explanations in order to produce obedience. That is the ultimate goal of preaching - to bring about change and obedience.
Applied truth should always be personal (“you”), practical (relates to life), and pertinent (relevant to the audience). When applying the truth, move from the general to the particular. Ask yourself, “How does this truth apply to these people in this place at this time in history?”
Therefore, preach to persuade - “Knowing therefore, the terror of the Lord we persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:11). Preach for the transformation of people into more of the likeness of Christ (Rom. 8:29). Preach so that people obey. My mentor and teacher, Dr. Stephen Olford said, “Unwillingness to obey truth nullifies the impact of preaching” (Stephen Olford, Anointed Expository Preaching, 77). He also said, “Truth must be obeyed or it dies.” The apostle Paul commends the Christians at Rome: “You obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered” (Rom. 6:17).
Wayne McDill asserts that our emphasis should not be on behaviour when we apply the truth so much as on a call to faith (see “The Twelve Essential Skills for Great Preaching”, 108-114). He advises that we should not orient our messages to “You must do this” etc. but to address the real need, which is to trust God. In his opinion, you most effectively address people’s real needs when your sermon is a call for faith rather than a call to change behaviour. I think we should heed his advice. There is sometimes too much infliction of guilt in application, even to the point where the people could well respond: “I just can’t satisfy you. You’re always asking us to do more.” Our task is not to constantly lay burdens on the people but point them to God.
While I agree with McDill’s exhortation, this does not mean that we should be content with no change in behaviour, because how we behave is the true indication of what we believe. So, we must expect a change in the way people act, think, relate, and behave. Nonetheless, I understand and appreciate his concern that we not be constantly laying some additional ethical burden on the people but that we point them to God – “His character, His capabilities, His intentions, and His record” (McDill, 109). I also like McDill’s emphasis on “you can...” instead of “you ought to, should, must” (255f.).
“Drafting The Close of the Sermon”
An otherwise good sermon can be ruined with a bad ending. Make sure that your summation or close concludes the message. The purpose of the conclusion is to bring the sermon to a conclusion. Your audience should know that nothing more needs to be said; that you have fully and finally exposited the text; that God through you has spoken; and that now it is their responsibility as to how they are going to respond.
There are three vital elements to the closing of the sermon:
By condensation I mean “crystallize” the truth; summarize it; recapitulate it. This focuses the audience’s attention back on the primary purpose and thrust of the sermon. It reminds them where you have come from in your sermon by relating it back to the introduction. It puts the entire sermon into a nutshell so that the audience can remember where you started and what you have covered. And they can see that you have done what you set out to do as stated in your opening sermon-in-a-sentence. It gives you the opportunity to clarify one more time what the issue is.
Here you want to “personalize” the truth by addressing them as “you”. Even though you have applied the truth throughout the entirety of your sermon, the conclusion gives you the opportunity to put special, personal emphasis on what you through the Scriptures have taught them to do or to be. Here, you are beseeching them, encouraging them, exhorting them.
By invitation I mean, charge your hearers to respond to the truth they have heard – to “actualize” the truth. Call for a verdict on what you have presented. Call for them to do something - change their thinking, behaviour, attitudes, relationships, affections; obey the truth; confess their sins etc. The summation is your final appeal, your final challenge. It is the final motivating thrust of your sermon.
Here you are asking the people to make a decision. For example, in Acts 2, Peter preached and the people said, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). Peter replied, “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (2:38). What was their response to Peter’s invitation? “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (2:41-42).
Give opportunity for people to respond right away. It may be public or it may be private. But state that you want them to respond now and give opportunity for that.
“Drafting The Introduction”
The introduction of a sermon plays a very important role. Typically, preachers prepare their introduction last, even though it is the first part of the sermon. A good introduction should be concise, clear, interesting, and relevant. You only have a few minutes to convince the people that what you are going to say is interesting, valuable, and applicable to their lives.
The introduction serves several important purposes:
Try to catch the audience’s attention through something they can relate to – like a life experience. If you introduce your topic by relating it to a life experience, you will establish relevancy for the audience.
Try to be creative in your opening sentences but not so that it is phoney. Avoid humour unless it is part of the “slice-of-life” experience. Make it specific and relevant.
Here, you answer the question, “What does this have to do with me?” What it has to do with them is that that they have a need that this sermon addresses - e.g. their hopes and fears; their sins and struggles and failures; their problems of life.
Establish the burden of the sermon, the purpose behind the biblical message…
How do you connect to the Word? You connect to the Word by relating the audience’s need to the biblical text.
Why connect to the Word? You need to connect to the Word because it gives the biblical solution and direction for the audience’s “need”. Your introduction should move naturally from the life of the listener to the solution or direction found in the Word. This shows how the sermon you are about to preach relates to their experience. Here you can provide the audience with the burden of your message – what you want them to do, be, or change as a result of this sermon. Here you establish solid contact with the foundation of the message, namely, the Word.
The audience needs to know what you are going to speak about. Do not let them guess.
This is where you state the overall thrust of the message in one sentence. It is a very important part of the introduction. It sets the direction for the rest of the sermon. So spell out clearly the overall, central theme of your sermon.
Whatever general contextual background information the audience needs in order to understand the message should be provided here in the introduction – historical, cultural, economic, social, political, authorship, date, audience etc.
This is sometimes called “the bridge.” The bridge forms a transition from the introduction to the exposition. It steers the audience into the purpose and structure of the message. It shows how you get from there (the life experience + the biblical text + personal contact) to here (first point of the exposition).
There are various ways of making this bridge / transition. You can “bill board” the upcoming main points – i.e. list the main points your are going to cover in the sermon. You can state what aspect of your topic you are going to deal with - e.g. three benefits of…; or two reasons for…; or three points that show… etc.
“The Minister’s Accountability, Pt. 2: Misconceptions Concerning the Christian Ministry” (1 Cor. 3:18; 4:5)
By: Dr. Stephen F. Olford
Introduction. In the verses immediately preceding, the Apostle has dealt solemnly with the matter of the minister’s responsibility to God. As a planter or as a waterer in God’s husbandry, the Christian laborer must ever recognize that he is answerable to God. The same is true in God’s building. The Christian workman is responsible to God for the manner in which he builds the structure of the church. But now Paul proceeds to deal with a complimentary truth that is The Minister’s Accountability to God. Although these verses have a message for all believers, it is nevertheless clear that the main thrust of teaching is directed to Christian leaders within the local church. Paul’s main burden is to confront those who preach, teach, and serve, with their accountability to God in respect of two matters of comprehensive significance. The first concerns:
“Therefore let no one glory in men…” (1 Corinthians 3:21). There is no greater danger in the assemblies of God’s people than this matter of boasting. Indeed, it is the sin for which Lucifer was cast out of heaven. It is the sin that cursed Eden. It is the sin that divides the church of Jesus Christ. So Paul stoutly condemns:
1) Boasting in Human Learning “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise” (1 Corinthians 3:18). Reverting to a theme which has been handled thoroughly in chapters 1 and 2, Paul emphasizes again the folly of human wisdom. Apparently there were some in the Corinthian church who were trying to unite philosophy with theology. The Apostle warns them that such an experiment was tantamount to defiling the temple because it was corrupting divine truth with human wisdom.
Now let it be stated that the Bible does not ridicule the honest search of man for knowledge. When a scientist discovers that two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen make water, such human wisdom is not folly. But when that same scientist tries to exclude God from his own thoughts, or attempts to devise a way around the cross, or discounts the revelation of the Bible, then that wisdom is utter foolishness. To such Paul says, “If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise” (1 Corinthians 3:18).
This is a spiritual principle which is enunciated in various ways in the New Testament. We are told that to be great is to become as a little child (Matthew 18:4); to become exalted we must be abased (Matthew 23:12); and to be wise we must become fools (1 Corinthians 3:18). There is no other way.
When all is said and done, we cannot improve on the words of Blaise Pascal when he declared, “The supreme achievement of reason is to bring us to see that there is a limit to reason.” Then there are the words of that famous proverb: “He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool. Avoid him. He who knows not and knows that he knows not is a wise man. Teach Him.” It follows, therefore, that the only way to become wise is to realize that we are fools. The only way to acknowledge our readiness to learn is to confess our ignorance before God. So Paul declares, “…the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God…” (1 Corinthians 3:19). To support his contention, the Apostle quotes from Job 5:13 and Psalm 94:11 to demonstrate God’s rejection of human learning.
We must remember as William Barclay points out, “that the trouble about intellectual pride is that it is always argumentative and exclusive. It is argumentative in that it cannot keep silent and admire. It must talk and criticize. It cannot bear to have its opinions contradicted; it must prove that it and it alone is right. It can never admit that it was wrong; it must always be justifying itself. It is never humble enough to learn; it must always be laying down the law. Intellectual pride is exclusive in that its whole tendency is to look down on others rather than to sit down beside them. Its whole outlook is that all those who do not agree with it are wrong. Intellectual pride cannot possibly think that it may be mistaken. It tends to cut men off from each other, rather than unite them.” Is it any wonder that Paul condemns such boasting in human learning? But with the danger of boasting in human learning, there is also the peril of:
2) Boasting in Human Leadership “Therefore let no one glory in men. For all things are yours” (1 Corinthians 3:21). As we have observed again and again, this was the supreme problem in the Corinthian church. Four groups existed in the assembly who were vying one with another, and therefore glorying in their respective leaders. To expose the utter folly of such boasting, Paul shows how ridiculous it was for any section of the church to claim Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, as their very own. “All things are yours,” exclaims the Apostle, by which he means that these leaders belonged to the whole church. No one party had a right to boast in any particular pastor, teacher, or evangelist.
To strengthen his argument, the Apostle concludes this paragraph with a glorious statement concerning the possessions in Christ. I particularly want you to notice the order in which he lists these possessions (vv. 22-23). He begins with himself. In doing so, he puts himself at the bottom of the climax. From himself he goes on to Apollos and Cephas. Such teachers belong to the whole church in every age. Next Paul considers the world. This belonged to the church as well. In another place, Paul says the Christians are to use this world, but not abuse it (1 Corinthians 7:31). The Psalmist reminds us that “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof…” (Psalm 24:1). Paul teaches us that “…God…gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). The Savior declared, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Then Paul continues and says life belongs to the church. The word used means life in its essence and abundance in Christ. What is more, death belongs to the church. Because Christ has died and risen again, death holds no terrors for the people of God. Death is but the servant who introduces us to the greater life beyond. Things present belong to the church – yes, and things to come. And best of all, we all belong to Christ, and Christ is God’s Messiah. In the light of all this, how can people in any local church be small-minded enough as to be sectional in their interests? The very vastness of God’s redeeming purpose for us should carry us above human boasting to glorying in God alone through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So we see that both ministers and members are accountable to God in respect of boasting; but there is another issue for which they have to answer, both in time and in eternity. It is:
“For I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:4). Now if boasting is a divisive practice in the local church, so is judging. More splits have occurred in the work of God through wrong judgment than will ever be accounted for this side of eternity. So Paul makes it crystal clear that on this matter of judging everyone in the church of Jesus Christ is accountable to God. To introduce his subject, Paul illustrates the nature of a minister’s accountability in the context of the church. In the first place, he is a servant. “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1). Among the Greek words for “minister” or “servant,” here is another interesting one! Literally it means “an under-rower.” In the ships of Paul’s day, wind power was augmented by manpower. There were great oars on either side of the ship, manned by under-rowers, who were under the supervision of a master rower. Such is the position of a Christian leader. He is a man under authority, and therefore accountable to his Lord and Master. So Paul says: “Let a man so consider us, as of the servants of Christ…”
In the second place, the Christian leader is a steward of the mysteries of God. A steward, in olden times, was actually a housekeeper. He was responsible for the household stores and their distribution according to necessity. For this very reason it was “…required in stewards that one be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). Such faithfulness implies not only responsibility to God, but also accountability to God. As a steward of the mysteries of God, the Christian minister is accountable to God for leading and feeding the flock of God. As G. Campbell Morgan puts it: “What a terrible thing if Milton’s description ever becomes true of those of us who are in the ministry of the gospel – ‘that hungry sheep look up and are not fed.’”
In light of this solemn accountability, Paul teaches that we are all subject to human judgment as well as divine judgment. To apply this principle Paul stresses that:
1) Human Judgment Must Be Regarded Moderately “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a court of man. In fact, I do not even judge myself” (1 Corinthians 4:3). While human judgment counts for very little, it cannot be utterly disregarded. The remarkable thing is that in spite of human error, the judgment of our fellow men is instinctively right. At the same time, he who is faithful to the Lord will not be perturbed by the unfavorable opinion of others. Nor will he be eager for or elated by their applause.
In this human judgment Paul includes not only the criticism of his fellow men, but the judgment of himself. Literally he says, “I do not even judge myself. For I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this…” (1 Corinthians 4:3, 4). In simple language Paul is telling us that while he is not free from self-reproach, he is assured that his verdict upon himself is after all only human, and therefore inadequate to condemn or to justify. Therefore in the ultimate sense, no responsible Christian is answerable to his conscience, or to his fellowman, but to God. Although human judgment is to be considered moderately,
2) Divine Judgment Must Be Regarded Seriously “…He who judges me is the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:4). Every servant of God stands to be judged now and will stand to be judged in a coming day when the Lord “…will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts; and then each one’s praise will come from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5). Already Paul has dealt with the subject of the judgment seat of Christ in Chapter 3, but he returns to this solemn doctrine and amplifies its relevance to our lives with an even greater intrusiveness; for Paul tells us here that in the day of revelation, the things we have sought to keep secret in our own hearts and hidden from our fellow men, God will bring to light. To appreciate the full significance of such a truth is to be delivered forever from pre-judging the lives of others within the local church. Therefore Paul says, “Judge nothing before the time” (1 Corinthians 4:5). In that day everything will be seen in the light of God’s unerring judgment, based on an absolute knowledge of the facts, and a complete insight into “the counsels of the heart.” Only God knows all the circumstances of human life, and only God knows all the motivations of the human heart.
Conclusion: What an amazing paragraph this is! No one can read it and study it without being searched to the very depths. On the one hand, there is our tendency to boasting. But we cannot understand Paul’s condemnation of the foolishness of human learning and the futility of human leadership apart from God, without being humbled to the very dust.
On the other hand, there is our propensity to judging; but who can anticipate the coming judgment seat of Christ and not be silenced in our criticism of others? So however we look at it, leaders and laymen alike, we are accountable to heaven, and if we would have our praise of God in that coming day, we must be humble, rather than boastful, and faithful, rather than critical in every area of the life of the church.
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Jn. 15:1-3, Pt. 1; Jn. 15:4-9, Pt. 2, Jn. 15:10-11, Pt. 3
Title: Five characteristics of a true disciples
Point #1: The first characteristic of a true disciple is…fruit-bearing (2-3)
Point #2: The second characteristic of a true disciple is… abiding (4-9)
Point #3: The third characteristic of a true disciple is… obeying (10-11)
See the next edition of this journal (Spring 2018) for characteristics four and five.
Spring 2018 Edition
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 519-620-2375
“Finalizing Your Sermon”
There has been much debate over the years about whether preachers should use full sermon manuscripts in the pulpit, or a sermon brief, or sermon notes, or nothing.
Unless you have had considerable preaching experience, I recommend that you write out your sermons in full, even if you don’t take the full manuscript into the pulpit with you.
I use a sermon brief. By “sermon brief” I mean amplified notes, a partial manuscript, summary paragraphs.
Key Features Of A Sermon Brief Are:
Indent supporting material underneath the lead sentences. This can be in note form.
I inset them within a border to easily identify them.
Like illustrations, I inset applications in a border to easily identify them. This also helps you to assess whether you are making applications at the appropriate points in your sermons and how much of your sermon is application.
When preaching applications you can afford to be more extemporaneous, but make sure you have thought them through beforehand. Applications are very important. Be sure to make them contemporary and relevant.
Memorize your introduction - at least the introductory “attention-getter”. Be sure that your “sermon-in-a-sentence” is carefully, succinctly, and accurately stated.
Carefully think through how you will make your final appeal at the end of your sermon and how you will ask the people to respond.
Transitions between segments of your sermon are a very important aspect of preaching. This makes sure that the people follow you - i.e. so that they know how you progressed from one main point to the next.
There Are Several Advantages To Using A Sermon Brief:
a) It gives me all the crucial data I need without forcing me to take the time to write the whole sermon out word-for-word.
b) It prevents me from falling into the trap of over preparation.
c) It prevents me from reading my sermon.
d) It sets out the road map of the sermon so that I do not get off course or forget important points.
e) It provides me with the right words at the right times (e.g. for main points and explanatory material).
f) It links me to other Scriptures which I might not remember otherwise.
g) It marks out appropriate illustrations at appropriate points.
h) It focuses me on the applications at the appropriate points.
i) It prompts me with the transitions when needed which I might otherwise forget.
j) It regulates the length of the sermon.
Even Though You May Not Write A Full Manuscript, Make Sure…
Conclusion. Whatever form of manuscript or notes that you end up taking with you into the pulpit, remember that sermons are an offering to God which have eternal impact on the lives of people and, therefore, are worthy of careful preparation.
Preparing to preach involves more than writing a manuscript. Your manuscript needs to become a message from God which you deliver to the people. Therefore, once preparation of the manuscript has been completed…
Make any last minute changes in grammar, theology, exegesis, illustration, applications, wording etc. Test the whole sermon:
Eliminate what is not needed, true, accurate, or necessary. Familiarize yourself with the layout and content and flow-of-thought of the sermon. Add anything that is needed to strengthen it. Make sure that someone who has never heard this message would be able to understand it and follow it.
Relate the sermon first to yourself (before you preach it to your people), in terms of application and obedience. We have no right to preach a sermon we have not obeyed ourselves. This is the incarnational process. Make sure that you own the message.
As you pray, go over the entire sermon before God. Meditatively rehearse the sermon – pray the message to God asking him to show you anything that should be changed or eliminated, and anything that you need to obey, confess, or apply to your own life. This solemn discipline will reveal whether or not further adjustments need to be made or if you have His approval. Only then are you ready to preach. In your prayer, I suggest that you offer your sermon to God as a sacrifice, asking that it may be well-pleasing to Him.
As the messenger of the Lord, employ whatever pulpit method puts you at ease and makes you most effective in communicating God’s Word. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Then go out and “Preach the Word.”
A) An Introduction
This is where you gain the attention of your audience, state your subject, proposition (“sermon-in-a-sentence”), and connect to the audience and to the Word.
B) A Body (Exposition)
The body of your sermon consists of explanatory material, which is usually divided up into main points, illustrations, and applications.
C) A Summation Or Wrap-Up
This is where you bring your sermon to a conclusion through condensation, exhortation, and invitation (see the Winter 2018 edition of this Journal).
D) Transitionary Sentences
Transitionary sentences help you make smooth and logical transition between the main parts of a sermon – between the introduction and the body of the sermon; between the main points of the sermon; and between the body and the closing.
a) To stretch the mind = teach, inform, knowledge of God, biblical worldview
b) To stir, soften, touch the heart = affection, relationship with Christ
c) To stimulate, sensitize, prick the conscience = confession, holiness of life
d) To shape, subdue the will = obedience, submission to the will of God
Review every sermon to ensure that it fulfills all four of these challenges.
a) Your theme / subject – this provides unity
“What is the dominating theme?” (the big idea of the sermon, the subject, the sermon-in-a-sentence). Ask yourself, “What am I going to say about the subject?”
b) Your thoughts – these provide structure and movement
“What are the integrating thoughts?” (the main points). What thoughts expose the theme / subject? State the thoughts in “principlized” form.
c) Your thrust – this provides direction and purpose
“What is the motivating thrust?” (the purpose of the sermon). What does the truth demand? What do you want them to do? What application are you going to make?
“From Start to Finish”
It is instructive that the apostle Paul, at the end of his epistles to the Colossians and to the Ephesians, asks for prayer concerning his preaching ability, clarity, opportunities, and courage.
“Praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.” (Col. 4:3-4)
“And (praying) for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph. 6:19-20)
In both passages, Paul repeats the phrase “as I ought to speak.” There is an “oughtness” about preaching:
1. “How” we ought to preach - with “boldness,” courage, passion. This comes only when we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to overcome our weakness and protected by the Holy Spirit in conflict with spiritual enemies.
2. “When” we ought to preach - “open doors,” opportunities.
3. “What” we ought to preach - “the mystery of Christ”; the mystery of the gospel.
4. “Why” we ought to preach - “to make the mystery known”. If we don’t make it known, who will? If we don’t make it known, it will be hidden and remain a mystery. In this sense, preaching is prophetic (revealing the truth of God) and apocalyptic (unveiling the truth).
5. “As I ought to preach” indicates strongly the very necessity and responsibility of preaching.
Foundational to the oughtness of preaching is prayer. We need to pray about our preaching and we need others to pray for us about it. Only with the enablement of the Holy Spirit can we preach in such a way that others will understand clearly, be convicted spiritually, and respond appropriately. Paul asks that “utterance” be given to him – to speak the very words of God. Thus, we are to “preach the Word” (2 Tim. 4:2; cf. 1 Tim. 2:7). Clear, bold, relevant preaching of the gospel comes only from the unction of the Holy Spirit and prayer. When the Holy Spirit enables and empowers us, we will preach with courage, fluency, passion, conviction, and clarity.
Your initial remarks set the tone and really determine whether people are going to listen to you or not. They reveal something about yourself. People get this 6th sense about you from your opening comments. So, think them through and speak them wisely. You will either make it or break it here. If you lose the attention of your listeners here it is very hard to get them back.
Initial remarks form a transition from what went before to what is coming. It is always good to tie the previous part of the service together with your sermon by making remarks about something that was said or done before your sermon – e.g. by complimenting or thanking a worship team or sound system operator; or, by picking up on something that was already said or sung that is a natural transition into your topic.
It is very good practice to thank everyone who has been involved in the service as well as all those who minister in the church in various ways – e.g. teaching Sunday school classes, looking after little babies. Public recognition is good and proper.
Stay away from the common propensity to tell a joke. Jokes are fraught with danger and are usually unrelated to what you are going to preach on.
Be brief with these initial remarks.
In preaching the introduction, make sure that it moves smoothly from the initial remarks to the start of the exposition.
Make sure that your introduction fulfills the purpose of an introduction – for help with this, see the 2018 Winter edition of this journal.
Somewhere in your introduction or initial remarks, remember to pray. It’s amazing how many preachers do not pray before they preach and some don’t pray at all.
If it has not been read earlier in the service, find an appropriate place to read your passage. I like to read my own passage at the time I preach, rather than have someone else read it earlier. This way, the sermon is directly tied to the passage. Be very careful how you read the text. Practice reading it. Read it meaningfully, slowly, expressively (but not unnaturally), lay emphasis where appropriate to give meaning. Make use of pauses for meaning, paragraph breaks, and emphasis. It’s good to ask the audience to stand for the reading of God’s Word.
Keep the introduction short – I suggest not more than about 10 to 15% of the whole sermon (i.e. 3 – 5 minutes).
The exposition consists of a continual interplay between explanation, illustration, and application. Explanation of the text helps your audience to understand the original author’s meaning. Illustrations serve to clarify and strengthen the explanation – to make it more vivid, real, understandable, relevant, contemporary. So, illustrations are really a subset of explanation. Application makes the meaning relevant to and practical in life.
Generally, explanation is the part of the sermon which is done the worst:
Make sure that you do a good job of explanation. Carefully identify the principles and show how they are drawn from the text. If you don’t explain the “what” of the text, you can’t effectively and powerfully apply the “how” or “why” of the text. Instruction always comes before action; principle always precedes and lays the foundation for practice; doctrine comes before and issues in duty.
Application is best done as you go along rather than at the end of your sermon. If you leave application to the end:
While your explanation needs to be done accurately and well, make sure that you do not get stuck in explanation. You need to bridge from the text to the everyday lives of the people. They must be reached with God’s word.
There are four major principles involved in properly applying the sermon:
(a) The personal principle
This is the principle of the preacher applying the Scripture to his own life. If you preach to others what you have not applied to your own life, you will not preach with power. Not only does God know when you do this, but the people will know also. The preacher must preach what he believes and he must live it.
(b) The imagination principle
To properly apply the text, it must become real to you. The people, places, and emotions must come alive to you. If it is alive for you, then it makes it easier for you to make it real for other people and see how it applies to them.
(c) The stretch principle
As we preach to people over a period of time and guide them, the preacher gets to know them better – their fears, their needs, their hopes. Our knowledge of the people, where they live and who they are, allows us to stretch the application of the Scriptures to cover as many of these areas as possible. This does not give license for using the text inappropriately or inaccurately. There is only one interpretation of Scripture, but there are many applications to human experiences and problems.
(d) The declarative principle
The application of the text must be declared with authority and clarity. There must be no uncertainty about the application of the text. The people come to church for clear direction, to find out what God says, how they must live, and how they can get help for their problems. Therefore, the applications must be overtly declared so that the people are not left hanging or wondering what the point was.
Use illustrations wisely and appropriately. Make sure that they illustrate the point you are making. If you have to explain your illustration, it isn’t the right one.
Try to avoid falling into some of the following common traps:
This is the climax of the sermon. This is where you pull together the proposition (sermon-in-a-sentence) with the explanation and the actualization of the truth in the lives of the people. This is where the rubber meets the road in preaching. This, along with the introduction, is probably the toughest part of the sermon to do well.
In your close, try to…
Thus, the close is by definition confrontational. In fact, all prophetic preaching is confrontational. You are saying, “This is what the word of the Lord says - now this is what you need to do about it.”
The response you call for may be:
Prepare the close very carefully and strategically. Do not introduce new material here. Spell out how you want them to respond – e.g. by…
Give time for response.
Transitions make the communication of the message unified, smooth, logical, comprehensible. Don’t underestimate the value of and need for transitions between the various points and sections of your sermon. I recommend that you write out every transition in full.
A good sermon will flow smoothly and progress steadily to the close. It will have movement – progression of argument, explanation, application, exhortation etc. When you have made your point, move on! It will be balanced between the sections of the sermon (introduction, exposition, and close) and balanced between main points so that one point is not 90% of the sermon. It will have pace – like a marching band, it will not race at one point and crawl at another, but it will steadily move toward the goal.
Use words sparingly and precisely. Search for words that give the most precise nuance possible to accurately express what you want to say. Remember, many preachers are too wordy. Speaking longer than necessary turns your listeners off. Be precise so that there is no vagueness or confusion. Develop word pictures, analogies, contrasts that embed the idea in the mind. Be colourful.
“The Call to Church Order” (1 Cor. 4:6-21)
By: Dr. Stephen F. Olford
Introduction These verses bring to a close Paul’s treatment of divisions in the church. You will remember that he has not only thoroughly dealt with the curse, but also with the causes of these divisions in the preceding chapters. Now at last he comes to the cure. For this very reason the passage before us is of supreme importance, not only to the individual Christian but especially to the life of the local church.
The section divides into two parts: The first part is characterized by the note of severity (vs. 6-13). The second part is characterized by its extreme tenderness (vs. 14-21). To put it in another form, Paul addresses his readers first with the word of correction, and then he concludes with the word of compassion. These two notes are always sounded in the presentation of the Christian message because they are the expression of the very nature of God (see Romans 11:22). This was true of the Savior’s ministry. At times there was a warning note, while on other occasions there was a winning note. Certain circumstances called for a winnowing of men and women. At other times there was a wooing of men and women. First, let us consider:
“And these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written…” (1 Corinthians 4:6-13). The Apostle introduces his word of correction by telling the Corinthians that he was employing Apollos and himself as illustrations of the great principles that affect the relationship between ministers, teachers, and members of the whole church. It is characteristic of Paul that he would not address his readers without involving himself. There was always a wonderful courtesy about this man. He had a way of including himself in his own warnings and condemnations. With this preamble, Paul strikes once again at the root cause and the positive cure of all division in the individual and in the corporate life of the church:
1) The Root Cause Being Sin and Self-Centeredness in the Church “…That none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other” (1 Corinthians 4:6). Quite obviously the heart of this self-centeredness is this ugly thing called pride. Using a familiar phrase – “puffed up” – which occurs no less than seven times in this epistle (4:18, 19; 5:2; 8:1; 13:4), Paul shows that this pride is:
a) Unbiblical. – “…Learn in us not to think beyond what is written…” (1 Corinthians 4:6). Paul is undoubtedly referring here to the general teaching of scripture on the subject of pride. There is nothing that God hates more than the pride of the human heart. Surely the Apostle had in mind such Old Testament passages as Daniel 4:37 and Isaiah 42:8 where it is clear that “God will abase those who are proud” and “will not share His glory with another.” There are similar verses in the New Testament where it is stated “…God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). And “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). What a terrifying thought to realize that Almighty God sets Himself up to resist and crush pride in the human heart wherever He finds it! Until this monstrous thing is dealt with in the local church, there will always be divisions and contentions. But pride is not only unbiblical, it is also:
b) Unspiritual. – “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you glory as if you had not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). A proud person fails to see that God not only makes people differently, but that He also is the sole Source of both natural and spiritual endowments. It is only the unspiritual Christian who does not recognize the distinctions as well as the derivations of these gifts. So Paul, in effect, asks: “What are you so puffed up about? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if all you have is from God, why act as though you were so great, and as though you have accomplished something on your own?” (v.7, Living Letters). The whole trouble in the Corinthian church and in many local assemblies today, is that Christians forget that they owe their souls and their all to God alone. But Paul goes on to show, in the third place that pride is:
c) Unsociable. – “You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us – and indeed I wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you!” (1 Corinthians 4:8). With withering irony and holy contempt, Paul describes the unsociable state into which pride had brought these Corinthians. It was a condition of smug satisfaction, self-sufficiency, and snobbish superiority. Then Paul points out with stinging satire that such pride had estranged them from him. In the Beatitudes Jesus says that it is those who hunger and thirst after righteousness that are full, it is the weak that become rich and inherit the earth, and that it is the poor in spirit who receive the kingdom and reign. But for these Corinthians it was otherwise. What searching words these are, and yet how necessary is this divine corrective in our church life today! There is hardly a problem that arises in our religious circles which cannot be traced to this unbiblical, unspiritual, and unsociable thing called pride.
In our last study, the Apostle condemns all kinds of boasting, but here in this section he seeks to correct it, by exposing the sin of self-centeredness in the church. Having done this, he turns next to the positive cure for division in the local church:
2) The Positive Cure Being Christ-Centeredness in the Church “For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death…” (1 Corinthians 4:9). In the verses that follow, Paul shows that the only answer to self-centeredness is Christ-centeredness, and that the only antidote to the spirit of pride is the way of the cross. It seems as if Paul felt that he were the object of the pitiless gaze of a mocking world in the arena of life. To explain what he meant Paul describes the way of the cross in terms of:
a) Mental Suffering. – “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!” (1 Corinthians 4:10). With an ironical play on words, Paul contrasts the sufferings of the servants of God with the sophistication of the Corinthian believers. Because Paul and his brethren were associated with the cross of Christ, they had become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men – that they had been exhibited on a vast theater stage for all and sundry to mock and scorn. I wonder, are you and I willing to be ridiculed for our message? How many of us are tempted to compromise the gospel because it is unpopular and despised?
The way of the cross involves not only mental suffering, however, but also:
b) Physical Suffering. – “Even unto the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, beaten, and homeless” (1 Corinthians 4:11). Paul is quite obviously referring to something he was experiencing at the very time of writing. True, he had suffered in the past, but he says “Even unto this present hour…” Here are four things we take for granted as the basic necessities of life – food, clothing, protection, and shelter; but Paul was lacking in all of these. Yet, indeed, he labored with his own hands (v. 12). The Apostle had been taught to make tents of goat hair (Acts 18:3), but such manual labor was despised among the Greeks. The fact that he had so engaged in it at Corinth caused misgivings among the saints (see 2 Corinthians 11:7). But this is the way of the cross, and we must not forget it.
Paul climaxes this paragraph by combining the two aspects of his suffering by saying, “…Being defamed, we entreat. We have bee made as the filth of the world, the off scouring of all things until this day” (1 Corinthians 4:13). As he began, so he concludes – with a striking metaphor taken from human sacrifices in a Greek city. When criminals were sacrificed to appease the wrath of the gods, the poor wretches were thrown into the sea, and this is the word Paul uses to describe himself. Literally, the sentence reads: “We are made as the rinsings and the scrapings of all things.” In a word, we are nothing but garbage.
I wonder how many of us are prepared to walk the way of the cross. It may not fall our lot to experience physical hardship in this affluent society, but we are all called to suffer mentally for Christ’s sake, for if we are true to our message of Christ crucified, we shall be the world’s rejects, objects of laughter, scorn, and ridicule. Here then is the word of correction that Paul addresses to the Corinthian church. But with this note of severity he also sounds the note of tenderness, and the paragraph concludes with:
You can sense the Apostle’s heart of love as he addresses his readers as his “beloved children.” “I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you…” (1 Corinthians 4:14-21). Paul’s approach here is completely different. The word of correction is now followed by the word of compassion. The charge of the Apostle has given way to the appeal of a father. And so it should be in all ministry. Severity is needed, but it must always be followed by the message of tenderness. So the great Apostle admonishes them on the basis of:
1) A Parental Relationship in Christ “For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, be followers of me” (1 Corinthians 4:15-16). Having addressed them as beloved sons, Paul assures that it is not his design to make them hang their heads in shame, but rather to admonish them. As a father, he wants them to be brought up “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). In the previous paragraph he has dealt with them as an instructor, but now he wants to speak to them as a father. An instructor was essentially a disciplinarian who was responsible for the supervision of a boy’s dress, food, speech, and manners during his minority. But Paul wants them to now act as grown sons (v. 16). Needless to say, Paul only wanted the Corinthians to imitate him to the extent that he followed Christ. This was a challenge to mature living (his own and theirs) as opposed to the childish behavior they had been expressing. What a word to you and me! It is time we grew up and left behind our babyhood! Paul continues his appeal on the basis of:
2) A Personal Remembrance in Christ “For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church” (1 Corinthians 4:17). The Corinthians had overlooked many of the truths that he had taught them. So Timothy was coming to remind them of teachings, helping them to be worthy sons and daughters of God. This ministry of remembrance is underestimated in our Christian experience. Indeed, a great part of the preacher’s responsibility is to remind us of truths that have been forgotten or neglected (see 2 Peter 3:1). This is one great function of the Holy Spirit in this age, “to bring to our remembrance” the things the Lord has taught us in times past. So also the Lord’s Table is designed to remind us repeatedly of the central truths of the gospel and the soon return of Christ. The heart that responds to the ministry of remembrance, however, is one that has been broken at the cross and is ready to accept not only the word of correction, but also the word of compassion. Finally, Paul presents his appeal on the basis of:
3) A Pastoral Responsibility in Christ “What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?” (1 Corinthians 4:21). Knowing that there would still be some proud people in Corinth (v. 18), Paul climaxes his compassionate appeal with this note of authority. He tells them that if the Lord wills, he will come to them and then discover whether or not there was, in fact, arrogant opposition in Corinth or mere idle talk (v. 19). He reminds them that the kingdom of God is not just talking, but living in the power of the risen Christ (v. 20). God has provided every means by which Christians should live as responsible men and women. This is the whole purpose of the cross of Christ and the whole power of the resurrection.
Conclusion: So Paul concludes with the words: “What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or I love and a spirit of gentleness?” (1 Corinthians 4:21). He gives them a choice whether they will receive him as a father in the spirit of love and meekness. Paul’s love for his children in the faith was no blind, easy, sentimental love. On the contrary, it was a love that knew that sometimes discipline is necessary and when it was, he was prepared to exercise it. There is a love that can ruin a person, by shutting his eyes to his faults. At the same time, there is a love that can make a man, by bringing him face to face with truth as it is in Christ Jesus. The cure for divisions in the Church is the acceptance of the word of correction, which smashes our pride and leads us to walk in the pathway of the cross. It is also the acceptance of the word of compassion, which encourages us to live, learn, and love as grownup sons of God. Are you prepared to meet these terms, and so know the peace and joy of doing the Father’s will?
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 15:12-13; Link 2 - Jn. 15:14-17, Link 3 - Jn. 16:5-15
Title 1: Five characteristics of a true disciple (Jn. 15:1-17)
Note: See the 2018 Winter edition of this Journal for points 1-3 (John 15:1-11).
Point #4: The fourth characteristic of a true disciple is… loving (12-13)
Point #5: The fifth characteristic of a true disciple is… knowing (14-17)
Title 2: The Coming of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 16:5-15)
Point #1: Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be our Helper / Comforter (5-7)
Point #2: Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to convict the world (8-11)
Point #3: Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide believers into all truth (12-15)
Summer 2018 Edition
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 519-620-2375
In this edition, we come to the end of our 7 year series on “The Essentials of Expository Preaching.” In the next edition, we will begin a new series of articles on “The Dynamics of Church Leadership”.
In the last edition (Spring 2018), we looked at some steps in finalizing your sermon manuscript or notes, and some reminders on each section of your sermon from the introduction to the close. It is fitting, then, to conclude this preaching course with some comments on how to actually communicate the message. First let’s look once more at…
At the risk of repeating myself, I strongly recommend that you use notes when you preach. As I mentioned in the last edition of this journal, there are various forms of notes
In order to explain why I encourage you to use sermon notes, it’s important to understand some of the dangers of not using notes:
In addition to the advantages of using notes that I mentioned in the last edition of this journal, here are some more advantages which, to me, are equally important:
How you communicate your message will depend to some degree on your gifting, your training, your personality, and your experience. While we learn from others and are mentored by them, our style must be our own. It may be conversational or didactic, formal or more informal.
Be yourself, but don’t think that that permits casualness or lack of professionalism. No one wants to come to church to be embarrassed by the preacher. And people will not bring friends if they think there is any chance of being embarrassed either by your style or content. So, be yourself, but at the same time be polished, courteous, consistent, dependable.
Be conscious of the acoustics. Use your voice in a way that is appropriate to the acoustics and to the message. Learn how to use the sound system to your advantage. Make sure the sound operator sets you at the right volume and tone. There is nothing worse for your listeners than either not being able to hear you or being blasted out of their seat.
Vary your volume. This makes it interesting and indicates passion and the importance of what you are saying.
Vary your pitch. If you do not vary the pitch of your voice, you may fall into one or more of these annoying habits:
a) A monotone. This is where you speak with no variation in pitch. This becomes very boring very quickly for your listeners.
b) A low pitch or “growl”.
c) A constant high pitch. Intensity of speech or nervousness can cause some preachers to develop a high pitch. This is very distracting.
Varying your pitch, on the other hand, helps to provide emphasis to what you are saying, variety in how you say, and passion about what you are saying.
Practice your tone. All speakers have a tone. Your tone can be affected by nerves, or the volume of speech which can tighten up your throat. A nasal tone generally comes from tension in nasal muscle. A guttural tone, on the other hand, generally comes from tension in throat.
You can change your tone if it is distracting. You might need speech lessons but more likely you can change it just by being aware of how you sound and consciously changing it.
Watch your rate of speech. The tendency is to speak too fast or too slow. Speaking too fast wears people out (like machine-gun fire); too slow bores people to death. The average rate of speech in preaching should be slightly faster than conversational speech – e.g. about 180 words a minute. This rate of speech keeps people’s attention but doesn’t kill them in the cross fire.
Variety is important. Use faster speech to indicate excitement or to cover material that is not as important or does not demand such detail. Use slower speech to communicate important or complex ideas that need time to sink in.
Use pauses. A pause at the appropriate moment lays emphasis, creates tension, affects meaning, gets people’s attention. It says “This is important, so we need to pause.”
Pace. The pace at which you deliver the sermon should reflect steady progression toward a goal. Don’t be racing at one point (as though you are running out of time) and crawling at another.
Use an oral style that is easy to understand. Choose vocabulary that can be understood and if you use a word that is not common, always clarify what it means. Stay away from technical terms unless you explain them – we are not there to impress people with our knowledge, but we can use our preaching to expand people’s vocabulary.
Articulate your words well. Don’t slur words together. Be distinct. Lay emphasis where appropriate. Stress words appropriately so that your meaning is clear.
All body language should be natural, but if your “natural” body language in any way distracts from the message, change it.
Use gestures that are natural, appropriate, expressive. Develop your own gestures.
Be aware of how you look to the audience. Don’t make facial expressions that look comical or ridiculous or painful. In fact, don’t project anything that distracts from the message.
Eye contact is important and sometimes hard to maintain. The easiest way to let everyone think you are looking at them is to focus your eyes in different sections of the congregation so that you are not looking at one person in particular but embracing an area of the auditorium. Focus your eyes on one area for a minute, then move to another area so that you cover the whole space.
Don’t look up to the ceiling or over the heads of the people. This is very annoying. Yet so many preachers seem to have difficulty looking at the people.
Set your notes at the right height on the pulpit so that your eye movement from notes to the people is limited. The higher you have your notes, the less you need to move your eyes up and down. Not only does this give less appearance of reading your notes, but it give the appearance of more continuous eye contact.
Use “you” in order to be personal, direct, and compelling.
Ask rhetorical questions (e.g. as Paul does in Romans). Questions draw the audience into the message. Appropriate questions overcome objections in advance. Questions help transition into application.
Throughout your sermon, answer the questions: “What difference does this make to you? How are you going to work this out in your life?”
Speak to the heart; be emotive as well as didactic. Communicate your personal interest in them as people, your care and concern
Every message should have an element of urgency. It really matters because Christ is coming etc.
The perspective of your sermon affects people in various ways – spiritually, eternally, theologically.
Visual aids should simply reinforce the message. If you use them, make sure they are well done or else they will detract from your message.
Primarily, the preacher is the visual aid. That’s where you want everyone’s attention directed, not because you want to be the personal centre of attention but because (1) you want undivided attention to your message; (2) you want to be the incarnation (visual aid) of your message.
“My speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” (1 Cor. 2:4)
Proclamation of the message must be “in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Here, Paul is peaking of the act of preaching rather than the person of the preacher.
Our preaching must “demonstrate” that it is done under the direction, control, and enablement (“power”) of the Spirit. That’s what makes preaching effective in the lives of the audience.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said: “There is all the difference in the world between preaching merely from human understanding and energy, and preaching (with) the conscious smile of God.” (Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Revival, 295, cited in Anointed Expository Preaching, 236)
The unction of the Holy Spirit is vital for effective, powerful preaching. The Holy Spirit is the divine agent who makes the truth live and makes the truth vital (cf. 1 Jn. 2:2; 2 Cor. 1:19-22).
Let me suggest some exercises that help the voice:
a. Practice building the voice by breathing deeply from the diaphragm. This is how professional singers breathe. It gives control.
b. Practice training the voice by reading the sermon out loud. Concentrate on articulation, pronunciation and emphasis.
c. Practice testing the voice for the following characteristics:
a) Projection (strength). This is the ability to “throw” your voice so that everyone can hear.
b) Production (softness). Use breath control to regulate constancy of sound.
c) Protection (control). Know the limitations of your voice.
d. Practice resting the voice especially when your voice is tired or hoarse. Use periods of silence to relax your voice muscles.
e. Practice the healing of the voice by using, if necessary, salt, lubrication (throat lozenges), and care. Lubrication is particularly important as the mouth and throat tend to dry out if you’re nervous.
f. Practice guarding the voice. Avoid straining your voice. Try to guard your voice against wind and air-conditioning. Be particularly aware of talking on the phone for long periods of time.
g. Practice using the voice. Make it a subconscious effort every time you speak to be aware of how you use your voice. Many people’s voices sound bad, not because that’s the way they are made but because of how they use them.
“I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling” (1 Cor. 2:3)
Nervousness in preaching is normal. Even the greatest and most experienced of preachers suffer from nerves and a sense of inadequacy. The apostle Paul asked, “Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Cor. 2:16). This casts us upon the Lord – that’s good.
But nerves should not cripple us. That’s one advantage of being well-prepared and using notes. We can still speak with authority despite how we feel inwardly because we know that what we say is the word of God.
Personal appearance. In one sense we want to be veiled from sight so that the audience sees Christ in our message. On the other hand, we are the human agents God has chosen to deliver the message. Thus, we should present ourselves in a way that does not distract from the message. To that end, your personal appearance should be modest; and your personal appeal should not be seductive to anyone in the audience.
Every preacher should be sensitive to the occasion when selecting his topic or text, in preparing the content and thrust of the message, and in presentation of the message. If the occasion is a wedding, for example, your content must be appropriate to that occasion and your delivery would normally be focused on the happiness of the day.
The preparation and presentation would, of course, be very different if the occasion were a funeral, when the needs of the mourners would be addressed in the content of the message, and the delivery of the message would be appropriately subdued and sombre.
Similarly, regular Sunday messages would vary in their preparation and presentation depending on the occasion. Special Sundays like Thanksgiving, anniversaries, Easter, and Christmas would dictate the type of subject matter to be prepared and the manner in which they a represented.
Every sermon has a purpose. If the purpose is to deal with a specific failure in the life of the church or a particular problem in relationships, then the preparation of those messages and their presentation would be affected accordingly.
If the purpose is evangelistic or exhortative, again, the selection of the text, the content of the message and the style of presentation should correspond to that purpose.
Purpose, then, affects the topic or text selected, the application of the text, the illustrations used, and the manner of presentation.
“Discipline In The Church” (1 Cor. 5:1-13)
By: Dr. Stephen F. Olford
Introduction With this chapter we commence a new section in the unfolding of this first letter to the Corinthians. Up to this point the apostle has been dealing mainly with the problem of divisions in the church. Now he turns to the equally serious matter of disorders in the church. There are three, in particular, which are mentioned within the scope of the next two chapters. They have to do with discipline in the church (5:1-13), lawsuits in the church (6:1-11), and impurity in the church (6:12-20). Our concern in the present study is that of discipline in the church. It is quite obvious from the reading of this epistle that the Corinthians were so preoccupied with their carnal wisdom and philosophy that they had overlooked the moral obligations of the gospel, to which they were committed. Wrong thinking always issues in wrong living. As a result, moral disaster had befallen the church and Paul had to confront them with this fact. He had to spell out, in no uncertain terms, the disciplinary action that had to be taken. As we consider Discipline in the Church, I invite you to observe, first of all:
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you…” (1 Corinthians 5:1). The construction of these opening words indicates that the sin in question was the subject of general gossip – not only within the assembly but throughout the city. There is no need to elaborate on the actual offense in question, except to notice that it was a most flagrant violation of the moral law. A Christian brother had been living immorally with his step-mother. The fact that the sin described is fornication indicates that the father was either dead or divorced. The absence of any mention of the woman suggests that she must have been an unbeliever, and therefore outside of the jurisdiction of the church. This form of immorality was so revolting and horrifying that it was not only condemned by Jewish law (Leviticus 18:8), but was also prohibited by Roman law. Indeed, it is a sin which was seldom found among the unregenerate Gentiles.
Now the Holy Spirit has seen fit to record his sordid story in order that we might learn the seriousness of sin in the church. If a Christian brother could sink so low in the days of apostolic Christianity, what does that say for our day, unless we learn the solemn lesson that this chapter contains. The seriousness of this moral disaster in the church is underlined by:
1) The Personal Culpability of the Offender “…he who has done this deed…” (1 Corinthians 5:2). Quite clearly, this offense was not just an isolated act of sin. To “have his father’s wife” meant that he had lived with her. Similarly, the phrase, “he who has done this deed,” indicates that he had practiced this sin over some period of time. Our first reaction is to deduce that this man was probably a nominal Christian without a saving knowledge of Christ. But Paul’s reference to him, both in this chapter and in his second epistle (2:6-8), would confirm the view that the man was truly born again, but tremendously backslidden in heart and life.
What a warning this story is to you and me! Apart from the grace of God, there is nothing to stop us from sinking just as low. And the tragedy of such moral breakdown is that such sin is first against a holy God and then against the Body of Christ. When David realized his sin in the matter of Bathsheba, he cried “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done this evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). But added to this was the realization of how he had wrecked the life of an innocent woman and taken the life of an innocent and loyal man. This leads us to consider the second reason for the seriousness of moral disaster in the life of the church:
2) The Public Consequences of the Offense “And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned…” (1 Corinthians 5:2). Like a cancerous disease, sin always poisons and paralyzes the body. Therefore, the whole fellowship was affected by this man’s moral breakdown. Instead of mourning they were boasting. Paul uses an unusual word to describe what should have been their attitude. They should have “mourned” he says, meaning to lament, as for the dead. They should have recognized that here was a man who had not only fallen from grace, but also had separated himself from the life of the church. Instead, they were boasting about their tolerance of sin, and by this very attitude had become partners in the sin.
John Morley once said “under certain circumstances compromise is the most immoral word in the English language.” And Morley is right! When a person or a church compromises on the issue of sin, God’s name is dishonored, Satan’s work is advanced, and the church is rendered helpless. Not only the man but the church should have repented long before Paul wrote this letter, for repentance is one of the greatest marks of regeneration. Only through contrite, broken-hearted repentance can we expect God to bless our lives and our churches. It seems, however, in our day, we have lost all sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Instead of mourning over our failures in the church we are boasting about our tolerance, our compromise, and our bigheartedness. God have mercy on us! Next let us consider:
“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together…with the power of Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 5:4-5). Whatever else we think, God’s standard of discipline in relation to sin in the church is unmistakable and unalterable. There is no question but that this chapter is left to guide us throughout the age of the church in these matters. Please notice three things regarding discipline in the church:
1) The Meaning of the Discipline “…deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 5:5). This solemn statement is supported with other expressions throughout the chapter such as “purge out the old leaven” (v. 7), and “put away from yourselves that wicked person” (v. 13). Quite clearly, the act of discipline involves the excommunication of the offender from the life and fellowship of the church. Such excommunication is described as being delivered unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh (v. 5). Scholars expound these words in two ways; undoubtedly there is an element of truth in both positions.
There are those who maintain that Paul specifically mentions the destruction of the flesh in order to emphasize that when a person is excommunicated from the life and fellowship of the church, he is brought under the domination of satanic forces (see 1 John 5:19). Very soon a Christian living in this atmosphere learns that “the flesh profits nothing” (John 6:63). In other words, he comes to the end of himself, and therefore seeks to be restored to the Lord and to his rightful place in the fellowship.
Other students of the Word maintain that the destruction of the flesh implies and involves sickness and even death of the body. This was true of other delinquent members of the church at Corinth, to whom Paul refers in Chapter 11:30. Because of their demeanor at the Lord’s Supper they were sickly, and some slept. It was true of Ananias and Sapphira, who were judged by the stroke of death (Acts 5) for lying to the Holy Spirit (see also 1 John 5:16).
2) The Method of the Discipline “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together…” (1 Corinthians 5:4). Paul exhorts that the church should come together, recognizing the authority of the Head of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ. In this particular instance, Paul, as a father to so many, also identifies himself with the church saying: “…when you are gathered together, along with my spirit…” Having thus convened, with recognition of the Savior’s presence, the Spirit’s power, and the clear teaching of the Word of God, the church is to pass judgment on the sin, and excommunicate the offender out of their presence. It can only be added that if this were done more often today, we would soon see revival visiting the people of God. So often we pray for refreshing showers to fall from heaven, while we condone sin in our midst. This is a contradiction. A third important aspect of this church action is:
3) The Motive of the Discipline “…deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 5:5). It must be stressed that the ultimate motive in all discipline is that of restoring the sinning saint to the life of cleansing and victory in our Lord Jesus Christ. This is supported by what Paul has to say in the second epistle, where he scolds the Corinthians for having failed to receive back into membership the offending brother who was now repentant and on the verge of being “swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.” So he exhorts them to confirm their love toward him (2 Corinthians 2:6-8). In Galatians 6:1, Paul exhorts that all discipline should be exercised with a view to restoration. It is just as much a sin on the part of the church to fail in following up a repentant member as to overlook the discipline of a rebellious offender.
Now this solemn chapter fittingly concludes with:
“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new batch, since you are unleavened, for indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Reminding them again that their boasting was not good, Paul points out that just as leaven permeates the dough, so sin has a way of affecting the total church. No one can excuse himself on the basis of being an insignificant or inconspicuous member of the church. Indeed, the whole fellowship is as strong as its weakest member. If we are to know the glory, the power, and the blessing of our God in a local assembly, we must give attention to the continuing secret of deliverance for the individual as well as the corporate life of the church. The secret is threefold:
1) There Must be a Hatefulness of Sin “Therefore purge out the old leaven…” (1 Corinthians 5:7). In Old Testament times the Jewish household was instructed to remove all leaven in preparation for the Passover. Every little nook and cranny and mouse hole was to be examined with a lighted candle for any traces of leaven. This symbolized the complete break with the old manner of life in Egypt, and their entrance to new life in which they were designed to enjoy fellowship with God. Paul says we must purge out the old leaven remembering that Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us. Any trifling with sin is a reflection on the holy Lamb of God who gave His life to save and to keep us from sin. Our entire Christian attitude should be that of celebrating the victory of our Savior, not with malice or wickedness in our hearts, but with sincerity and truth (v. 8). The test of whether or not we are living in victory is our attitude to sin. From the passage before us, it is quite clear that it should be one of utter hatefulness and abhorrence of sin.
2) There Must be Helpfulness to Sinners “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world” (1 Corinthians 5:9-10). Apparently Paul had written to them on a previous occasion concerning this matter of holy living, but some of them had misunderstood his instruction to be about their contact with the world. Now he writes again to explain that the doctrine of separation does not imply isolationism. While we are in the world we have to mix with people who are fornicators, covetous, extortioners, and idolaters. Our Savior was a friend of publicans and sinners (Matthew 11:19). At the same time, we must remember that while He mingled with them in a redemptive helpfulness, He was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners (Hebrews 7:26). Nothing brings conviction home to the heart of an unconverted person more than the radiance and redemptiveness of a holy, helpful life. There are hungry people all around us who long to know deliverance from the power and pollution of sin. Therefore in our Christian walk, let us bear in mind that while we are to be characterized by a hatefulness of sin, we must maintain a God-given helpfulness to sinners.
3) There Must be a Holiness in Standards “But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone who is called a brother and is a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner – not even to eat with such a person” (1 Corinthians 5:11). There is much loose talk today about holiness which does not involve holy standards, but Paul makes it quite clear that if we know anything of holiness in our lives, then it has to be demonstrated in a separated walk, even if it involves withdrawal from a brother who is walking disorderly. As we have seen in this very chapter, it is possible for a brother to be a fornicator, or covetous, or an adulterer, or a drunkard, or even an extortioner, and Paul adds, with such we should not even share a meal.
Indeed, in 2 Thessalonians 3:14 and 15, we are explicitly exhorted to withdraw ourselves from all such in order that they might learn the nature of their sin and its consequence. We cannot pronounce judgment upon the sins of the world because that realm is out of our jurisdiction (see vs. 12-13); that is God’s province and prerogative. But in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and with the word of revelation in our hands, we are to judge sin in or own lives and in the church. Therefore, concludes the apostle, we must put out of our midst every believer who comes under the category of “a wicked person” (v.13).
Conclusion: This is solemn teaching and we cannot escape either the authority or relevancy of the divine challenge to our hearts. If therefore, we long for God’s favor and benediction upon our lives and upon our churches, we must view sin in all the seriousness of its essential character. We must fulfill all the demands of divine discipline and, most important of all, we must live and learn the secret of day-by-day deliverance. God grant that your life and mine might ever be characterized by a hatefulness of sin, a helpfulness to sinners, and a holiness in standards by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (See also 1 Thessalonians 4:7; 2 Corinthians 7:1). We dare not lower God’s standards by acting or being otherwise characterized.
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 18:33-34; Link 2 - Jn. 18:35-37; Link 3 - Jn. 18:37-38
Title: The Kingship of Jesus
Point #1: The kingship of Jesus separates cynics from seekers (33-35a)
1. Cynics sneer at the kingship of Jesus (33)
2. Seekers hunger for the kingship of Jesus (34-35a)
Point #2: The kingship of Jesus separates the physical from the spiritual (35b-38a)
1. Jesus explains that his kingship is not a physical entity (36)
2. Jesus explains that his kingship is a spiritual entity (37)
Fall 2018 Edition
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 519-620-2375
“Strengthening Introductions”
The introduction and conclusion are two very important parts of a sermon, and yet they are probably two of the least well done. If your introduction is weak, you risk failing to convince your audience (1) that their need is addressed in the Bible and, therefore, (2) that they should listen to you. If your conclusion is weak, you will fail to accomplish the main task of preaching – namely, to persuade your audience to change, to generate a life-transforming response, and to make it effective in the lives of your audience.
Every sermon is usually preceded by some appropriate pre-introductory remarks. Pre-introductory remarks (or, the introduction before the introduction) fulfill several functions:
(a) If you are a guest speaker, they allow you to introduce yourself, or say something to connect to the audience.
(b) They allow you to emphasize or confirm an announcement or something important in the life of the church.
(c) They allow you to connect with what has taken place in the preceding part of the service.
Generally, pre-introductory remarks form a bridge from what went before (e.g. by picking up on the theme of the preceding worship music) to what is coming after. They also give you opportunity to take care of pastoral issues like sickness of a member.
During this part of the introduction, be sensitive to what went before – don’t just ignore the previous part of the service like it never happened. And be sensitive to the mood and tone and atmosphere of the service.
The purpose of the introduction is to introduce the sermon, not to make people laugh, not to tell a story or to use gimmicks to keep people coming back.
Use this pre-sermon bridge to personalize the atmosphere with your presence and personality so that the service is not clinical, sterile, or impersonal. This is where you connect with the audience on a personal basis, perhaps for the first time in the service.
Why is it so hard sometimes to know how to begin? Well, perhaps it’s because you are writing your introduction too soon. The introduction is normally one of the last items in sermon preparation. Or, perhaps it’s because introductions are so important and cover such a broad territory and require such creativity. You may have all your research done and your sermon outline, but you can’t prepare your introduction effectively without creative juices flowing.
What are the key components to introducing any public, verbal communication?
Your introduction must be consistent with, and establish, your purpose in preaching the sermon. If you don’t have a purpose, why preach? If you don’t know where you want to end up, how will you get there? Without a purpose, you may preach a sermon that is aimless and useless for your audience. You must have a goal to strive for, a target to hit. So, in your introduction clarify your purpose in preaching this sermon.
Ask yourself:
Keep in mind that there are four general purposes for every sermon - to inspire; to inform; to convince; and to exhort.
The purpose / burden of the preacher can be expressed as a personal concern or by way of an illustration of why this truth is needed. Here are some suggestions for expressing the purpose / burden of your message:
The burden / purpose of your message sets up the audience and your message for the close. It says up front where you are going with the message and what you expect the result to be.
How do you connect the purpose of your sermon with your proposition (i.e. the theme / summary statement of the sermon)? Ask yourself: “On the basis of the central proposition of this text, what does God want my people to understand and obey?” In other words, your purpose for preaching this sermon to this audience is to be consistent with the message of the biblical author to his audience. Why did he give this message originally? What did he want his audience to know or do or change or obey?
The purpose of an “introductory point of contact” is to immediately arrest your congregation’s attention and keep it. People are so saturated with secular communication that it shapes the way they listen – i.e. in short sound bites (e.g. TV, movies etc.). There are all kinds of distractions in the audience – things that have happened during the week; kids misbehaving during the service etc. The sermon can either be a time to tune out or tune in.
During the preceding part of the service, the congregation has been participating in singing, giving etc. that has kept them attentive. But now their role is much more passive as they become listeners and learners. The task of the preacher is to energize the atmosphere and get the attention of the audience without being trite, theatrical, or disingenuous.
What are some safe and effective ways to gain your audience’s attention? Let me give you some suggestions:
Your introduction must clearly establish a connection between the life of your audience (their needs and problems and questions) and the life of the Bible and the sermon (its answers and solutions). They need to know that you know their need and the Bible addresses it. So, surface their need and your empathy (i.e. “we” are in this together – we all experience this, including you, the pastor). You are on a mutual journey of faith and practice.
How do you establish or determine what the need is? Obviously, you need to know your congregation. You need to know:
To know your congregation does not imply that you preach to “felt-needs” but to “real” spiritual needs, whether felt or not. The real needs of people today are often not “felt” – these are the needs that God addresses in his Word. It takes a great deal of prayer and wisdom to determine what the Spirit of God is directing you to preach on and how that addresses a spiritual need in your church.
How do you raise these real needs? One way is to ask questions such as:
Another way is to make an indicative statement about the need:
Once you have established the need for this sermon, move to the Bible to show that the Bible addresses this problem, this need. You aren’t dealing here with your text yet – you are simply establishing that the Bible addresses this need and provides a solution. Their question is: “What does this have to do with me?” Your answer is: “Because I have an answer to your problem from the Bible”. Here, you are offering a solution (“take away”) at the end by telling them where you are going to end up and what the benefit is to them.
You are not giving all the answers, but you are promising that you have an answer from the Word. This is the time when the people need to know:
The introduction should be motivational in nature. It relates to what you are about to say to your audience. It answers the question, “Why should I listen?” It convinces them that it will benefit them and that this is important.
Some approaches to supplying a motivation to listen are that:
State what it is that you are going to talk about. Be concise. Limit your subject – i.e. don’t make it too broad. Don’t leave your people guessing about what you are speaking about.
Condense your sermon into a sentence (sometimes called the proposition or thesis statement) so that the audience knows:
Ask yourself: What are you going to prove, explain, exhort? What is the principle that you are going to communicate? What are you going to say about the biblical text? This is the thesis that you want to communicate. It’s the sermon in a nutshell, the theological point, the abiding principle as it relates to life.
Always state your proposition as a full sentence. A full sentence expresses a complete idea. That’s the only way you can adequately and intelligibly communicate.
The propositional statement contains two key components:
(1) The theme (the subject) of the sermon.
(2) The thrust (what you are saying about the subject) of the sermon.
Having already stated your subject, now in your proposition, you relate that subject to what you are going to preach about that subject. For example, if your subject is “the love of God”, ask yourself: “What is it about the love of God that the text is saying? What’s the point? What’s the truth to which we are to respond?” In other words, the proposition is a narrowing, a refining, a limiting of the subject.
I suggest that you state your proposition in such a way that it is applicational.
Applicational means using a direct statement that demands a response. For example:
What we are doing by making it applicational is we are moving from the world of the text (its wording; its culture; its people; its time; its place) to our contemporary world by making the abiding principle in the proposition applicable to our lives.
How do you state the proposition so that the audience knows that’s what it is?
You can use an introductory phrase such as:
The big question is, how do you determine what the proposition is? Typically, one way to come up with your proposition is to write down the main points of your sermon, and determine what holds them all together. Thus, your proposition is a “main point of main points.” The proposition holds everything together because your main points flow rom it and, thus, the entire sermon. For more on this topic, see the Fall 2017 edition of this journal.
If you limit it to about 10-15% of the sermon (3-4 minutes) you will have to be succinct.
Writing it out forces you to think it out well, but try to not be tied to notes during the introduction. Memorizing the first few paragraphs helps you to establish contact with your audience so that you are relational in your manner.
I recommend that you read the Scripture passage yourself. Announce the reference two or three times. You could make remarks to put the passage in context.
Note that good Scripture reading should be:
This is an excellent opportunity for you to show them how to read Scripture and to draw out the meaning and sense by the way you read it.
Don’t forget to pray. This is natural after the reading of the passage. Make sure prayer is a prominent component of the entire worship service. It is an act of worship and should follow on from the previous part of the service. Offer the sermon as a sacrifice to the Lord.
By varying your introductions you prevent your audience from getting tired of them. But don’t try to be dramatic for the sake of it. There is a difference between creativity and gimmick.
Here are ten suggestions for varying the format of your introductions (they all contain the same basic elements, but arranged differently):
(1) A personal story from your own life, introducing the biblical text that connects with that experience, and then the purpose of the sermon.
(2) A slice-of-life from someone else’s life, followed by the purpose for the sermon and then the text.
(3) An example from history¸ followed by the purpose of the sermon, the reading of the text and the proposition / thesis.
(4) A direct statement of the biblical text and how it relates to the lives of your audience.
(5) Reference to a need, either stated or inferred, by some in your congregation, which connects to how the text promises to meet that need.
(6) Retelling a biblical story. Then state the purpose of the sermon, and the expectation that the same God who acted in the story can and does act now
(7) Statement of a contemporary problem, which allows you to move to the text and then state that the truth you are going to explain from the text is the solution to their problem.
(8) Ask a question or series of questions that force the audience to consider a real human need or situation. Empathize with that need (we all have it); state how God can meet that need and how the message will explain how He will meet it.
(9) State the proposition / central truth that you are going to explain, outline your main points and then move into the body of the sermon.
(10) Refer to a contemporary news item that is pressing on people’s minds and show how the Bible speaks to the issue (i.e. answers the “why” questions).
(1) Give any contextual and background information needed to understand the passage. This is sometimes called the sub-introduction. This enables the audience to understand the text more accurately and fully and establishes that the Word of God is the authority for what you say. How much background information you give will vary depending on:
Make sure that you present background and contextual material in an attractive way – not boring but relevant to the message and to life; not too much so that you lose their attention.
(2) Transition into the first point of your exposition. Here are some techniques for smoothly transitioning into your exposition:
… the Bible addresses this issue from three perspectives - 1…2…3…
… the Bible gives three reasons why… - 1….2…3
Remember that no part of a sermon is of any lasting effect unless it is prepared and delivered in the power and under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
Remember that no sermon model or methodology is necessarily good for all preachers on all occasions. Some of the great preachers of history did not follow the model I have outlined. But because these preachers did not make full use of introductions does not mean that you can dispense with them. What it probably means is that if they had developed a skill for introductions, their preaching would have been even more powerful than it actually was.
Remember that you must make the sermon your own before it can be of any effect in the lives of others. This is what we call incarnational preaching, “the Word made flesh”
Understanding The Heart Of Pastoral Ministry (Col. 1:24-2:5)
The apostle Paul is clear and unwavering that pastors are “ministers” or “servants.” We are ministers of the gospel (Col. 1:23) and ministers of the church (Col. 1:25). These are our two primary responsibilities. Let us never allow other things to crowd them out, but make sure these are the things we are focused on – ministering God’s word and serving God’s people. So, I’d like to make a few comments from Colossians 1:24-2:5 on “The heart of pastoral ministry”. Paul’s point here is that “Pastors are Christ’s servants for the church.” Notice that…
“I rejoice in my sufferings for you and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions”(24a). This passage is tied together by “rejoicing” - at the beginning, Paul rejoices in his suffering (1:24) and at the end, he rejoices in their faith (2:5). There is great joy in serving Christ and his people. This is what motivates us; this is our reward. But mixed in with the joy is suffering and affliction. In pastoral ministry, we suffer for the sake of the church.
Paul sees his sufferings as the result of what he did for the sake of the church – “my sufferings for you” (24a), for their benefit. As he ministered to them, so he endured suffering on their behalf, such as imprisonment, ridicule, beatings etc. Pastoral suffering for the sake of the church is real.
(a) We suffer because of our relationship w/ others who suffer. We enter into their grief and trials; and we perform a priestly function as we bear them up before God.
(b) We suffer when those we love and serve are attacked by Satan and their lives start to go adrift. And sometimes they won’t heed our advice.
(c) We suffer from criticism and rejection when others don’t like what we say or do.
“…in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sake of his body, which is the church” (24b). Paul associates his sufferings with the “afflictions” of Christ. As he continued the work of Christ (in establishing and developing churches) so his sufferings were a continuation of the afflictions poured out on Christ himself. And all who minister in Christ’s name to Christ’s people will similarly suffer with Christ.
So, pastors suffer for the sake of the church. Understanding this makes pastoral afflictions and trials purposeful, meaningful, endurable, and valuable because it is experienced in serving the church and in continuing the ministry of Christ.
Pastors must see their work from that perspective in order to deal with the distress and anguish of pastoral ministry, for their own well-being and the well-being of the church.
“…of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known” (25).
We are “stewards” of the church. A steward is someone who takes care of someone else’s possessions or affairs. Pastors are stewards of Christ’s church. Our position as ministers of Christ is one of servant-hood; our function as ministers of Christ is one of stewardship. We serve as stewards of God’s word and God’s people.
Our first obligation as stewards is the full proclamation of God’s word - “to make the word of God fully known” (25b). The word of God which we make known is “the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints” (26). Through our preaching and pastoral leadership we make known the “mystery” of the gospel, which was formerly hidden but now revealed to his saints, to whom “God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (27).
To make known the word of God is to preach “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (27b). It is to preach “Him…warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom” (28a).
We serve as stewards of God’s word. That’s our first obligation as pastors – the full proclamation of God’s word. And…
Our second obligation is the full spiritual maturity of God’s people – “that we may present everyone mature in Christ (28b). This is the goal for which we toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works in me” (29). The end to which we labour as stewards of God’s people is to encourage, equip, and empower those entrusted to our care so that “we may present everyone mature in Christ.” That must be our goal, to present every member of the body of Christ as mature in Christ at that future day.”
You might say, “Who is sufficient for these things? How can I do it? Such a stewardship is too great!” Well, pastors can take courage in this, that God enables us to accomplish this stewardship. Ministry is hard work. Sometimes the work is rough and tiring but as we “toil” and “struggle” in the work of God, we are aware that it is God who “works powerfully within me” (29b). The sufficiency for ministry is not from our own power or abilities but from God working in us.
Pastors must appropriate God’s power. When the ministry seems like hard labour (toiling and struggling), when we need energy to go the extra mile, we can draw on God who “works powerfully” in us. That’s our sufficiency for ministry. That’s where our strength comes from in times of trouble and strife and discouragement. His power energizes us, motivates us. His power is the secret of effectiveness in ministry - not our programs or techniques or promotions or psychology or gimmicks, but God “working powerfully in me”.
So then, in pastoral ministry, we suffer for the sake of the church (24), we serve as stewards of the church (25-29), and...
Pastoral ministry is a constant struggle. To use Paul’s language, we “agonize / struggle” (2:1) in our ministry for God’s people. What do we “agonize” over? Why such turmoil? What are we constantly striving for? We are struggling for the spirituality of the church.
…“that their hearts may be encouraged” (2a). What does that mean? That we make everyone feel good about themselves? That we indoctrinate everyone with a message of positive thinking? That we always say what the people want to hear? No! To “encourage” here means to give them confidence, to motivate them, to advance them forward, to lift them up spiritually. How do we do that? How do we encourage God’s people?
(a) By promoting their spiritual unity, so that they are “knit together in love” (2b). Unity was Jesus’ passionate desire for his people. It must also be the passionate desire of every pastor and church leader. A unity not based on duress, nor for personal gain, but based on mutual love and respect. That’s a powerful force in the world for Christ. Loving unity will make a congregation strong, stable, able to withstand the wiles of the devil, influential in the community, healthy and happy.
So, pastors encourage God’s people by promoting their spiritual unity. And they encourage God’s people…
(b) By advancing their spiritual understanding, so that they may “reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ” (2c). Our task is to teach the congregation of God’s people the whole counsel of God so well, that they are fully assured of what they believe and who they believe in.
If we strive to encourage the hearts of God’s people in this way in our ministry, then, in God’s time and God’s way, we can look for the desired result.
“...rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ” (5)
The evidences of a positive response to your pastoral leadership are…
This, then, is the heart of pastoral ministry. On the one hand, we “rejoice”. On the other hand, we “suffer”. But what makes it all worthwhile is the reward of seeing the people of God conducting themselves in good order and persevering in their faith. Is pastoral leadership hard? Yes! Is it worth it? Absolutely!
If your heart for your people is their unity in love and their full knowledge of God and his word, then you are a genuine minister of Christ. Let me challenge and encourage you today to perform your pastoral ministry…
… as one who suffers with Christ for the sake of the church
… as one who serves as a steward of the church making the word of God fully known
… as one who strives for the spirituality of the church as evidenced in their unity, understanding, good order, and steadfast faith.
This is the heart of pastoral ministry. May the Lord richly bless you in this task.
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 18:38-19:3; Link 2 - Jn. 19:4-9; Link 3 - Jn. 19:9-10; Link 4 - Jn. 19:11-12.
Title: The Kingship of Jesus
Theme: The kingship of Jesus exposes a conflict of power
Point #1: The controlling power of public opinion (38b-6)
Point #2: The crippling power of fear (7-9a)
Point #3: The confident power of knowledge (9b)
Point #4: The conceited power of position (10)
Point #5: The comprehensive power of God (11-12)
Winter 2019 Edition
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 519-620-2375
“Strengthening The Close”
The close is usually prepared at the end of your sermon preparation, just before the introduction (or simultaneously with the introduction). The introduction and close go together – the latter finalizes the former. Just as a weak introduction runs the risk of failing to engage your audience with the content of your message, so a weak close runs the risk of failing to engage your audience with the demands of the message.
The primary purpose of the close is to effect closure of your message – and the message is not properly closed unless it motivates life transformation. That’s why we preach – not to pass on interesting information; not to fill our heads with knowledge; not to make each other feel good, but to be a catalyst for life change. We “persuade men and women” (2 Cor. 5:19).
You can destroy the effectiveness of your sermon with a weak close. Many preachers do not know how to bring a sermon to a conclusion. This is true in public speaking and in preaching. A weak close is like the man who began to build a tower but couldn’t finish it.
Note two significant dangers in regard to the close:
1. Closing before the sermon is done.
2. Closing after the sermon is done.
A weak close is primarily due to two things:
1. Insufficient thought, preparation, and prayer about the close and what you (and the Holy Spirit) want to accomplish through it.
2. Failure to attribute to the close the importance that it really has.
One of the best ways of teaching is repetition - the basic threefold pattern is:
(1) Tell them what you are going to say (the introduction)
(2) Say it (the body)
(3) Tell them what you just said (the close)
Just make sure you don’t repeat too much – only summarize. And don’t preface it with a predictable phrase such as: “Now what we have learned this morning is…” Make it a natural part of your close by not summarizing it in point form but in covering the scope and flow of thought of the sermon in your close.
It’s good to repeat your proposition in the close and in various places throughout your sermon if there is a natural place for it. By doing this you accomplish several important steps:
(1) You remind your audience of where you began by relating the close to the introduction.
(2) You “crystallize” (solidify) the overall theological point of the sermon and text.
(3) You help the people to remember the point of the sermon.
(4) You demonstrate that you have preached what you said you would - i.e. you have proved the point, or explained the truth, or exhorted them to adopt an idea, or answered the question you posed at the beginning.
(5) You put the entire sermon into a sentence again and this time the lights should go on in your audience’s minds, if they have not already gone on. They should say: “Yes! That’s the truth of the passage!”
One way you can summarize your sermon is by repeating the main points. In this way, they can quickly recapture the sermon in outline form, and they can see where you have come from and, hopefully, where they need to go now.
If you have stated in your introduction the purpose of your sermon, you can repeat it again in the close by clarifying the challenge of the message so that it is crystal clear and your audience is refocused on your motivating thrust.
This summation is for clarification purposes - to make it crystal clear what the challenge of the message is; to crystallize the central issue; and to give your one final, clarifying thought.
Try to refer back to your opening point of contact (if possible). Perhaps you told a story that illustrated the problem, or recited a poem, or gave an example. By referring back to it, the audience will now see it in the light of what you have just preached. Or, perhaps you left something hanging and now you can complete the story or answer the problem. Referring back to the introduction, in some way acts like a picture frame to the sermon (or, a book end) – it brings closure.
A good illustration is a very effective way of bringing the whole sermon together in the close. If you pick the right illustration it will paint a word picture of the theme that you have been preaching and imprint it on the minds of the listeners. Through illustration the people are able to see the truth you presented and their own life as it compares with the truth.
Illustrations make abstract truth visual and concrete. Be sure to only use an illustration that fits the theme of your sermon and don’t make it long. You can conclude with poetry (or a hymn), or a relevant and powerful quote as your final “illustration.” The particular value of poetry is that it expresses abstract truths with colourful, unique word pictures in condensed form.
Exhortation, like repetition, refocuses attention on the purpose of the sermon, namely, to motivate the listeners to do something; to take “moral and spiritual action”; to drive the point home personally.
In this part of the close, tell them what you want them to do – i.e. change their behaviour, thinking, attitudes, relationships, obey the truth etc. If the sermon has been convicting, the people should already be asking in their minds and hearts: “What shall we do?” Or, “Why should we do it?” Or, “How can we do it?” Our task is to answer these unspoken questions by telling them “what,” “why,” or “how” by instructing them to repent and obey the truth.”
Sometimes the text itself gives you the concluding application. Many times in Paul’s writings a paragraph ends with a concluding application.
Make your exhortation (appeal) personal – address them as “you”. Now you are past the “we” stage. This is the role of the prophet speaking for God and demanding that the people respond.
This is the final “application”. Even though you have applied the truth all through the sermon, the close gives you one final chance for special and personal emphases. So, make it concrete and vivid. Give specific examples of action you expect as a result of this sermon. This is what Jesus did at the end of his Sermon on the Mount, where he brought together both a vivid illustration and powerful application (Matt. 7:24-26). This is your last chance to make the sermon relevant – to bridge the gap between the biblical world and the contemporary world and to provide answers to the why, what, how questions. Be sure that your application is rooted in the text and not your own experience or convictions.
Here you are “beseeching” as the apostles did – encouraging them, pleading with them (e.g. to be reconciled to God), urging them (e.g. to be conformed to Christ).
This gives opportunity to the people to respond – to “actualize” the truth in their lives. This part of your close will take different forms depending on the type of sermon and the audience you are preaching to. But, in general, this is where you call for a verdict. This is decision time. All good sermons require a decision of some sort. Thus, in the close, we make a direct, personal appeal for their response.
This is common in biblical sermons. For example, Joshua issued a challenge to the people in Joshua 24:15: “Choose you this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” This is how Peter concluded in Acts 2:36-40: “Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” This is Peter’s direct appeal to their consciences, to which they immediately responded: “What shall we do?” And he actualized the truth by inviting them to ”repent and be baptized”. This is how Paul concluded his sermon in Acts 17:30-32: “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by that Man who he has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising him from the dead. And when they had heard of the resurrection from the dead, some mocked….”
The preacher’s purpose is not to send people away the same as they came in nor is it the listener’s purpose to leave the same way they came in. We preach and people listen in order to be changed by the Word and the Holy Spirit through the medium of preaching.
Be sure to allow time for the Holy Spirit to actualize the message in the people’s lives. Don’t rush this, as the tendency is sometimes. Don’t be embarrassed about doing it. Perhaps you need to state up front that you will be calling for a decision so that it doesn’t come as a surprise and so that they are preparing for their response throughout the message.
The close is your final motivating thrust - the final motivation for them to grow as Christians or to become a Christian. Response times should be directed to both believers and unbelievers. Believers need to get right with God and with each other – confess and repent of sin, habits, attitudes, relationships, beliefs, speech etc. Unbelievers need to get right with God – be reconciled to God, trust Christ, receive forgiveness etc.
Response times may be either private or public. All of this does not have to take place in the congregational service. A private response may take place just where they are sitting – e.g. for confession, repentance; or it may take place in an after-meeting for seekers (i.e. those who want to know more). A public response may mean coming forward for those who want to profess faith, or raising a hand for you to acknowledge and pray for them.
When you start into your close, everyone will know it – so make it a close. Give a sense of completion of, and closure to, the message. Don’t go on and on with more things to say that you forgot before. Don’t introduce new material – this is a sure way to destroy a close. This is one of the most common weaknesses of conclusions. New material only confuses the issue and detracts from the task at hand.
Your exhortation should leave no doubts in the minds of your listeners what you are expecting them to do (e.g. respond to the invitation) and why. Your application must answer the “what,” “why,” “how” questions. Ask yourself whether everyone can clearly understand what you have challenged them with? Try to put yourself in their position, having not studied the text as you have and spent the mount of time in it as you have.
Make sure your close is accurate and appropriate to the textual challenge.
Don’t suddenly try to become a famous preacher like Billy Graham, expecting masses to come to the front while you sing “Just as I am.” Use your own, natural approach to concluding this sermon.
Don’t end up your sermon on a wishy-washy, unclear note, nor on an impersonal note. It’s hard enough for people to grasp abstract truth let alone an impersonal preacher.
Your listeners need to be convinced that what you said was just for them – that you know the innermost secrets of their hearts and lives. Often listeners will say that you struck right at the heart of their life situation. How did you know? Well, you didn’t, but the Holy Spirit did.
Listeners need to leave the service with a personal challenge to them, with answers to their questions, with solutions to their problems, with joy that they came to hear the Word of God preached. In this respect, try to always leave them with a word of hope. God’s Word really is good news. Make sure that you preach it as such. There is so much to cause despair in the world. Don’t duplicate or exaggerate that in the church. People come to church in absolute despair looking for some good news, some hope, some answer to their problems. Make sure you give them a reason for, and means of, hope.
Ask yourself: “Will each person be touched personally by this message?” Mentally go through your pews and visualize your congregation and apply this question to each person.
If there is a big crowd and you ask them to come to the front, you need to give time for them to come, and there needs to be space for them to come to. If the response is big, you need counsellors to help you or an after service to deal with them. If unbelievers respond, you need materials to give them. If newcomers respond, you need materials on the church and its ministries to give them.
Make your invitation meaningful and purposeful, not simply something that you’re supposed to do at the end of a service (that becomes mere ritual). Give them instructions what to do, how to respond – i.e. what their response should look like either immediately in the service or later in their lives as the principles of the sermon are lived out.
Make sure your close is appropriate for the occasion, the message, and the audience. Make sure your application is rooted in the text. Make sure your illustration (if you use one) is tightly connected to the message and to the text (so that it needs no explanation), and to the listeners. Ask yourself the question: “Is this close appropriate to my audience, my message, this occasion?”
This is like a car that keeps on running for a bit after you shut it off. Gradually, the preacher piles on a bit more of this and then a bit more of that until not only is the point of the sermon lost, but the attention and responsiveness of the audience is lost as well.
This is usually the result of not planning how to conclude.
Knowing how to stop is as important as knowing how to start. You have probably all heard (painfully) someone giving a testimony in church and not knowing how to stop. Going on and on when the audience knows you’re trying to finish is very frustrating for listeners.
This happens when the preacher seems to conclude and then starts again to line up for another conclusion. He just can’t decide how or when to stop. Sometimes the preacher might finish and then say: “What I mean by that is…” and start the conclusion over again. Make sure you know what your ending is and only have one.
This is a conclusion that instead of summarizing the sermon actually repeats it, so that you hear it all over again. This is like one of those deja vue moments when you’re absolutely certain you have been here before, seen that before. This might happen if he realizes that he left something out or didn’t say exactly what he wanted to say the first time. Say what you have to say and finish.
Sometimes, everything that the preacher couldn’t use in the sermon he puts into his conclusion. Be disciplined to throw out everything that is not relevant to your message. Don’t try to include everything you dig up in your research. Be ruthless about deleting material. Put it all to the test: “Is this pertinent to the theme of the sermon?”
A sermon is not a commentary on the passage in which you lay out all the different points of view and everything everybody has ever written on the subject. A sermon is like a rifle shot (focused, single shot) not a shot gun (multiple shots, wide distribution).
This is where every conclusion follows the same format so everyone knows the approach you’re going to take because you do it every week. Just as variety in introductions is important, so is variety in conclusions. Don’t serve it up the same way every week.
This is a danger to be avoided at all costs. Manipulation or intimidation are attempts to force decisions by trickery or pressure. Exhortation, on the other hand, is simply an appeal to the congregation to respond to the truth of the sermon as the Holy Spirit enforces the message on their hearts and wills.
You don’t want to leave this to on-the-spot. It’s too important and, often, too hard to do extemporaneously.
This has already been established in your introduction – in the “purpose” for the sermon and the “proposition” of the sermon. The conclusion, therefore, ties back to the introduction.
Don’t rush it. Let it sink in what you are expecting them to do. Give them a chance to respond.
If you have made changes as you preached the message, then you will have to incorporate those changes into your conclusion.
In the end result, only the Holy Spirit can change people’s lives. We must do everything we can to facilitate this change (after all, we are the agents God has chosen to do this work). But when we have done our part, the results are up to God. Trusting him for the outcome is a great relief to the preacher, especially when you don’t see the results you would like or expect.
“Lawsuits In The Church” (1 Cor. 6:1-11) 1
Dr. Stephen F. Olford
Introduction In this passage, Paul deals with the second disorder in the church that had been brought to his attention. It had to do with litigation, or lawsuits, in the assembly. It was a problem that mainly affected the Greek element in the church. The Jews did not ordinarily go to law in public courts. Indeed, their training expressly forbade them to do so. With the Greeks, however, it was otherwise. They reveled in the practice of suing one another! Their whole life seemed to be bound up with legal procedure.
The Apostle, on the other hand, shows us in these verses, that when Christians have quarrels among themselves they should have them judged by fellow Christians, and not before unregenerate judges. This does not mean, of course, that we are never to use the courts of our country. There are conditions and circumstances that demand this. In fact, it is well to remember that the very author of this epistle, the Apostle Paul, appealed to an earthly court on one occasion (Acts 25:11); but this was never in relation to disputes within the church of God, or disputes between Christian brethren. So the clear teaching of this important portion of God’s Word is that:
“Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? If then you have judgments of things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge?” (1 Corinthians 6:1-4). Paul introduces his subject with words of amazement and challenge. He says, “Dare any of you…go to law before the unrighteous?” (v. 1). Then he deduces two reasons why such a practice is contrary to the destiny of the church. In the first place, the saints are destined to judge the world (v. 2). Both in the gospels and the epistles we are taught this astonishing truth.
Jesus said: “…I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).
Jude said: “…the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” (Jude 14-15).
Paul reminds us that “if we suffer, we shall also reign with him…” (2 Timothy 2:12) What a destiny is this! And how united and elevated is the believer with Christ, both in position and power! And yet the Corinthians were willfully or neglectfully ignorant of all this. Instead of exercising the spiritual authority which was theirs by virtue of oneness with their risen Head, they were hopelessly incompetent to handle the trifling squabbles in the local church.
Paul’s second reason is a development of the first. He asks, “Do you not know that we shall judge angels?” (v.3) He extends what he has already said to include the ultimate authority that saints will share with their Lord over all created beings in the eternal kingdom. The prospect is certainly breathtaking! And yet it is true because God declares it.
How foolish then, were the believers in Corinth, and how foolish are present-day believers, not to be able to judge in matters pertaining to this life (v. 3). Indeed, with withering irony the apostle suggests that even the “least esteemed in the church” (v. 4) ought to be better qualified than the best of earthly judges to settle disputes in the church. Thus we see that litigation among Christians is contrary to the destiny of the church.
“I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!” (1 Corinthians 6:5-6). The general sense of these two verses makes it abundantly clear that the divine policy for settlement of disputes within the church is twofold:
First, that such quarrels and problems have nothing to do whatsoever with unbelievers. Nothing could be more out of character with God’s purpose for the local church than to expect unregenerate and unrighteous judges to handle the affairs of the people of God. A local church sinks very low when she has to resort to worldly counsel on matters that pertain to Christian life, faith, and practice. Indeed, to descend to this level is to admit falsely before pagans that the Christian way of life is inadequate.
Secondly, arbitration or “brotherly settlement” as the word “judge” means in this verse is to be under the care of “wise” men in the church. The church is not essentially a democracy, but rather a theocracy – or better a “Christocracy.” Through the headship of the Lord Jesus a chain of command is set up in matters of leadership and arbitration. To this the church must bow, for the scripture says, “Obey them that have the rule over you…” (Hebrews 13:7). Where there is Spirit-led and taught leadership, there ought to be no problem which cannot be resolved. Paul makes this painfully clear by the manner in which he addresses the incongruous and inconsistent situation in the Corinthian church. He exclaims, “I say this to your shame…” (6:5), and then proceeds to ask in humiliating terms whether or not there could be “found” one “wise” man in the assembly capable of arbitrating between one fellow believer and another!
We might add that this divine policy has never been rescinded. God still expects His church to be governed and judged according to His word.
“Now therefore it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law with one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be defrauded? No, you yourselves do wrong and defraud, and you do these things to your brethren!” (1 Corinthians 6:7-8). In chapter 13 of this epistle, Paul spells out the supreme motivation for every act and reaction in the life of the church. That motivation is love. Indeed, he says that to have everything and to lack “charity” or “love” is to have nothing. The Apostle was only echoing the words of the Master: “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another” (John 13:35). Quite clearly, the Apostle has this “supreme motivation” in mind as he handles this delicate subject of litigation.
You will notice that the word “brothers” is repeated constantly in these verses (5, 6, 8). Then he goes on to say that it would be better to suffer wrong at the hand of a Christian brother than to be so unloving as to take the dispute to a heathen court. So in verse 7, the Revised Standard Version reads: “To have lawsuits at all with one another is DEFEAT for you.” In other words, Paul is saying that it is possible to win a legal victory and yet suffer a moral defeat. Or again, it is possible not only to refuse to endure wrong, but to inflict a worse wrong on others. Such an attitude and spirit is the very antithesis of Christ-likeness and Calvary love. Concerning our Savior we read: “…when He was reviled, He reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23). You see, carnality, with all its many forms of self-love, resentfulness, and vindictiveness, are all cancelled out when the cross is applied by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revelers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). To climax his treatment of this subject, Paul shows the utter incompatibility of the world with the church. He dramatically contrasts the “unrighteous” of verse 9 with those who are “washed… sanctified…and justified” in verse 11. Without fear or favor, he recognized that outside the grace of God, unregenerate man at his best is capable of:
a) Fornication – a word that literally means male prostitution.
b) Idolatry – a word that signifies the substitution of something or someone for God.
c) Adultery – a word that describes sexual intercourse with another person’s spouse.
d) Effeminacy – a word that suggests the loss of manhood or womanhood to live for pleasure and luxury.
e) Sodomy – a word that spells out the sins of homosexuality and sodomy
f) Robbery – a word that covers the whole area of the misappropriation of time, energy, or money belonging to God or someone else.
g) Covetousness – a word meaning to make others and their possessions an object of worship.
h) Drunkenness – a word that denotes intemperate drinking
i) Reveling – a word that is associated with an uncontrolled, unsanctified tongue.
j) Extortion – a word that denotes a spirit that is always reaching and grabbing for that to which it has no right.
What a horrifying list this is! And just to think that in and of ourselves we are all as corrupt as Paul describes us! But a miracle has taken place. God has met us in Christ and transformed us; made us pure, and holy, and good. Through His name and by His Spirit we have been cleansed, set apart, and made to appear before God in a favorable light. The words “washed,” “sanctified,” and “justified” describe the “full salvation” into which we have been brought through grace alone by faith alone in Christ alone.
Conclusion: If that be the purity of our standing and state in Christ, how can we as those “called to be saints” (2:1) feel at home in “unrighteous” courts or among unholy judges? The question answers itself.
So Paul disposes of lawsuits within the local church. And if we would be obedient to the Word of God, we must do the same. In fact, we must go further; we must see to it that the life of the church never sinks so low as to necessitate such carnal procedures. The understanding of our destiny, policy, charity, and purity in Christ must determine all our thinking and acting within and without the church.
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 20:1-2; Link 2 - Jn. 20:3-10; Link 3 - Jn. 20:11-18
Title: I’ve Just Seen Jesus
Theme: The shock and reality of the resurrection
Point #1: The empty tomb turns observers into believers (1-10)
1. The empty tomb turns observers into followers (1-2)
(1) At the cross, some were observers (Lk. 23:55-56)
(2) At the empty tomb, some were followers (1-2)
2. The empty tomb turns followers into believers (3-10)
(1) For some, the empty tomb leaves them still sceptical (6-7)
(2) For others, the empty tomb inspires them to believe (5, 8-9)
Point #2: The risen Christ turns sorry into joy (11-18)
1. Ignorance of the resurrection produces sorrow (11-13)
(1) It produces sorrow despite the evidence (11)
(2) It produces sorrow despite the testimony (12-13)
2. Knowledge of the resurrection produces joy (14-18)
(1) It produces joy through the recognition of him (14-16)
(2) It produces joy through obedience to him (17-18)
1 Other articles in this series on 1 Corinthians can be read in previous editions of this journal as follows: Summer 2016, Fall 2016, Winter 2017, Spring 2017, Summer 2017, Fall 2017, Winter 2018, Spring 2018, Summer 2018.
Spring 2019 Edition
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 519-620-2375
“Strengthening Illustrations”
Since God has chosen to communicate a large portion of his Word to us in stories, surely this should guide preachers in their communication of the Word. God undoubtedly used stories to communicate his truth because they are a powerful medium to which human beings respond and which they understand. To not use stories in preaching is to miss a significant communications methodology that God has used and endorsed, and to fail to communicate the truth in relevant, illuminative ways.
Illustrations help us explain and apply the truth in relevant, clear, understandable ways. Thus, when you preach truth in its application to real life situations, you should be able to illustrate it!
Some preachers think that you leave the application of the Word to the Holy Spirit alone to make it clear and relevant to life. While it is true that only the Holy Spirit can make the Word so clear and convicting that a person’s life is changed, nonetheless let’s not forget that the Holy Spirit uses the medium of preaching to make the Word relevant and applicable to life and He has given us the biblical precedent of illustrations to make those applications live.
We must not only tell our people what to do, but give examples of how to do it, or how someone else’s life was impacted through the Word.
Illustrations get the preacher past the threshold of the audience’s attention and into their minds, hearts, wills, and consciences. Illustrations can often show a listener why they need this sermon; why it applies to them.
Illustrations can be a very helpful tool in getting past people’s “what-does-this-have-to-do-with me” objections because they are non-threatening, non-adversarial. They do not incite people’s objections. They are arms length, third party examples.
a) To clarify the truth
b) To simplify the truth
c) To picture the truth
d) To concretize the truth (i.e. make the truth tangible, visible, real)
e) To emphasize the truth
f) To provide additional authority for the message
g) To express the truth in a different way
a) Biblical narratives, statements, and proverbs often make the best illustrations.
But a word of warning: Be careful in using Bible stories as illustrations. Bible stories were given to make a point, not to supply a source of illustrations for subsequent preachers. While it is alright to use biblical stories to illustrate a point, generally it is better to quote the Bible for its authority and teaching rather than to illustrate a point (though I would not be dogmatic on this).
b) Church history, biography, testimony.
c) Secular history, literature, information.
d) Allegory, parable, fable, story.
e) Anecdote, quotation, statistics.
f) Personal experience, contemporary testimony. The best illustrations are often a “slice-of-life” - an experience, whether yours or someone else’s. These experiences make good illustrations because…
“Slice-of-life” illustrations require that you be observant about…
g) Literary devices such as figures of speech (similes, metaphors, contrasts and comparisons), word pictures, word plays.
h) Object lessons like visual aids and presentations.
i) Contemporary news, slogans, statements, events. You can find these sources of illustrations as you read newspapers and magazines, or listen to the radio or TV – secular broadcast media know more than anyone else what people want, where they hurt, how they live.
j) General life observations, experiences.
k) Examples from nature – e.g. a moth changing into a butterfly might be an illustration of the transformation of the Christian.
Decide where in your sermon you would get the most benefit from an illustration and / or where it is most needed. You don’t need illustrations for every point of your sermon.
The strategic location of illustrations has much more impact than how many you have.
However, there are some obvious places where you need an illustration:
a) The introduction. A well-chosen illustration gets attention, raises interest, introduces the subject, and identifies the need.
b) Major points. I don’t feel obligated to have an illustration for every main point. In fact that may not be possible or desirable or necessary. But somewhere in the body of your sermon you need to illustrate what you are speaking on, if for no other reason than to give a break from the teaching of the sermon - i.e. to give mental relief for the audience.
c) The conclusion. If you can find a suitable illustration for the conclusion it will make it more powerful and more memorable. Again, this may not always be possible, desirable, or necessary.
Here are some questions to help you think through the placement, number, and type of illustrations [These question derived from Ramesh Richard, Preparing Expository Sermons (Baker), 126]:
a) Is an illustration necessary to clarify or explain a point or section of the sermon?
b) Would an illustration answer the audience’s implicit questions: “how, why, when”?
c) Would an illustration make the point more credible, believable, acceptable?
d) What kind of illustration would introduce the audience to the possible implications and applications of the point?
The illustration has more connectedness and impact when you move in the following order:
a) Make the point.
b) Transition to the illustration. It is most helpful to smooth into your illustration by means of a transitionary statement – such as: “I discovered the reality of this recently when…” or some such statement.
c) Illustrate the point.
d) Possibly, transition to the audience by applying it, or exhorting them to respond to the illustration, although this is not necessary.
e) Restate the point or carry on with the development of the point, or transition to the next point.
1. Don’t use the same type of illustration all the time
E.g. sports which generally appeal mainly to men and only some men.
2. Don’t use your own family as illustrations
As a general rule, leave your family out of your sermons . They have enough exposure as it is. Though they will generally give you their permission to use a personal illustration, they often don’t think about the consequences or implications, so leave them out.
3. Don’t use anyone in your congregation, unless it is to compliment them and only then with their permission.
4. Don’t ever use anything confidential, even if it is couched in non-personal language. The person will see himself or herself in the story and you will lost your credibility with that person.
5. Always give brief credit for your sources
You lose impact if citing the source takes away from attention to the illustration or becomes boring. Generally, I record in my sermon notes the details of the source, but in preaching I only give the author’s name or the name of the source (e.g. newspaper).
If you don’t know the source (or, if you don’t want to spell it out), simply say: “Someone said” or “I read somewhere”, so that you give credit where it is due and you don’t try to make it look like your own.
Illustrations in the public domain generally need no acknowledgement as to their source.
6. Don’t use the same illustration twice with the same audience
You run the risk of boring your audience if you repeat illustrations.
7. Don’t use an illustration that dominates the point it illustrates
Make sure every illustration serves the truth and doesn’t dominate it. Explanation and application of the truth are the central focus of our preaching – that is what the Holy Spirit can take and use to change lives. We are preachers first and foremost, not story-tellers
You want people to remember the truth through the illustration. They will certainly remember illustrations; just make sure they remember what they illustrate.
8. Don’t twist an illustration to make it fit just because it is a good illustration
Good illustrations are powerful and preachers have the tendency to want to use them. This leads to the tendency to use them incorrectly and inappropriately. It is one thing to adjust an illustration of a general nature (like “the story of the little boy who…”) to fit the story, but no illustration should be twisted to fit your sermon.
9. Learn to communicate illustrations well
This is a learned art. Watch the reaction of your audience to determine its effect.
10. Place your illustrations strategically for the most impact
The most strategic placements are at the beginning and the end – at the beginning to generate attention; at the end to drive the point home and cause them to remember what you said.
11. Keep your illustrations short
Long illustrations tend to lose focus on what is being illustrated. Long illustrations have to be right the first time (no second chance – once you’re into it you’re into it) and have the intended impact or else you lose your audience, you come out looking bad, and you waste valuable time.
On the other hand, if a short illustration doesn’t have the impact you want, you can move on without any great embarrassment or loss of time. Also, short illustrations are easier to remember and easier to deliver without notes. Illustrations delivered without notes have the greatest impact.
12. Make sure your illustrations are accurate in detail and authorship
If you are not accurate, you lose credibility. Historical data must be accurate. Literary quotations (e.g. poems) must be accurate. Statistical data must be accurate.
13. Make sure your illustrations suit your audience
Take into account cultural issues like figures of speech, social practices, historical relevance, humour etc. This becomes very important when speaking to audiences in a different culture than your own (e.g. overseas).
Universal illustrations have to do with life’s experiences, nature, history, and things like that.
14. Don’t use too many illustrations
If you load your sermon with illustrations your audience will get tired of them and they will conclude that you did not prepare well. At most, an illustration for each major point is usually enough.
15. Don’t use illustrations that are not credible
Test every illustration: “Is this likely…believable…logical…realistic?” If not, don’t use it (even if it’s true) or you will destroy your credibility.
16. Be very careful with the use of humor
Humour should only be used if it is natural – i.e. not jokes! If an illustration or experience is funny and it suits your biblical topic, then use it. That’s different from a joke, which is a made-up scenario. Remember, funny incidents that the audience doesn’t find funny only detract from the effectiveness of your message, so be careful. Don’t use any humour that could be construed as off color or inappropriate (such as anything that could be construed as a racial slur).
17. Don’t refer to yourself repeatedly
People usually love their pastor but enough is enough. They want to hear more than just what happened in your life (when you were young, as you grew up, incidents in you previous church etc.). I would recommend that you stay away from references to your previous church. If you talk about it, then your audience can legitimately conclude that you will talk about them to others as well. It’s not professional nor necessary nor appropriate.
18. Don’t be too graphic
We are there to draw attention to God and his truth not to graphic illustrations. Generally, graphic language or illustrations turn people off.
19. Don’t use worn out illustrations
Stories that every preacher tells are a no-no. Be original. That takes work and research, but it’s worth it.
20. Make sure your illustrations illustrate the point
Sometimes you can listen to a preacher’s illustration and say: “What did that have to do with the subject?” Like humour, an illustration must be intuitively obvious as to what it means and how it illustrates and connects with the point you are trying to make. You should not have to explain it or, again like humour, it falls flat.
“The Profile of a Christian Leader”
What does a Christian leader look like? Who is he in his person, character, abilities, attitudes, lifestyle, spirituality etc.? Clearly, the starting point is the spiritual qualifications for a church leader set out in 1 Tim. 3:1-7 and Tit. 1:5-9. But this is only the starting point, it seems to me. This is by no means an exhaustive list, which, if a man meets, he is necessarily qualified to be a church leader. I don't think Paul intended this to be some sort of checklist that we use without any other standards or requirements. This list says nothing about character traits like humility, courage, or wisdom, but surely these are also important aspects of a church leader’s profile. Nor does it say anything about the gift of leadership (Rom. 12:8), but surely an elder must be gifted as a leader.
So, what other aspects of character and personality or ability do you think a church leader must have? I think, apart from Paul’s criteria in 1 Tim. 3, that there are embedded in Scripture certain inalienable character and personality traits that are necessary for church leaders. I think these are best understood by dividing them into three categories:
A. Those intangible character traits that enable them to consistently make good decisions.
B. Those personality traits that impact those they lead by inspiring them to follow and obey.
C. Those “success” traits that drive the leader to achieve results, such as self-discipline, perseverance, endurance.
These traits enable leaders to consistently make good decisions. The top five on my list are: wisdom, integrity, humility, courage, and vision.
Wisdom stands at the top of my list. This is the umbrella trait under which all the others are subsumed. The question is: “What is wisdom?” Here’s my formula: Wisdom = knowledge + experience + maturity.
a) Knowledge. Knowledge is our acquaintance with facts, truths, principles etc. Knowledge is connected with learning. Special knowledge comes from our specific areas of expertise and learning, whether academic or on-the-job.
b) Experience. You cannot be wise without experience. After all, wisdom is earned and learned through life experience. Life’s school of experiential adversity knocks wisdom into you.
While experience connotes “age”, some people gain experience faster than others by virtue of their exposure to life experiences and their openness to learning from those experiences, be it at home, school, work, or society.
You could probably say that experience is where we put knowledge to work, as in an apprenticeship. After all, isn't the entirety of life, to some degree, an apprenticeship?
c) Maturity. The apostle Paul wrote: “We speak wisdom among those who are mature” (1 Cor. 2:6). What is maturity? Maturity is something that is hard to define but you know it when you see it. Or, to put it another way, you know immaturity when you see it.
Maturity is acting like an adult not a child - e.g. no temper tantrums when you don’t get your own way or when things go wrong. Controlling your emotions.
Physical maturity is easy to recognize. It occurs without us doing anything. We simply reach a stage where we stop growing, cutting teeth and we look like an adult.
Emotional and psychological maturity occurs at different times for different people. Some older people never reach maturity. At 60 or 70 years old, they may still be immature in their behaviour, reactions, attitudes, and speech, while some younger people may be quite mature in those areas.
Maturity has to do with self-control, choices, how we express emotions. It’s an awareness of who we are, how we relate to others.
Maturity has to do with enduring short-term pain in order to achieve long-term gain. Immature people don’t see things that way. They want immediate self-satisfaction.
Maturity is making your word your bond. Consistency. Dependability.
Sadly, wisdom is the one trait that seems to be so lacking in church leaders today. But that’s what our churches desperately need in leadership. Note the following:
Wise people usually consult others, evaluate self-performance, and engage in reflection. Wise people welcome challenging dialogue that stimulates their thinking and opinions. Wise people don't want “yes-men” around them, but people who have initiative and independent thinking.
What is integrity? Integrity is sometimes defined as adherence to moral and ethical principles. Integrity is manifested in…
a) Impartiality. This means never making decisions to please people but to please God (Eph. 6:6-7; Col. 3:22-23). Doing what is right, regardless of the cost. This means never being caught in a conflict of interest. This means never favouring one person over another, regardless of who is involved. This may mean turning down someone’s kind intent so that you are not beholden to that person.
b) Transparency. Openness. No hidden agenda regardless of the consequences. This doesn’t mean that you tell everything you know necessarily (wisdom and confidentiality may dictate otherwise), but it does mean not hiding behind a veneer, being true to who you are.
c) Righteousness. Uprightness in one’s dealings.
d) Sincerity. Not being phoney. No ulterior motives. Not being hypocritical. Not putting on a pretense.
e) Honesty. Truthfulness, frankness. Freedom from deceit or guile.
f) Credibility. Acting in a way that people trust you and believe you.
g) Moral purity. This is part of personal integrity. “Pay close attention to yourself” (1 Tim. 4:16). Why? Because you cannot lead others to faith, or teach people the truth, or lead the people of God in worship, or intercede on behalf of others, unless your own life is upright and morally clean.
A Christian leader must have integrity. Your whole life must hold together – no gaps, no inconsistencies; just a unified whole.
What is humility? Humility is …
a) Meekness. Meekness is “not thinking more highly of yourself than you ought to think” (Rom. 12:3) – i.e. not arrogant. Meekness is “esteeming others better than yourself” (Phil. 2:3). Meekness is the attitude that says, “He must increase but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30). Meekness is the attitude that says, “I am the least of the apostles and do not deserve to be called an apostle” (1 Cor. 15:9; cf. Eph. 3:8; 1 Tim. 1:15).
b) Fallibility. Fallibility is knowing and admitting that you don’t know everything. You can and do make mistakes. You don’t have all the answers.
c) Gentleness. Not bullying others to get your own way.
d) Servanthood. Not a celebrity expecting adulation from others but a person who serves others.
e) Self-consciousness. The willingness to acknowledge your weaknesses as well as your strengths.
Humility is the opposite of pride. It’s easy to become proud in ministry, particularly if there are outward signs of success in worldly terms (e. g. increase in church attendance or a new church building). Preaching, in particular, can generate pride. People’s affirmation of your preaching can go to your head.
The minute we begin to think it has anything to do with us (our credit; our merit) we are in trouble. Remember: “God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble” (Jas. 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5). “Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Pet. 5:6). When it’s time, He will exalt you – not yourself.
What is courage? Courage is not “in-your-face” boldness, not rudeness, not outspokenness. Rather, courage is doing what is right regardless of others’ opinions, despite opposition, consequences, criticism, failure, or discouragement. Courage is having a conviction as to a right course of action and carrying it out. Courage is standing for truth. Courage is confidence that, with God’s help, “we can do it”.
Remember: “God has not given us the spirit of fear…” (2 Tim. 1:7). Martin Luther, on his journey to Worms to face interrogation about his teachings, said: “You can expect from me everything, save fear or recantation. I shall not flee, much less recant.” That is courage.
Christian leadership isn’t easy. It takes courage.
It takes courage to make tough decisions - to do what is right regardless of the consequences.
Clear, good decision-making made in dependence on God is the hallmark of a good spiritual leader, like…
Every time you face a crossroad in decision-making, you will be an example of either courage or cowardice. David and Daniel were men of courage. Jonah and Gideon were men of cowardice.
It takes courage to deal with difficult situations - to face obstacles, attacks, personal criticism and opposition (from people; from Satan etc.). It takes courage to preach when you’ve been soundly criticized during the week (cf. Jer. 1:17-19). Criticism is one of the worst enemies to wear you down. It amplifies your insecurities, takes your eyes off the task at hand and onto yourself, depletes your energy and enthusiasm, makes you defensive, and isolates you.
That’s why negative, destructive criticism (judgementalism), I believe, is a tool of Satan. I believe in the biblical concepts of rebuke, exhortation, and confrontation (2 Tim. 4:2), but destructive criticism has no place among the people of God. Criticism is usually negative, destructive – it’s about what people don’t want or don’t like, not about what is honouring to God or beneficial to his people. Criticism can distort your view of ministry and of the people you minister to.
It takes courage to persevere in times of spiritual discouragement - to stay the course when discouragement sets in, when you think you’re a failure, when you work hard but it seems no one is listening or responding.
Remember: Three times God told Joshua to be strong and of good courage. Why? Because he knew the temptations and tests that Joshua would face might be discouraging to him and in which he might be tempted to take the easy way out.
What is vision? Vision is not a “head-in-the-clouds” dream world; it’s not your own aspirations. Vision is …
a) Seeing what’s possible.
b) “Seeing the invisible” as Moses did (Heb. 11:27) and the patriarchs, who saw the promises afar off, even though they themselves did not receive them (Heb. 11:13).
c) Setting realistic and achievable goals and direction.
d) A sense of optimism: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13) – i.e. the things that I am able to do and will do, I do through the strength that Christ supplies.
By personality traits I means those personal characteristics that influence the people you lead. This is the ability to inspire others to follow and obey. This is sometimes referred to as the “power of personhood”. You can’t learn this. You either have it or you don’t. It is charisma – not artificial or superficial, but genuine and internal.
Success traits are those characteristics that drive a leader to achieve results. These include traits like self-discipline, perseverance, endurance. Pressing on despite discouragement because you can see the goal. Encouraging those on your team to go on. This comes from the internal drive to make a difference in your life. This is about motivation.
These five character traits determine whether a leader will make consistently good decisions, impact those he leads in a powerful way, and drive him to accomplish goals.
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - Jn. 20:19-21; Link 2 - Jn. 20:21-23; Link 3 - Jn. 20:24-31
Title: I’ve Just Seen Jesus
Theme: The shock and reality of the resurrection
Point #3: Jesus’ resurrection turns fear into courage (19-23)
(See the Winter 2019 version of this journal for points #1 and #2)
1. The resurrected Jesus alleviates our fears (19-20)
a) He alleviates our fears by what he says (19)
b) He alleviates our fears by what he does (20)
2. The resurrected Jesus activates our courage (21-23)
a) He activates our courage to continue his work (21)
b) He activates our courage to speak with authority (22-23)
Point #4: Jesus’ resurrection turns unbelief into faith (24-29)
1. Unbelief is not convinced by second-hand testimony (24-25a)
2. Unbelief requires concrete proof (25b-28)
a) Concrete proof is what Jesus says (26)
b) Concrete proof is what Jesus has done (27a)
3. Concrete proof demands a verdict (27b-29)
a) Belief is proven by a great confession of faith (28)
b) Faith is honoured by a great blessing from Jesus (29)
i) It’s good to see and believe (29a)
ii) It’s better to believe before seeing (29b)
Conclusions (30-31)
Summer 2019 Edition
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 519-620-2375
“Strengthening Applications” (Pt. 1)
Application of the biblical truths you have explained in your sermon is often the weakest area of most sermons. Unless the truth is concretized, visualized, personalized, and actualized the sermon is merely an exposition of abstract truth and remains in the realm of philosophy (ideas, concepts, truisms).
1) We spend so much time in exegesis that it is hard for us to make the switch from the theoretical to the practical.
2) We accumulate so much data from exegetical research that we don’t have time to communicate anything else.
3) We feel a tension between theory and practice.
4) We value the truth so highly as truth and enjoy it as such that to apply it seems to degrade it.
5) We are afraid of the response of our audience. When we become specific in application, we become personal and that sometimes generates negative responses because we touch nerves, expose sore spots, and activate consciences.
6) In order to apply the Scripture to others, we must first understand it and apply it to ourselves before applying it to others. That can be painful.
The tendency is to stress either exposition or application. Some preachers stay in explanation; others focus on application. On the one hand, for preachers who do their homework in sermon preparation and who spend a great deal of time figuring out what the text means, the tendency might be to focus on explanation (teaching) and neglect application. On the other hand, for preachers who spend little time studying the text, the tendency might be to focus on application (significance) and neglect explanation.
Preaching involves both exposition and application. If you do not apply the truths that you explain, then you fail to show how the truth is relevant to life. We must explain the meaning of the text and its relevance for daily living. People want and need the truth applied to where and how they live – their relationships, their thoughts, their habits, their beliefs, their problems etc.
To preach the explanation without the application is to leave the preaching task incomplete. To engage in exegesis without thinking about its application is to do only half the job. As you study the text to understand its meaning, you must also consider its significance to practical realities. You can’t study the Scriptures without relating them to contemporary life. That’s where the truth is lived out. That’s what the Scriptures are for – to be obeyed.
Unless we cross over from the biblical world to the contemporary world, we leave the truth and our hearers in its ancient context and of no useful purpose other than intellectual.
Biblical preaching must move from the “what” to the “so what” to “now what?” When we explain the truth, we deal with the “what” of the truth (i.e. what does the truth mean?). When we apply the truth, we address the “so what” of the truth (i.e. what difference does it make?). When we actualize the truth, we propose the “now what” demanded by the truth (i.e. what we must do now and how it should change us).
Some would argue that the Holy Spirit does the application, not us. Of course, without the application of the Word by the Holy Spirit to the heart, mind, conscience, and will, our preaching will have no effect. Ultimately, it is only the application of the Word by the Spirit that changes lives. But the same could be said of preaching the gospel – only the Holy Spirit can make it effective, so, some would ask, why preach it?
We preach it because preaching is the God-appointed means of communicating his Word to us (Rom. 10:14-15), both its meaning and its application. The Holy Spirit uses human instruments in delivering both the explanation and application of the text. The preacher has the responsibility to show the people how the Word applies to their lives in concrete terms.
1) It links together the truth of the text with the life situation of the hearers. Our job is to understand the context and purpose that the original author is addressing and determine how that message applies to our congregation today. In that way, you relate what you have just explained from the text to how it affects your people’s lives.
2) It bridges the gap between God’s instructions to his people in the past and his instructions for us today.
3) It connects the wise counsel of Scripture with the reality of each person’s life - their need for joy; for intimacy with God; for healed relationships; for obedience to the Word; for hope in Christ etc.
4) It overcomes the “so what” objection of the audience – i.e. “What does this have to do with me?” Or, “What must I do or change in response to the Scriptures?”
5) It moves from the “what” of biblical truth to the “how” of Christian practice.
6) It makes clear how the biblical truth that has been explained actually affects how a Christian should live in the marketplace, at home, at school, in the neighbourhood etc. So many of our people come to church on Sunday but live like non-Christians the rest of the time. That’s why application is so important.
7) It turns the principle that has been taught into a practice that is to be followed - a doctrine to be believed; an attitude to be adopted; a relationship to be changed etc.
a) We urge people to “visualize” / “concretize” the truth they have heard. Acceptance is not merely mental assent but experiential change, life transformation. What good is it if they understand the truth but do nothing about it? Our task is to help them see (visualize) the truth (what it looks like in real life) by moving from the truth as abstract philosophy to a concrete, tangible, living reality.
Helping them to “concretize” the truth gets away from people’s subjective impressions about what “God is saying to me” - i.e. without trying to ascertain what the author of the text intended. It is this shift that is very hard for many preachers - how to demonstrate the biblical truth in tangible, experiential ways; how to relate the truth to people’s everyday lives.
We must show the people what the truth looks like so that they can see it and relate to it in their own lives. We want them to say: “Yes, that’s true in my life. I need that. I experience that.” We want them to incarnate the truth – i.e. to live the truth. After all, the entirety of Christian living is incarnational, isn’t it? It is about being like Christ and, thus, manifesting the truth of Christ in our lives.
The big question is: “How can we do that?” We can do that by giving “concrete” situations and examples that cover the spectrum of our audience (at their age, status, jobs, relationships, economy etc.). and that help them visualize what we have been talking about.
b) We urge people to “personalize” the truth they have heard. We want the people to say: “Yes. I need that. I want to be like that or do that or submit to that, or believe that” etc.
c) We urge people to “actualize” the truth they have heard. We want them to adopt it, practice it, make it real. We call people to subjection and obedience to the Word because truth is to be obeyed. We call for obedient response and practical action so that people’s lives conform to the truth. We help them “actualize” the truth by inviting them and challenging them to commit in practical ways to changing their lives in the way the message has impacted them.
Expository preaching is not a running commentary just to pass on information. Its focus is to apply to the believer’s life the principles that are explained from the text. You cannot apply principles without explaining the content of truth from which they are drawn. You cannot explain the “how” without the “what”. You cannot insist on duty without knowing the doctrine on which it is based. Therefore, application must be “based on” the biblical text from which you are preaching. This is probably one of the greatest flaws in preaching today. Preachers go off on a tangent into application without having satisfactorily, accurately, or clearly explained the meaning of the text. If the audience doesn’t understand the meaning of the text (which is the authority for what we preach), how can we expect them to obey it?
Further, not only must your application be “based on” the biblical text, your application must also be “limited by” the biblical text. In other words, your application is limited to the subject and scope of the text under consideration. Application has to be based on the truth of the text and then applied appropriately. You are not at liberty to make any application you want from any text. Just as your exposition is limited to the context and subject matter of the biblical text, so is your application. In other words, application has to flow out of your explanation of the text.
That said, I do believe that we are at liberty to “stretch” the application fairly extensively within the boundaries of the overall intent of the original author and the subject matter of the text. This gives us latitude to apply the text to many different situations and challenges that our congregations face while still being true to the text.
One of the ways we can legitimately “stretch” the application is by the use of deductive logic or inference. Thus, application includes “implication” which, by definition, gives you greater scope for application. We are made with the capacity to reason. Therefore…
1) Be logical about application. Show how your text leads you to the logical application you are making.
2) Be specific in application. Give examples.
In every sermon, the listener wants to know three things:
1) What are you preaching on? (the dominating theme of the text – i.e. its subject).
2) What’s your argument? (the integrating thoughts of the text – i.e. its main points and sub-points).
3) What do you want me to do? (the motivating thrust of the text – its application and purpose in my life).
Remember, you have no right to invite people to respond to the truth you have not explained and that they do not understand and, therefore, cannot visualize.
As expository preachers, we must be very intentional both in the exposition and in the application of the text.
This requires us to be confrontational without being divisive or offensive. Application demands personal reception and obedience to the truth. Therefore, listeners must:
a) Receive the message.
b) Internalize the message – i.e. reflect on how this impacts their own life.
c) Identify what needs to be changed by asking what they need to do about it.
d) Decide to change and make a plan to do so. Perhaps this requires an accountability to someone, or a change of routine or habits etc.
In order to make your application personal, it is important that you try to address the broad spectrum of your audience in concrete and personal terms of where and how they live their lives. Think about how you can apply your sermon to their personal life, family life, work life, church life, community life. Also, try to apply the sermon to their minds and hearts – e.g. their attitudes, beliefs, relationships (with God and with others), behaviour, desires, motives, values, priorities, and character.
Here we are talking about “how” people should respond? It’s not enough to know only the “what” of the message. We have to tell them the “how” as well. The tendency is to stay with the “what”. While the “what” is very important it does not constitute the entirety of the sermon.
a) There must be a call to biblical repentance both of believers and unbelievers.
b) There must be a call to biblical renewal. Every preaching event must be a time of renewal and revival of the believer and regeneration of the unbeliever.
c) There must be a call to biblical reality. Because we are living in a day of cultural Christianity, not biblical Christianity, there is a tendency in our society towards artificial Christianity. Preachers need to call their people to biblical reality.
Our preaching must have a goal, a target. All texts lead to Christ (Col. 1:27-29). This is the ultimate and primary goal for preaching, so that when people leave they are more like Christ. That’s the primary reason for preaching.
Every sermon needs a fourfold movement to activate personal application in the hearers in the form of obedience:
Every sermon must educate - stretch the mind to think about and understand things that it had not considered or understood before. Solid food (i.e. “meat”) belongs to those of full age (Heb. 5:14). You have to progress beyond the ABC’s of Christianity. Shallow preaching produces shallow Christians.
You have to aim at the heart in order to “move” someone to action. The heart is the chief organ of physical life. The “heart” is the word that describes the hidden springs of human life and the sphere of divine influence.
The heart must be reached in order to effect “movement” (action) in the hearer. The mind alone will not do this. The heart is the great motivator.
Preaching to the heart enables the hearers to identify with characters and issues in the passage and make the principles of the passage their own. This involves, obviously, moving from the general to the specific.
The “heart” in Scripture describes the place where decisions are reached and where choices are made. It’s the place where the mind and the will meet. It’s not sufficient to only stretch the mind. You also need to touch the heart.
The emphasis here is on desire rather than discernment. Preach to motivate the heart to respond. The heart must be stirred. To do this, preaching must have passion.
It is not sufficient to only educate the mind and touch the heart. You need to also guide, focus, and shape the will to surrender to the authority of the Word, to die to self and live for Christ, to put off the old self and put on the new (Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:22-24).
If only the mind and heart are affected, that’s not good enough. There must be direction of the will to voluntarily submit to the truth of the Word and, thus, to live out its teaching.
The conscience is a powerful tool in application. It is a strong motivator to obey. It detects where people have failed in obedience to the truth. It reveals where there may be sin in a person’s life that needs to be judged.
Thus, biblical preaching will activate the conscience so that the people respond in obedience.
Application must be personal, practical, and purposeful to the end that it affects the entire personality – mind, heart, will, and conscience. While the heart is the great motivator to action, if you can combine the conviction of the mind with the desire of the heart, that is an even more powerful force to activate the conscience which, in turn, motivates a person to submit their will and obey the truth.
By applying the truth throughout the sermon, your hearers will not forget the principle which governs the application. It ties principle and practice tightly together. You connect the application tightly to the text you have just explained. This gives your application much greater authority as it is the text that is speaking, not you.
Some preachers do their application at the end of the sermon. This is permissible but it has several drawbacks:
1) If it is done routinely, your audience will figure it out quickly and then you lose the impact, because they are ready to tune you out (“Oh, here it comes again”). I would suggest that application at the end serve only as an intensification and reconfirmation of the application you have already done throughout the sermon.
2) It separates the explanation of the truth from the application of the truth such that your audience will not intuitively connect the one to the other.
I recommend that you apply the truth continuously from the introduction right through to the conclusion of the sermon.
1) In the “introduction”, you apply when you…
a) Establish the need to listen; the need for this message.
b) Make the link to the biblical text.
c) State your “sermon-in-a sentence” (i.e. your thesis, proposition).
2) In the “body”, you apply every truth principle…
a) In the wording of each of your main points and sub-points. They should be worded in applicational form – i.e. in such a way that your audience is included, sees themselves in the truth-principle.
b) During or at the end of your explanation of each main point.
c) In illustrations and examples.
3. In the “conclusion”, you apply the truth…
a) When you summarize the sermon.
b) When you actualize and personalize the sermon one last time.
a) It requires accuracy to Scripture.
b) It must be relevant to the people and their culture.
c) It demands personal introspection and honesty.
It’s easy to think that the connection between your explanation of the text and its practical application to the lives of your hearers is intuitively obvious, that it does not need to be stated, that your hearers can figure it out themselves. It’s easy to assume that our hearers “get” how the truth impacts their lives.
This, of course, is often just not true. Application does not automatically jump out at you any more than the truth principles jump out at you. Someone needs to point it out.
The purpose of preaching is to change people’s lives to be more like Christ and we do that by explaining the truth and then pointing out how that should change us. That is application.
Application is the means by which we connect biblical truth to the everyday lives of the audience. That means giving examples of what it looks like in the lives of your people, exhorting the congregation to change, naming error, rebuking wrong attitudes and relationships etc.
Remember, all theology is eminently practical. Its purpose is to impact one’s behaviour, desires, priorities, values, goals, relationships etc.
Good sermons not only teach the truth but also show what it has to do with “me”. A carefully crafted and complete sermon leads to application. Truth is to be obeyed (Rom. 6:17). That’s what will change the lives of your people – not the clever wording of a few main points, but the life application of the truth that causes people to change.
Too many preachers think that they can wing the applications on the fly. You can’t. They need to be well thought out ahead of time because you have a diverse congregation with diverse life situations and they all need to be reached. You have…
a) Young people, middle aged, old people
b) Professionals, blue collar workers, office workers, factory workers etc.
c) Married people, singles, divorced and separated
d) Yuppies, retired people
e) Families, couples, singles.
f) Public school, high school, and college students
g) Rich, poor, and middle class people.
To effectively apply the word to such diversity requires careful thought before preaching.
The question we face is, as you expose each principle in the text, how do you move to application? How do you discover the real life applications while remaining faithful to the subject of the text and the intent of the original author?
As a general principle, I would suggest that the application of the biblical principle must fall within the same scope of application as that in the text. This just emphasizes how important it is to discover accurately the subject of the text. You must make a direct link between the explanation of the principles that you preach and the application you make.
First, start by asking yourself the following questions:
a) What was the author writing about?
b) Why did the author write this to these people?
c) What were the circumstances in the life of the people that needed correction, encouragement, comfort, assurance, rebuke, guidance etc.?
d) How did the author apply the principles to the lives of his readers?
e) What response did the author expect and want from them?
The answers to these questions set the parameters for your application.
Second, uncover contemporary applications by asking yourself:
a) What universal, abiding truths in the text relate directly to life today?
b) What contemporary situations, challenges, questions etc. are similar in nature to that of the original audience? In what ways do our contemporary audiences experience the same situations as the original audience?
Third, move from general implications to specific and personal applications. General implications may speak to how the truth of the text speaks to the home, work, church etc. for everyone. This is good but I would encourage you to try to move even further than that to specific applications to life in your culture and circumstances. This is the hard part. So, how do you do that?
Again, you probe into the personal applications of the truth by asking questions:
a) What does this truth mean for my people in their everyday lives?
b) What challenges, needs, lifestyles, beliefs, and circumstances in the church need to be addressed - be it personal, economic, congregational, community, relational, spiritual, ethical etc.
c) Where in our lives could this truth be applied?
Fourth, consider the response you expect and want from your audience. How do you want them to change their values, priorities, relationships, beliefs, attitudes, practices, motives, desires, character etc.?
Finally, challenge your congregation to ask themselves:
a) What does God want me to do about this truth?
b) How can I achieve this change? What do I need to do?
c) How should I start?
As you ask the above questions, you are asking them not only about your own life, but particularly about the lives of the people in your congregation.
So as you ask the questions (searching for relevant applications), you must keep in mind your people by visualizing them in the pew, or going through your church directory, while you recollect their life situation, needs, problems, challenges etc.
Now you are applying the passage to real needs which correspond with the needs addressed in the passage. These applications will not identify anyone in your congregation nor will they disclose confidences. They will still be a bit general in nature, but you are drawing the net tighter and making clear how the principles apply by giving examples of how they might apply to your people in particular situations.
So, you might say: “If you live a holy life, you’ll demonstrate this in your workplace by… (e.g. not crossing the line with opposite sex”) etc. etc. Then, you can suggest ways to put these applications into practice.
From the application examples you preach, your people will be prompted to make the transfer into their own specific life situation.
You dot this by drawing in the different age groups, marital status, economic status etc. in their life situation. There are four situations that embrace everyone:
a) School
b) Workplace
c) Home
d) Community
There are several advantages to this:
a) Application will be a continuous process throughout your sermon not just in particular sections of it.
b) The principles you establish in your points will be personalized rather than remaining abstract truths.
c) Your points will have more impact.
Theology, properly preached, is thoroughly practical. The Bible is not written just to fill our heads with knowledge but to also change the way we live and think and act. Specifically, every sermon should help us to become more like Christ by putting into practice the universal, timeless truths of Scripture. For that reason, we must explain the text clearly and accurately and apply it relevantly and personally.
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on the these links: Link 1 - Jn. 21:15-17; Link 2 - Jn. 21:18-19; Link 3 - Jn. 21:19-25
Title: “Called To Serve”
Theme: Lessons in Christian service
Point #1: The pledge in serving the Lord is to love him (15-17)
a) Despite our feeble loyalty, Jesus still values our love
b) Despite our feeble loyalty, Jesus still wants our service
Point #2: The purpose in serving the Lord is to glorify him (18-19a)
a) We are to glorify him when we are younger (18a)
b) We are to glorify him when we are old (18b-19a)
Point #3: The pattern in serving the Lord is to follow him (19b-23)
a) We follow him by responding to his call (19b)
b) We follow him by keeping our eyes on him (20)
c) We follow him by minding our own business (21-23)
Fall 2019 Edition
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
The Institute for Biblical Preaching
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1-519-620-2375
“Strengthening Applications” (Pt. 2)
In the last edition of this NET Pastors Journal, we began to discuss how you can strengthen your sermon applications. In this edition we will continue that subject.
As preachers we need to remember that theology is thoroughly practical and, therefore, must also be practically applied in our sermons. Truth is not meant to be intellectual only: it is also meant to be practical. Hence, the practice of truth must form a significant part of our sermons. That is what we mean by application.
But many preachers often find it hard to determine how to apply the truth they are preaching so that it is relevant for today’s audience and at the same time true to the text. So, here are some ideas to help you make relevant applications in your sermons.
As you ask these questions, try to answer them by specifically naming the types of situations that are contemporary equivalents. Try to give specific guidance as to how they can apply the truth of God to their own lives.
Be concrete, real in the present day life of your people. Come up with credible, practical, examples, even though, perhaps, you cannot name actual situations because of confidentiality. In that case, you could, if it were appropriate, ask someone to give a personal testimony that relates to the subject.
So, prepare your own answers to your own questions and challenges as you consider the practical application of the truth in the text. What does God want this congregation and these people individually to do, believe, or change in their lives? What kind of people does God want them to become?
And always try to hold out hope, for example, that the Holy Spirit is within us to enable us to be obedient to the truth; that our destiny is secure and settled and ultimately we will be saved from trials; that we can have joy because of our faith and future hope in Christ.
Lastly, address what action you suggest your people need to take. Be specific. Give examples. What kind of action do they need to take to inculcate the truth into their lives, to live as the people of God should live? What specific steps should they take? And offer to help them in this process. That’s your responsibility as a pastor not simply to tell them what to do, based on the truth of Scripture, but to help them practically to achieve that goal.
If the topic has to do with, for example, enduring hardship as a Christian, try to give them specific suggestions to deal with struggles (either physical, spiritual, emotional etc.) that test their faith. For example, (1) they could memorize pertinent, assuring Scriptures; (2) they could start to pray with a Christian friend who will provide mutual support; (3) they could share their struggles with a counsellor or pastor or with their Bible study group. Give Scripture for why it is biblical to bear one another’s burdens.
Remember that not every Scripture passage allows for a direct transfer of application. In other words, you can’t assume that what happened back then in the biblical text has its exact equivalent now, or that how they responded back then is necessarily how we should respond now. How you transfer across to today’s application will be dictated by the passage. This is where you have to be faithful to the intent of the biblical writer.
It must have a sense of urgency that this must be done now – i.e. believe the gospel, submit to the will of God, stop sinful habits and associations etc.
By intensity I mean the emphasis in the sermon that encourages a positive action in response to the conviction of the Word and of the preacher. This isn’t a nice fireside chat but a summons. Jesus’ parables always summoned people to some sort of action - e.g. The Good Samaritan: “Go and do likewise” (Lk. 10:37).
Application must directly relate to the purpose of the sermon. It must arise from and address the objective of the sermon. Whatever purpose you have determined for your sermon, the application must fulfill that purpose by making a tangible difference in people’s lives.
One of the purposes of every sermon is to motivate your listeners to some sort of action. The motivation you want to induce is that which touches the heart, instructs the mind, pricks the conscience, and directs the will to action - not by manipulation, or threat but by the Spirit-induced, truth-awakened response to the Word. “Our ultimate object is to move the will, to set it in another course, to increase its pace, and to make it sing in ‘the ways of God’s commandments’” 2
Application is where the confrontation of the message becomes personal and direct (not impersonal or indirect) to the audience. They may be confronted with the “principle” of the truth and not react because it is impersonal and / or indirect. But when confronted with the “practice” of the truth, reaction is inevitable and necessary.
Expository preaching is confrontational in nature either through direct or indirect application. Most sermon applications have both types of confrontation. For example, Nathan the prophet’s confrontation with David (2 Sam. 12) started out with indirect application by telling the story but he ended up with direct application: “You’re the man”. Jesus was usually direct in his application.
By being direct, you do not run the risk of going over the people’s heads as you might with indirect application, where they miss the point altogether of how they are to respond. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 would seem to indicate that application of biblical truth should be (1) direct and explicit, rather than indirect and implicit; and (2) persuasive and confrontational, rather than suggestive and accommodating (cf. the apostolic preaching in Acts).
Application has as its primary object the persuasion of the hearers to conform to the truth whether delivered throughout the sermon or at the end or both. The explanation preached is brought to bear upon the application to be followed. A sermon is, thus, both informative and transformational.
The power of persuasion comes from the Word of God applied by the Spirit of God to the heart, mind, will, and conscience. The means of persuasion is the preacher relating the truth to life in such a way that the hearers see the necessity for change and are persuaded to do something about it.
When the Spirit of God opens up the understanding of the Word of God and demonstrates the reality of it through the preacher’s application, that is a powerful catalyst for change.
For application to be persuasive, the presentation of the truth and its application must be presented properly, politely, and humbly such that the hearers will be receptive to it.
The application must be driven by the text just as much as the explanation is driven by the text. Don’t use the text to spring board to any application you want. That is lack of integrity to your audience and to the text. Be sure that you derive your application from the text, that your applications line up with the biblical author’s intent, and that the main thrust of your application is the same as the main thought of the text.
Don’t use the text to achieve your own ends. This is a misuse of Scripture. Application must not in any way distort the meaning of the text as it applies to life. This is applying the text with integrity. This takes great discipline. It is as important to figure out the biblical application as it is to figure out the biblical meaning of the text.
Note that while the application must be derived from the text, the scope of application may be “stretched” in that the implications of the text for life may spread into all kinds of areas. Thus, one text with one meaning yields multiple applications.
Good application will lead people where they should go. It will care for people when they hurt. It will rebuke people when they are disobedient. It will feed people when they are hungry. It will protect people when they are in danger.
Don’t be concerned that by making your examples concrete you may let some of your hearers off the hook - i.e. they may conclude that since you have not named something that applies to them, that therefore they don’t need to respond. Here the Holy Spirit fills in the gap. He uses the examples you give to surface in the hearers minds and consciences things that they need to correct, change etc.
Be specific and concrete. That’s what application is. Relating the truth to life. In order to do this effectively, you must focus on life-related situations in which this particular truth applies in a particular way. Your task, as the preacher, is to make this clear and urge obedience to it. Don’t leave it at the conceptual level. That’s what many preachers do. They have trouble coming down from the abstract level of theology to the specific, concrete, life-situation level.
Don’t neglect application. Review your sermon before you preach it to assess how much application you have included. Is it enough? Is every major principle applied? My mentor, Dr. Stephen Olford, used to urge us to make application 50% of the sermon!
Promises, commands, and examples are given for more than mere creedal or intellectual assent. They are to be inculcated into life. The Bible contains truths to believe and obey.
The only acceptable response to the Bible’s truths is faith, which is evidenced not merely in passive acceptance of the principle, but in understanding its implications for life and living them out (i.e. application). Note that truths and examples may be explicit or implicit.
For example, an explicit principle is: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Lev. 19:18). While there is no doubt what an explicit principle is and says, how it plays out in life may vary from culture to culture. Our task is to discover the applications of the explicit principle for our lives in our culture today.
An implicit principle might be principles whose import for life are arrived at through logical deduction. For example, “You shall not commit adultery” implies the necessity for purity, fidelity, love.
Look for the principles and then move up the ladder of abstraction to determine their broadest sense. Then, apply them to life as it is to be lived in our society in our time
For more reading on this subject, I would recommend: “How is the Christian to Apply the Old Testament to Life?” in Making Sense out of the Old Testament by Tremper Longman III, (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), 103-136.
This way, you can bring the Word to bear on real situations of real people. Applications that don’t make sense, or are “way out” will have little impact.
The truth principles in the Bible speak to all peoples of all times. Our task in preaching is to apply it to our people at our time – that’s relevance.
This does not mean one is right and the other wrong. This simply means that their styles are different, or they bring out different aspects of the same truth, or their congregations would benefit from a different approach to the application.
Maintain your conviction and passion about the truth as you apply. That is the crucial time for intensity, when you personalize it
This does not mean that you have to use “we.” Sometimes you might, but generally you will use “you” to make it personal and convicting. But, you need to be sure that you have applied this truth to your own life first before you can exhort others to be obedient to it.
Always make this part of your preparation process. When your sermon is ready, and you are reviewing it before the Lord, review it prayerfully, asking God to show you truths that you need to apply to yourself.
See their needs (without being personal or breaking a confidence). Cover the spectrum of life-situations represented in your audience (e.g. at home, at work, at school, in your neighbourhood) – include everyone.
Use “perhaps” situations for each life-situation. “Perhaps you face this in your workplace...” etc. You may not address the exact situation that each person faces, but you will trigger in their minds other situations in which this application is personal to them.
This is the principle of the preacher applying the Scripture to his own life. If you preach to others what you have not applied to your own life, you will not preach with power. Not only does God know when you do this, but people will also. The preacher must preach what he believes and he must live it.
To properly apply the text, it must become real to you. The people, places, and emotions must come alive in your own imagination. If it is alive to the preacher, then it makes it easier for you to see how it applies to other people.
As we preach to people over a period of time and guide them, the preacher gets to know them better – their fears and needs. Our experience of the people, where they live and who they are, allows us to stretch the application of the Scriptures to cover as many of these areas as possible. This does not give license for using the text inappropriately or inaccurately. There is only one interpretation of Scripture, but there are many applications to human experiences and problems.
The application of the text must be declared with authority and clarity. There must be no uncertainty about the application of the text. The people come to church for clear direction, to find out what God says, how they must live, and how they can get help for their problems. Therefore, the application must be overtly declared so that the people are not left hanging or wondering what the point was.
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - Rev. 2:1-4; Link 2 - Rev. 2:5-7
Title: Letters to the Seven Churches: Ephesus, Orthodox but Cold
Theme: Revival begins with repentance among God’s people
Point #1: First, the good news: “Externally your church appears in good spiritual health”
(1) You work constantly and diligently (2a)
(2) You judge evil clearly and decisively (2b)
(3) You press on faithfully and untiringly (3)
Point #2: Now the bad news: “Internally your church has a serious heart condition”
(1) Christ’s diagnosis: ”You’ve left your first love” (4)
(2) Christ’s treatment:
(a) “Remember from where you have fallen” (5a)
(b) “Repent and do the first works” (5b)
(c) Warning: “If you don’t, I will remove your lamp-stand” (5c)
(d) Promise to those who heed the warning: “I will give (you) to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God” (7)
1 Adapted from Dave Veerman, How to Apply the Bible (Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 1993).
2 John Henry Jowett, The Preacher His Life and Work (New York: Harper and brothers Publishers, 1912), 172, cited in Handbook of Contemporary Preaching, 211.
Winter 2020 Edition
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
Strengthening Biblical Interpretation, Pt. 1:
“How to read and understand the Bible”
The principles of how to read and understand the Bible are beneficial for all Christians, whether you are a preacher, a Sunday school teacher, or a small group Bible study leader, whether you want to be able to explain the Scriptures to non-Christians or simply improve your own understanding of the Bible.
Don’t worry if you find these principles a bit challenging to understand. Some of them will undoubtedly stretch your thinking but if you apply them you will find them invaluable. I will try to explain them as simply as I can.
In approaching this task, we must be fully persuaded that:
(1) Scripture is the inspired and inerrant Word of God.
(2) Scripture presents propositional, objective truth.
(3) Scripture can be understood and applied today.
If we are not fully convinced as to the nature of Scripture, we are wasting our time because what we say will have no authority or relevance and we will not approach the task with the diligence and care that it deserves and demands. We will merely be presenting a man-centred philosophy rather than God’s eternal truth.
While we all probably get frustrated from time to time as we wrestle with a passage of Scripture, trying to figure out what the author meant, how its original audience understood what he wrote, and how we should understand and apply it today, nonetheless we rely on two powerful resources:
1. We rely on the ministry of the Holy Spirit
He alone can illuminate our understanding correctly. He alone can use what we communicate to others for the transformation of their lives. We cannot save anyone, nor change anyone’s life, but the Holy Spirit can use what he reveals to us in God’s Word to accomplish his purposes.
2. We rely on the power of God's word
Over and above our flawed understanding and limited intellectual capabilities stands the promise that God’s “word will not return to him void” (Isa. 55:11). This does not lessen our responsibility nor the difficulty of our task, but it does bring us comfort that God is in control of his word and uses it to accomplish his purposes.
This is our confidence as preachers and teachers of God’s word, that though we must be excellent in exegesis, clear in exposition, relevant in application, and powerful in communication, nonetheless, the end result is under God’s control through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
The Bible, like any other written document, is often subject to misinterpretation and misapplication, which, in turn, often lead to conflict among Christians. The problem is that we may understand what the words say, but we may not necessarily understand the author’s intended meaning. This leads to conflicting interpretations and applications.
Since the biblical authors are not alive for us to ask them what they meant, we need some interpretive rules and guidelines to help us in this task. My hope is that by applying good principles of interpretation as you study the Scriptures, you may be able to understand them more clearly, teach them more accurately, and apply them more relevantly.
Despite being surrounded sometimes by an apparent range of interpretive options of a biblical text, I believe that:
(1) There is one primary meaning in each biblical text.
(2) Scripture can be properly understood through the enablement of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10-16; 1 Jn. 2:20, 27), who:
a) inspired the writers of the Scriptures in the first place (2 Peter 1:21).
b) influences the thoughts and heart (i.e. the spiritual “eyes”) of one who studies under the leading of the Spirit to come to a right understanding of the Scripture.
c) directs us to other Scriptures that cast light on the Scripture under scrutiny.
d) employs means such as grammatical analysis, interpretive principles etc. to aid our understanding.
In seeking to read and study the Bible with understanding, our underlying approach requires that we discover what the author was saying and how the ancient biblical instructions (on morality, religious practices etc.) apply to us today.
Our first task in this process is to discover what idea, concept, teaching, principle, or truth the original author intended to convey to his original audience (“authorial intent”). That’s what we need to know first and foremost. Not what we (the readers) think it means. Not what this means for today’s society. Not what this means to me (as though it may mean something different for someone else). Not what this means in our culture, since cultures vary around the world. Indeed, if we relied on contemporary cultural interpretations, the Bible would mean many different things depending on what part of the world you live in.
The technical term for this process of discovering the meaning of a passage is “exegesis”. This is the task of investigating and determining the meaning of the biblical text (as best we can), in order to accurately and clearly explain what it means.
What we are doing here is trying to discover the biblical author’s intended meaning as his original audience would have understood it. In this step, we want to understand not only what the text “says” but also, and probably more importantly, what it “means.”
You have probably been in situations where someone says something to you and you reply: “What do you mean by that?” Or, more often, after the conversation you think to yourself: “What did he / she mean by that?” You understood what they “said” (i.e. the words) but you did not understand what they “meant”. Perhaps there were several possible meanings. Perhaps the tone of voice or body language affected what they meant. Perhaps there was a hidden inference, or the words could not be taken at face value.
If this is a challenge at the contemporary, face-to-face level, how much more is it a challenge when dealing with an ancient text like the Bible? So, for our purposes, discovering what the passage means requires that our study of the text (words, grammar, syntax, context etc.) ends with our best understanding of what the author meant.
In order to accurately discover the meaning of a text, we need a set of principles, guidelines, procedures, and techniques that help us understand the biblical text as the original author intended – i.e. to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). The technical term for this is “hermeneutics.”
So, for example, if there are two or more interpretive options for a biblical text, how do you decide which one is not only grammatically correct but also most likely to be what the author intended to communicate? This is where we rely on hermeneutical (i.e. interpretive) principles to guide us as to which one is most likely the correct understanding.
Take the phrase “husband of one wife” (1 Tim. 3:2 and 12) as an example. What does this mean? It may mean that an elder or deacon must not be divorced or single, and / or that he must be utterly faithful to his wife - having eyes only for one woman. These would probably be the most likely interpretations in North America. But this may also mean that an elder or deacon cannot have more than one wife at the same time (i.e. polygamy). This would probably the most likely interpretation in societies where polygamy is practised.
Even with good hermeneutical rules and procedures, there still will be different interpretations of the Bible, but that doesn’t negate the benefit of having such guidelines and procedures.
It is vitally important, as students, preachers, and teachers of God’s word that we understand the text before we preach or teach it. Following good principles of biblical interpretation will help us gain a fuller, more accurate understanding of the text.
So, in summary, there are two vital study components for understanding, interpreting, and explaining the Bible accurately – exegesis and hermeneutics. Exegesis is the study of the text in order to understand, interpret, explain, and apply it accurately. Hermeneutics is the interpretive discipline (system) that provides us with a framework for making interpretive decisions during our exegesis (e.g. when there is more than one interpretive option). Thus, hermeneutics is the means and exegesis is the end in our task of determining what the biblical text “meant” and “means” in order that we might be true and faithful to the text when we explain it and apply it in our preaching and teaching.
An important part of this exegetical process is sometimes referred to as “bridging the gap” between the ancient text, language, culture, and audience on the one hand, and the contemporary language, culture, and audience on the other; between what it meant back then and what it means in today’s context (i.e. its application today). David Larsen explains it this way: “The biblical text comes alive... when correspondence occurs between the situation the biblical writers address and the situation of the modern reader or hearer.”2
To read the text solely from the viewpoint of what it means leads to all kinds of errors of subjectivism. Conversely, to read the text solely from the viewpoint of what it meant makes the whole exercise a study of ancient history with no relevance for today. However, the word of God is “living” and “powerful” (Heb. 4:12) and no more so than when it is taught and preached, so that the written word for God’s ancient people becomes the spoken word for God’s people today.
Therefore, we need to “bridge the gap” by determining what it meant then in order to explain what it means now – i.e. what is its message for us today; how do we explain and apply it in today’s context?
1. By engaging in these three basic tasks, we are able to determine more accurately the meaning of the text and its contemporary significance.
2. Our challenge is twofold:
(a) To discover the author’s intended meaning - what did he intend to communicate to his original audience and how would they have understood him?
(b) To determine the author’s overriding theological focus - what is his universal, abiding, theological point?
3. Our hermeneutical task is to “discover” what the text means, not to “decide” what it means.3
In Acts 2:25-31, Peter seems to affirm that, in Psalm 16, David knew that he was writing prophetically of Christ. But even this is not patently clear, because when Peter says, “For David says concerning him…” (25), this does not necessarily mean that David knew he was writing about Jesus, but that Peter knew he was writing about Jesus. In fact, all Scripture speaks of, and points to, Christ (cf. Lk. 24:27). As John Stott points out, let’s not forget that, through Jesus’ teachings, his disciples (in this case, Peter) would have recognized the O. T. references to “God’s anointed or king, to David and his royal seed, as finding their fulfillment in Jesus… And once this foundation is granted, a Christian use of the Old Testament like Peter’s of Psalm 16 is scrupulously logical and internally coherent.”4
It seems best to understand this prophetic Psalm, like many others, as having both an immediate and future fulfillment – immediately in David and finally in Jesus. As to the immediate fulfillment, it is clear, on a plain and natural reading of the Psalm, that David was speaking about himself. It “seems to have been a plea of the psalmist that God would vindicate him and that he might escape death and Sheol…Verse 27 is the key, in which David is seen to have expressed his confidence that he would not be abandoned to the grave, that God would not allow his holy one to suffer decay.”5 This is the immediate application.
As to the future fulfillment, what David was undoubtedly saying about himself in Psalm 16:8-11 (repeated in Acts 2:25-28), Peter applies prophetically to the Messiah, “seeing in it a prophecy of David that could not ultimately apply to himself.”6 Peter amplifies Psalm 16:8-11 to show that David was also speaking prophetically of Christ in whom the words of the Psalm are fully and ultimately realized. Their realization for David, of course, was still future and to what extent David understood this is somewhat unclear.7
As to the term “holy one”, while it certainly applied to David, Peter sees it as even more applicable to Christ. In vv. 29-31, Peter applies the quote to Christ with the following logic:
1. David is long dead: therefore, the Psalm could not fully and solely refer to him (29)
2. Thus, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David was writing prophetically about his descendant who would sit on his throne forever (30; cf. 2 Sam. 7:12-13)
3. Through Christ’s resurrection, he alone is the messianic descendant whom David “foresaw” and about whom he “spoke” (31).
I think we can safely say that, though the truth of the O.T. prophecies is obvious to us, it was not so obvious (at least to the extent that it is to us) to the O.T. writers, whose prophetic knowledge was limited. As Peter himself points out in 1 Pet. 1:10-12, the O.T. prophets knew what they were inquiring into (salvation through the Messiah) but they did not know the details (who, how, where, when) as we do now.
In many (perhaps in most) instances, the O.T. prophets wrote of things more than they knew. Here are some examples to help you work through this:
In these instances, we need to distinguish between what the biblical authors knew they were writing about (the immediate referent) and what we, from subsequent revelation, know they were writing about (the future referent). From our vantage point, we have a fuller understanding of what they wrote through progressive revelation and the completed canon of Scripture. Larsen points out that “While it is our purpose to get back to the author’s intention, we must recognize that the human author was not always aware of the full significance of his own inspired utterance (1 Pet. 1:10-12).”8
The O.T. contains great and vital teaching for us today and seeing in it types and illustrations and foreshadowing of N.T. truth helps to make it relevant and meaningful. What we must be careful to do is to differentiate between, on the one hand, the O.T. author’s intended meaning to his audience and, on the other hand, greater light (understanding) that we have as a result of having the completed canon and, thus, a better vantage point. In this way, from our place in redemptive history we see types and shadows of things which at that time were yet to be revealed.
We always need to remember that biblical revelation is progressive. The O.T does contain the seeds of the N.T. and the N.T. does open up the secrets of the O.T. Hence, we are bound to see things in the O.T. that was not known by its authors. Again, as David Larsen puts it:
“Beyond question we have a biblically authorized basis for preaching the typical significance of Old Testament persons and institutions and events (cf. 1 Cor. 10:11 and the book of Hebrews)…We are facing with greater liberty the explicit types in the Old testament such as Adam, the Flood, Melchizedek, the brazen serpent, manna, the Passover, and Jonah in the fish as a picture of Christ’s resurrection. There are also implicit types that must be used with great caution and care, such as the cities of refuge in ancient Israel, the religious calendar of Israel, and the life of Joseph as a picture of the sufferings and the glory of Jesus Christ.”9
From the examples cited in this quote from Larsen, it is obvious that the biblical N.T. writers saw types, illustrations, and significances in the O.T., which the O.T. writers did not envisage when they wrote. Take, for example, Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezek. 47). Ezekiel’s original intention was to describe the spiritual condition of Israel and their future destiny. But surely it is valid to apply this to the spiritual renewal of God’s people in any age.10
Many other examples could be cited (see chart below) of O.T. characters, events, things, and concepts, which the O.T. writers could not have intended to be (but which are) types, allegories, illustrations, foreshadowings, or representations of N.T. concepts or fulfillments. In the following comparative table, note the N.T. references that we can rely on for a N.T. perspective and interpretation of these O.T. passages:
Comparison: O.T. Referent vs. N.T. Understanding or Usage |
||
N.T. use / type / allusion / allegory |
N.T. reference |
|
Abraham sacrifices Isaac |
Type of Christ’s death |
None |
Esau’s sale of his birthright |
Giving up sp. birthright |
Heb. 12:15-17 |
Jacob and Esau |
Illustration of God's sovereignty |
Rom. 9:10-13 |
Sacrifice of Isaac |
Illustration of Christ’s sacrifice |
None |
Brazen serpent |
Type of Christ on the cross |
Jn. 3:14 |
Jonah in fish’s belly |
Christ’s burial |
Matt. 12:40 |
Jonah’s preaching |
Christ’s preaching |
Matt. 12:41; cf. Lk. 11:29 |
Manna in the wilderness |
Christ as “bread of life” |
Jn. 6:32-35ff; 1 Cor. 10:3 |
Circumcision of the flesh |
Spiritual circumcision of the heart |
Rom. 2:28-29 |
Heroes of faith |
Examples that we should follow |
Heb. 11 |
Abraham |
Example of good works, faith, justification by faith |
Heb. 11:8-11; James 2:211, 23; Rom. 4:1-22 |
Adam |
Prefigures Christ as 2nd Adam |
1 Cor. 15:22, 45-49; Rom. 5:14 |
David, Joseph |
Christ |
None |
Hagar and Sarah |
Representation of old Mosaic law vs. new Covenant liberty in Christ |
Gal. 4:21-31 |
Days of Lot |
Parallel to days of Son of Man |
Lk. 17:28-29 |
Lot’s deliverance/ Noah’s deliverance |
Example of God’s deliverance of the godly out of temptation/ judgement |
2 Pet. 2:4-9 |
O.T. prophecies |
Fulfilled in Christ |
Various |
Days of Noah |
Allegory of days of coming of Son of Man |
Matt. 24:37-38 |
Noah and the flood |
A type (“figure”) of baptism |
1 Pet. 3:20-21 |
All the O.T. Scriptures |
Prefigure and point to Christ |
Lk 24:27 |
Passover Lamb |
Type of Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice |
Jn. 1:29 (cf. Gen. 22:8) |
The exodus |
Deliverance from bondage of sin |
|
Red Sea |
Cleansing, separation; baptism to one leader; burial to old life |
1 Cor. 10:2 |
The O.T. sacrifices |
Type of Christ’s sacrificial death |
Acts 8:32-33 (cf. Isa. 53) |
Moses |
Forerunner of Christ, the One who would lead God’s people |
Deut. 18:15? |
Rock in the wilderness |
Christ quenches our spiritual thirst |
1 Cor. 10:4 |
Death of Israelites in the wilderness |
Warning to not lust after evil things (idolatry); to not be unbelieving |
1 Cor. 10:6, 11; cf. Heb. 3:7-4:16 |
Rest in promised land |
Spiritual rest for people of God |
Heb. 4 |
O.T. covenant |
N.T. covenant |
Heb. 8:7-13 etc. |
Animal sacrifices |
Christ’s sacrifice |
Heb. 10:1-10 |
Priestly duties |
Christ as our high priest |
Heb. 10:11-18 |
|
High priest’s entrance once a year prefigured Christ’s atonement for us as our High Priest |
Heb. 9:8-9; cf. 4:15 |
Tabernacle, holiest of all |
God’s presence |
Heb. 10:19 |
Stones of the temple |
Spiritual house of living, holy people |
1 Pet. 2:4-5ff. |
Isa. 61:1-2, spoken by Isaiah about himself |
Spoken by Jesus about himself |
Lk. 4:18-19 |
Psalms – e.g. 22, 69 |
Prophetic of Jesus |
Matt. 27:46 |
Moises Silva points out that, even in the case of the N.T., the original audience would probably not have deduced the full meaning that we can today:
“In the process of determining the meaning of a specific word or sentence in the letters of Paul, interpreters often ask themselves, Would the original readers of the letter have grasped such-and-such a meaning? Not infrequently, a particular interpretation will be rejected precisely on the grounds that those readers could not have been expected to come up with it. Probably all scholars, however, acknowledge that some of the apostle’s richer or subtler nuances would have been beyond the reach of his original audience.”11
Indeed, even the apostle Peter admitted that Paul wrote of “things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction” (2 Pet. 3:15-16). Note Peter’s warning: Don’t “twist” Scripture to make it mean what you want it to mean. He says, that’s what many “untaught and unstable people” do – twist hard passages “to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures” (16b).
We need to take Peter’s warning very seriously. While the Holy Spirit’s role in teaching us the meaning of Scripture includes opening up our understanding of its teaching and application to our lives today (so that we do not relegate it to the historical junk pile), at the same time we are not authorized to go beyond what we know from Scripture. Don’t think that because some of the biblical writers wrote of things beyond what they knew that this gives you licence to interpret or apply Scripture any way you want. Don’t claim that the Holy Spirit taught you things that Scripture does not support. That is purely subjectivism and an abuse of Scripture. We are only authorized to interpret and apply Scripture in ways that Scripture, through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, indicates.
I believe that the best approach is:
1. To search for the meaning intended by the original author as his original audience would have understood it as best we can (admitting that we may not always be able to have absolute certainty of this).
2. Then, to search for any expanded understanding, interpretation, significance, or application we may have as the result of:
(a) Subsequent revelation (not subjective interpretation).
(b) Our fuller understanding of Scripture because of the work of the Holy Spirit.
3. Assess whether the text can be legitimately used as an obvious illustration or type or allegory even though it may not be explicit in Scripture (e.g. the story of Joseph).
Take Jonah as an example of this method. First, the author’s theological point to his audience was the sovereignty of God in salvation. Then, we gain a fuller understanding from the N.T. that Jonah was a type of the death and resurrection of Christ (cf. Matt. 12:40-41; Lk. 11:30-32) – i.e. the means by which God in his sovereignty saves.
In my next issue of this journal, I will continue to discuss other important aspects of how to read and understand the Bible that will help you in your study and teaching of the Scriptures.
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - Rev. 2:8-9; Link 2 - Rev. 2:10; Link 3 - Rev. 2:10-11
Title: Letters to the Seven Churches: Smyrna - Suffering But Faithful
Theme: Suffering for your faith
Point #1: Jesus knows all about your bitter troubles (8-9)
(1) Jesus knows all about your bitter physical afflictions (9a)
(2) Jesus knows all about your bitter financial pressures (9b)
(3) Jesus knows all about your bitter spiritual opponents (9c)
Point #2: Jesus speaks words of sweet encouragement
(1) Jesus’ words of sweet encouragement address our fears (10a-b)
(2) Jesus’ words of sweet encouragement strengthen our faith (10c)
(3) Jesus’ words of sweet encouragement energize our hope (10d-11)
1 Some of this material adapted from Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1993), 10-12, and David Dockery, “Preaching and Hermeneutics,” in Handbook of Contemporary Preaching, ed Michael Duduit, (Nashville: B & H, 1992), 142-150.
2 David L. Larsen, Telling the Old, Old Story (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1995), 79.
3 Ibid., 81.
4 John Stott, The Spirit, The Church, and The World (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1990), 76.
5 John B. Polhill, Acts, The New American Commentary, ed. David S. Dockery (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992), 113.
6 Ibid., 113.
7 See I. Howard Marshall, Acts, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, ed. R. V. G. Tasker (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), 76-77.
8 Larsen, 85.
9 Larsen, 88.
10 Larsen, 88.
11 Walter C. Kaiser and Moises Silva, An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing, 1990), 237-238.
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
Though the subject of Biblical interpretation (“hermeneutics”) is vast and can be somewhat complicated at times, it is vital for us to study it in order to be accurate and clear preachers of the Word, who faithfully declare what it says and means and how it applies to our lives.
So often, as we study the Scriptures, we run into phrases, sentences, and passages that are difficult to understand and interpret as to what the original author intended to communicate. It is precisely for these situations that we need interpretive guidelines and principles that help us come to the best understanding of the passage that we can, given that we live in an entirely different era and culture and speak an entirely different language.
In Part 1 of “How to Read and Understand the Bible” (see the 2020 Winter Edition of this journal), we discussed:
1. Three basic tasks in Biblical interpretation:
(a) Determining the accurate meaning of the passage (exegesis);
(b) Applying sound principles of interpretation to the passage (hermeneutics);
(c) Bridging the gap between the ancient text, language, culture, and audience to our contemporary language, culture, and audience.
2. Two important hermeneutical questions:
(a) Did the O.T. writers know fully what they were writing about?
(b) Did the N.T. writers know fully what they were writing about?
Now, in this Part 2 of the same subject, we continue to examine some other important aspects of biblical interpretation.
Some people say that you can’t take the Bible literally because (1) the Bible uses figures of speech (metaphor, hyperbole etc.), and (2) because the Bible uses poetic language and other literary genres that cannot be interpreted literally (e.g. apocalyptic). This is really an attempt to detract from the truth of the Bible. We, in fact, interpret the Bible using the same principles as for any other literature.
What do we mean by “literal”? If by “literal” you mean a wooden word-for-word translation which does not take into account figurative or metaphorical language, then “no” we do not interpret the Bible literally. But if by “literal” you mean that we take the Bible at face value; that we believe the Bible is true in all that it affirms and accurate in all that it records; that we read and interpret the Bible in accordance with its plain, natural meaning and as its authors intended (taking into account their literary style, literary devices, literary genre, grammar, meaning of words at the time it was written, and the historical, economic, social, geographic, and political context in which it was written), then, “yes” we do read and interpret the Bible literally.
Probably a better term than “literal” meaning is “literary” meaning. Literary meaning is an interpretation that “…reflects the type of literature used, the context, the historical background, the grammar, (and) word meanings” 1 - i.e. one that is based on the “grammatical-contextual-theological” method of interpretation. Or, we could say that literary meaning is an “interpretation that does not spiritualize or allegorize” 2 what is not intended by the author to be spiritualized or allegorized – i.e. the “normal” or “plain” meaning.
Literal interpretation, then, means to interpret the bible according to its literal / literary sense – i.e. as you would interpret any piece of literature, “according to the normal rules of grammar, speech, syntax, and context.” 3 Literal interpretation does not, therefore, preclude the use of types or illustrations; nor literary genres that are based on imaginary or illustrative symbols (e.g. apocalyptic). Literal interpretation does not preclude the normal interpretation based on a natural (face value, plain) reading of the text. As a pastor friend of mine used to say: “When the plain sense makes common sense, then any other sense is nonsense.”
Literal interpretation stands in contrast to other interpretive methods such as allegorizing, spiritualizing, moralizing, and typologizing. Or, to put it another way, behind the literary devices, imagery, genres, and style that a biblical author may have used lies a literal idea or concept. That’s what we look for when we read the Bible.
Though the Bible is a unique book in that it is inspired by the Holy Spirit it does not change the fact that it is written in words of normal human language and with normal grammatical construction. Therefore, our understanding of it is based on the same rules that we would apply to reading and understanding any other piece of literature. Literal interpretation does not imply that we adhere to a “wooden” literalism that puts the biblical text into a straight jacket, which might render it unintelligible.
This is why the “grammatical-contextual-theological” approach to studying the text is so vitally important. In attempting to interpret the text literally, you need to be able to identify: (a) the various grammatical components of the text; (b) its theological focus; (c) its context; and (d) its literary genre and devices. All of these aspects impact understanding and interpretation.
Therefore, in order to correctly interpret the Bible, we need to analyze and understand...
1. The grammar – the various syntactical structures (clauses and sentences) and words used - their type and part of speech (e.g. noun, verb etc.), form (e.g. case; tense), and meaning.
2. The theology. What is the author saying about God (his purposes, his character, his nature, his plans etc.) and our relationship to God?
3. The context - historical, political, economic, social, and cultural.
4. The literary genre and devices – the style of writing and figures of speech.
All of this analysis impacts our understanding of the ideas (the truth, the theology) that the original author intended to communicate and is part and parcel of literal interpretation.
Obviously, literary genre has a big impact on how we interpret any document, not the least of which is the Bible since it contains so many different genres. Literary genre refers to the style of writing of the passage, such as prose, poetry, proverb, epistle, apocalyptic, gospel (with parable as a subcategory), historical narrative, prophetic etc.
The literary genre affects how we interpret the passage. If it is written in apocalyptic language, for example, with all sorts of wild, almost hallucinatory, images and descriptions of eschatological scenes, one has to interpret it in that light.
However, identifying the literary genre does not necessarily make the interpretation obvious. For example, the literary genre does not settle the issue of historicity. The book of Jonah is a case in point. Because part of Jonah is written in historical narrative but another part (chapter 2) is written in poetic form, scholars have been divided over whether the book is intended to be an historical account or merely an allegorical portrayal of Jonah’s experience, the poetic chapter being Jonah’s reflective prayer of thanksgiving. Of course, for unbelievers who do not believe in miracles, the poetic chapter gives them an excuse to jettison the historical account of the whole book.
In addition to literary genres we must be aware of any literary devices which the author may use, such as figures of speech like metaphor, simile, and hyperbole. These devices, when used, affect how we interpret and understand the text.
Please note this principle: “One meaning; many applications.” We believe that each passage of Scripture has only one meaning, not multiple meanings, when it is read and interpreted as written and as intended by the author. It does not mean one thing for you and another thing for me. What is written is written. Any individual Scripture only ever has one meaning. We may have many interpretive options just because of the limitations of translation and written communication, but there is only one meaning as intended by the original author. However, each Scripture may have many applications. From the one single meaning of a passage of Scripture, we may derive multiple applications that impact our conduct, speech, relationships etc.
But note this qualification: Because of the progressive nature of Scriptural revelation a further, deeper, expanded meaning may become apparent to us that was not apparent to the original human authors and audiences. This does not change the original meaning but expands on it.
We always need to remember that though there are multiple human authors of the Bible there is only one Divine Author. Hence, what may not have been apparent to, or intended by, the human author was apparent to and intended by the Divine Author. But we must have biblical grounds for attributing to the Holy Spirit a fuller, expanded, clearer meaning than the human authors may have been aware of. (For more on this, see the 2020 Winter Edition of this journal).
Some biblical scholars and preachers attempt to modernize the Bible by interpreting it in the light of the contemporary meaning of words and contemporary cultural standards. This, effectively, reinterprets the Bible to mean what they want it to mean today. But the Bible wasn’t written today, nor are its teachings to be changed to comply with contemporary ethics and practices.
Nonetheless, we have to admit that the Bible contains many ancient practices that are peculiar to us (to say the least) and do not make any sense in our culture. So, our challenge is, on the one hand, to not interpret the Bible to be relevant to today’s culture but, on the other hand, to distinguish between the Bible’s universal principles (which are applicable to all people in all cultures in all ages) and its ancient practices (which were limited to that ancient culture).
First, though, what do we mean by “culture”? The culture of any organization is, essentially, the way things are done or the attitudes expressed that have built up over time. This environment may have developed due to decisions made in the past, people who have been influential, crises that may have occurred, history that has transpired, situations that have been experienced, principles that have been adopted etc. It is really the personality and character of the organization expressed in its values, priorities, likes and dislikes, activities, leadership style, what it stands for, how it reacts, why it exists, what it believes etc.
Families have cultures. That’s where you learn your earliest and perhaps most deep rooted convictions about life and behaviour, your values, priorities, your worldview, your relationships (e.g. to your parents and siblings). Your government has a culture; your church has a culture; your place of employment has a culture. All of this cultural conditioning affects how you read, interpret, and apply the Bible.
One of the challenges of biblical interpretation is to determine what practices are applicable to and reflective of an ancient society only (i.e. cultural) and what practices are applicable to all ages (i.e. transcultural)
The overriding question is: “How do we apply Scripture?” Of all the commands and practices that we read in the Bible, which ones are still applicable to us today and should be practised by us? And should they be practised just as they were in the ancient culture or in some modified form?
(a) Tithing – agricultural tithes (Lev. 27:30-33); tithes for the Levites and for their priestly work in the tabernacle (Num. 18:21ff.); the annual agricultural and priestly tithe (Deut. 14:22ff.); tithes for the Levite, stranger, fatherless, and widow (Deut. 26:12 15).
(b) Rape – e.g. Deut. 22:28-29. Is this requirement valid for today that if someone rapes a girl, all you have to do is pay her father 50 shekels of silver and marry her?
(c) Homosexuality – e.g. Lev. 18:22. Is this O.T. command against homosexuality one that we must adhere to today?
(d) Bestiality – e.g. Lev. 18:23. Is it immoral for someone today to have a sexual relationship with animals?
(e) Mixed Clothing – e.g. Lev. 19:19. Is it binding on us today not to wear clothing of mixed fabrics like woollen and linen?
(f) The law of the Sabbath – e.g. Ex. 20:9-10. Are we to literally “not do any work” on the Sabbath? If so, what is the definition of “work”? Which day is the Sabbath for us? What did Jesus mean when he said that “the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath” (Mk. 2:27)?
(g) Circumcision – e.g. Gen. 17:10. Is circumcision a required religious practice for us?
(h) Tattoos – e.g. Lev. 19:28. Is the prohibition against tattoo marks on the body something that we should obey?
(i) Styles of clothing – e.g. Deut. 22:5, “A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear woman’s clothing.” What clothing does this refer to? Who is this binding on, why, and how?
(a) Head coverings for women and not for men (1 Cor. 11:1-16). Are women today to literally veil their heads in worship, or is there a principal here that would be more appropriately expressed in a different way in our culture? In other words, was the head covering merely the cultural expression at that time of an abiding principle which would be better expressed differently today?
(b) Silence of women in the church (1 Tim. 2:11-15; 1 Cor. 14:34). Was Paul’s instruction about women being “silent” in the church a cultural or transcultural instruction? Is it an instruction specifically and only for the women of a certain church (e.g. Ephesus) to stop their bickering and disturbances of church services? Or, is it a practice for all women of all times? If the silence itself is a reflection of how the ancient world practised a certain principle, what is the principle that it demonstrates and how should we practise that principle in our culture?
(c) Submission of wives to their husbands (Eph. 5:22). How are we to apply Peter’s instruction that wives must submit to their husbands “as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord” (1 Pet. 3:5-6)?
(d) Praying with uplifted hands (1 Tim. 2:8). Is Paul’s injunction cultural or transcultural?
(e) Evangelism (Lk. 10:4). Must we literally “carry no purse, no bag, no shoes, and greet no one on the way”? Or, is Jesus stating a principle that is to be expressed in appropriate ways within our culture?
(f) Greeting each other with a holy kiss (1 Cor. 16:20). Are we to greet one another this way today? If so, what would two men kissing look like to the world? What about a man kissing a woman who is not his wife? What about two women kissing each other?
(g) Drinking wine (1 Tim. 5:23). Is Paul’s instruction to Timothy to “use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities” a requirement for us? Is this a standard medicinal treatment? Or, is this an instruction for Timothy only?
(h) Anointing with oil (James 5:14; Mk. 6:13). Is the anointing of sick persons with oil a required practice for us? If so, what is its purpose and meaning? Is it a medicinal practice or religious?
(i) Selling your possessions to give to the poor (Lk. 12:33). How do we apply Jesus’ instruction today?
(j) Long hair for a man is a disgrace (1 Cor. 11:14). What is the definition of long hair? How do we practise this today?
Those aspects of biblical teaching that reflect ancient cultural practices must be examined to determine:
1. What unchanging principle lies behind them? Note: When we prepare sermons, one of the first things we look for is the abiding truths, its unchanging principles. These are the main points of our sermon.
2. How is that principle to be practised today? Since the entire Bible was written by men of old in the language and imagery and culture of that day (for specific people to address specific situations at a specific time), there obviously is a strong cultural element to it. Our task is to determine whether the Bible is teaching that the cultural practice itself is the norm for all ages or whether the principal that underlies the practice is the norm for all ages.
Not only do we need to be able to identify the ancient culture’s impact on the biblical writers, but we need to be able to identify our own cultural conditioning as we read the Bible. We need to recognize that we read and interpret it with eyes and understanding that are conditioned by our own culture. That’s why people from other cultures than our own often read parts of the Bible with a different worldview and understanding than ours.
Some contemporary factors that greatly influence our understanding of the ancient text include: (a) contemporary methods of communication (e.g. telephone, e-mail, newspapers etc.); travel (e.g. airplanes); lifestyle (e.g. individuality and materialism); dress; worldview.
As we study the Bible in preparation for teaching and preaching we must seek to read it as an unbiased reader (although that is probably not totally possible). That’s why we must discipline ourselves in “exegesis” (bringing into view what is there) not “eisegesis” (reading into it what is not there). That’s why we must follow certain basic interpretive principles, which I am attempting to explain in this series on “Strengthening Biblical Interpretation: How to read and understand the Bible”. I will continue this series in the next edition of this journal.
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
By: Dr. Stephen F. Olford
This is a continuation of a series which we last published in the Winter 2019 edition of this journal.
The third specific disorder in the church at Corinth was that of impurity. The problem arose out of the popular teaching concerning the human body. The Greeks always despised the body. There was a proverbial saying that read: “The body is a tomb.” The important element of the human personality was the soul and the spirit, whereas the body did not really matter.
This kind of thinking resulted in two forms of behavior. The first was a most rigorous asceticism in which everything was done to subject and humiliate the desires and instincts of the body. The second, which was so prevalent in the city of Corinth, was to use the body as a means of satisfying its appetites and lusts to the fullest extent. This philosophy of life was strengthened by a wrong interpretation of the doctrine of Christian liberty which Paul had preached. As a consequence, the licentiousness and immorality of the city of Corinth had made their incursions into the life of the church. With this in mind, Paul addresses himself to the doctrine of the believer’s body.
“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. (1 Corinthians 6:12, 13). Paul introduces the subject of the liberty of the believer’s body by quoting two proverbs, or slogans which demand our very close attention. It is perfectly true that the Christian is “called unto liberty:” but it is equally true that we are not to use that liberty “as an opportunity for the flesh” (Galatians 5:13). Christian liberty is not the desire to do what we want, but rather the power to do what we ought. So Paul tells us two things about Christian liberty:
1) Christian Liberty is Divinely Guarded. “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Corinthians 6:12). What Paul is saying here is that because we are no longer under law but under grace, we are free men and women, but that such freedom does not in any way justify lawlessness, for all unrighteousness is sin…” (1 John 5:17). Therefore while the Christian is free to use his body, he must respect two guarding principles.
The first is that while all things are lawful, all things are not expedient. The word “expedient” means “that which is helpful to other people.” We can see at once what a check this imposes upon our Christian behavior, for it is obvious that if all we do with and through our bodies is for the helpfulness of others, we shall never be guilty of prostituting our Christian liberty.
The second Principle is just as strong. Paul says, “All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Corinthians 6:12). If the first principle relates to others, the second has to do with ourselves. Anything we do which tends to enslave us is not liberty but bondage. We abuse our liberty if in using it we lessen our fruit of self-control.
We hear a lot today about “free love,” but if people who talk this way only knew it, they would realize that they are slaves to the very things that they claim they have freedom to do. Beware lest you freedom becomes slavery. So we see that true Christian liberty is divinely guarded, but notice further:
2) Christian Liberty is Divinely Guided. “Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body” (1 Corinthians 6:13). Here is the second slogan which Paul uses to illustrate his doctrine of Christian liberty. People argue that since food is for the stomach and the stomach for food, so every other hunger should be equally satisfied. But there is a serious error in such reasoning. Indeed, as Bishop Lightfoot says: “It is a gross moral confusion.” In the light of God’s holy law we can certainly accept the fact that food is essential to the stomach, but who of us would dare to extend that statement and add that fornication is essentially for the body? As a matter of fact, Paul shows us that as far as food and the stomach are concerned, God will destroy them both; for they only subsist during our earthly life.
But as for the body of a believer it is quite otherwise. Our body is designed for the Lord both in time and in eternity. As we see presently, it is a vehicle for His divine expression now, and one day, clothed with immortality, it will be His instrument for glory and service throughout the ages of eternity.
So to maintain that all hungers are equal and must be satisfied at will is neither logical nor biblical. It is true that food is for the stomach, but the body is for the Lord, and therefore not for any form of immorality or impurity. Thus we conclude that while the liberty of the believer’s body is a blessing to be enjoyed, it must be added that that liberty is both divinely guarded and guided. From this aspect of the subject, Paul now proceeds to discuss what we may call:
“And God has both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?...Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:14, 15, 19). With penetrating insight, Paul confronts his readers with the doctrine of the sanctity of the believer’s body. Indeed, he expresses amazement that they were not aware of this truth. So he asks again and again, as he has done throughout these past two chapters. “Do you not know?” (v. 15); “Do you not know?” (v. 16); “Do you not know?” (v. 19). Yes, the believer’s body has been sanctified once and for ever by:
1) God the Father. “And God has both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power” (1 Corinthians 6:14). The Father who made the stomach is going to destroy it; but the Father who made the body is going to raise it. The destiny of the body is eternal. Let us remember that “…God…has made us, and not we ourselves… (Psalm 100:3). The Psalmist further reminds us that we are “…fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). With all the scientific inventions around us, nothing has yet been produced to compare with the marvel of the human body. And Paul tells us that He who made us is going to raise us. In another place he reminds us that “…our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body…” (Philippians 3:20, 21). That is the supreme destiny of your body and mine, and in the light of this we cannot, we dare not, prostitute its use. God has forever sanctified our bodies by creation, and one day by resurrection. What is more, our bodies are sanctified by:
2) God the Son. “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!” (1 Corinthians 6:15). In the first place, we have not been “redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold…but with the precious blood of Christ…” (1 Peter 1:18, 19). In other words, we have been bought with a price, or as one commentator puts it: We have “been bought and paid for” (Goodspeed). In light of this Christ has deigned to identify Himself with us. This is the whole significance of verse 15. Literally the words read: “Do you not know that your bodies are the limbs of Christ?” Our mind is His mind; our eyes are His eyes; our lips are His lips; our hands are his hands; our feet are His feet; our bodies are the very limbs of our Risen Head.
Paul later develops this glorious theme in the 12th chapter, but he introduces the subject here to show the utter incompatibility and immorality of a believer using the limbs of Christ for any other purpose than that which God has designed. In fact, the employment of our members for unholy practices is described in the original as illicit sexual intercourse, or “rape.” So, exclaims the apostle, “…Do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For ‘The two,’ He says, ‘will become one flesh.’” (1 Corinthians 6:16). “Fornication,” as W. E. Vine points out, “brings a man and a woman into a relationship so close and powerful as to form a complex personality on a lower plane.
This then, is the argument Paul uses to underscore the utter sanctity of the believer’s body. But in the third place, notice that the believer’s body is sanctified not only by God the Father and God the Son, but also by:
3) God the Spirit. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Corinthians would readily understand what Paul meant by this statement. There were shrines in Corinth for every pagan deity. Much of the worship in these temples was associated with immoral practices; but into this very context, Paul introduces a new concept of life. He says, “Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?” In the Greek the emphasis is on the word “Holy.” God’s temple, in which He dwells by the Holy Spirit, is not only the church corporately, but your body and mine individually. So although you call you body your own, it is not really your own: it belongs to God. To correctly appreciate this astonishing truth would revolutionize our manner of living. Indeed, this gives a dignity to the whole of life such as nothing else can do. Wherever we go and whatever we do, we are the bearers of the Holy Spirit. This necessitates the ruling out of all such conduct that is not appropriate to the kingdom of God. Certainly fornication would be unthinkable. But the principle involved has a far wider application. Nothing that would be amiss in God’s temple is becoming of God’s child.
“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body…For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:18, 20). The two operative exhortations in these verses are “flee sexual immorality” and “glorify God.” One is negative and the other is positive. So to maintain the purity of the believer’s body there must be:
1) Complete Avoidance of Sin. “Flee sexual immorality…” (1 Corinthians 6:18). The present imperative verb indicates the habitual action. Literally, it should read: “Make it your habit to flee.” That is the only way to treat sin. When temptation comes along you must not stop to debate, or to argue, or even to allow impure thoughts to linger in your mind. In that moment of satanic attack the word is “flee.” One of the most vivid and beautiful illustrations is seen in the life of Joseph. You will remember that when in Potiphar’s house, the mistress of the establishment sought to seduce him to sin, but Joseph exclaimed: “…how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9), and instantly he fled out of the house (v. 12).
To strengthen his point, Paul adds that unlike other sins, immorality is a sin against the body. “Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body…” (1 Corinthians 6:18). The reason for this is that immorality of this kind is an offense against a man or a woman’s very personality. Furthermore, this particular sin alienates the body from its divine purpose and destiny. So Paul says, “Flee sexual Immorality;” and in another place: “…make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof” (Romans 13:14), which simply means, “Give no forethought” and make no calculated arrangements in order to make sin a possibility or an actuality.”
That is the negative exhortation. The positive one involves:
2) Complete Allegiance to God. “…glorify God in your body…” (1 Corinthians 6:20). Notice that this command is linked immediately with the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Paul is saying: “…you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body…” (v. 20). Glorifying God in our bodies is a matter not only of obligation, but of gratitude and devotion to Him who laid down His life, that being freed from Satan’s bondage we should exhibit through our mortal flesh all the glory of the indwelling Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Glory is he outshining of character, and when our bodies are completely possessed and controlled by the indwelling Godhead, there is a purity that is both seen and sensed. It is what the Psalmist calls “the beauty of holiness.” In their fallen state, Adam and Eve were covered with this glory, but they lost it when they shifted their center of trust from God to themselves. Having lost it, they knew for the first time they were naked. How wonderful to know that even in these failing bodies of ours, Jesus Christ can be magnified day by day, whether by life or by death (Philippians 1:20). This is the purity that convicts a sinning world, and yet convinces the seeking soul. It is a purity that gives evidence that we have been with Jesus and learned of Him.
Here then, is the biblical doctrine of the believer’s body. There is a liberty of the body that is divinely guarded and guided. There is a sanctity of the body which is hallowed by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and as a result there is the purity of the body, which is characterized by a complete avoidance of sin and a complete allegiance to God. Nobody can see a truly pure life without knowing that such a man or woman is sold out to God.
The only way in which we can conclude our study on this subject is to remind ourselves of the great words of the apostle, which he penned to the believers at Rome: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - Rev. 2:12-13; Link 2 - Rev. 2:14-15; Link 3 - Rev. 2:16; Link 4 - Rev. 2:17
Title: Letters to the Seven Churches: Pergamum – Holding on but Compromising
Theme: Standing for truth in a culture of compromise
Point #1: Christ commends faithfulness (13)
Point #2: Christ condemns compromise (14-15)
Point #3: Christ commands repentance (16)
Point #4: Christ conveys a promise (17)
1 Duvall and Hays, Grasping God’s Word, 187.
2 Charles Ryrie, The Essentials of Dispensationalism” (Israel My Glory, May/June 2007), 29.
3 R. C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture, 48-49.
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
This is Part 3 of our continuing study of “Strengthening Biblical Interpretation: How to Read and Understand the Bible.” In the last edition of the NET Pastor’s Journal, we concluded with a discussion on “The Impact of Culture on our Understanding” – both ancient culture and contemporary culture. In this edition, we are going to look at more aspects of biblical interpretation (hermeneutics) that impact our understanding of the text as we study the Bible in preparation for preaching.
In addition to the differences between the ancient culture and our contemporary culture, which greatly affect how we read and understand the Bible, there is also the issue of what practices in the Bible are limited to the ancient culture (i.e. “cultural”) and what are applicable for all cultures at all times (i.e. “transcultural”). First, let’s consider…
The two extremes which impact our understanding of Scripture are: (1) Every practice in the Bible is transcultural and prescriptive. In this view, every biblical practice is timeless and binding on all people for all times. (2) Every practice in the Bible is cultural and non-prescriptive. In this view, every biblical practice is limited to its culture and time and, therefore, only prescriptive for those to whom it was written - i.e. it is culture and time bound.
My conviction is that somewhere in between those two extremes is the correct position – namely, that some practices in the Bible are permanent and unchangeable while other practices in the Bible are temporary or changeable. Our task is, first, to distinguish between “cultural” and “transcultural” practices, customs, and traditions; second, to discover the timeless principles that the ancient cultural practices reflect; and third, to determine how those principles can be expressed in ways that are meaningful in our culture today.
Be aware, this task is not easy. That’s why there have been many books written and why there continues to be much debate over this issue. One of the big problems with this issue in biblical interpretation is that, as cultures and worldviews change over time, pressure arises within the Christian community to change our interpretation of the text to conform with those changing cultural views. Examples of this would be modes of dress (1 Pet. 3:3-5), forms of worship (instruments, songs etc.), and the role of women in public ministry in the church.
While there may be an argument, from time to time, to change certain practices (if they are cultural and non-prescriptive) in order to better communicate those abiding principles, we are never authorized to change our interpretation of the text simply to suit our culture. Therein lies the problem. To help you understand this cultural vs. transcultural issue further, let me give you…
Example #1: Foot Washing (Jn. 13:14). This is practised by some Christians but not by others. There are three possible interpretive options on this matter. Option #1: No principle and limited cultural practice. This interpretive option argues that this instruction and practice was limited to 1st century Palestine because of their dusty roads and the practice of washing people’s feet when they entered your home. Option #2: Transcultural principle and universal practice. In this view, foot washing is both the expression of an abiding principle and the prescribed method of practising that principle – i.e. foot washing is prescribed as an abiding practice regardless of culture, one that should be practised by all cultures throughout all times. Option #3: Transcultural principle and varying cultural practices. According to this interpretive option, foot washing is merely the cultural expression of an abiding principle, which may be expressed in different ways from culture to culture and from time to time, ways that are relevant to the contemporary culture and time.
In seeking to resolve this issue, we need to ask two questions: Question #1: What is the timeless, abiding principle? Answer: The principle is that we should express humility and servant-hood to one another. Question #2: How is the principle expressed in practice? Answer: In first century Palestine it was expressed practically by washing one another’s feet because (a) this was one of the household’s lowliest jobs (and, thus, expressed humility) and (b) because they wore sandals and walked on dusty roads (and, thus, expressed servant-hood). But in other cultures the principle may be expressed in other more relevant, meaningful, understandable terms – i.e. it is a practice that, in other cultures, would be better reflected in customs that are relevant to that culture. Thus, in this instance I would lean towards interpretive option #3 above.
Example #2: Head coverings for women (1 Cor. 11). Here there are also three possible interpretive options (see R.C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture, 107). Option #1: No principle and limited cultural practice. This interpretive position argues that this instruction is limited to the 1st century Palestinian culture in which Christian women were to be subordinate to men and they showed their subordination by the 1st century Palestinian custom of veiling their heads, which practice showed (a) their modesty, and (b) their submission to the men. However, in our contemporary culture, women are not required to veil their heads, nor are they considered subordinate to men.
Option #2: Transcultural principle and universal practices. This interpretive position argues that this instruction represents a transcultural principle, which requires that Christian women anywhere and everywhere at all times demonstrate their submission to men by veiling their heads. But is it true that in all cultures at all times, women veiling their heads indicates their submission to men? I think not. In fact, in western cultures not only would that practice be considered strange, but it might communicate the exact opposite of what is intended, by women drawing attention to themselves.
Option #3: Transcultural principle and varying cultural practice. According to this interpretive option, the submission of Christian women to men is a transcultural principle (based on creation order), but how that is expressed in practice may vary from culture to culture – i.e. it may be a head covering but not necessarily a veil, or may not necessarily be a head covering at all. I would lean towards this interpretive option.
The subject of women’s head coverings has been and, in some Christian spheres continues to be, a divisive issue. The exegesis of the passage is hotly debated, largely because it contains some difficult language. At one point Paul seems to say that a woman’s hair is her head covering, so why does she also need a veil (e.g. 1 Cor. 11:15)? And the application is hotly debated. In some cultures today, women (whether Christian or not) still wear head coverings of various sorts (e.g. full veiling for Muslim women; babushka head scarves for eastern European women).
While many of these cultural vs. transcultural issues do not impact fundamental doctrinal beliefs, they nonetheless can be and are, in some circles, divisive. So what do we do to unravel this dilemma of understanding and interpreting cultural vs. transcultural practices in the Bible?
Obviously, a good starting point is to know something about ancient practices, history, worldview, and communication (or, at least, have resources that we can consult to find out about them). In addition, we need some guidelines to help us correctly and consistently understand and interpret these culturally influenced texts.
These four interpretive guidelines will help you in understanding and interpreting cultural issues in the text (adapted from R.C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture, 108ff.).
Guideline #1: Examine the Bible itself for changing customs. This guideline is particularly helpful in identifying changes from the O.T. to the N.T. Though many of the O.T. practices and requirements (e.g. dietary laws, sacrificial system, modes of dress, language, money) changed in the N.T., the principles were still valid. These changes were not necessarily due to cultural changes (e.g. the change from the O.T. Jewish culture to the N.T. Gentile culture), but, sometimes, to the progress of revelation in God’s redemptive plan.
We need to make a distinction between God’s laws (e.g. sacrificial), which he himself changed, for they were not intended to be permanent (cf. 2 Cor. 3:7, 11, 13; Heb. 8:7ff.), and cultural institutions (e.g. marriage, slavery). Some have argued that since the attitude to slavery was already changing in the N.T. (e.g. Onesimus was not to be put to death but treated as a brother), is it not legitimate to conclude that the marriage relationship is also subject to change (e.g. the wife is not under the authority of the husband) and that the role of women in the church is also changeable (e.g. women can be pastors of the church)? But as R. C. Sproul points out, “we must be careful to distinguish between institutions the Bible merely recognizes as existing, such as ‘the powers that be’ (Rom. 13:1, KJV), and those which the Bible positively institutes, endorses and ordains” such as marriage. He goes on to say that, “the principle of submission to existing authority structures (such as Roman government) does not carry with it a necessary implication of God’s endorsement of those structures but merely a call to humility and civil obedience. God in his ultimate secret providence may ordain that there be a Caesar Augustus without endorsing Caesar as a model of Christian virtue. Yet, the institution of the structures and authority patterns of marriage are given in the context of positive institution and endorsement in both Testaments. To put the biblical structures of the home on a par with the slavery question is to obscure the many differences between the two. Thus, the Scriptures provide a basis for Christian behavior in the midst of oppressive or evil situations as well as ordaining structures that are to mirror the good designs of creation.” (Sproul, Knowing Scripture, 109).
So then, be alert to “changing” customs in the Bible - those which God himself changed (e.g. abandoning slavery, since the N.T. indicates that it was not an abiding principal but a cultural practice) and those which sinful human beings changed.
And, be alert to “unchanging” customs in the Bible such as (1) being submissive to governmental authority, even though it may not reflect Christian values (provided, of course, that such submission does not bring us into conflict with the principle of “obeying God rather than man”); (2) maintaining marriage as God's abiding practice for the union of one man and one woman, and not subject to changing cultural practices.
Guideline #2: Don’t try to read into the biblical text 1st century cultural practices that the author may not have had in mind.
For example, you will sometimes hear preachers say that Paul’s instructions on women’s hair and head coverings were motivated by his desire that Christian women be distinctive from the temple prostitutes of that day in that culture. But, as R.C. Sproul points out (see Knowing Scripture, 110) that is to read back into the text what is mere speculation by some scholars as to what may have been the reason behind the instruction. In fact, in this case, such a reading back into the text is erroneous as Paul states that his instruction concerning the submission of women to men (1 Cor. 11:8-11) stems from the precedent of creation, which was expressed in the 1st century by head coverings. It had nothing to do with the temple prostitutes, even though, undoubtedly, they did show their brazen behaviour by not only uncovering their heads but shaving them bald (cf. 1 Cor. 11:5b-6).
We need to recognize that some of the 1st century Christian practices must have been very counter cultural (i.e. not culturally conforming) since they were so persecuted for their practices and beliefs. Thus, we need to respect the fact that the 1st century Christians had their own practical distinctives, which were unique to their situation and not prescriptive for other cultures.
Guideline #3: Whenever the author refers to creation as the basis of his instruction, he is stating a timeless, transcultural, universal principle.
Practices that are rooted in creation can never be rationalized as cultural. To do so is to make irrelevant the very foundation of our existence. “The laws of creation are not given to man as Hebrew or man as Christian or man as Corinthian, but are rooted in basic human responsibility to God” (Sproul, 110-111).
Paul appeals to creation in his argument for head coverings to denote the submission of the women to the men in the church (as noted above, 1 Cor. 11:2-16) and again in his argument for female silence and submission in the church (1 Tim. 2:11-15).
Jesus also appeals to creation when answering the Pharisees’ question on divorce (Matt. 19:4-6) by taking them back to what God intended for marriage when he created us. Even though Moses had granted divorce because of the hardness of the human heart, nonetheless, Jesus maintains God’s intended standard for marriage relationships from the beginning.
Therefore, we can draw two conclusions: (1) Teaching that is rooted in creation is transcultural unless, in the course of progressive revelation, it is later modified in Scripture (Sproul, 111); (2) Though these appeals to creation are transcultural as to their principle, the manner in which that principle is put into practice may be cultural.
Guideline #4: When in doubt about whether a biblical instruction is cultural or transcultural, err on the side of transcultural.
When in doubt, it would be better to interpret a custom as a principle rather than a principle as a custom. I am not recommending legalism, which manifests itself in: (1) A rigid attitude and practice of a non-biblical system of rules and regulations that demands the interpretation and application of cultural practices (whether in Scripture or not) as transcultural principles; (2) The elevation of certain practices (such as dress, diet) to the level of biblical doctrine (i.e. raising practices to precepts; making forms into functions), particularly in reference to gaining favour with God for salvation or spiritual growth (i.e. by the law and not by grace) by doing certain things and abstaining from other things.
On the contrary, rather than writing them off as irrelevant and redundant legalism, I am recommending submission to those biblical practices about which we are not certain as to their interpretation and application (cultural and situational; or transcultural and universal). This is not ideal, but is a recommendation for those texts that we find too difficult to categorize as to their practice in today’s culture.
As you read this exegetical study of 1 Thess. 1:1-10, I hope that you will see how your pastoral leadership can have a tremendous impact on the spiritual growth of your church. I came across this cute poem about the perfect church:
“If you should find the perfect church without one spot or sore, for goodness sake, don’t join that church! It won’t be perfect anymore.
If you should find the perfect church where all anxieties cease, then pass it by, lest you join it, and mar the masterpiece.
But since no perfect church exists with perfect men and women, let’s stop looking for that church and start loving the one we’re in.”
While none of us belongs to a perfect church we certainly want to be the church God intends us to be and we certainly want to try to emulate a model church. That’s the subject of the text we are studying: the picture of a model church. What kind of people are the model church? What do they look like? What do they do? Simply put a model church is comprised of godly people who demonstrate the gospel in their walk and talk.
The church at Thessalonica was a fairly new church. They had recently been converted from pagan, idol worship, as a result of which they were being persecuted for their faith. So, Paul reminds them of their spiritual roots. He reminds them that their spiritual roots were “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:1a). They shared a common life in God, a life rooted in the Father and the Son. The church lives “in” God; He is both the spiritual sphere and the divine source of our existence and apart from God the church has no life and no reason for existing. To know that we are “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” should give us a great sense of security and protection from opposition to the truth, persecution, and ridicule. No matter what opposition we face, we are safe and secure in God whose life we share.
Paul also reminds them of their spiritual blessings: “Grace to you and peace” (1:1b). God’s sovereign favor rested upon them because they had found “grace” in Christ, and His “peace” rested upon them because they had been reconciled to God through Christ. This is what a true church of God is! People whose spiritual life is rooted in God and whose spiritual blessings flow from the God of grace and peace.
Paul can’t stop thanking God for them (1:2) as he remembers their demonstration of true spirituality because they were gospel-centered people. Like Paul, we should give thanks for such people. So, how do we recognize them?
1. Gospel-Centered People Are Known By What They Do (1:3).
The fruit of the Spirit is evident in them. Faith, love, and hope do not lie dormant in godly Christians. These characteristics are the external evidence of the internal residence of the Holy Spirit. They are the practical outworking and expressions of the gospel. This is the product of our new life in God. They are not invisible traits like some sort of religious DNA, but they are active expressions of who we are as God’s people.
The gospel in its essence is “faith” in Christ, which is expressed in “love” for God and our neighbor, and which assures us of “hope” for eternity.
Notice that gospel-centred people demonstrate our faith through our works. “Remembering before our God and Father your work of faith”(1:3a). Christian faith produces good works for God. As James says: “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). If you say you have faith but your works don’t show it, it’s questionable whether you are truly born of God. We must demonstrate our faith by good works done for God. Christian faith radically changes the way you live so that you live to serve God with works that bring praise to him. Gospel-centered people demonstrate our faith through our works and…
Gospel-centered people demonstrate our love through our service. “Remembering… your labor of love” (1:3b). Love motivates us in untiring service to others. It’s easy to say you love someone but unless that is translated into active service for them, it is hollow and means nothing.
Our love for God energizes us in serving others, even when the work is hard, laborious, toilsome, because we serve out of sacrificial love that seeks the good of others and because we toil as “before our God and Father” and on his behalf. Gospel-centered people demonstrate our faith through our works, our love through serving, and...
Gospel-centered people demonstrate our hope through our perseverance. “Remembering… your steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ”(1:3c). Perseverance is born out of a steadfast hope.
One Chinese Christian had all her belongings confiscated six times because she hosts a church in her home. She is reported as saying: “Nothing will stop us. Not persecution, not when they take everything we have!” Why? Why don’t they just give it up? Because they have a steadfast hope rooted in an unshakeable faith, so that when conflicts and opposition arise they respond out of unrelenting perseverance despite the obstacles.
The Christian life is sustained by an enduring hope. Our hope is not an “in-your-dreams” kind of hope, not a “Christmas wish-book” kind of hope, not a hope that is crushed by overbearing circumstances. Someone has said that “Christian hope is the certainty of a reality not yet experienced” (Alistair Begg). Ours is the hope of the gospel, the security of our salvation, the expectation of the sure and imminent return of our Saviour. Ours is the hope of those who once had no hope but now have a hope that supersedes discouragement and opposition.
It’s the future orientation of hope that motivates us. When we are focused on a sure and certain future we can more easily deal with the problems of the present. If you have no hope of future improvement or relief or fulfillment, then how can you persevere, how can you carry on?
Faith, love, hope. Those are the hallmarks of gospel-centered, spiritual people, people who by their lifestyle are the presence of Christ on earth. How are these characteristics expressed in your life? That’s the emphasis here - not on passive concepts but on active expressions of who we are, on the daily outworking of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. What do these spiritual virtues look like in your life? Do your works adequately and accurately express your faith? Does your service for others express your love for them? Does your perseverance express your hope in God? Is your life the practical expression of the presence of Christ on earth? Is your church gospel-centered, people who are known by what you do? “Godly people demonstrate the gospel in their walk and talk.” Are you people who demonstrate your faith in your works, your love in your service, and your hope in your perseverance?
We give thanks for gospel-centered people who demonstrate true spirituality. Gospel-centered people are known by what they do. And, second...
2. Gospel-centred people are known by who they are (1:4-6).
Paul’s intimate relationship with these believers is expressed in his continually making mention of them in prayer (1:2), in his remembrance of what they did and how they lived (1:3), and in his knowledge of who they were in Christ (1:4). They were authentic Christians, living out their faith in practice and known far and wide by the testimony of who they were. No wonder he continuously gave thanks for them. And we too should give thanks for gospel-centered people who are true portraits of spirituality. We give thanks that they are known by what they do and for who they are.
First, we are living testimonies to the saving power of the gospel.
The saving power of the gospel is evidenced in (1) the exercise of God’s sovereignty in election: “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you” (1:4). You cannot be gospel-centered people if you are not ”chosen” by God – God’s beloved, elect people. Election is a biblical doctrine, whether you understand it or not, whether you like it or not. Election is the term used to describe God's sovereign choice of certain persons for salvation (cf. Eph. 1:4; Rom. 9:11; 11:5, 7, 28; 2 Pet. 1:10).
Why is election necessary, you ask? Because if God did not choose us and draw us to himself no one would ever be saved. No one would be saved because we are all, by nature and practice, incorrigible sinners, who would never turn to God in saving faith unless we are drawn by his Spirit. That’s why election is necessary.
Why, then, did he choose us, you ask? Not because we are more righteous than other people for “none is righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10), but the Lord chose us because he sovereignly set his love upon us. We are his beloved, elect people and that is the basis of our persevering hope. God chose us because he loved us and will never let us go! We are saved for eternity because of his great love in saving us.
Gospel-centered people are those who are chosen by God and who, by virtue of what they do and who they are, present a true portrait of spirituality, living testimonies to the saving power of the gospel. The saving power of the gospel is evidenced in (1) the exercise of God’s sovereignty in election and…
The saving power of the gospel is evidenced in (2) the activity of God's Spirit through his Word. The God-ordained means of communicating the gospel is by preaching and that entails the use of words. But preaching is much more than words, for words alone do not transform a life. Through words we express the truth of God and through the Spirit we experience the power of God. Paul says: “Our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit” (1:5a).
The saving power of the gospel is when the word of God is applied by the Spirit of God, for the Word of God and the Spirit of God go together. John Stott writes: “Words spoken in human weakness need to be confirmed with divine power… We must never divorce what God has married, namely his Word and his Spirit. The Word of God is the Spirit’s sword. The Spirit without the Word is weaponless; the Word without the Spirit is powerless.” (John Stott, The Gospel and the End of Time, The Message of 1 Thessalonians, 34).
Only the Holy Spirit can change lives by his divine power. Only the Holy Spirit can convince a hardened heart of the truth of the gospel so that you are transformed through faith in Christ. Only he can illumine a blinded mind so that you can understand the message of the gospel and trust the Saviour.
Paul knew that the Thessalonians were God's elect people because the gospel message had been effective in them; it had powerfully changed their lives. Had they not been God's chosen people, the gospel would have fallen on deaf ears. But in their case, the message was Spirit-empowered, life-transforming. That’s the birthmark of God’s elect, beloved people. Our lives are radically changed by the life-transforming power of the gospel.
So, the saving power of the gospel is evidenced in (1) the exercise of God’s sovereignty in election, (2) the power of God's Spirit through the Word, and in (3) the credibility of God's servants through their preaching. The message the Thessalonians heard had a powerful effect in changing their lives because the word of God was applied by the Spirit of God, and because the messengers, who preached the gospel to them, were convincingly credible. The gospel derives its power from the Holy Spirit and its credibility from Christians who believe it and live it!
The apostles who preached to the Thessalonians were convincingly credible messengers because they were completely confident in their message: “Our gospel came to you…with full conviction” (1:5b). They were completely convinced of the truth of their message, totally controlled by the Spirit’s anointing on their ministry. They were absolutely assured that the word they preached was God's word and that it would achieve God’s purpose.
They were completely confident in their message, and they were completely consistent with their message. “You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake” (1:5c). “Our lives were no secret,” Paul says. “How we lived was perfectly consistent with the message we preached. You knew that what we said was true just by the way we conducted ourselves.” The apostles were incarnational preachers. The word of God was manifested in their lives. They walked and talked the gospel in their character and conduct. There was perfect consistency between what they said and how they lived. That’s powerfully credible! Their message was powerfully life-changing because they were Spirit-filled, gospel-centered preachers whose message was delivered with Spirit-induced conviction and received with Spirit-transforming power. And that’s powerfully and convincingly credible.
Only when the Holy Spirit is operative in you is the message powerfully transforming in others. You cannot be effective in communicating the gospel if your life is not consistent with your message. What you say and believe must conform to how you live. You cannot be effective in communicating the gospel if you are not fully assured of its truth and power. Only the Holy Spirit can take your words and deliver them to the hearts and minds and consciences of others with life-transforming power such that they say: “What must I do to be saved?” Powerful preachers speak the truth of God from the word of God with conviction as to its truth, all of which stem from the filling and activity of the Holy Spirit.
“Godly people demonstrate the gospel in their walk and talk.” We are known by what we do and we are known by who we are. Who are we? First, genuine Christians are living testimonies to the saving power of the gospel and...
Second, we are living testimonies to the transforming power of the gospel (1:6-10).
Notice that (1) the gospel transforms us into living examples of Christ: “You became imitators of us and of the Lord” (1:6a). The apostles were living examples of Christ to the Thessalonians and, as a result, they became imitators of the apostles. It’s natural that when you receive the gospel you would imitate those who brought the message to you, isn’t it? When your life is so radically changed, you want to be like them. Like them you want complete confidence in the message and, like them, you want complete consistency in your life. That’s the kind of people we want to be like - consistent, credible Christians whose lives prove that our words are true! So, the Thessalonian Christians began to imitate Paul and the other apostles. They began to live out the gospel as they did. They didn’t just receive the apostles’ message, they also imitated the apostles’ example.
Christianity is not merely a profession of faith but a changed life. When we become Christians we become examples of Christianity. It’s not just an internal change but an external change as well. And the obvious example that we begin to imitate is that of other Christians whose lives are credible, influential. It’s not enough for us to merely tell someone the way of salvation. We have to live it out so that they imitate us. That’s what it is to be the presence of Christ on earth.
Notice that the Thessalonian Christians didn’t only imitate the apostles but more importantly they became imitators “of the Lord.” As they imitated Paul, so their lives imitated “the Lord” because Paul’s life pointed them to the life of Christ. Just as Paul was the presence of Christ to them so they became the presence of Christ themselves: they became examples of the Lord.
That’s what spiritual leadership and mentoring is all about, isn’t it? That’s how spiritual growth is generated in those we minister to. Christian leadership and mentoring is about teaching others, from our knowledge and life experience, what the Christian life is all about, so that what they see in us draws them to Christ and they become followers of the Lord, imitators and examples of him to others.
So, as pastors and church leaders, we must all live our lives before others in such a credible, Christ-like way that what they see in us they put into practice. This can take place in a Sunday School class, or a small group Bible study, or in your home with your children, as well as in church gatherings as a whole.
Similarly, we must make sure that those we follow model the message of the gospel in speech and conduct so that by imitating them, we imitate Christ and thus become the presence of Christ on earth. But be warned: To be an imitator and example of Christ involves suffering for the gospel as Christ did. When you are closely identified with the Christ of the gospel you will suffer for the gospel, you’ll run into opposition to your beliefs and lifestyle. That’s what happened to the Thessalonians - they “received the word in much affliction” (1:6b). They were persecuted for their faith.
We may not suffer persecution like the Christians in China, Sudan, Vietnam, Cambodia and many other places. But we will face the ridicule of atheists and evolutionists, the outright wrath of gays and radical religious groups, the antagonism of those who oppose the notion of absolute truth and the exclusive claims of the gospel.
You may have experienced that already in your life. Perhaps at school or college, other students have ridiculed you for abstaining from sex outside of marriage because of your faith in Christ. Perhaps at work your colleagues have shunned you for not watching pornographic movies or going out drinking after work because of your faith in Christ. Perhaps in your retirement community or neighborhood others despise your faithful attendance at church because of your faith in Christ. There are all kinds of ways in which we experience suffering for the gospel.
But Christian suffering is paradoxically accompanied by joy. God’s people are able to sustain ridicule and opposition “with the joy of the Holy Spirit” (1:6c). This is the paradoxical result of receiving the gospel. On the one hand, we experience suffering and yet, on the other hand, “joy” that surpasses the suffering, joy that comes from the sustaining power of the indwelling Spirit.
That’s who gospel-centered people are. People who are known by what we do and by who we are. We are living testimonies to the saving power of the gospel and we are living testimonies to the transforming power of the gospel. (1) The gospel transforms us into examples of Christ, and...
(2) The gospel transforms us into examples to others (1:7-10). “…so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia” (1:7). By imitating the example of the apostles, the Thessalonians also became examples to others.
We become examples to others by our contagious faith (1:8-9a). “8For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you” (1:8-9a).
Everybody hears about the faith of a gospel-centered church. The word of the Lord (the gospel) rings out from it so that everyone hears it near and far, because they walk and talk the gospel. Everybody knew what happened in Thessalonica. Instead of persecution hampering their testimony it actually prospered it! Others heard about their conversion and they began to say: “Do you know what happened over there in Thessalonica? Do you know that when they received the gospel, they began to suffer persecution and that they actually rejoice in it?”
This is where the grapevine becomes a lifeline for the gospel. We hear that all the time in personal testimonies, don’t we? Someone gets saved and first thing you know others are saying: “Did you hear what happened to so and so. He’s become religious. She’s found God!” Everyone talks about gospel-centered people who are living testimonies to the transforming power of the gospel. No one has to promote a genuine work of the Spirit of God. It’s self-evident and compelling. It’s a contagious faith.
When God began to work in the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York, the news spread around the world. Is that true of you in your community? Is your church a bold example for God of contagious faith? Are you living testimonies to the transforming power of the gospel?
We become examples to others by our contagious faith, and we become examples to others by our radical conversion (1:9b-10). Radical conversion means (1) a complete change in direction: “…you turned to God from idols…” (1:9b). The very people who had once worshipped idols now turned completely away from paganism and turned their lives over to God. That’s a total turnaround in direction. Radical conversion means turning “to God” in faith and turning away “from idols.” True believers cannot worship God and idols. So, radical conversion means a complete change in direction.
And radical conversion means (2) a complete change in action. They began “… to serve the living and true God” (1:9b). That’s the evidence of genuine repentance - turning away from Satan and sin and turning to God and holiness. A complete change in action means you begin to “serve” God. You are set free from slavery to sin, from the superstitious paralysis of idol worship, from the power of sin, and released into the glorious liberty of serving God. That’s what gospel-centred people do – they “serve the living and true God.” What a bold life-transforming change!
You serve the “living” God. Not dead statues of wood and stone, but the living God, the One who is life in himself, in whom we live and move and have our being, the one who gives to all people life and breath. And you serve the “true” God. Not false gods who deceive you, but the true God who cannot lie. Not counterfeit gods of materialism, pluralism, relativism, hedonism, narcissism, but the only true God.
Radical conversion means a complete change in direction, a complete change in action, and radical conversion means (3) a complete change in expectation. Our expectation changes because (a) our future is certain: “...to wait for (God’s) Son from heaven” (1:10a). That’s what gospel-centred people do – they wait in certain hope for the return of Christ from heaven, when death will be swallowed up by life.
Our expectation changes because our future is certain and our expectation changes because (b) our future is secure. “God has raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1:10b). The Jesus who walked this earth in history is the Son of God himself, whom God raised from the dead. Christ is alive at God’s right hand, waiting to take his beloved, elect people to heaven. That’s why our future is secure, because Christ’s resurrection guarantees our resurrection. Just as God raised Christ from the dead so He will raise us up.
When we experience radical conversion, our expectation changes because our future is certain, our future is secure, and our expectation changes because (c) our future is settled: “Jesus… delivers us from the wrath to come” (1:10c). Those who are Christ’s don’t fear God's wrath because Christ, our Deliverer and Savior, has rescued us from the judgement of God by paying the price of our sins with his own blood on the cross. The wrath of God in judgement is coming and it’s certain. All who trust Christ are delivered from his wrath but all who reject Christ will be condemned under his wrath. The crying need of the world is deliverance from coming wrath through the Christ of the gospel. What a comfort to know that when we turn to God in faith our future is settled, our eternal destiny in heaven is secure.
People don’t like to hear about the wrath of God. They just want to hear about the love of God because, they argue, a loving God would never condemn them. You see, subconsciously they are trying to escape the judgement of God but the truth is that “God will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained” (Acts 17:31), the Lord Jesus Christ. God's wrath is not an impersonal concept for philosophers to debate but a tangible reality for sinners to face. Praise God, then, that as the redeemed people of God we have been saved from coming wrath.
Now we wait with eager expectation for Christ’s imminent return from heaven (cf. Phil. 3:20-21). Now we wait with eager expectation for him to complete our redemption by the transformation of our bodies and our transfer to heaven. We can’t hasten the coming of Christ, we can’t change the date or the manner of his coming, but we eagerly look for him as we wait and work. The imminent, bodily return of Christ is the continuing hope of gospel-centred people. It’s an essential part of living the gospel. We don’t hear much about that anymore. Much of the contemporary church has lost sight of “the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13). Churches today seem to be more focused on the bountiful present than the blessed future. Christians seem to want to hear about our lives, our families, our needs, our well-being instead of Christ’s glorious coming in majesty and power when he will restore all things to God the Father in their resplendent beauty.
Is this what you preach? Is it your expectation? Is it your hope? Is your future certain, secure, and settled? Are you trusting yourself, your good works, your money, your dreams in this world? Or, are you eagerly expecting the return of Christ?
Concluding Remarks
This, then, is a portrait of true spirituality, authentic Christianity: “Godly people who demonstrate the gospel in their walk and talk.” Gospel-centred people are known by what we do - people who demonstrate our faith through works, our love through serving, and our hope through persevering. And gospel-centered people are known by who they are - people who are transformed by the gospel into examples of Christ and examples to others.
This is what we, as church leaders, must preach and this is how must live, so that our people grow spiritually through our leadership. We must live the gospel in such a way that others see Christ in us. Does that describe you? Do others see Jesus in you? Do they imitate you because you are a godly person who walks and talks the gospel?
To listen to the audio version of these sermons in English, click on these links: Link 1 - Rev. 2:18-20; Link 2 - Rev. 2:20-23; Link 3 - Rev. 2:23-29.
Title: Letters to the Seven Churches: Thyatira – Progressing but Corrupt
Theme: The subtle deception of sin in the church
Point 1: Christ commends the church for its progress (2:19)
Point 2: Christ condemns the church for its corruption (2:20)
Point 3: Christ cautions the church if it is unrepentant (2:21-23)
Point 4: Christ confirms to the church his grace (2:24-29)
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
This is part 4 of our continuing study of “Strengthening Biblical Interpretation: How to Read and Understand the Bible.” In the previous three parts of this study (issue numbers 34, 35, and 36 of this Journal) we have looked at the following subjects:
Part 1
1. Three basic tasks in Biblical interpretation
2. Two important hermeneutical questions
Part 2
1. Literal interpretation
2. Interpreting certain literary genres and devices
3. Single mean; multiple applications
4. The impact of culture on our understanding – ancient and contemporary cultures
Part 3
1. Two extremes of cultural vs transcultural interpretation
2. Two examples of cultural vs transcultural interpretation
a) Foot washing
b) Head coverings for women
3. Four guidelines for understanding and interpreting cultural issues
Now, in this part 4, we will outline Ten Simple Rules Of Biblical Interpretation. For this subject, I have found R. C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture, 63-99 to be very helpful.
RULE #1: Interpret Scripture In Accordance With The Author’s Originally Intended Meaning
If you have properly and adequately studied the text, you should be able to write down what the author intended to say to his original audience. You must be able to state this before you move to what it means for your audience today. I recommend that you write out the passage in your own words (paraphrase it). This will reveal whether you know the meaning of the passage. If you don’t know what it means, you won’t be able to write it out in your own words. Try to write it out by amplifying the meaning of the words and phrases, explaining the imagery in your own words.
RULE #2: Interpret Scripture In The Light Of Other Scripture
Since we believe that Scripture is divinely inspired, we also believe that no part of Scripture can contradict or be in conflict with another part of Scripture since God cannot contradict himself.
This principle (interpreting Scripture in the light of Scripture) is very important for two reasons. First, because of attacks against Scripture by unbelievers. One of the primary attacks against Scripture by unbelievers is the assertion that Scripture contradicts itself. Since the Bible was written by over 40 authors over a period of 16 centuries, if it were not a divinely authored book, contradictions and inconsistencies would be very possible. By interpreting Scripture in the light of Scripture, you can show that the entirety of Scripture is consistent with itself.
Second, interpreting Scripture in the light of Scripture is an important principle because of the attitude with which Christians read Scripture. Christians do not read and interpret the Bible with the intent of finding inconsistencies in the text (as a non-Christian would). Rather, we look for inconsistencies in our interpretation of the text, which would be revealed by this rule of “interpreting Scripture in the light of Scripture.” Furthermore, we read and interpret Scripture with an attitude of submission to the inherent authority, accuracy, integrity, and cohesion of the text so that if there is a contradiction or inconsistency with our interpretation, the problem is with us, not the text.
Therefore, a basic principle of sound biblical interpretation is that to correctly understand one passage of Scripture, you must bring in other texts that are either comparative or contrasting texts. If your interpretation of the passage under study conflicts with the teaching of another comparative or contrasting passage, then your interpretation is not correct. Or, if a verse or passage has several interpretive options, and the one you have chosen is not consistent with other comparative or contrasting passages, then that interpretive option must be rejected and one that is consistent with the other passages must be chosen.
Following this rule of biblical interpretation helps in several ways:
(1) It expands your study and exposition of the text by bringing more light to it from other texts.
(2) It acts as a safeguard to ensure that you are not interpreting the text in a way that is inconsistent with other texts.
(3) It ensures that you understand the progressive unfolding of God's revelation in Scripture. As time progressed, God revealed more and more of himself, his will, his purposes etc. to us through Scripture.
(4) It helps you see the different bases on which God related to and dealt with people at different times. So, Scripture is not only a progressive unfolding of divine revelation but also a progressive unfolding of God's relationship to mankind.
RULE #3: Use The Clear, Major, and Numerous Scriptures To Explain The Less Clear, Minor, and Few.
Since revelation in Scripture is progressive, it is understandable that early revelation may be less clear than later revelation because it is partial and sometimes obscure. Scriptures which are partial or minor in their treatment of a topic do not have interpretive authority over those which are fuller and clearer. The clear and major revelations clarify those that may be less clear and minor.
This, again, emphasizes the need for rule #2: Interpret Scripture in the light of other Scripture.
RULE #4: Be Careful In Making “Logical” Deductions And Inferences.
This rule is closely related to the previous rule. What may seem like a logical deduction or inference from Scripture may not necessarily be true. What is logical to us may not be logical in God’s ways or thoughts. Obviously, if explicit teaching contradicts your inference or what you think is implicit, then the explicit teaching rules. It is important, therefore, to look for explicit instruction that supports what you may think is implicit in the text.
It’s so easy to adopt interpretations and applications of Scripture based on logical deductions, or assumed implicit instructions or inferences that you draw from the text, which may not be what the author intended to convey at all.
While we need to be careful with making deductions and inferences, we do need to identify the general principles that arise from the specific details in the text under our study. Be very careful that the conclusions you draw from your text are the underlying, universal, timeless principles that are being revealed in the text.
RULE #5: Do Not Make Scripture Meet An Unreasonable Literary Standard
By “unreasonable literary standard” I mean a standard that you would not require of any other literature. R. C. Sproul calls this “reading the Bible like any other book” (Knowing Scripture, 63). One commentator puts it this way: “In interpreting the Bible we do not ask any favors which we do not believe are proper rules for the reading of any serious literature” (Mal Couch, ed. A Biblical Theology of the Church, 15).
Of course, the Bible is not just like any other book because: (1) it is unique (no other book like it); (2) it is divine (no other Author like it); (3) it is inspired (no other source, communication, revelation, or power like it).
But, we must read it like any other book in the sense that it is constructed using written words, like any other book - words which had a commonly understood meaning at the time; words which need to be interpreted and understood in accordance with the common rules of grammar at the time and which are designed to be understood on that basis. Also, we must not attribute to it literary liberties that we would not allow for any other literature.
But note this caveat: though we may understand the meaning of the words and grammar correctly, that does not mean that anyone who reads the Bible will necessarily arrive at the correct conclusions about what it says and how it applies to our lives. For that, we need the illumination of the Holy Spirit, which is the exclusive possession of believers only. Unbelievers can understand the words on the page; they can analyze its grammar; they can engage in the same literary analysis that they would do for any other piece of literature. But unbelievers do not arrive at the correct conclusions about it because they do not have the illumination of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 4:18) - their ability to understand the Bible is limited to the level of literature only. Though they may have intellectual comprehension they do not have spiritual comprehension. Thus, unbelievers do not submit to the authority of Scripture; they come to wrong conclusions about it; they cannot see the spiritual significance of Scripture; they do not assign proper value to it; they do not accept the implications of Scripture for faith and practice; and they will not accept the application of Scripture to their lives. If we are to assign to the Bible proper value, arrive at the correct conclusions about what it says, and apply it relevantly to our lives, we need the illumination of the Holy Spirit.
The point I am trying to make here when I say “do not make the Scriptures meet an unreasonable literary standard” is that its grammatical construction (words, phrases, clauses etc.), its contexts (historical, cultural, political etc.), and its literary genre (poetic, narrative etc.) must be examined in the same way you would examine and read any other literature, but with the enablement of the Holy Spirit. This objective method of biblical interpretation prevents subjective, mystical interpretation that is not rooted in scholarship and can be made to mean anything the reader wants or thinks.
RULE #6: Read and Interpret The Bible From A Personal-Application Perspective.
Do not ask “What does this mean to me?” but “How does this apply to me?” In asking this question, we not only bring out its current and relevant application, but we find out first how it was applied to the people to whom it was originally written. By seeing how the author crafted his argument and how he applied it to the real life situation of his original audience (i.e. why he was writing, what problem he was addressing etc.), we discover how it may apply to ourselves within the limitation of its original intended meaning.
Please note this limitation: Even though we may make many applications from one truth, those applications are still limited by the teaching of the author as he originally intended it. You are not authorized to apply Scripture any way you want, just as you are not authorized to interpret it any way you want. As someone has said, “There is more heresy taught in the area of application than in explanation.”
So, we need to read and interpret the Bible from a “personal-application” perspective by identifying with the author’s intended meaning (and what his original audience would have understood); by identifying the life situation of the original audience (and how what was written applied to them); and then applying it appropriately to our own life situation and culture (i.e. in a way that is consistent, and corresponds, with the original situation).
RULE #7: Identify Literary Devices and Genre And Interpret Them Accordingly.
I have already defined what I mean by literal interpretation, particularly when it comes to literary devices (such as figures of speech) and literary genres (such as poetry, apocalyptic, allegory etc.). Each literary genre must be interpreted accordingly. For example, Hebrew poetry must be interpreted in accordance with its patterns and customs - e.g. parallelisms etc. (e.g. Ps. 2:4; Prov. 1:20; Gen. 4:23; Isa. 55:6-7). We need to distinguish between proverb and law. Like our English proverbs, Hebrew proverbs are not intended to be universal truisms for all people at all times, but general principles that are generally true for those living godly lives.
RULE #8: Study The Grammatical Construction and Meaning Of Words Carefully
You cannot interpret Scripture accurately if you do not pay close attention to the grammar – (1) the parts of speech (e.g. noun, verb); (2) the form of each word (e.g. singular or plural; present or future tense etc.); (3) the meaning and use of words in their context and their relationship to each other (i.e. syntax) to form phrases, sentences, and paragraphs. Do not make words mean what you want them to mean or what you think they mean based on contemporary usage. You must understand the word as it was used in its original literary, cultural, and historical contexts. Remember that sometimes words change in their meaning over time.
Pay attention to repeated, significant, and key words. Repeated words and phrases usually tell you something about what the author is trying to emphasize, and / or the theme of the text (e.g. Phil. 1:27; 2:2,3,5; 3:15,16; 4:2,7). Significant words might be: (1) Theological terms (e.g. justification); or (2) The main verb in a sentence; or (3) Conjunctions and prepositions. Words cannot be interpreted in isolation from their usage. So, be sure to always determine what a word means by analyzing its form and its usage in its context.
When you have a word with multiple possible meanings, you have to look at its context and at the various usages in the Bible in order to determine its meaning.
RULE #9: Read and Interpret The Bible Christologically.
By this I mean, read the Bible from a N.T. perspective. Every message should point to Christ or the Christian life in Christ. Each sermon should be governed by the redemptive focus of the Scriptures (cf. Bryan Chapell’s “Fallen Condition Focus” (FCF) in Christ Centered Preaching, 1994). This focus is not only the salvation of the lost but also the growth of believers so that they become all that God intends them to be. Chapell asserts that “proper understanding of a passage and focus of a sermon require a clear FCF” (Bryan Chapell, 42).
Theologically, every sermon must have as its purpose the same purpose as the passage, which is “an aspect of the human condition that requires the instruction, admonition, and / or comfort of the Scriptures” (Chapell, 43). By having this as its objective, every sermon will be unified in its purpose.
RULE #10: Read and Interpret The Bible Theologically.
Look for indications in the text of the essential truth(s) that the author is expressing. Ask yourself: (1) What doctrine (theology) is the original author expressing? (2) What is the overriding truth that emerges from the text? Don’t impose your doctrinal bias onto the text. Don’t read into the text what is not there. Ask yourself: (1) What is the text saying about God? (2) What is it saying about man’s relationship to God? (3) What is it saying about how to live for God? If you can’t find the answer to these questions in the text, you probably don’t know what the theological point of the text is.
The difficulty of this task often depends on the literary genre. The non-didactic genre can be challenging to uncover the truth that is being taught – e.g. the Song of Solomon, or, the book of Jonah. Is Jonah about how God deals with a wayward prophet? Or, is it about God's sovereignty in all circumstances, whether acts of nature (storms, plants, and worms), pagan sailors, wayward prophets, or wicked Gentiles etc.?
In this regard, you have to be very careful interpreting narratives in order to be sure you understand the theology that is being taught. You have to extract the theological point from the narrative detail.
As Christian leaders we often face rejection both in our churches and in the world. Living as a Christian is challenging and often intimidating, isn’t it? The world is so antagonistic to the gospel and to Christ himself. Sometimes their animosity makes us afraid to stand up for Christ. But here’s the encouragement - Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).
So, what do we do, as leaders of God’s people, to encourage our congregations to testify for Christ when the surrounding culture is so hostile? That’s our subject in this article: “Testifying for Christ in a world that hates him” (Jn. 15:18-27). I hope that this Bible study will help you and encourage you as it becomes increasingly difficult to publicly profess Christ in this world.
In our passage, Jesus has just exhorted the disciples to abide in him (15:1-11) and to love one another (15:12-17). Now Jesus moves on to warn them of the hatred of the world against himself and therefore against them, his followers (15:18-25) and to encourage them to testify for him in the midst of such hatred (15:26-27).
The principle that we learn from this passage is that “Despite opposition from the world, we can faithfully testify for Christ.” We notice three theological principles in this text…
Notice that 1. The world hates followers of Christ because it hated Christ himself first (15:18). “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you” (15:18). When Jesus says, “if” the world hates you, he is not inferring that the world may or may not hate you. This is an “if” of reason, not an “if” of doubt. There is no doubt that the world hates followers of Christ.
The disciples themselves had already experienced this. They knew what had happened to the man born blind and his parents in ch. 9. They knew the blind man’s parents “feared the Jews because the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was the Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue” (9:22). This was sheer intimidation by the Jews against these people because they had experienced the healing power of Jesus. The Jews were bound and bent to shut down their testimony of what Jesus had done for their son. In the days to come the disciples would experience an even greater degree of hatred from the world. There is an innate hatred that springs from those who are bitterly opposed to Christ. The truth is that the world hates Christians because it hated Christ. The world is filled with wicked men and women whose Satan-inspired hatred for Christ is manifested in their hatred for followers of Christ.
Jesus comforts his disciples by saying, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you (15:18).” The comfort in this is that Christians who experience the world’s hatred are suffering alongside their Saviour. Jesus suffered the world’s hatred first, and Christians suffer for Christ now. The apostle Paul calls this a privilege, a gift: “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Phil. 1:30). Jesus does not call us to experience anything that he has not experienced himself first. Because of suffering and opposition, many of Jesus’ disciples stopped following him (Jn. 6:66). They couldn’t take the intolerance, the rejection, the humiliation, the physical punishment. That’s the challenge many Christians face today.
So, 1. the world hates followers of Christ because they hated Christ himself first; 2. The world hates followers of Christ because we have been chosen by Christ (15:19-20). “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you (15:19). To be “of the world” means to be identified with the world, to hold the world’s beliefs and morals, to adopt the world’s habits and character. If you did that, Jesus says, “the world would love” you as one of “its own.” If you were motivated and characterized by the world’s standards, the world would accept you as one of its own. But the truth is, the world does not accept you. In fact, the world hates you “because you are not of the world.” The reason you are not of the world is because Jesus “chose you out of the world.”
Did you get that? Jesus is saying there is only one reason why you are not accepted by, nor subject, to the world and that’s because “I chose you out of the world.” That is his sovereign grace and mercy toward his followers. The reason the disciples were separate and apart from “the world” was not because there was anything good or meritorious before God in them, but because they had been sovereignly chosen by Jesus. And just as Jesus sovereignly called them so he sovereignly calls all believers today to himself to be his followers and his spokespersons. That’s what makes us different from the world. We have been called out of it by God and separated to him for his exclusive use and purpose.
Repeating what he had already told them in 13:16, Jesus says “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’” (15:20a). Jesus’ followers cannot expect better treatment than Jesus himself received. Just as he was not exempt from persecution, neither are we. “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also” (15:20b). In other words, however the world responds to Jesus will be their response to us, his followers. If they persecuted him, they will persecute his followers. Conversely, if they obeyed his word, they would obey the word of his followers also. In short, the world will respond to you the same way they responded to Jesus.
The world hates followers of Christ - 1. because it hated Christ himself; 2. because Christians have been chosen by Christ out of the world, and, 3. The world hates followers of Christ because the world does not know God (15:21). “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me” (15:21). The world will persecute and hate those who take the name of Jesus “because they do not know Him who sent Me.” You can only know God through Jesus Christ. If you hate Jesus, it’s because you do not know God – “the One who sent Him.” Anyone who truly knows God knows that Jesus is his one and only eternal Son whom he sent into the world. If they had known that Jesus was the sent One from God, they would not have treated him as they did. For the Bible says that “the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 Jn. 4:14).
So the first theological principle in this passage is that the world hates followers of Christ. But notice the second theological principle…
1. There is no excuse for hatred of Christ because of the words He spoke (15:22-23). “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin” (15:22). The truth is they should have known who Jesus was. He came to make God known to them and he did so in word and deed. If Jesus had not revealed to them who He was in his teachings, then they would not have committed the sin of rejecting him as their Messiah because they would have been ignorant - “they would have no sin.” But since Jesus did reveal to them who he was, “now they have no excuse for their sin.” To reject Jesus is inexcusable; they are guilty. Why? Because Jesus clearly spoke the truth to them about who he is and who God is. Yet they still rejected him. And for that there is no excuse. No person ever born into this world has any excuse for rejecting Jesus when they stand before the Great White Throne of God’s judgement - nothing to say, no excuse, no self-justification. Why? Because they have heard the truth and rejected it.
“He who hates Me hates My Father also” (15:23). You cannot know God except by knowing and believing in Jesus. If you hate Jesus you hate the Father also. The Jews in Jesus’ day claimed that God was their Father but they rejected Jesus as God’s Son, the Messiah. That’s impossible because Jesus and the Father are one. You can claim to know God, but if you reject Jesus the Son of God, you reject God the Father also. So, people and religious groups who claim to worship God but deny the deity of Christ, his substitutionary atonement for sins, his resurrection from the dead etc. cannot and do not know God.
So, 1. there’s no excuse for hatred of Christ because of the words he spoke. And, 2. There is no excuse for hatred of Christ because of the works he did (15:24-25). “If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin” (15:24a). Not only are Jesus’ words (15:22) irrefutable evidence of who he is but so are Jesus’ works. He was unique in what he said and what he did. If he had not performed the miraculous signs that he did, then, he says, “they would have no sin.” But Jesus did perform “works which no one else did” and for that everyone is responsible for their response to him. “But now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father” (15:24b). The people of Jesus’ day showed their response by rejecting him during his lifetime and at his death. Such rejection was inexcusable for the evidence was irrefutable as to who Jesus was. In rejecting him they rejected the One who sent him as well.
Now, this isn’t any different from today. We have the evidence of Jesus’ words and works right in front of us in the Scriptures. So, everyone is responsible for how they respond to the evidence. What we see in this passage is that the evidence often isn’t enough to convince some people of their sin and need of a Saviour. Such is the hardness of the human heart.
“But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’” (15:25). That’s a tragically sad truth – “they hated me without a cause.” People who may hate us usually have a reason. But in the case of Jesus, they hated him for no reason. This just goes to show the incredible hardness and wickedness of the human heart! Jesus came doing good to people without money and without price. He did good to people who didn’t even know him, healing those who were sick, feeding those who were hungry, raising some from the dead. He came speaking words of grace and mercy. He came to make God known to us.
By hating Jesus without a cause, Jesus’ opponents unknowingly accomplished two things: (a) they were responsible for his death; and at the same time (b) they fulfilled God’s eternal redemptive purposes. God used man’s wicked acts to accomplish his perfect will so that human beings are responsible for Jesus’ death while at the same time, through his death, God offers eternal life to the human race. That’s the magnificent love and grace of God!
What have we learned so far? First, the world hates followers of Christ (15:18-20). Second, there is no excuse for hatred against Christ (15:22-25). So, how then do we, as Christ’s leaders in His church, faithfully serve Him and testify for Him in such a hate-filled world? Well, here’s the encouragement…
1. We can testify for Christ because of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (15:26). In 15:18-25, Jesus has warned the disciples of coming persecution and he explained the reasons why they would be persecuted. Now, in 15:26-27, Jesus exhorts and comforts the disciples by telling them where our source of strength would come from to testify for Him in the midst of opposition and persecution. Just as he had told them at the beginning of chapter 14, Jesus reminds us again that our comfort and power in the face of opposition is the Holy Spirit. “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me” (15:26). Jesus promised that when he went back to heaven, he would send to them the “Helper (Comforter)… from the Father.” This, of course, is what happened at Pentecost.
The nature of the Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of truth” (15:26b). Just as the word of God is truth and Jesus is the truth, so the Holy Spirit is truth because the Trinity is one. So, the nature of the Holy Spirit is truth itself and the work of the Holy Spirit is to “testify of Me.” That is one of the Holy Spirit’s primary roles today in the world. “When he has come,” Jesus says in 16:8, “he will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement.” In the world, the Holy Spirit testifies to the utter sinfulness of the human race, the utter graciousness of God, and the utter marvel of Christ’s redemption. The Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of truth” who testifies to God’s truth.
So, 1. we can testify for Christ because of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and 2. We can testify for Christ because of our relationship with Him (15:27). “And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning” (15:27). Very soon the disciples would experience their utter lack of witness for Christ when they all forsook him and fled. But upon the coming of the Holy Spirit they would be emboldened and empowered to do so without any fear. Men who deserted Christ in fear would soon be men of courage, who fearlessly testified for Christ even to the point of death because of their relationship with him from the beginning.
Like the disciples, because we have an intimate relationship with Christ, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to testify to the grace of God without fear. We can testify to the pitiful moral condition of the human race. We can testify to the saving grace of God in Christ. And all this in the midst of the world’s opposition. As church leaders, our responsibility today is to set the example of how to testify for Christ even in the face of opposition. As his followers, we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit and placed in the world to testify to who Jesus is, why he came, what he did, where he is now, and his soon-coming return. We testify for him every time we pray for our food. We testify for him every time we speak a word for Christ to others. We testify for him when we take a stand against those who demean Christ. We testify for him by our lifestyle, our speech, our deeds, our priorities, our associations, our habits. Whatever we say or do must be with the goal that we bring glory to God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
What have learned in this passage is: 1. The world hates followers of Christ because they hated Christ himself (15:18-20); 2. There is no excuse for hatred against Christ because of (a) the words that he spoke, and (b) the works he did (15:22-25); yet, 3. Despite the world’s hatred, we can faithfully testify for Christ, (a) because of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (15:26), and (b) because of our relationship with Him (15:27). That’s our comfort and encouragement.
May this word today be an encouragement and challenge to us all, especially those of us who lead and pastor God’s people. Jesus has warned us that testifying for him will not be easy. And he has encouraged and equipped us to do so even despite the world’s hatred. May we stand firm for Him in a world that hates him.
Theme: A church may maintain a façade of Christianity even when it is about to die
Point I: There is a difference between reputation and reality: “I know your works that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (3:1)
1. By reputation (“name”) this church was “alive”
2. But in reality it was “dead.”
Point II: There is a connection between waking and working (3:2)
1. This church needed to “wake up” – “be watchful”
2. This church needed to “work out” – “to strengthen the things that remain”
Point III: There is a necessity to remember and repent (3:3-6)
1. It’s necessary to remember the past – “remember therefore how you have received and heard” (3:3a)
2. It’s necessary to recognize the present – “hold fast and repent” (3:3b)
3. It’s necessary to refocus on the future
a) Many sleepers will be surprised by Christ’s judgement – “If you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you” (3c)
b) A few saints will be satisfied by Christ’s approval – “You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments” (3:4a)
To these faithful but few saints, Christ promises…
- “They will walk with Me in white for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed int white garments.” (3:4b-5a)
- “I will never by any means blot their names out of the Book of Life” (3:5b-c)
Conclusion: “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (3:6).
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
In this edition of The Net Pastors Journal, I want to introduce the topic of preaching Old Testament narratives, which I will develop in the following edition.
First, I need to make some introductory comments about the abiding significance of the Old Testament. Note what the Scriptures say about the O.T. For example…
Romans 15:4, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
1 Cor. 10:11, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction.”
2 Tim. 3:16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Luke 24:27, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” Here, Jesus, the living Word, opened up and explained the written word of the O.T. concerning its testimony to himself.
Second, let me just outline the three sections that make up the structure of the O.T. …
1. The Torah / Law (Genesis to Deuteronomy). This covers the period from the beginning of time to the entrance to the promised land.
2. The Prophets:
a) The Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings). This section covers the period from the entrance to the promised land to the exile.
b) The Latter Prophets. This is made up of 31/2 major prophets (incl. ½ Daniel) plus 12 minor prophets = 15½ in total as follows:
Pre-exilic: Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Micah, Isaiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Joel (9 in total)
Exilic: Ezekiel, Obadiah, Daniel, Jeremiah (3½ in total)
Post-exilic: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi (3 in total)
3. The Writings:
Little Scrolls: Ruth, Esther, Lamentations
Theological History: 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, ½ Daniel.
Wisdom: Job, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes
Poetry: Psalms
What is a narrative? Simply put, a narrative (or, story) is a chronicle of connected events that take place over a certain time period. As such, a narrative’s primary characteristic is movement, a chronological and experiential movement (i.e. not a photograph but more like a movie). Stories do not merely relate the occurrence of events in time, they also link these occurrences of events together – each action in the story gives rise to another action or response. This sets up a chain of events that ultimately reaches a conclusion, which is a very important part of the story because it finishes the story. The conclusion spells out the consequences of the series of actions that took place.
So, every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end, just like a sermon, and each of these sections is interdependent on each another. The beginning describes the situation, the need, the problem. The middle describes what action is taken in response to the situation, need, or problem outlined in the beginning. The end develops from the middle in that it tells you the results from the action taken in the middle. Thus, the end also relates to the beginning (as well as the middle), in that it resolves the need, the situation, the problem that the story started out with.
Stories, then, not only describe events that happen in time, they are designed to organize these events, to give “logical meaning and shape to the otherwise incoherent occurrences of events” so that life as portrayed in a story is not “a meaningless jumble of disjointed experiences” (Tom Long, Preaching and the Literary Forms of the Bible, 72). In fact, the whole of life is a narrative, not one that “signifies nothing”, as Shakespeare asserted, but one that has purpose and meaning because God is in control, working out his sovereign purposes. This is why personal testimonies are so powerful.
There are several types of narrative. For the purposes of this article, when we speak of narrative we mean “historical” narrative with historical referents (i.e. real stories that took place within history), unless the intention of the writer can be shown to be otherwise. Thus, there is real history behind the Bible. O.T. history as we have it is, in fact, literary history. It may have an oral background in parts, various sources may be discovered in certain sections, but we have literature containing narrative that is rooted in history.
It is always good to remember that, like the N.T. authors, the O.T. authors were not only theologians but skilful writers, as Tom Long points out:
“The biblical writers were literary artists of considerable skill and sophistication who were not unacquainted with the creative, even playful, possibilities of language. These artistic tendencies were nor given free reign, however, but were disciplined by the larger theological purposes which governed the writer’s work…This high theological purpose placed the biblical writers…in the middle of an interplay between two forces. On the one hand, they believed in the unwavering character of God’s will, the constancy of the divine promise, and were certain that God had a harmonious plan for creation. On the other hand, they knew that human history was actually disorderly, human freedom was random, and human beings were stubborn and resistant. Narrative became a particularly apt literary form for capturing the fullest possible range of the interplay between these opposing forces…In short, the biblical writers produced narratives not in a vacuum, but out of the struggle to produce a fit between the literary form and their theological world view” (Thomas Long, Preaching and the Literary Forms of the Bible, 67).
This is the most common characteristic (e.g. David and Goliath). The action is broken up into a series of scenes in various settings. Usually there is a special relationship between the action, the characters involved in the action, and the setting. Setting creates a distinct atmosphere. So, when you preach O.T. narrative, take note of…
(a) The characters. How are they described (their status, name, origin)? Who is involved? How do they interact? The authors employ various techniques in characterizing the people they write about:
(i) Description. Hebrew narrative gives very little detail; just general descriptions. Hebrew narrative is less interested in presenting the appearance of a character than in guiding the reader into a discovery of what kind of a person the character is.
(ii) Interiorization. The narrator supplies the reader with windows into the mental or emotional state of a character. The narrator may comment on a character’s thought or opinion (e.g. Gen. 8:11b; Ex. 2:24, 25). For example, the narrator may quote extensively a character’s thoughts (e.g. Ex. 2:14; Ex. 3:3).
(iii) Direct dialogue. This is the preferred method in Hebrew narrative for sustaining the action within the plot – who said what to whom.
(iv) Actions. Actions can be narrated without speech. Such speechless accounts of action highlight character. They serve as unannounced commentary on a character’s speech (e.g. Gen. 30:33-34).
(v) Contrast. By placing characters in juxtaposition, an author highlights character traits - e.g. Deborah and Barak (Judged 4-5). Deborah is always decisive; Barak is hesitant.
(vi) Point of View. The author may present information through the voice and eyes of the omniscient narrator or any one of several characters within the narrative - e.g. David and Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11). This narrative begins with background information by the narrator (v. 1). Then the reader sees what David sees (v. 2). The third perspective is that of a messenger (v. 3). In the remaining verses of the chapter, the author shuttles the reader from one character’s perspective to another’s – David’s, Uriah’s, Joab’s, the messenger’s, and Bathsheba’s. It ends with the readers being directly addressed by the narrator: “But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord” (v. 27b). It is important to always figure out who is speaking.
(b) Dialogue. Be careful not to psychologize what is said. Often the first words said indicate the core of the event. This is where motives and thoughts are revealed.
(c) Plot (i.e. the sequence of events). The development of the plot may be simple or complex, but they all have action that progresses through a beginning, middle, and end. Some type of conflict occurs at the beginning, becomes complicated through the middle, and is finally resolved at the end.
(d) Pace. How does the narrative move along?
(e) Narrator. The narrator might be omniscient, hidden, or anonymous. He may express a direct point of view. He may even come through one of the characters.
O.T. narratives are compressed. Therefore, pay attention to arrangement and detail. Be aware of how the author has selected his material. His selection is usually dependent upon the point he intends to convey – i.e. he only includes what we need to know in order to make his theological point. Don’t try to supply the details that the author has not told us unless they are obvious by implication or from another passage.
O.T. narrative shows more than it tells. Great statements may be made in a subtle comment, event, or description. “Only occasionally will the narrator disclose God’s point of view to his readers” (Sidney Greidanus, Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text, 207). Generally the point of view has to be deduced. The narrator typically speaks through the words and actions of the characters in the narrative. They are his conduit for conveying his message. He himself usually remains hidden, at least as far as direct, critical statements are concerned.
1. Repetition. Key words, phrases, sentences, recurring motifs (e.g. stones in the Jacob narrative, water in the Moses story), and themes.
2. Recurring patterns, structures, and sequences. For example, in Judges Israel did evil…God gave them over…God provided a deliverer…they recovered…they did evil again.
3. Word plays. These are sometimes hard to pick up in our translation but would have been obvious to the original readers or hearers.
4. Poetic lines in narrative contexts (heightened speech). For example, “To obey is better than sacrifice and to listen than the fat of rams” (1 Sam. 15:22).
5. Bookends (inclusios and chiasms). These literary devices are very commonly used to form the narrative structure.
Inclusios are bookends. They show how or where the narrative begins and ends. You see this clearly in the Jacob narrative (Gen. 28:10-32:31) where, first, “the sun set” on Jacob (Gen. 28:11) and later “...the sun rose upon him” (Gen. 32:31). Why did the writer see fit to include this detail? Two reasons:
(1) The two expressions bookend this section – Gen. 32:31 where “the sun rose” connects us back to Gen. 28:11 where “the sun had set.” These two phrases form an inclusio.
(2) The material between 28:11 and 32:31 forms a significant “spiritual cycle” in Jacob’s life, in which he is moving from spiritual darkness (the sun setting – this is probably the darkest period in his life when he had been ejected from his home and had nowhere to stay) to spiritual light (the sun rising – Jacob has turned a significant corner in his relationship with God after all these intervening years and experiences).
Chiasms focus the readers attention on the apex of the narrative. You see an inverted chiastic structure very clearly in the book of Ruth (see Tom Long, 82-86):
The beginning (1:1-22). The downward spiral of Naomi’s and Ruth’s life situation.
The middle:
a) The development of Ruth’s relationship to Boaz (2:1-23)
b) Naomi’s scheme and Ruth’s response (3:1-18)
c) The upward trajectory and climax – Boaz’s response (4:1-12).
The end (4:13-22). Boaz’s redemption. Ruth and Naomi are blessed. Hope is restored.
6. Analogy and Contrast or Comparison. O.T. narratives frequently make use of analogy in the form of figures of speech such as metaphors, similes, hyperbole, personification (or anthropomorphisms). In this way, the author describes the reality he is talking about in the narrative in terms that appeal to our senses and imagination.
Similarly, contrast and comparison are frequently used by O.T. narrative authors. For example, in 1 Samuel, the author wastes no time in introducing us to the contrast between Hannah (and her son, Samuel) and Eli (and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas). She and her son go on to be blessed by God, while Eli and his sons go on to be judged by God. Similarly, you have the extended, stark contrast between Saul and David in which Saul acts as a foil for David – i.e. Saul’s character traits are the complete opposite of David’s and serve to highlight David’s character.
In the next edition of this Journal, I will outline some suggestions for studying and preaching Hebrew narratives.
If you thought that your marriage vows were the only time you would pledge to “honour and obey” someone, I have news for you - it should also be the pledge of a healthy church to its leaders. In this article, I would like to develop the subject of “Honoring Church Leaders” based on Hebrews 13:7-8 and 17-19.
The N.T. says little about this subject of the relationship of a church to its leaders, but what it does say is vitally important. This passage in Hebrews 13 teaches us that “A healthy church honors its godly leaders.” The writer to the Hebrews gives three exhortations that define the honor of a congregation for its leaders.
“Remember your leaders / rulers” (13:7). We are to “remember” our leaders - those who ministered among us, those who influenced us and formed us into who we are today (how we think and act, and what we believe). The writer to the Hebrew Christians is saying: “Think about who they were, what they said and did, the legacy they left, how they influenced your lives. Reflect upon their ministry among you.” This is a profitable exercise, not for nostalgia’s sake but to remember their example of faithfulness and consistency and in so doing to fall in step with their example. They are our heroes, our mentors to whom we look up. They are the primary influencers in our lives, those whose lives are paradigms for Christian living, those about whom we might sometimes wonder: “What would they have said, done, or thought about such-and-such? What did they teach about that? How would they have reacted? What counsel would they have given us in this situation?”
We’re living in an age that pays little respect to leaders, especially those of a previous generation. “Once they’re gone, they’re gone,” they say, “and we move on to newer and better things. The old was alright for that day and age, but we’re more progressive now, things have changed.” This writer to the Hebrews says: “No! On the contrary, remember the old landmarks, the tried and true paths. Remember those who established you in the truth. Remember those who were formative in your faith. Remember those who labored among you, acting in faith, pioneering with the gospel.” The apostle exhorts us to learn from them…
“...who spoke the word of God to you…” (13:7a). The Word of God was the subject of their conversation, their teaching, their preaching. They didn’t talk or preach about frivolous matters. They didn’t preach the latest “how-to” sermons. They preached the gospel to you. They edified the church, built you up in your most holy faith. Their teaching and conversation was the bedrock that underpinned the church. If you dig down beneath the surface, you’ll find that their teaching still lives on. They may not be here physically but they are certainly here spiritually.
We honour them when we learn from their faithful example. We are to learn from the example of what they taught. And...
“Considering the outcome of their conduct, imitate their faith”(13:7b). Their “faith” refers to what they taught, believed, and lived. It undoubtedly refers both to the truth of Scripture which they believed and the personal trust in God that they practiced. These Hebrew believers that are being addressed here were tempted to renounce their Christian faith, to go back to their old Judaistic practices and beliefs. So, this exhortation was particularly appropriate…
(a) Imitate their faith in the trustworthiness of God - the faith by which you live in dependence on God; the faith by which you trust God to provide for all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus; the faith by which you face the future, not knowing where it may lead.
(b) Imitate their faith in the truth of God, the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3), the inspired Scriptures which contain all that we need for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3), the faith which constitutes that body of truth that we believe, trust, and teach.
“Imitate” their faith. This doesn’t mean blindly following them just because they are part of your history, or just because you have an emotional attachment to them. But follow them “considering the outcome of their conduct.” After carefully weighing their life and teachings, after closely examining the outcome of their lives, after noting the fruit of their testimony, after repeatedly looking at the successful legacy of their lives, after considering the totality of their lives (from beginning to end, from top to toe), after observing how they spent their lives, then follow their example! Imitate their faith, live as they lived, speak as they spoke. Be steadfast in the faith as they were.
And lest you think that church leaders can be unreliable (some are good, some are bad; some stay, some leave; some have left a good taste in your mouth, others a bad taste), then, consider and emulate the head of the church, our supreme leader and the ultimate example of faith, “Jesus Christ”, the One who “is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (13:8). He is unchanging, immutable, perfectly consistent. He is “Jesus”, the Saviour, the One who saves his people from their sins. He is “Christ”, the anointed One, the Messiah, the sent One, the Son of God. He is the changeless One, the One who is “the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Jesus Christ is the same “yesterday” because he is the God of the past, the God of creation, and the God of redemption, the One who died and rose again. He is the same “today” because he is the God of the present, the One who intercedes for us at God’s right hand, our great high priest (5:6; 6:20; 7:17, 21, 24-25, 28; 9:24). He is the same “forever” because he is the God of the future, the eternal Lord before whom every knee in the universe will one day bow (Phil. 2:10-11).
And because He is always the same, you can depend on him. He is “the One who was and is and is to come” (Rev. 1:8). He is the God of the O.T. and he is the God of the N.T. He is the Lord of the church. If ever there was a ruler / leader whom we can implicitly trust for time and eternity it is Jesus Christ. Human leaders may fail us, but he never fails. Human leaders may come and go, but he never leaves us. Godly leaders point us to Him because He is our full and perfect and changeless example to follow. He never changes. You can always depend on him. “Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure. Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will change them, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will have no end.” (Ps. 102:25-27). “For I am the Lord, I do not change” (Mal. 3:6).
As you consider the end of those church leaders who have influenced you for good, remember that they only do so to the extent that they are a reflection of our great, eternal, true, and changeless Saviour.
So, we honour our godly leaders when we learn from their faithful example. And notice also, verse 17...
Today’s society doesn’t like to yield or submit to anyone. The spirit of our age is: “I’ll do it my way. No one is going to tell me what to do.” Sadly this attitude infiltrates the church sometimes. But such lack of mutual submission, such disrespect for authority creates chaos, anarchy, division, disunity and ultimately the effectiveness of the church is weakened and Satan gains an advantage. But the apostle exhorts us to “Obey those who rule over you and submit to them” (13:17a). Why? Because...
This exhortation would have had special significance for these Hebrew believers who were tempted to give up Christianity and return to Judaism. If ever there was a time they needed to obey their godly leaders, it was now. Evidently they had not learned to imitate their leaders and an attitude of independence was prevalent in the church.
But, we must “obey” godly church leaders as to their governance – in their teaching, decisions, and direction of the church. And we must “submit to them” as to their authority, for their authority is derived from the Lord of the church (as well as from the congregation itself).
Authoritative leadership is essential for unity, harmony, and effectiveness. Obedience infers submission, yielding. This doesn’t mean blind, unthinking submission. This doesn’t mean submission that shirks responsibility. This doesn’t mean submission that conflicts with Scriptural teaching or direction, otherwise the admonition in Hebrews 13:9 about “strange doctrines” would be pointless. This doesn’t mean a cult-like submission where you stop thinking, give up your convictions, or blindly follow others. Rather, this is intelligent, discerning submission to godly leaders whose speech and conduct are exemplary. We honour their position and authority while at the same time we engage in thoughtful, respectful dialogue about matters of concern, all in submission to the Lord of the church.
Those whom God calls into church leadership, who have the appropriate gifts, who have earned the respect of the congregation, who meet the biblical qualifications, and whose speech and conduct are pure and compelling, are those who rule with divine authority, whom we are to obey and to whom we are to submit (cf. 1 Thess. 5:12-13). That’s what the text says: “Obey...and submit!” Obviously, corrupt leaders are not in view here (cf. Ezek. 34) - those who lead others in the wrong direction, those who teach false doctrine, those whose lives are not morally pure. That’s not who the apostle is writing about. There is a process and there is divine authority vested in the church to deal with corrupt, sinful leadership (e.g. 1 Tim. 5:20). But that isn’t the issue here. The issue here is evidently that the Hebrews had not submitted to their leaders who were godly men, whose faith they should follow, and whose lives testified to their spirituality. That’s precisely why the writer exhorts them to imitate their leaders, obey them, and submit to them.
We need to make sure that the spirit of the age does not infiltrate our churches, and that our relationship with our church leaders is healthy, transparent, and mutually submissive. We need to submit to godly leaders as we submit to the Lord of the church. Failure to do so is failure to submit to Christ himself and that puts a congregation in grave danger.
We are to yield to their rule because they are vested with divine authority. And we are to yield to their rule because...
“... for they keep watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account” (13:17b). They aren’t dictators who demand unquestioning submission based on fear. They are caring shepherds whose daily concern is for the welfare of the flock of God (cf. Ezek. 3:17-18). This is the responsibility of church leaders – to be vigilant in the oversight of the spiritual and physical well-being of their people. They “watch over your souls” (lit. “they stay awake over you”), “as those who will have to give an account” – an account to the church and, more importantly, an account to God himself.
Godly church leaders are shepherds. They feed the flock of God. They protect the flock from danger. They lead the flock in the right direction. They care for the flock’s welfare. So, for your sake, church leaders bear a heavy responsibility. The greater the care they provide, the greater is our debt to them of allegiance and obedience.
We are to yield to our godly church leaders because (1) they are vested with divine authority, because (2) they are accountable for our pastoral care, and because...
“... in order that they may do this with joy and not groaning” (13:17c). We are to honour them with obedience and submission so that they may carry out their responsibilities “with joy and not groaning.” The work of the shepherd ought never to be a burden because of rebellious, unthankful, disrespectful, cantankerous sheep. Our obligation is to lighten their load, to render their ministry a joy and not a burden.
You can tell those churches that are not in step with, and do not honour, their leaders. They are constantly complaining (like the children of Israel who just about killed Moses with the burden). They viciously criticize their leaders, tearing them down. This ought not to be. How you treat your leaders determines whether they rule with joy or grief. You bring them joy when you obey, submit, respect, and honour them, not because they get their own way but because they see God’s people happy, productive, and united.
Our churches should be characterized by “joy” not “groaning”, churches comprised of (1) contented people, who are joyful in the Lord, who honour their leaders and gladly follow them, and (2) happy leaders, who are delighted to lead God’s people into an ever deeper relationship with Christ and each other.
There is a blessing for a church which is united, forward thinking, active in serving God, loving others, enjoying each other, growing in the truth, using their gifts to glorify God. Those are the kind of churches others want to be part of, where unbelievers fall down and say, “Truly God is among you” (1 Cor. 14:25). We must always remember that this is not our church. It is Christ’s church – he is sovereign over his church. We are responsible to him. Our leaders are responsible to him. To make their task onerous is to destroy that for which Christ died.
It is “unprofitable for you” (13:17d), the writer says, to make your leaders groan under the burden of rebellion, opposition, and arguments. These are unprofitable activities which wear out your leaders and cause them to lose heart. This can be devastating to the church.
Many pastors leave ministry because it is a burden. When I used to teach at the Stephen Olford Center in Memphis, pastors came to us from all over the world, many on the verge of quitting because they couldn’t take it anymore, disheartened because they were disillusioned about ministry. What they thought would be a joy had become the source of groaning. Everybody loses when that happens. The pastor and congregation alike lose their joy and fruitfulness in the Lord.
Do we need sometimes to make changes in leadership? Yes! And there is a way to do that. But that isn’t the issue here. The issue here is normal, healthy church life – God’s people living together in happy harmony and mutual submission.
So, we honour our godly leaders when we learn from their faithful example and yield to their pastoral rule. And...
This epistle makes obvious certain things about this church. This Hebrew church was not respectful of its leaders and this church was not growing spiritually. That’s why they needed repeated, stern rebukes, and admonitions. Something had happened in the relationship between this pastor (church leader) and the congregation. Perhaps this was one of those congregations that thinks it can get more done by criticism than prayer and dialogue. In any event, this church leader doesn’t beat them over the head with a stick. He doesn’t berate them for their attitude. Rather he exhorts them to “Pray for us” (13:18a).
Why must we pray for our church leaders? Because...
“Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live commendably”(13:18). Apparently, the Hebrew believers were critical of this leader’s conduct. That’s why he has examined his “conscience” and that’s why he affirms his determination “to live commendably in all things.” Instead of responding in anger or retaliation to their fault-finding he asks them to “pray” for him. For a leader to ask his people to pray for him is an act of humility, an expression of dependence, an admission of need.
What better way to respond to criticism than in humility. “I need your prayers” he says, prayers of encouragement and intercession, for wisdom and grace. I don’t know everything. I don’t have all the answers. I don’t always act or speak properly. I need your supplications to God for me to help me in ministry. I feel the attacks of Satan constantly in this ministry. So I need the protection of your prayers. Please pray for me.”
Surely, such a humble request for prayer is restorative. It is the catalyst to restore unity. It is the stimulus for renewed love for him. It is the olive branch to induce them to willingly accept his instructions and admonitions and to diffuse their criticism. In any event, whatever had happened, his conscience is clear “...for we are confident that we have a good conscience.” Despite their evident criticism of him, his own conscience is clear. Undoubtedly, some of his teachings were radically new for these Jewish believers. Perhaps his teaching that the O.T. rituals and sacrifices and the Levitical priesthood had been fulfilled in Christ and were now set aside was too much for them to absorb. Nonetheless, he reassures them that he has examined his actions, attitudes, motives, and teachings, so that he is “confident / persuaded” in his own mind and conscience that his teaching is accurate and loving, his admonitions are needed and appropriate, his motives are pure and open. He knows of nothing that he has said or done that needs to be withdrawn or apologized for, or that was just cause for their attitude toward him. Nor does he bear them any grudge for what had happened. He is not haughty about his position. He is not lording it over them. Rather he is acting humbly before them, “...in all things desiring to live commendably.”
It appears that their criticism of him was about his conduct and after examining himself, he says: “I desire in all things to live honorably, commendably.” His appeal to them reminds us of Paul’s appeal to the Corinthians: “O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open to us... Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one. I do not say this to condemn you; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together” (2 Cor. 6:11; 7:2-3). And again, “I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.”(12:15). What a contrast between the grief Paul suffered from the Corinthians and the abundance of joy he received from the Philippians (1:3-4) and Thessalonians (1 Thess. 2:19-20; 3:9).
This is a challenge to us, isn’t it? I have been in pastoral ministry for many years and I’ve had my fair share of criticism. I know whereof I speak. And now I teach and mentor so many pastors whose ministry is a grief and not a joy because of criticism. They love the Lord and desire only good for God’s people. They give of themselves over and over, taking the low place, setting themselves at the disposal and mercy of the congregation, only to be rebuffed by opposition and false accusations and have their hearts torn out over disputes and tensions.
Soon they begin to lose heart. They think that they are inadequate, that perhaps God didn’t call them to pastoral ministry after all, that someone else would be better leading this congregation. Sometimes that may be necessary, but often it is not. Usually these men are true servants who diligently minister to God’s people.
Church leaders are not perfect. There may be times when you legitimately disagree with them. But continue to respect them and deal with them kindly. They deserve our encouragement and support in prayer, when they take the low place, when their consciences are clear, when they live commendably before us.
We honour our godly leaders when we pray for their ministry challenges. They need our prayers to deal with the challenge of criticism and...
“But I especially urge you to do this, in order that I may be restored to you more quickly” (13:19). This is a specific, urgent, heart-rending plea. I don’t know what happened among these Hebrew believers but this pastor begs them to pray so that he can see them again soon and so that he can enjoy their fellowship again. I don’t know if their criticism had led to their estrangement or whether other circumstances had led to it. Whatever had happened he urges them to pray so that this distance, this schism, may be healed and unity, harmony, peace, joy, and fellowship may be restored.
Disunity is a great burden to godly church leaders for they know “how good and how pleasant it is for God’s people to dwell together in unity” (Ps. 133:1-3). They know that disunity was the plague of the church that Jesus’ foresaw and prayed for in John 17.
So, you can see, from this passage, that “A healthy church honors its godly leaders.” We honour our godly leaders in three ways: (1) by learning from their faithful example; (2) by yielding to their pastoral rule; and (3) by praying for their ministry challenges.
At the end of the day it all comes down to prayer. So, let’s covenant together to pray for our pastors, staff, and church leaders. They need, want, and deserve our prayers. They are faced daily with the burdens and care of the church. Let me encourage you to become actively involved as a prayer partner in your church, holding up the arms of your leadership team just as Aaron and Hur did for Moses in Exodus 17. You can be an “Aaron and Hur Prayer Partner” who prays for your leaders when they meet together to discuss the spiritual and practical affairs of the church. Pray that they will have wisdom, compassion, discernment, and faithfulness to the truth.
Above all, may we honour our leaders by learning from their faithful example, by yielding to their pastoral rule, and by praying for their ministry challenges. It’s the only solution for the church and the world.
Title: Letters to the Seven Churches: Laodicea – The Sickness of Prosperity (Rev. 3:14-22)
Theme: A church that becomes independent of Christ may become redundant for Christ
Point 1: Christ knows the attitude of every church (3:15-17)
1a) He knows when a church is self-satisfied (15-16)
1b) He knows when a church is self-deluded (17)
Point 2: Christ knows the need of every church (3:18-19)
He knows that we need…
2a) … his riches to cure our spiritual poverty (18a)
2b) … pure garments to cover our spiritual nakedness (18b)
2c) … healing eye salve to correct our spiritual blindness (18c)
2d) … his chastisement to cause our spiritual repentance (19-21)
Conclusion: “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the church” (3:22)
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
In this edition of The NET Pastors Journal I am continuing (from Issue 38, Winter 2021) the subject of preaching Old Testament (Hebrew) narratives. I will attempt to outline an approach to preaching narratives by answering the questions: How do we preach a story? Do we simply re-tell the story and make application at the end? Do we break the story into parts with principles for each? Do we approach it essentially like a N.T. epistle, deriving from it general principles and applications?
In preaching narratives, I would argue that…
1) We must respect and be sensitive to the genre of the text both in our exegesis and preaching while, at the same time, recognizing that preaching a narrative is not simply re-telling the story with some application. Rather, the primary purpose of a biblical story is to communicate theology. Biblical stories are not merely description; they are also prescription.
2) We must derive universal principles from biblical narratives, just as we do from N.T. epistles. The difference is that, in our preaching style, we must follow, reflect, and respect the story form of the text. We do this (a) by changing our preaching style to reflect the narrative genre; (b) by following the sequence and substance of the story line; and (c) by modifying the structure of our sermon outline to correspond with the narrative genre.
We can learn a lot about preaching O.T. narratives from the book of Acts. For example in Acts 7, Stephen re-told the O.T. redemptive story about (1) God’s deliverance and redemption of his covenant people; (2) Their sinfulness and rebellion; followed by (3) The application of the story to the present audience – namely, that they too were rebellious, resisting the Holy Spirit, killing the Just One etc. In fact, the application to them of the redemptive story was so powerful and direct that they murdered Stephen (cf. also Paul, Acts 13:16-41).
God has told the story. Our task is to explain its universal, theological, abiding principles and apply them to our audience. Just as we analyze a passage from an epistle for its central, theological principle along with its related truths and applications, so we should analyze a narrative for its central, theological truth and its related applications. Finding the central truth is the same process whether you are preaching narratives or epistles. If re-telling the story were all that was necessary, you wouldn’t have to be a theologian to preach. You could simply have a dramatic narrator or an actor recreate the story in contemporary language and terms. I maintain that while we must re-tell the story, we must also enlighten our audiences as to…
1) What it meant back then and what it means now (bridging the historical gap).
2) What its theological truths are.
3) What its implications and applications are to our Christian lives.
This necessitates both re-telling the story (so that it comes alive to today’s audience) and exposing and applying its central, propositional truth. This process is, therefore, didactic and propositional, just as it is when we preach epistles. One difference between preaching epistles and narratives is that with epistles you analyze and preach paragraphs, whereas with narratives you preach “scenes.” Scenes reflect the movement of the story and each scene must be interpreted in the light of the total story, because the total story reveals its central, overarching truth.
As with any other sermon texts, the goal is to determine what the narrative reveals about God (his nature, his will, his ways etc.). The first step is…
a) Determine where the story begins and ends. If it is a sub-story, determine where it fits into the bigger story. Gather data from the context (i.e. the surrounding narratives and descriptions). Discover the plot. What are the sequence of events that unfold in the story? Is there a reversal in the course of the story? If so, where and why?
b) Identify the textual structure by dividing the story into scenes. Examine the scenes and images within each scene. Make a chart for each paragraph or scene, noting exegetical observations, questions etc. related to each scene.
c) Note how the story unfolds scene by scene. Often the context is given first, followed by scene by scene action. The action typically exposes a dilemma (conflict, tension) which leads to a climax (how is this dilemma going to be resolved?). Then comes the resolution to the dilemma and the conclusion. All stories involve a certain point of tension that leads to a climax. So, as events unfold, be sure to identify the climax and answer the questions: How is the tension resolved? What is the conclusion? This is the dynamic aspect of stories.
d) Examine the characters. Note how the characters respond and act as the story progresses. Identify their strengths and weaknesses and their role in the drama (e.g. the star of the story, the antagonist, the protagonist, a bystander etc.).
e) Analyze any speech or thoughts. Is the central truth expressed through speech or thoughts? Particularly, identify the statements made by the narrator. Often without these statements the story would not make sense because motives, hidden actions, and the like would not be known. Remember, the narrator is omniscient - he knows thoughts, intimate and private conversations, hidden events, even the mind of God. These statements are really God’s entrance into the story as the ultimate storyteller - e.g. “The thing that David had done displeased the LORD” (2 Sam. 11:27b).
f) Identify the various literary structures and devices used. For example, is it written in third person or first person? Is the emphasis on plot or on character development? Is there chiasm, repetition, contrasts, parallelism etc.? If so, how do these literary devices add to the story?
After analyzing and summarizing the story as I have described above, you should be in a position to determine (a) the subject of the overall story; and (b) what the author says about that subject. The subject of the story is the central, theological truth that the story is communicating. What the author says about the subject constitutes the main points (or, scene by scene sections) of your sermon.
The next task is to write out the central, theological truth (sometimes called the “big idea” or “exegetical idea”). One way to approach this is to start with a single word that captures the subject of the passage and formulate the question about that subject that the writer seems to be answering. Then, write out the all-encompassing answer to that question.
Once you have done that, simply summarize the story in a single descriptive sentence that succinctly states the answer you came up with above. This assertion becomes the central truth of the sermon – i.e. the summary of your sermon stated in a sentence.
This is generally the procedure that I follow. I try to interweave my theologically focussed sermon outline with the retelling of the story, making application during and / or at the end of each scene. This is really the identical model that I use for preaching epistles, except that instead of explaining the doctrine in the epistle I am explaining the theological story line in the narrative.
In the introduction, include any background and other material needed to set the story in context and to explain ancient terms or cultural practices.
As I have noted above, it’s important to state your sermon in a sentence in the introduction so that your audience knows the primary theological point of the narrative, a point that you are going to demonstrate in your sermon. Try to state this truth in such a way that it reflects the historical accurateness and literary intent of the story, while using terms that create a timeless theological proposition.
When stated properly, you will end up with an abiding theological concept that is true for God’s people at any time or place. This becomes your preaching idea that governs how you present the rest of the material. The preaching idea is the answer to a specific need, problem, or difficulty in life.
The preaching task is to describe for your audience (1) how people in the narrative related, interacted, and struggled with spiritual needs, problems, diseases etc.; (2) that their struggles were the same as ours; and (3) that their solution is our solution.
Retell the story scene-by-scene. This is where you show how the theological point comes out of the story.
a) Create a theologically oriented sermon outline that reflects the flow of the story.
Every narrative has a clearly defined structure. Because it is narrative does not imply that there is no structure. There is movement in every story scene-by-scene. That is its structure. One of your first tasks is to find the textual structure, just as you would in any other genre of the Bible.
Therefore, construct an outline that follows the scenes of the story (their movement, flow of thought). Narrative outlines are like music symphonies - one piece with several movements. Scene changes are your key to moving to the next section in your sermon outline. Each scene of the narrative that you uncover in your investigation needs to have a theological point (i.e. a statement of a universal truth or principle). To uncover these statements, ask yourself…
1) What does this scene tell us about God (his ways, purposes, judgements etc.)?
2) What does this scene tell us about ourselves (our relationship to God, our spiritual condition etc.)?
The answers to these questions, when stated as a complete sentence, will form your scene-by-scene statements of theological principle. Just make sure that each theologically focussed, universally true statement for each scene relates to and develops the overall theological truth of the entire story - i.e. your “sermon-in-a-sentence” which is usually stated in your introduction.
Do not create an artificial outline in which the points reflect the scene-by-scene description but do not reflect the flow and development of the theological point of the story. Rather, create a theologically oriented outline, which consists of statements of principle that not only follow the flow of the story but also reflect the message of the story. By stating your scene-by-scene titles as theologically focussed principles, you develop the points for your sermon outline in a way that is consistent with and respectful of the overall theological point and intent of the narrative.
Sometimes it is helpful to blend scene-by-scene descriptions with theologically focussed, universal truth statements for those scenes. This approach not only breaks the story down for your audience, making it easier for them to grasp, but also integrates the story with the principles. To illustrate what I mean, here is an example I developed from Genesis 21:9-21…
Universal truth of the passage: “In God’s providence, trouble often precedes triumph.”
Gen. 21:9-10. Sarah’s resentment (scene description): Trouble often finds its source in our bad attitudes (universal truth).
Gen. 21: 11-14a. Abraham’s predicament (scene description): Trouble often finds its source in our bad decisions (universal truth).
Gen. 21:14b-16. Hagar’s banishment (scene description): Trouble often finds its source in our bad circumstances (universal truth).
Gen. 21:17-21. God’s intervention (scene description): Trouble always finds its solution in God’s goodness (universal truth).
Sometimes (as in this example) I might use the scene description as my paragraph (scene) heading and state the universal truth (principle) as my application heading. In other words, I have two headings within each scene, one that describes the action of the scene and the other that describes the principle derived from the action in the scene. What this does is give the audience clear direction through the story by way of descriptive scene headings as well as clear principles that apply to us today by way of application headings. The one then flows from the other naturally as you preach through each scene.
Thus, in Genesis 21:11-14a for example, my action (scene) heading is: “Abraham’s predicament” (i.e. what to do with Hagar and Ishmael in response to Sarah’s complaint). And my theologically-focussed universal principle that I state in my application is: “Trouble often finds its source in our bad decisions” (or, “short term decisions sometimes produce long term predicaments”) – that’s the lesson for us.
You can guard against artificial structures in narrative sermon outlines…
1) By not imposing “points” on the sermon, thus making a narrative sound like a science text book.
2) By making sure that your principles come naturally out of the narrative.
3) By wording your principles as theological statements for each scene, just as you would any other literary genre.
Make sure your sermon outline is faithful to the narrative by…
1) Following the flow of the narrative;
2) Exposing the conflict, complication / tension, climax, resolution, and conclusion of the narrative; and
3) Proving the theological point of the narrative.
b) Make your applications during or at the end of each scene.
This way each scene of the story is directly connected to the life of your audience. But you need to be careful, when preaching O.T. narrative, not to automatically make a direct transfer of the story line to your contemporary audience. Just because they did something back then does not mean that we should do that now. It is very easy, when preaching O.T. narrative, to fall into the trap of either moralizing the story (so that you end up telling your audience that because so-and-so did it, so should they), or allegorizing the story (so that the physical realities take on spiritual, hidden meanings). To guard against this, you have to be sure to apply the theological point of the text rather than the direct story line itself.
Be sure that the remedy to the problem has been clearly stated. Summarize the implications of accepting or rejecting this remedy - show how acceptance brings spiritual blessing, while rejection brings further spiritual disease, decline, and distance. Appeal to the audience to choose blessing (health, life) over judgement (disease, death) – i.e. call for a response.
1. Preaching narratives this way enables your people…
a) To feel the story as drama.
b) To grasp the theological idea (which their cursory reading would not expose).
c) To understand the implications for their lives.
d) To respond to your applications of the story to their contemporary life.
2. Preaching narrative this way ensures that…
a) You have been faithful to the narrative form.
b) You have brought out the enduring theological idea of the story.
c) You have shown the people how the ancient story relates to contemporary life.
d) You have forced the people to wrestle with the tension and complication of the story.
e) You have forced them to consider the resolution (remedy) for their own lives.
In 2 Corinthians Paul develops the topic of ministry and biblical leadership, which, a few years ago, I began to explore in this journal as follows…
1. Confidence in Ministry - God’s direction and provision (2 Cor. 2:14-3:6, Spring 2013)
2. The Nature of Authentic Ministry:
Part 1, The nature of the message – it’s not about us; it’s about Him (2 Cor. 4:1-6, Summer 2012).
Part 2, The nature of the Christian life– power in weakness (2 Cor. 4:7-16, Summer 2013).
3. The Motivation for Ministry:
Part 1, Our future transformation (2 Cor. 4:16-5:9, Fall 2013).
Part 2, Our accountability to God (2 Cor. 5:10-13, Winter 2014).
In this issue, I would like to continue my exploration of Paul’s exposition on “The Motivation for Ministry” - Part 3, Christ’s sacrificial love (2 Cor. 5:14-17).
Christ’s sacrificial love, which was most fully revealed in his substitutionary atonement, compels us to serve Him. Essentially, Paul’s point here is that Christ died for us, therefore we serve him (not ourselves), specifically in preaching a message of reconciliation.
Having established a prospective motivation for ministry (accountability to God) in 2 Cor. 5:10-13, Paul now establishes a retrospective motivation for ministry, the love of Christ (2 Cor. 5:14-17). Indeed, he insists, “the love of Christ controls us” (5:14a). The overriding motivation in the life of the authentic minister is the love of Christ. For Paul, it didn’t matter that some thought he was mad (2 Cor. 5:13). Whatever he did and endured was motivated by Christ’s love. And that same love “controls us” in that it sets the parameters of our ministry. This is the practical effect of Christ’s love for us and in us - it causes us to do what we do for him in our ministry.
What, then, is the nature of Christ’s love that so controls us? “14 The love of Christ controls us because we have concluded this: that One has died for all, therefore all have died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (5:14-15).
The context of this paragraph is this: Because we understand the “fear of the Lord” in coming judgement, “we persuade others” (5:11) to believe the reconciling truth of the gospel (5:19-20). And the motivation for such a message and ministry is the compelling and controlling love of Christ (5:14-15).
The principle is this: The death of one person (who did not deserve to die because He was sinless) on behalf of others (who did deserve to die because they are sinners) renders the whole group (the “all” for whom he died) to have died also, because the sinless One died in their place, paying the penalty for their sins.
The application is this: The nature and extent of the love of Christ (as demonstrated in his atoning death) motivates us to do what we do in Christian ministry. It’s easy to get distracted with the theological debate about the nature and extent of the atonement in these verses and miss the application in Paul’s argument. Certainly these verses do tell us a lot about the nature and extent of the atonement - I will discuss this below - but primarily Paul is applying the sacrificial love of Christ, which motivated him to die for us, to our motivation for serving Him.
Paul then states two universal conclusions (2 Cor. 5:14-15)…
The first universal conclusion of Christ’s death is that all have died. “We have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore, all have died.” (5:14). Because Christ died for all humanity, then all humanity in principal has died. We can readily understand that Christ died for all, since that concept is supported in Scripture elsewhere. But what does he mean that “therefore, all have died” (5:14b)? Clearly, in some way Christ’s death involved the death of everyone. As R.V.G. Tasker says, “Christ’s death was the death of all, in the sense that He died the death they should have died; the penalty of their sins was borne by him (1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:20); He died in their place” (Tasker, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, TNTC, Eerdmans, 1958, 86). He died for everyone - whether they ultimately receive him or reject him is a different matter. The penalty for their sins was paid by his death. He died the death they deserved. Therefore, in principal, “all have died.” That’s the conclusion that Paul is making here – the death of one on behalf of a group infers that the group (through that one who died) also died. This is a simple statement of the status of every human being in the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross - He died for them, therefore they all died. The penalty was paid for all.
By saying this, Paul is not advocating universal salvation (since clearly not all have spiritual life), but he is advocating the universal provision and availability of salvation through the death of Christ. Because he died their death, they, in principal died, and through faith in him they can turn to Him if they so chose – i.e. the death of Christ on their behalf made it possible for all humanity to be saved, but only those who believe are actually saved. Christ died on behalf of and for the benefit of all humanity - this is indeed the central truth of the gospel (cf. Col. 1:20; Rom. 8:32).
So, the first universal conclusion of Christ’s death is that “all have died.”
The second universal conclusion of Christ’s death is that some live, not all. “He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who died for their sake and was raised” (5:15). “Those who live” are clearly a different category of people from the “all” for whom Christ died (5:14b). As Robert L. Dabney puts it: “If we make the all for whom Christ died mean only the all who live unto Him – i.e. the elect – it would seem to be implied that of those elect for whom Christ died, only a part will live to Christ” (Dabney, Lectures, 525). Good observation!
The effect of Christ’s death in “those who live” (i.e. believers, the elect) is their moral transformation and renewal. All people have not undergone such a moral transformation, only Christians because of their new life in Christ. The death of Christ becomes effective for them alone (not for all) because of their faith in Christ, as a result of which they have a new motivation in life, a new way of life. The purpose of Christ’s death was that those who believe (those who have died to the flesh because of his actual death for them) should have morally renewed lives; lives with a new moral purpose and motivation. Thus, “those who live” are believers only, who, as a consequence of Christ’s death on their behalf and their belief in him, now “no longer live for themselves but for him” (which cannot be said of unbelievers) “who for their sake died and was raised.” As a result, they are new creations in Christ (5:17).
In sum, what Paul is saying is that on the basis Christ’s substitutionary death for us (5:14b), and our acceptance of his death as payment for our sins, Christians have a completely different motivation in life than we previously had – namely, not to live for ourselves but to live for him who died for us and was raised again for us (5:15). Thus, Paul’s application of this truth is plain and simple - since Christ died for everyone without exception and since He loved everyone with selfless love, then our motivation in Christian ministry is to preach the gospel of Christ to everyone without exception out of selfless love. Not everyone, however, will accept His offer of salvation, but those who do (“those who live,” 5:15a) receive new life in Christ and from then on live for Him. Consequently, Christ’s love is the compelling basis for how we should now live our lives for him and, thus, conduct our ministry. Just as Christ gave his life for us, so we now give our lives for Him. His love for us should be reflected in our love for others, most particularly by sharing the “ministry of reconciliation (5:18-21), the gospel. Because we live in Him, we are “ambassadors for Christ” (5:20).
So, the nature and extent of the atonement is certainly the basis of Paul’s argument here, but we should not become so engrossed with that debate that we lose sight of Paul’s overall and primary point. We do not serve in ministry for selfish motives but solely for Him, to be his ambassadors on earth.
As a result of Christ’s death for me, I now live in and for him and, thus, my life is changed in its behaviour, purpose, and activity. This teaching is consistent with the entire Scriptural teaching on the Christian life - it is an exchanged life (Gal. 2:20), the old self is put to death and the new self lives for Christ (Gal. 5:24; Eph. 4:17ff.). Ours is a radically different life than before. Instead of living a self-centred life (Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19) we live a Christ-centred life (Eph. 2:4-10; 4:20ff.). Thus, we who have died and risen with Christ are not only able but, more particularly, are called to preach the message of reconciliation (5:18-21), which is evident and powerful in our own lives. We are called to live a renewed life through our authentic ministry, motivated by (1) the power of the message in contrast to the weakness of the messenger (4:7); (2) the scrutiny of God on our ministry (5:10-13); and (3) the love of Christ (5:14-17).
From Paul’s argument (5:14-15) he states two consequences (5:16-17).
Consequence #1: “From now on (from the time he began to live for Christ and not for self), therefore, (the first consequence) “we regard no one according to the flesh” (5:16a). Paul no longer assesses and values people based on external appearances, or on subjective, superficial, human standards and relationships (e.g. riches, race, position etc.; cf. Gal. 3:28). Rather, his estimate of and relationship with other people is based on the spiritual values of one with a renewed mind, such that one’s brothers and sisters are not those of the natural family but of the spiritual family (cf. Matt. 12:46ff.). He no longer relates to people at a fleshly level but views others differently now, not according to the flesh but as “new creations in Christ” (5:17).
“Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer” (5:16b). Paul’s knowledge of Christ prior to his conversion was “according to the flesh” - based on a misinformed, misconceived, carnal mind, and merely human assessment. But subsequently his relationship with Christ was totally different. He no longer esteemed Him from an outward, human perspective, but for who Christ really is, which he knows through the indwelling Spirit. Christ cannot be truly known “according to the flesh” (i.e. with the carnal mind, based on human values). That’s why unregenerate people come to false conclusions about him. It takes a conversion experience through the Spirit to know him, and thus to apprehend him as God and Redeemer. Many who knew Christ “according to the flesh” didn’t know him through the Spirit, who alone enlightens our understanding of who He is. “Paul, like Peter and like Thomas, had to learn that it is not having seen Christ, nor knowing about Him that matters, but loving Him and believing on Him (1 Pet. 1:8; Jn. 20:29)” (Philip E. Hughes, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, 201).
Consequence #2. “Therefore” (a further consequence of 5:14-15) not only does he no longer regard anyone according to the flesh (including Christ himself), but “if anyone is in Christ” he regards them as “a new creation” (5:17a) for that is what they truly are. Anyone who is born from above is “in Christ” and thus has a new identity, new relationships, new family, new values, new objectives. He or she is viewed as “in Christ” not “according to the flesh” – when we see them, we see Christ, not the outward, sinful flesh.
To be “in Christ” implies security (now and in the future), identity, relationship, divine nature, a completely “new creation” (cf. Eph. 2:10; 4:24). “The old (the person in the flesh, the old nature with all its predisposition to sin etc.) has passed away (perished; disappeared into history); behold (suddenness, surprise, and great joy) the new has come” (5:17b). We are new creations with eternal life, all because of who we are “in Christ.” And what has been done in us (which will be finalized when we are glorified) is a precursor and guarantee of the re-creation of all things.
Title: Letters to the Seven Churches – Faithfulness to Christ (Rev. 3:7-13)
Theme: If you are faithful to Christ, He will transform your feebleness into a pillar of strength.
Point 1: Christ encourages us with His sovereign power (3:8-11)
1a) He sovereignly controls our access to him (3:8)
1b) He sovereignly constrains any opposition to him (3:9)
1c) He sovereignly keeps us from judgement by him (3:10-11)
Point 2: Christ encourages is with His sovereign promise (3:12-13)
2a) To those who are feeble, he promises divine strength (3:12a)
2b) To those who are faithful, He promises a divine name (3:12b)
Conclusion: “He has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (3:13)
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
Let me start this article by making some brief comments about poetic books and genre. While the book of Psalms is obviously the poetic book, a broader categorization would include much of the wisdom books (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs). Of course, by the same token, many of the Psalms could be classified as wisdom literature. So, there is always this crossover when categorizing books by genre. According to Kaiser, “approximately one-third of the Old Testament and a surprising mount of the New Testament are in poetic form” (My Heart is Stirred, in Walter Kaiser and Moises Silva, An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics, 86).
Looking at the broad category of O.T. poetry (i.e. including the wisdom books), these poetic books are usually categorized as “The Writings” (as distinct from the Law and the Prophets) and are located in the canon between the Torah and the Prophets. Thus, the structure of the canon recognizes their distinctive literary style and content. “The presence of these…books in the Writings makes a statement about their relationship to the Torah (Pentateuch) and the Prophets – they are neither Law nor Prophecy. In fact, their view of the world is quite different from that of Torah and Prophecy, even though they share many similarities” (C. Hassell Bullock, Preaching the Poetic Literature in Handbook of Contemporary Preaching, ed. Michael Duduit, 293).
While the purpose and primary function of the Psalms always has been (and is) liturgical (songs of worship, lament etc.), their inclusion in the canon is surely our authorization to preach them, not just to sing them. After all, they contain very deep theology. They really do show that worship in music and in preaching are both appropriate responses to God.
Nonetheless, we need to be acutely aware that the literary style of the poetic books requires that they be exegeted and sermonized in a way that reflects their unique genre. They need to be interpreted and applied within the context of the whole Psalter and its theology. “The Psalter is…a book of praise proclaiming that God, as Creator and Redeemer, has given to Israel through the Torah, through the revelation of himself in history, the possibility of new life and a complete indication of how it is to be lived” (William Dumbrell, The Faith of Israel, 212, cited in Graeme Goldsworthy, Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture, 200).
The overall theme of the Psalms, then, is redemptive, focusing on God (the great King of his covenant people) and his historical acts of deliverance. As Graeme Goldsworthy writes, “The preacher needs to constantly bring his hearers back to this gospel-centered biblical perspective on God” (Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture, 201).
What, then, is the appropriate use of the Psalms for the Christian church? Clearly, they may be used in the same way that they were used in biblical times – viz. as a hymn book. As the response of the original audience was to praise God for his redemptive acts, so it is appropriate that our response should be the same. Both the N.T. writers and Jesus himself used the Psalms extensively (Psalms is quoted in the N.T. more than any other O.T. book – estimated at 350 direct and indirect quotations, citations and references) both as prophetic of Jesus and as a source of, and authority for, their theology. For example, Paul quotes the Psalms in Romans 3:10-18 to support his argument about the sinfulness of humanity (Goldsworthy, 199).
Obviously, the great theme of the Psalms is their messianic focus (on Christ’s death and resurrection) and their impact on the human race either for the salvation of the righteous or the condemnation of the wicked (as Psalm 1 indicates).
Now let’s turn to an examination of the genre of the Psalms as Hebrew poetry.
There are various types of Psalms, such as didactic (e.g. Ps. 1); messianic (e.g. Ps. 2); creation Psalms (e.g. Ps. 19); laments (e.g. Ps. 22); salvation history (e.g. Ps. 78); praise (e.g. Ps. 96). The greatest number are laments, although many Psalms fall into more than one category.
The Psalms are Hebrew poetry and reflect the literary structure and devices associated with that genre. As Tom Long writes, “Every Psalm in the psalter eventually came to be a part of the collection of psalms that, as Patrick D. Miller, Jr., states ‘have functioned in the worship of the community of faith, Jewish and Christian, widely, extensively, and without break’” (Thomas Long, Preaching the Literary Forms of the Bible, 44, with citation from Patrick D. Miller, Jr., Interpreting the Psalms, 20).
Like drama, the literary function of Psalms is to appeal to the emotions and imagination. They evoke a deep, internal response that goes beyond the rational. “Poems change what we think and feel not by piling up facts we did not know or by persuasive argumentation, but by making finely tuned adjustments at deep and critical places in our imaginations.” Long gives the example of Psalm 42:1 “As the deer pants for the water so my soul longs after you, O God.” The condensed words expand in our minds into a huge picture and then the Psalmist relates that picture to our spiritual reality, that is, our relationship to God (Long, 45).
The Psalms speak to us not only at the deeply intimate, devotional level (e.g. in our prayers and meditations on God), but also at the very practical experiential, pastoral level (e.g. in funerals, weddings, celebrations, sicknesses, hopelessness etc.). They speak with contemporary freshness and relevance at these occasions but also with traditional formality and repeatability. “The fact that the Psalter contains psalms of anger, abandonment, and despair affirms not only that such emotions occur in the life of faith but that such experiences are repeated, predictable, and expected. We have been this way before” (Long, 46).
The form of Psalms is condensed, concise, and intense (as poetry is intended to be) and their use of words is different from other literature (as poetry is intended to be). As Robert Alter points out, “poetry, working through a system of complex linkages of sound, image, word, rhythm, syntax, theme, idea, is an instrument for conveying densely-patterned meanings, and sometimes contradictory meanings, that are not readily conveyable through other kinds of discourse” (Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Poetry, 113, cited in Long, Preaching and the Literary Forms, 47).
Probably the main rhetorical structure in the Psalms is that of parallelism. So pervasive and important is parallelism in the Psalms, that McQuilkin recommends that we “use parallelism of Hebrew poetry to gain insight into meaning…The distinguishing mark of Hebrew poetry is a correspondence in thought, or parallelism, between one line and the following line; or between one section and the following section” (Robertson McQuilkin, Understanding and Applying the Bible, 199). To put it another way, parallelism is a literary device in which the poet gives us part of a line (A), and then gives us the next part of the line (B), in such a way that the content of (B) has some connection to the content of (A). This connection is done, primarily, in three ways:
1. Synonymous parallelism - similar thought in (A) is repeated in (B) with no significant addition. For example:
a) Ps. 73:1, (A) Truly God is good to the upright… (B) To those who are pure in heart.
b) Prov. 1:20, (A) Wisdom lifts her voice in the street…(B) She lifts her voice in the square
c) Gen. 4:23, (A) Adah and Zillah, listen to me… (B) wives of Lamech, hear my words
d) Luke 1:46b-47a, (A) My soul praises the Lord… (B) And my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour
2. By antithetic parallelism - thought in (B) is contrasted to or opposed to the thought in (A). For example:
Prov. 10:1, (A) A wise son brings joy to his father… (B) But a foolish son grief to his mother
Prov. 15:2, (A) The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable…(B) But the mouth of fools spouts folly.
3. By synthetic parallelism - thought in (B) extends, advances, adds to, makes clear the thought in (A). For example:
Ps. 22:2, (A) O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer… (B) And by night, but find no rest
Isa. 55:6-7, (A) See the Lord while he may be found…(B) Call upon him while he is near (55:6); and (A) Let the wicked forsake his way…(B) And the unrighteous man his thoughts (55:7)
Each of these forms of parallelism is evident in, for example, Psalm 1. The characteristics of the godly person are advanced by synthetic parallelism in verse 1, and contrasted with the unrighteous person by antithetic parallelism in verse 2. The Psalm then proceeds to unfold a powerful picture of the righteous person, who is like a tree planted by the water etc., in contrast to the wicked person, who is like chaff that is easily blown away. The space given to describing the righteous is so much greater than that given to describe the unrighteous, that the psalmist thereby indirectly discloses his viewpoint as to whom we should be like, a viewpoint which is made explicit at the end of the Psalm.
In summary, Long points out, “The rhetorical effect of the poetry of the psalm, then, is to create two contrasting spheres of activity in the awareness of the reader or hearer. One sphere is filled with frenetic, desperate, directionless motion which quickly fizzles. The other is still, steady, calm, rich with the quiet and strong action of the wise person reflecting upon Torah. An effective sermon on this psalm may well be one which not only describes this contrast but also recreates its visual and emotional impact in the hearers” (Long, 51).
Let me point out just two:
1. Symbolism – e.g. Prov. 11:22, “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout … is a beautiful woman without discretion.”
2. Figures of speech. How do we know when the poet is using a figure of speech and not speaking literally? Let me give you three criteria:
(a) There is a mismatch between the subject and predicate – e.g. “God is our rock.”
(b) The predicate attributes to the subject actions that are not possible in the real world – e.g. “the mountains clapped their hands.”
(c) The poet is giving dramatic emphasis, heightened feeling, memorability. Types of figures of speech include simile, metaphor, parable, allegory, irony etc.
In the next edition of this Journal, I will turn from the analytical and theoretical analysis of the Psalms (i.e. the structure of the Psalms) to the practical by investigating certain aspects of preaching poetic literature.
This is a continuation of my series on biblical, pastoral leadership based on Paul’s exhortations in 2 Corinthians. You can read the other articles in this series in the following editions of this Journal, in this order: Spring 2013, Summer 2012, Summer 2013, Fall 2013, Winter 2014, Spring 2021.
Having expounded various fundamental aspects of pastoral ministry - confidence in ministry, the nature of authentic ministry, and the motivation for ministry - the apostle Paul now relates all of this to us at a practical level. Notice the following observations…
1. The Ministry of Reconciliation Applied to Us (5:18a). For those who have been transformed into “new creations in Christ” a whole new era has dawned, “The old has passed away, behold, the new has come” (5:17b). And the source of this massive, historic transformation is God himself - “All this is from God…” (5:18a). The One who brought all things into being at the original creation is the One who re-creates believers into “new creations” in Christ. Just as the work of creation was God’s alone, so the work of re-creation is God’s alone, effected through the agency of Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5; Jn. 14:6; Acts 4:12).
But it doesn’t stop there. Additionally, not only did God re-create us into a brand new image in Christ, but He also “…through Christ reconciled us to himself” (5:18a). Our re-creation by God in Christ necessarily leads to our reconciliation to God himself through Christ. The two ideas go together – our re-creation by God and our reconciliation to God.
Thus, reconciliation is part and parcel of being made new creations in Christ, for once we are made new, we receive new lives that are consistent with the life of God and, thus, reconciled to God. Sin is no longer a barrier to that relationship. That sinful nature that made us enemies of God, sons of disobedience etc. (Eph. 2:1-3), has been put to death and we have been raised up to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4). Our relationship to God that was formerly irreconcilable (viz. sinful creatures vs. a holy God) has been reconciled to God through Christ’s death (Rom. 5:10; Eph. 2:13).
Though man is responsible for fracturing the relationship in the first place through sin, God is all-powerful and all-loving and, in a past eternity, conceived the plan of redemption so that, through the death of his Son, “He might be just and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). The One who sovereignly created us has also sovereignly re-created us (Eph. 2:10) and reconciled us to himself (Rom. 5:10; Col. 1:21).
2. The Ministry of Reconciliation Committed to Us (5:18b-19). Having been made new creations in Christ and reconciled to God through Christ, He “gave us (committed to us) the ministry of reconciliation” (5:18c). Those who have been reconciled to God have been given the enormous privilege of “the ministry of reconciliation...” Our reconciliation to God through Christ becomes the basis and thrust of our ministry. Only those who have been reconciled to God are given this ministry of reconciliation, by which we declare the message of reconciliation so that others are enabled to be reconciled to God and to one another.
This, in a nutshell, is the ministry which we have been given and to which we have been called. This is the treasure that is born by and in earthen vessels. This is the glorious new covenant ministry, a message of reconciliation to God, “…that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself…” (19a).
Paul now expands on 5:18. God not only acted “through Christ” (i.e. Christ was the agent of reconciliation) but God also acted “in Christ” in this reconciling work - i.e. God was one with Christ in it; what Christ did, God did. The act of reconciliation was a united act of the Trinity, whose members are always one in thought, purpose, and action.
Further, the scope of reconciliation now broadens from “us” (5:18) to the world – “that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself” (5:19a). The reconciling act of God in Christ had in view making possible not only the reconciliation of “us” (5:18) but also the reconciliation of “the world” to himself. That Paul is referring to the world at large is reinforced by his use of the pronouns “their” and “them” (i.e. the world) in contrast to “we” and “us” (5:16, 18) - “…not counting (reckoning) their trespasses against them” (19b). This is not universal salvation (see my article on 2 Cor. 5:14-17 in Issue 39 of this Journal) but the universal scope / availability of reconciliation – past, present, and future. In the past, God provided and completed the only basis for the reconciliation of the world to himself, viz. through and in Christ and his finished work on the cross. In the present, God is now reconciling to himself all people who receive his offer of salvation and reconciliation, viz. elect believers. In the future, God will reconcile all things to himself at the end of the age, “according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Eph. 1:10; cf. Col. 1:20).
In summary, the argument in 5:18-19 goes like this: God has savingly “reconciled us (who are new creations in Christ) to Himself (5:18a) and, consequently, He “gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (5:18b), which is “that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses to them and (to emphasize the point) has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation” (5:19).
Those who have actually been reconciled are given a new covenant “ministry of reconciliation” (5:18b), which is declared in “the message of reconciliation” (5:19b) This is a commitment by God to us - He has entrusted to us this message, this word, of proclamation. That’s our ministry! The good news of reconciliation that God accomplished in and through Christ on the cross, He has committed to us to proclaim. Clearly, the implication is that our ministry is a ministry of proclamation that has the same scope as the work of reconciliation itself - namely, universal.
3. The Ministry of Reconciliation Declared by Us (5:20-21). “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We plead / implore (“you” is not in original) on Christ’s behalf, ‘Be reconciled to God’” (5:20). We who have been experientially, savingly reconciled to God through Jesus Christ are his “ambassadors for Christ” in this ministry of reconciliation.
So, how is this ministry of reconciliation to be carried out? It is carried out in the same way as an ambassador carries out his duties. An ambassador is a diplomatic representative of the government or ruling monarch of his country, which he represents in another country. He communicates the position or wishes of his government or monarch to the government or monarch of the country to which he is sent.
We are “ambassadors for Christ.” We are his representatives in the world, authorized to speak his message on his behalf. We are his voice in the world, “God pleading (making his appeal) through us…”. When we, as ambassadors for Christ, fulfill our ministry and proclaim the message of reconciliation by pleading with people to be reconciled to God, it is, in fact, God who is speaking through us, because we speak his message as disclosed in his Word, with his authority, empowered by his Spirit.
The preaching event, then, is equated by Paul with the actual words of God! When we faithfully declare the message that has been entrusted to us, God is actually pleading with people through us. This is incarnational preaching, preaching that embodies the truth and manifests God himself through us. Ministry is not something that is detached from us like a job. Rather, it is integral to who we are; it is part and parcel of our personality, character, behaviour, and nature. That’s why the declaration of what God has done in and through Christ is such a personal and passionate thing.
Thus, when we preach, we actually “plead / beseech / implore…”. We don’t just speak as in a lecture or a conversation; we plead with people as if their life depended on it, for their lives do depend on it. “We plead on Christ’s behalf,” speaking and acting as his authorized ambassadors to the world, “Be reconciled to God.”
The word “plead / beseech / implore” carries with it the connotation of urgency, passion, concern, persuasion. That must be the character of our ministry, declaring a message which lost people desperately need to hear, the urgency of which is dictated (1) by the brevity of the time available to believe it; and (2) by the prospect of judgement that will fall on those who refuse it. So, our ministry responsibility is to tell people how they can be reconciled to God, namely, through the sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection of Christ on their behalf (5:14-15).
Although the thrust of this paragraph is our declaration of reconciliation to unbelievers (cf. 5:11, 14-15, 19), nonetheless, God’s own people need this message of reconciliation as well, not just lost people (see 6:1-2). God's people need to be constantly reconciled to God, not because they lose their salvation, but because they lose their fellowship, their communion with God by acting, speaking, and thinking in ways that are contrary to his nature and character. God’s people sometimes backslide and don’t live like Christians. We enable such people to return to God and progress in their sanctification by proclaiming a message of reconciliation to them on Christ’s behalf.
What good would it do to entreat people to be reconciled to God if the basis and means of their reconciliation were not made known? So, we not only plead with them to be reconciled to God (i.e. to experience saving reconciliation), but we also explain to them the basis on which they can be reconciled – namely, because “for our sake He (God) made Him (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (5:21). Those who are new creations in Christ and are savingly reconciled to God, do not have their sins charged to their account because their sins are charged to Christ’s account (cf. 5: 21). God made the sinless One (cf. Heb. 4:15; 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 Jn. 3:5) “sin for us…”. In other words, the justice and wrath of God on account of our sin was vented upon Christ instead of us. He was our substitute. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5). Christ was “offered once to bear the sins of many” (Heb. 9:28).
Notice that it does not say that God made Christ a sinner or sinful. No! As Philip Hughes puts it, “to conceive of Christ as sinful, or made a sinner, would be to overthrow the very foundation of redemption, which demands the death of an altogether Sinless One in the place of sinful mankind. But God made Him sin: that is to say that God the Father made His innocent incarnate Son the object of his wrath and judgement, for our sakes, with the result that in Christ on the cross the sin of the world is judged and taken away” (Philip Hughes, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, NICNT, 213).
Just as Christ did not become a sinner or sinful, so we do not become righteous. Rather, we “become the righteousness of God in Him.” Divine righteousness is attributed to us. We receive his righteousness and are declared righteous (i.e. justified), but we do not become righteous because we are still capable of sin and do sin from time to time. Notice that our righteousness (and, thus, our reconciliation to God) is “in him.” We are wrapped up in him, identified with him in his death and resurrection. Our life is in him. Our hope is in him. God sees us perfect in him - “as he is so also are we in this world” (1 Jn. 4:17). Nonetheless, as far as our standing before God is concerned (as opposed to our state which may vary), we are viewed in, and have been credited with, “the righteousness of Christ,” so that we are no longer subject to condemnation because we are “in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).
Christ was the only one who could make reconciliation with God possible, for He alone was the sinless One who alone could offer the only sacrifice for our sins that would be acceptable to God (cf. Matt. 3:17; 17:5). Only a perfect man could take our place, since the life of another imperfect sinner would not satisfy God’s holy demands, for God demands the death of sinners - “the soul that sins shall die” (Ezek. 18:20). Only someone who lived a sinless life and needed no reconciliation Himself could and did willingly offer His own life as our substitute before God – He took our place, died instead of us and for our good, namely, that we could be reconciled to God.
He became sin for us, the purpose of which was that “…in him we might become the righteousness of God.” The exchange is thus complete. He became sin for us and we become righteous in him. This is what is sometimes called the double imputation. Those who receive this message of reconciliation have their sins imputed to Christ (He became sin for us by paying the debt of our sin at the cross) and his righteousness imputed to them (we become the righteousness of God in him), the benefit of which is that we are viewed by God as perfect in Christ. As Peter puts it, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sins and live to righteousness” (1 Pet. 2:24; cf. Rom. 4:6; 1 Cor. 1:30; 1 Pet. 3:18). This great exchange made it possible for God to “be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26).
So, it can be seen, that the basis and means of our reconciliation to God is the substitutionary, self-sacrificial, atoning death of Christ on the cross, which death made it possible for sinful human beings to have their sins washed away (expiated) and stand before God forgiven and justified as new creations in Christ.
This is the wonderful transformation that the gospel affords. This is the gospel in a sentence. This is the basis and means by which God has made the ministry of reconciliation, the gospel, possible – namely, by the substitutionary death of Christ. What a message we have to proclaim! What an exchange we have to offer! No wonder we must, as “ambassadors for Christ,” plead with people to receive it!
Final Remarks
This, then, is our pastoral ministry, “The Ministry Of Reconciliation: The Reconciliation Of All People” (2 Cor. 5:18-21). It is our responsibility as preachers of God’s word and leaders of Christ’s church to declare this message. The message of reconciliation which has been applied to us (5:18a) and committed to us (5:18b-19), is to be declared by us (5:20-21). Are you preaching this message? Do others through your ministry know how to be reconciled to God? Are others being reconciled to God through his Son as a result of your ministry?
Title: Learning from Jesus, Part 1, Defeating Temptation (Matt. 3:13-4:11)
Theme: To defeat temptation, we need to be armed with he Word of God
Point 1: We need to be prepared to face temptation
1a) … by submission to the Word of God (3:13-15)
1b) … by the anointing of the Holy Spirit (3:16)
1c) … by the affirmation / blessing of God the Father (3:17)
Point 2: We need to be prepared to resist temptation
2a) Satan attacks God’s proclamation and provision (14:3-4)
2b) Satan attacks God’s power and protection (14:5-7)
2c) Satan attacks God’s purposes and plans (4:8-10)
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
In the last edition of this journal (Summer 2021), I introduced you to some of the literary characteristics of Hebrew poetry. We examined the following…
A. The types of Psalms
B. The rhetorical purpose and function of the Psalms
C. The rhetorical structure of Hebrew poetry
D. The literary devices in Hebrew poetry
In this edition, I will give a brief overview of two additional aspects preaching Hebrew poetry…
In general, make sure that you interpret and apply each Psalm in a way that is consistent with its theological and historical context. While the plight or complaint of the psalmist and God’s people in general may also be our plight or complaint, nonetheless we must make sure that we do not always try to make a direct transfer from the psalmist’s context to ourselves. For example, unlike the psalmist, we are not waiting in despair and hope for the future Messianic redemption – rather, from our place in redemption history, the Messiah has already come! This, therefore, gives us a different perspective, even though we face similar life-circumstances perhaps.
Nonetheless, preaching Hebrew poetry helps our audiences to gain a biblical and practical perspective in several areas of life application.
1. Hebrew poetry describes real events and experiences. Take, for example, David’s sin of adultery, following which his conscience tormented him day and night with a profound awareness of his guilt (Ps. 51:3). Indeed, he expresses the intense psychosomatic effect of inward silence and outward groaning as he tried, for a period of time, to cover up his sin (Ps. 32:3-4).
These Psalms describe a very raw and real experience. Though you may not have committed this kind of sin, nonetheless I think we can all testify to experiencing similar afflictions of the soul due to sin in our lives until we confess it, repent of it, and get right with God and those we have offended.
2. Hebrew poetry acts like poetic music, inspiring us to see our life situation from an eternal perspective. For example, Habakkuk 3:17-19 is a wonderfully poetic motivation for maintaining our hope in God, even when our lives and the future seem bleak.
3. Hebrew poetry activates our emotions by identifying with the writers’ personal experiences and responses. For example, we identify with the perplexity of the psalmist concerning the apparent prosperity of the wicked in Psalm 73 in comparison to his own situation.
In biblical poetic literature, the whole spectrum of human emotion is covered. It’s important to bring this out when you preach biblical poetry since we are emotional creatures and we need to know how to express our emotional responses to various life situations before God.
4. Hebrew poetry stretches our imagination. Not only has God made us with emotion but also with imagination. When you preach biblical poetry, try to close your eyes and mentally reconstruct the scene, appropriately and discreetly. Here are three poetic characteristics that will help you in this area:
a) Identify figures of speech - they help you to picture the situation of the writer. Psalm 40:1 describes the movement of the writer, as someone else described it, “From the mire to the choir.” In the way that the writer has expressed his situation, you can imagine him literally climbing out of the pit of despair and beginning to sing God’s praises (cf. also Ps. 42:1; Lam. 1:14). It’s important to be able to see and understand figures of speech, like personification, simile, metaphor etc.
b) Note frankness of speech – it helps you to grasp the seriousness of the writer. In Jeremiah 20, Jeremiah is in the stocks (20:2) as he recalls God’s promise to protect him. In 20:7-10, the writer is in despair, then in 20:13 he’s hopeful, and then in 20:14-18 despair again. This transparency in expressing the vicissitudes of emotional responses helps you grasp the seriousness of the writer’s life situation and his response to it.
c) Appreciate the fullness of speech – it indicates to you the subject of the writer. For example, after exhorting Israel to repent (Hosea 14:1-3), the writer describes the full range of God’s restoration of Israel – their renewal from apostasy, their revival to new life, and their restoration to God (Hosea 14:4-7).
5. Hebrew poetry helps us with interpretation. We are aided in our interpretation of Hebrew poetry by recognizing its use of various poetic literary devices, such as…
a) Parallelism. I already discussed this at some length in the previous edition of this journal (Summer 2021). Just to add to those comments, the essence of Semitic poetry is its parallel construction. Hebrew poetry is largely based on the echo principle – the writer calls out and it is repeated back like and echo. For example, Psalm 1:5, “The wicked will not stand up in the judgement (the call out)…. nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous (the echo).” Notice that “the wicked” equates to “sinners” (synonymous parallelism) and “judgement” contrasts to “the assembly of the righteous” (antithetic / contrasting parallelism). Thus, the writer, by way of poetic parallelism, is describing the truth that the wicked will not participate in the assembly of the righteous when they are raised for judgement.
b) Repetition. Here are a few examples:
Psalm 136, “His faithful love endures forever” (repeated as a refrain in each of the 26 verses).
Isaiah 5, “Woe to those who…” (repeated 6 times in 5:8, 11, 18, 20, 21, 22), culminating with “woe is me” (6:5). It’s easy to proclaim woe on others, but we need to include ourselves.
Amos 4: “Yet you did not return to me. This is the Lord’s declaration” (repeated in 4: :6, 8, 9, 10, 11), culminating with the warning, “…prepare to meet your God” (4:12).
c) Word plays. Jeremiah 1:11 uses the symbolism of an almond tree. The almond tree was known as the “watching / awakening tree” because it was the first tree to bloom in spring. Hence, in a play on words, God says, “I am watching” (Jeremiah 1:12) – one letter different from the word used for almond tree. Every year Jeremiah saw the almond tree bloom, and God was still watching over his word to fulfill it.
Again, in Amos 8:1, God showed the prophet a basket of summer fruit. This was the last fruit of the season. Hence, God says, “the end has come” (8:2). Most of us read the O.T. in a translation in our own language, which makes it difficult for us to see and bring out word plays.
d) Figures of speech. Psalm 1 likens a godly person to “a tree planted beside flowing streams” (v. 3) in contrast to an ungodly person who is like “chaff that the wind blows away” (v. 4). Thus, through the use of simile, the contrast is clear – the godly person is morally and spiritually stable, strong, immovable, while the ungodly person is morally and spiritually unstable, fragile, changeable, and unfruitful (cf. also Isa. 17:12-13 re: chaff).
f) Acrostics. An acrostic is a composition that uses letters of the alphabet to form a word or phrase. This literary device acts as a memory system. Probably one of the most well-known of these biblical acrostics is Psalm 119, in which each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet serves as the opening letter of 8 verses about the Scriptures. Similarly, the book of Lamentations is composed completely in acrostic format.
6. Hebrew poetry enables us to…
a) Memorize the Word – e.g. walk, sit, stand (Ps. 1)
b) Meditate on the Word – “The Lord is my Shepherd”
c) Minister the Word by, for example, preaching either a single sermon (e.g. Psalm 23) or series (e.g. Psalms of ascent, 120-134) or by preaching one of each type of Psalm.
7. Hebrew poetry provides illustrations by...
a) Quoting a biblical writer to illustrate a point – e.g. “As the Psalmist says…” or, “As the Song of Solomon puts it…”
b) Explaining a figure, symbol, or picture – e.g. Ps 23:1, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”
c) Applying a verse to another Scripture. E.g. Ps. 107:29 applied to Matt. 8:23-27.
8. Hebrew Poetry provides patterns for us to imitate, such as…
a) Confession of sin (e.g. Psalm 51)
b) Confidence in the Lord (e.g. Psalm 27:3)
c) Celebration of God’s glory – for example…
Ps. 19:1-6, God’s glory in creation
Ps. 106, God’s glory in history
Mic. 7:18-19, God’s glory in redemption
If you preach a series on the Psalms, it is useful to give an introductory sermon on the types, settings, structure, and theology of the Psalter. Then, as you prepare your sermon…
1. Look for the summary verse of the passage, a key verse that summarizes or puts into perspective the whole passage. For example, in Psalm 73, the psalmist observes the lives of ungodly people in comparison to his own life (73:1-14) and cannot understand why the wicked seem to prosper, “…until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end” (73:16-17). Everything came into perspective when he realized that God is sovereign and in control. He does judge the wicked.
You see the same development with Job. He complained that God’s power was visible in creation but that His word was only faintly heard and his actions hard to understand (Job 26). But later Job realized that God’s ways can only be properly understood when we hear him personally, which, of course, is exactly how he finally understood God’s ways in his life when God spoke to him out of the whirlwind (38:1).
2. Look for the theological emphasis of the passage. We learn much of our theology from the poetic literature of the Bible. Hence, we need to find the theological perspective of the book and of the specific passage within the book. Then, our job is to relate that theological perspective to the realities of life. As Graeme Goldsworthy points out, “The Psalms, then, reflect upon the saving deeds of God and upon human failings… Some of the psalms rehearse salvation history, others simply extol God’s greatness, and still others cry out in distress with a longing for restoration” (Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture, 196-197).
If you are going to preach theology from the poetic books, this will often require you to preach a theological topic, drawing on other texts to complement the particular passage. For example, the poetic books raise the big questions about life and articulate the complaint, but they don’t always give a definitive, enduring answer. Job certainly got an answer from God but it was only partial. It is one thing to say: “Job you need to trust my sovereignty.” That is true, but we are looking for a more concrete answer. For that, we, as preachers, must turn to the prophets and the N.T. where we find a definitive theology of the meaning and purpose of life, the apparent injustices of the human experience, and where God is in all this. There we find that the answer to the quest for meaning and deliverance from our circumstances is the provision of a “Messiah.”
1. An Appeal For The Reconciliation Of God's People To God (6:1-2). “We then, as workers together with Him, also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain” (6:1). Our ministry of reconciliation is not only directed towards unbelievers, but towards God’s people as well (cf. comments on p.10). The Corinthians certainly needed to be reconciled to God after the debacle that had occurred in their church – that’s the context (cf. 1 Cor.). In ministry, we are “God’s co-workers” (1 Cor. 3:9), “working together with him” (2 Cor. 6:1a). It is his ministry and we work with him as his ambassadors, his spokespersons, his representatives.
As such, we not only proclaim a message of reconciliation to the world, but a message of reconciliation to God’s people. We plead with the world to “be reconciled to God” because their relationship with God is fractured, distant – they have never been reconciled to God. And “we also appeal to you (Corinthian believers), ‘Don’t receive the grace of God in vain’” (6:1b). They had at one time “received” the grace of God – i.e. been reconciled to God through his grace in Christ. But evidently these Christians were not now living like reconciled people. It seemed as though they had received the grace of God “in vain” – i.e. they didn’t look or act like people who had been reconciled to God.
How is it possible to receive the grace of God in vain? Is Paul insinuating that they had never really, genuinely been reconciled to God at all, that their profession of faith was disingenuous? No, there is never any question in the apostle’s mind that they were genuine believers.
Is Paul saying that they had once been saved but now were lost again? Hardly, since this would contradict the plain teaching of the N.T. as to the eternal security of the believer (e.g. Phil. 1:6; 1 Pet. 1:5; Jn. 10:27-30).
Is Paul still speaking to “the world” (2 Cor. 5:19) and not to believers? No, the wording of this verse (2 Cor. 6:1) indicates that he is turning his exhortation to a different audience than in the previous chapter, since (a) he now addresses “you” not “them” (cf. 2 Cor. 5:19); (b) “also” would indicate that he is applying what he has just said to someone else; and (c) “receive the grace of God in vain” must surely have in view those who have already made a profession of faith – not “the world” who have not “received the grace of God” at all, much less “in vain.”
So, why does the apostle exhort them here to not “receive the grace of God in vain”? Well, I suppose because their behavior and theology were questionable. As to their behaviour, it was clearly worldly in nature - their divisions, boasting over sexual immorality, suing one another in court, divorcing etc. That would certainly call into question the sincerity of their faith. And as to their theology, the Corinthians appeared to be accepting a corrupted gospel (2 Cor. 11:3-4; cf. Gal. 1:6-9). That would make the apostle question the sincerity of their faith. They were living for themselves and not “for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:15). That would certainly render the gospel of no effect in their lives and testimonies. Their activities were like “wood, hay, straw” and not “gold, silver, costly stones” (1 Cor. 3:10-15). That would render the gospel practically void in their lives.
It seems then that the apostle Paul is questioning the sincerity of their profession of faith because of these things – their behavior and theology. Thus, he is urging the Corinthians to live in a way which is consistent with those who have “received the grace of God,” so that their faith would not be empty, void, fruitless; so that their behaviour and thinking would not contradict their profession; so that they would not to turn away now from what they had heard from him and previously received; so that they would not prove to be like Eve who was led astray by Satan’s deception “from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3).
It is so easy to turn the grace of God into carnality, lewdness and, thus, render your faith fruitless, empty, void of reality, power, and substance. It’s so easy to say you believe the gospel of Christ and then to act contrary to that belief. I suppose to some extent we are all guilty of that from time to time when we allow sin in our lives. But “if we confess our sins he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9), so that such sin does not become a practice with us, is not characteristic of us; so that we do not render the grace of God null and void, of no effect, mere vain words without reality.
And by way of reminder, Paul says: “For He says: ‘At an acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation” (6:2). Quoting from Isaiah, Paul reminds the Corinthians that there was a day of salvation set by God when he would proclaim the good news to them; that “acceptable time” when God heard them and helped them; the time when the gospel had been proclaimed to them by Paul, God’s ambassador; that time when they responded to the message of reconciliation, when they “received the grace of God.”
“Now is the acceptable time.” “Now” means the present age of grace, the age in which they had responded positively to the call of the prophet Isaiah (cf. Isa. 49:8). “Now” is “The acceptable year of the Lord” (Lk. 4:18-19; cf. Isa. 49:8-9; 61:1-2). This is not the “times of ignorance” (Acts 17:30) which God overlooked, but the time that God has appointed in which he “now commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). It’s the acceptable time because God has appointed it – “when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son…” (Gal. 4:4). That’s why it is the acceptable year of our Lord, the year of our Lord’s favor, because Christ has come and the fullness of the gospel has been made known.
“Now is the day of salvation.” It is the present period of God’s grace through Christ, when He is calling people to repent and believe the gospel. So, don’t forget the day of your salvation. It was a day appointed by God, a significant day on your calendar. We should always remember what God did for us in Christ and when that became reality in our lives as the result of God's sovereign appointment. Hence, don’t live now as though the grace of God was in vain. That’s the point!
So, first, Paul makes “An Appeal For The Reconciliation Of God's People To God (6:1-2). And then he makes…
2. An Appeal For The Reconciliation Of God's People To God's Minister (6:3-7:16). Not only did the Corinthians need to be reconciled to God by demonstrating that they had not “received the grace of God in vain,” but they needed to be reconciled to the one who had brought them the good news of the grace of God – Paul himself. The greatest commendation of the apostle is his authenticity in ministry (cf. 2:17; 4:2). So, firstly, he appeals for their reconciliation to him based on his commendable ministry, by reminding them of his exemplary life that commends the ministry and the minister. And, secondly, he appeals for their reconciliation to him based on his pastoral heart, by reminding them of his care, devotion, and sensitivity.
a) An appeal for reconciliation based on a commendable ministry (6:3-10). “3 We are not giving anyone an occasion for offense, so that the ministry will not be blamed. 4 Instead, as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything…” (6:3-4a).
If the Corinthians were living and thinking in ways that were contrary to the gospel, whose grace they had received, and if they were distancing themselves from the apostle for wrong reasons, then they must consider the life and ministry of the man who had preached that gospel to them. No pleading with his audience (6:1-2) is of any value if the minister of the gospel does not lead an exemplary personal life. No reconciliation with God's people would be possible if the minister himself is not authentic. Indeed, the authentic minister does not want anything in himself to detract from or hinder the work of the gospel. God's minister must not give “anyone an occasion for offense” that would hinder the reconciliation of God's people to him. “We are not giving anyone an occasion for offense, so that the ministry will not be blamed” (6:3).
What good would it be for a minister to entreat the people of God to live lives that are pleasing to God (lives that show that the “grace of God” is authentic in them – i.e. not “in vain”) if the minister himself was not doing so? And what good would it be for the minister to appeal to his people to be reconciled in their relationship to him if his life and ministry were disingenuous in any way (i.e. not credible; hypocritical)?
Thus, Paul says, “Working together with him (Christ), we also appeal to you, ‘Don’t receive the grace of God in vain… We are not giving anyone an occasion for offense... Instead, as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything” (6:1-4a). Paul wanted to stress to the Corinthians that what he was expecting of them was first true of him. He had not given anyone an occasion for stumbling or to take offence or to denigrate the gospel. This does not mean that people would not take offense at what he said from time to time (for the preaching of the authentic minister of Christ is “offensive” in the sense that it hits people in areas where they fail, are weak, inconsistent; it pricks people’s consciences; it says what they do not want to hear).
Rather, “as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything.” The minister’s personal life (behaviour, speech, attitude, relationships etc.) must be fully consistent with the message of reconciliation which he preaches in order for those who hear (both believers and unbelievers) to not find anything that would obstruct their acceptance of the message.
Does your life and testimony commend you in all aspects of your ministry? Your preaching can be neutralized so easily by a wrong word, an improper relationship, questionable ethical practices, inappropriate humour, hypocrisy etc. You can be so easily characterized among those who are “holding to the form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:5).
A commendable ministry overcomes a diversity of circumstances, such as (i) physical suffering (6:4c-5), (ii) ethical standards (6:6-7b), and (iii) paradoxical realities (6:8-10).
(i) Physical suffering is characterized here “by great endurance, by afflictions, by hardships, by difficulties, by beatings, by imprisonments, by riots, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times of hunger” (6:4b-5). No matter what the circumstances (cf. 2 Cor. 4:8-11), Paul endured as “one who sees him who is invisible” (Heb. 11:27). He pursued as his goal “the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14). He had his eye on the ultimate goal and on the One he served (not on people or circumstances). His focus was unwavering (cf. Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:16-18; Phil. 3:8-14).
Those of us in ministry can certainly attest to the demands of ministry which require “great endurance,” be it emotional demands, circumstantial trials, spiritual attacks, relational disruptions, physical demands etc. This is what is so commendable about Paul’s ministry in the face of so much suffering and opposition and hardship.
Our ministry is commendable when we endure physical suffering (6:4b-5). Physical suffering has three aspects - physical adversity, physical opposition, and physical deprivation. Such endurance of contrary circumstances is highly commendable and evidence of a minister’s authenticity, for who would endure such suffering if you weren’t genuine.
Physical adversity is described as “afflictions, hardships, and difficulties” (6:4b). This triplet uses three interconnected (almost synonymous) terms to describe the sufferings in general that attend ministry.
“Afflictions” connotes more than simply troubles. It seems to be a general term for suffering of all kinds. Vine defines afflictions as sufferings due to the pressure of circumstances or the antagonism of persons (1 Thess. 3:4; 2 Thess. 1:6, 7). It seems to have an almost eschatological connotation (e.g. Matt. 24:9). Invariably, Vine says, it refers to “that which comes upon them from without” (W. E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of N.T. Words, 30, 31.) It seems to be closely related to anguish, distress, calamities.
Paul’s “afflictions” are recorded in Acts (e.g. 14:22; 20:23; cf. also 2 Tim. 3:11) and he makes frequent reference to them in his epistles (e.g. Rom. 8:35-36; 2 Cor. 1:4, 8; 2:4; 4:8, 17; 8:2, 13; 1 Thess. 3:3). Paul takes comfort that his sufferings were an extension of “Christ’s afflictions” (Col. 1:24). It is simply part and parcel of ministry life (2 Tim. 4:5). Jesus warned that “in the world you will have tribulation” (Jn. 16:33) and that is certainly true in ministry.
“Hardships” refers to dangers and difficulties that befall us, while “difficulties” conveys the sense of being pressed into a narrow place from which you cannot escape, So, physical suffering includes physical adversity and also…
Physical opposition is described as “beatings, imprisonments, and riots...” (6:5a) This triplet focuses on the mistreatment we may suffer at the hands of those who oppose us – suffering as a result of persecutions, violence, and hostility. “Beatings” obviously refers to whipping or blows, of which the apostle suffered many. “Imprisonments” are suffering as a result of false accusations - specifically, being thrown into prison for the sake of the gospel (cf. Acts 16:24; 24:23-27; 28:16, 30). “Riots” has to do with disturbances and mob attacks and the like, such as we read about often in the book of Acts (cf. Acts 13:45; 14:19; 17:5; 18:12-17; 19:29; 21:30; 22:22-23; 23:10).
So, suffering for the sake of ministry includes physical adversity, physical opposition, and…
Physical deprivations are “...labors, sleepless nights, hunger...” (6:5b). This last triplet describes the physical consequences that may befall one who is so wholly devoted to the ministry that he suffers from overwork in hard circumstances (e.g. strange, foreign places), and the deprivation of rest and food. “Labours” implies deprivation of rest, physical exhaustion from long hours and hard work (cf. 1 Thess. 2:9). “Sleepless nights” obviously is the deprivation of sleep, perhaps due to the places Paul had to sleep (e.g. on board ships), or due to his concern for the people, or due to the workload (cf. 2 Cor. 11:27), particularly of someone who was bi-vocational. “Hunger” is the deprivation of food and nourishment, again, perhaps because of his workload he didn’t have time to eat or, perhaps because he couldn’t afford to eat (cf. 1 Cor. 4:11-12; 2 Cor. 11:27).
So, the work of the ministry is one that requires “great endurance” for in it, from time to time, we will face and must endure physical sufferings in its various aspects, such as physical adversity, physical opposition, and physical deprivations. I will continue this study in the next edition of this Pastors Journal.
Title: Learning from Jesus, Part 2, Confessing His Identity (Matt. 16:13-23)
Theme: When we know Jesus, we must be prepared to confess who he is and what he has done
Point 1: Jesus ask a question about his identity (16:13-20)
1a) “Who do people say that I am?” (16:13-14)
1b) “Who do you say that I am?” (16:15-20)
- Peter’s great confession (16:16)
- Jesus great revelation (16:17-20)
Point 2: Jesus prophesies about his sufferings (16:21-23)
2a) Peter’s rebuke of Jesus (16:22)
2b) Jesus’ rebuke of Peter (16:23)
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
In this edition of the NET Pastors Journal, I will begin to explore the topic of preaching Gospel narratives. The four Gospels, which comprise almost half of the N.T. on a percentage basis, are centered on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ (Mk. 1:1; Matt. 1:1; Acts 1:1-2; Jn. 20:31). Since Jesus Christ is the central figure of all four Gospels, it makes sense that our interpretation and preaching of the Gospels reflect that Christocentric priority.
In the Gospels, Jesus Christ is portrayed as the fulfillment of the Law, the second Moses, the Coming One of whom the prophets wrote. Therefore, when we approach any Gospel passage, we need to ask first: “What does it tell us about the good news of Jesus Christ, His love for us, His mission, His suffering, death, and resurrection, His coming kingdom, His will for us and society?” (Sidney Greidanus, “Preaching in the Gospels”, 333).
In addition, we need to ask what role other characters play in the Gospels? I think it is fair to say, that, whenever other characters enter a narrative scene in the Gospels, such characters are there to enhance and advance the message and ministry of Jesus and our understanding of him. For example, if you were preaching on John 6:1-14, what Andrew and Phillip said and did in response to Jesus’ question (6:5) is important from the perspective of the story. Thus, we need to explain that in order to properly understand the story. Nonetheless, the focus of the narrative is on who Jesus is and how he manifests himself in the narrative event. We learn that Andrew and Phillip really didn’t know Jesus, because if they had known him they would not have said and done what they did. The point of the narrative is that since Jesus is God, (1) he could make loaves out of stones (to feed the crowd), or (2) produce money from a fish’s mouth (to buy bread), or as they discovered (3) he could multiply five small loaves and two fish to feed a multitude. The answer to his question is that Jesus didn’t need to buy bread because he is the Creator God. That’s what I mean by the Christocentric interpretation of that episode.
While the primary focus of the Gospel narratives like this one is to record the Gospel writers’ theology about Jesus’ divine nature and character, is that everything they want to teach us? Or, are there practical lessons that we learn from them that we can apply to our own lives? I would argue that the secondary characters, like Andrew and Phillip, in the Gospel narratives play a very important role not only in highlighting Jesus’ life and ministry, but also in recording human limitations, need, sin, unfaithfulness etc., especially in their relationship to, and understanding of, Jesus. While we must be careful not reduce these Gospel narratives to merely moral lessons, nonetheless, surely the authors also recount the details about these secondary characters with the intention that in them we see ourselves (our unbelief, limited understanding and distrust of Jesus) and in them we see real life examples with whom we can identify in their spiritual and theological struggles to understand who Jesus truly is. While this may not be the primary function of the Gospels it is, nonetheless, an important one.
Jesus’ ministry centered on “preaching the gospel of kingdom” (Matt. 4:23; 9:35; Mk. 1:14-15; Lk. 4:43), a kingdom that is “near you” (Lk. 10:9, 11), has “come upon you” (Matt. 12:28), is “at hand” (Matt. 3:2;10:7) and “within you” (Lk. 17:21), because the King was present. Likewise, Jesus commissioned his disciples to preach the same message (Matt. 10:7; Lk. 9:2), a message which they wrote in their Gospels for our benefit. This Gospel message, of course, continued to be preached by the apostles as recorded in the Acts (cf. Acts 28:31) and the epistles.
In the Gospels the long looked-for redemption in the O.T. finally arrives. All the types and shadows of this redemption (in the sacrifices etc.) come to their fulfillment in Christ. This final, once-for-all sacrifice is placed in historical context in the Gospels – the prophesied message and event actually unfold in history (i.e. become reality) beginning with the announcement by the last of the O.T. prophets (John Baptist) that the Messiah was coming (Matt. 3:1ff.), and continuing with his birth, life, teachings, death, resurrection, and ascension. Now, we look back on those events, and our preaching task is to bridge the gap of time, culture, and theological perspective.
The “gospel” means good news, the good news about Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:1) and proclaimed by him (Mk. 1:14-15).
1. Literary Style. The Gospel genre is unique to the four Gospels and, to some degree, Acts – at least, Acts continues the basic episodic literary style as it reports on the growth of the Christian church after Jesus’ ascension. Notice the following literary characteristics of the Gospels…
a) The Gospels are narratives (collections of short stories). That’s the form the Holy Spirit chose to communicate the message about and by Jesus, undoubtedly so that we enter into the story and not just to learn a set of historical facts. Hence, they communicate the sights, smells, sounds, imagination. Each Gospel, therefore, is comprised of a series of short stories, some of which are linked together to form a section on the same theme.
b) The Gospels are biographical, although perhaps not in the form that we might be used to. The Gospels were written to communicate theological history, centred in Jesus Christ. Hence, they are Christological, theological, and biographical.
c) The Gospels are “sermonic” (homiletical) in style, reflecting the preaching of Jesus and his disciples.
d) The Gospel writers chose their historical material selectively. Each Gospel presents its own unique account of Jesus’ life and ministry, by narrating certain selected episodes (i.e. not every episode) of Jesus’ life and teachings from a particular perspective. A comparison of the differences in each record of the same event is a good indicator of the evangelist’s perspective.
e) Each Gospel writer wrote to suit his particular theological purpose. For example, in John 20:31, while John’s aim is evangelistic, it is not solely evangelistic in that once one believes in the Son of God, one must then live with him and in him and for him. Thus, the gospel writers recorded the historical facts and presented those facts in order to convince us to believe and “have life in his name.”
f) Each Gospel writer wrote to present his particular theological perspective about Jesus – his life, teachings, and mission. Thus, Matthew presents Jesus as the Messiah and his kingdom. Mark presents Jesus as the perfect, suffering Servant. Luke presents Jesus as the Son of Man (i.e. Jesus’ perfect humanity). John presents Jesus as the Son of God (i.e. Jesus’ deity).
Because each writer presents a different perspective, their stories begin at a different place. Matthew begins with Jesus’ genealogy and birth. Mark begins with the message of John the Baptist (no birth narrative). Luke begins with John the Baptist’s birth and then Jesus’ birth. John begins with Jesus’ pre-incarnate existence.
g) The Gospel writers arranged their material differently. Each gospel event is not necessarily chronological in arrangement - sometimes it is topical. This explains the different sequence of material in each gospel. They also have variations in wording, which reflects the fact that these accounts are not made from tape recordings - i.e. not necessarily word-for-word but paraphrased or condensed. Nor did they report everything that Jesus said or did (cf. Jn. 21:25). This explains how Jesus could sometimes speak for hours but what is recorded only takes a few minutes to read (e.g. the Sermon on the Mount).
h) The common emphasis in each of the Gospels is on the last week of Jesus’ life. This topic comprises the largest amount of material on a percentage basis. For example, the last week of Jesus’ life in John’s gospel begins in chapter 12. Thus, we conclude that the Holy Spirit directed the Gospel writers as to what to include and how to arrange it.
i) The Gospel genre is not a carry-over from the O.T., but there is continuity with the O.T. - for example in the following ways:
(i) The continuing topic of salvation history.
(ii) Both the O.T. and the Gospels, broadly speaking, contain narrative history, parables, law, apocalyptic, miracle etc.
(iii) The Gospels record the fulfillment in Christ of the O.T. expectation and, thus, the prophetic sayings. Nonetheless, as far as genre goes, I would argue that “gospel” is a unique genre.
2. Literary structure and characteristics. Three of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are called “synoptic” (literally, “seen together, look alike) Gospels, because they contain similar material, whereas John’s Gospel is entirely different.
The Gospels are compositions of short stories each of which says something about Jesus, some of which are linked together in series to form bigger stories, and all of which constitute one large story. Hence, when reading the Gospels, ask yourself:
a) What does the short story tell us about Jesus?
b) What is the writer telling us in the bigger story (i.e. the combination of short stories), taking into account the context of went before and what comes after.
For example, take the series of three short stories recorded in Luke 10:25 to Luke 11:13 (see Duval and Hays, Grasping God’s Word, 248-249)…
a) Luke 10:25-37 recounts the episode about the lawyer who wants to inherit eternal life.
The context of this interaction begins with the lawyer’s question to Jesus: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (10:25) and is carried along by his second question: “Who is my neighbor?” (10:29). Jesus answers this second, self-justifying question by way of a parable concerning “a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho” (10:30-35).
The theological principles that we learn from this episode are:
(i) Our neighbor is anyone in need.
(ii) Love for our neighbor is not limited by race, religion, money, nationality.
b) Luke 10:38-42 recounts the story of Jesus’ visit in the home of Mary and Martha.
The theological principle that we learn in this episode is that sometimes we can be so busy working for Jesus that we neglect our relationship with him.
c) Lk. 11:1-13 recounts Jesus’ teaching on prayer in answer to the disciples request, “Lord, teach us to pray” (11:1). Here we learn the theological principles that…
(i) Prayer is directed to God the Father and is an expression of reverence of God (11:2).
(ii) Prayer includes requests to God for our daily needs, the forgiveness of our debt of sins, and the request for protection from temptation (11:3-4).
(iii) We can be bold in our prayers (11:5-8).
(iv) Prayer is an expression of trust in God as our Father to answer when we ask, guide us as we seek, and open the way when we knock (11:9-10).
(v) As a loving Father, God delights to grant our prayer requests (11:11-13).
The common thread running through these separate but theologically and topically linked short stories is “relationships.”
a) Lk. 10:25-37. Love and serve those in need (i.e. our “neighbor,” our fellow human beings) regardless of who they are and our preconceived hang-ups about them.
b) Lk. 10:38-42. Always put your personal relationship with, and devotion to, Jesus ahead of religious (ministry) activities.
c) Lk. 11:1-13. Talking to God in prayer is a wonderful privilege, expressing our love of God and our dependence upon Him for our daily needs.
Final Remarks
I hope that this introductory article on preaching Gospel narratives is a help to you in understanding “Gospel genre: Its literary style, structure, and characteristics.” Next time, I will continue this study by providing some interpretive hints and principles that will help you further in your understanding and preaching of Gospel narratives.
We continue our study of the wonderful pastoral instructions that Paul writes to the church at Corinthian. The passages in this series that we have covered so far are structured as follows…
2 Cor. 2:14-3:6, Confidence in ministry (Spring 2013)
2 Cor. 4:1-16, The Nature of Authentic ministry:
Pt. 1, The nature of the message, 2 Cor. 4:1-6 (Summer 2012)
Pt. 2, The nature of the ministry, 2 Cor. 4:7-16 (Summer 2013)
2 Cor. 4:16-5:17, The Motivation for Ministry
Pt. 1, Our future transformation, 2 Cor. 4:16-5:9 (Fall 2013)
Pt. 2, Our accountability to God, 2 Cor. 5:10-13 (Winter 2014)
Pt. 3, Christ’s sacrificial love, 2 Cor. 5:14-17 (Spring 2021)
2 Cor. 5:18-7:16, The Ministry of Reconciliation
Pt. 1: The reconciliation of all people, 2 Cor. 5:18-21 (Summer 2021)
Pt. 2, The reconciliation of God’s people, 2 Cor. 6:1-7:16
1. An appeal for the reconciliation of God’s people to God, 2 Cor. 6:1-2 (Fall 2021).
2. An appeal for the reconciliation of God’s people to God’s minister (6:3-7:16).
a) An appeal for reconciliation based on a commendable ministry, 2 Cor. 6:3-10 (Fall 2021 and Winter 2022).
b) An appeal for reconciliation based on a pastoral heart, 2 Cor. 6:11-7:16 (to come in subsequent editions).
In the last edition of this Journal (Edition 41, Fall 2021) we ended our study at 2 Corinthians 6:5, part way through the section 2a (above): “An appeal for reconciliation based on a commendable ministry.” We noticed that a ministry is commendable by the way it …
(i) Sustains physical suffering (6:4-5).
(ii) Maintains ethical standards (6:6-7).
(iii) Endures paradoxical realities (6:8-10).
Last time, we covered (i) a commendable ministry sustains physical suffering (6:4-5), so we will continue this study with…
ii) A commendable ministry maintains ethical standards (6:6-7). Ethical standards serve to identify and affirm “God’s ministers” (6:4) who display a commendable ministry. Ethical ministry is marked 6...by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, through weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left” (6:6-7). When duly exemplified and upheld, these ethical standards characterize a commendable minister and ministry. As God’s ministers, the apostles had “commended themselves in everything” (6:4) by overcoming a diversity of physical suffering (as we noted last time, 6:4-5) and by enduring in their ethical standards.
Let’s examine these ethical standards by which a commendable ministry is known…
“…by purity” (6:6a) means that we, as God’s servants, maintain our ethical standards by upholding and practicing holiness of life. We are to live beyond reproach, having nothing in our lives for which we can be justly discredited. We are people of moral integrity. This, obviously, is fundamental to making our ministry commendable.
“…by knowledge” (6:6b) refers to our understanding, especially of spiritual things, that undergirds our ministry. Our knowledge of God's truth must be the basis for our ethical standards and behaviour.
“…by patience” (6:6c). Ministry takes a lot of patience especially with those who oppose us and who often do not have a sound, biblical knowledge base from which to argue. Paul himself was dealing here with those in the church at Corinth who criticized and opposed him. He knew all about the test of patience.
“…by kindness” (6:6d) is the mercy and grace and gentleness of Christ. Patience and kindness undoubtedly enabled Paul to handle and respond appropriately when he suffered physically from those who opposed him, and when he suffered emotionally from those who knew him and should have treated him better (e.g. the Corinthians). It has been pointed out that “patience is reactive, kindness is proactive.” (P. Barnett, cited in David E. Garland, 2 Corinthians, 308). No doubt these two moral qualities described Paul’s example in all circumstances, whether facing opposition and persecution of the enemies of the gospel, or the criticism and rejection of God's people. He demonstrated the same example of Christ who “when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly” (1 Pet. 2:23).
“...by the Holy Spirit” (6:6e). Some suggest that this refers to the human spirit. But to the contrary, the Holy Spirit is often connected to the qualities of holiness, patience, kindness, knowledge etc. (cf. Rom. 14:17; 15:13; 1 Cor. 12:8; Gal. 5:22). The Holy Spirit is, after all, the One who enables us to display these ethical graces. Paul certainly exemplified the fruit of the Spirit in and by the power of the Spirit.
Proper ethical standards can only be adequately manifested by those who are “filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18) and, thus, empowered by him to live and minister for God. Indeed, the ensuing phrases “the word of truth” and “the power of God” and “the armour of righteousness” (2 Cor. 6:7) would further support the view that Paul is here referring to a divine person, the Holy Spirit, as the divine agent who empowers us as ministers to live out these behavioural qualities.
“...by sincere love” (6:6f). Genuine love is another building block of a commendable ministry. Sincere love is love without hypocrisy, unfeigned love. Indeed, perhaps Paul had in mind a sharp contrast with the Corinthians whose love for him was hypocritical, conditional, and occasional.
“...by the word of truth” (6:7a), the Scriptures. Possibly, Paul may also be referring to the Word spoken in truth. But probably he is speaking here of the Word of God which is the truth and declares the truth.
“...by the power of God” (6:7b). Just as a minister who upholds ethical standards in his ministry is enabled to behave in exemplary ethical ways by the power of the Holy Spirit, so also “by the power of God.” We have no strength of our own to be able to live exemplary lives for God in ministry. We can only do so to the extent that we walk “in the Spirit” and are propelled “by the power of God” not our own strength (cf. Rom. 1:16; 15:19; 1 Cor. 1:18; 2:4-5; 1 Thess. 1:5).
“...by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left” (6:7c). We are not only empowered by God (6:7b) for ministry, but we are also protected by God in the spiritual warfare of ministry by the spiritual “armour of righteousness” which he provides to us (cf. Eph. 6:11-17). “On the right hand and on the left” seems to indicate that we are protected for every situation no matter where the attack comes from, no matter what circumstances the attack occurs in, and no matter what form it takes, whether we are the subject of “glory” or “dishonour,” “slander” or “good report” (6:8).
Thus, Paul in these eight ethical characteristics has contrasted genuine ministers to the frauds, the false apostles who were criticizing him. The genuine minister of the gospel maintains his ethical behaviour and standards without wavering.
So, a commendable ministry is known by how it (i) overcomes physical suffering (6:4-5), (ii) maintains ethical standards (6:6-7), and...
(iii) A commendable ministry endures paradoxical realities (6:8-10). Here Paul describes nine paradoxical situations through which he perseveres and despite which his ministry was still commendable. With the word of truth, the power of God, and the righteousness of God as his weapons of warfare for attack or defence, he is able to withstand any situation, whether true or untrue, whether complimentary or uncomplimentary, whether encouraging or discouraging.
“...through glory and dishonor; through evil report and good report” (6:8a). Paul certainly knew what it was to endure diverse and contrasting appraisals of himself and reports of his ministry. One moment people were falling down to worship him as a god; the next moment they were stoning him to death (e.g. at Lystra, Acts 14:8-19). Some reports were praiseworthy of his ministry; others were discrediting. Some reports were just plain evil and misrepresentations; others were good. But, no matter whether others honored him or dishonored him, spoke well of him or evil, Paul endured with his ministry because his focus was on being commendable to God.
The list of continues but now there are two antithetical paradoxes – i.e. antitheses between how others viewed him and who he really was…
“...regarded as deceivers, yet true” (8:b). Despite the accusations of his enemies who considered him a deceiver, and despite the inferences of the Corinthians that he was not telling the truth (e.g. 2 Cor. 1:17-20), the reality was that he spoke the truth in love. Others (presumably the false apostles) may consider him (and accuse him of being) a deceiver, leading people down the garden path, but the truth is that what he proclaims is true. So, don’t let the accusations of others deter you from the ministry.
“...as unknown, yet recognized” (6:9a). While he did not strive for fame or public acclamation, nonetheless, he was undoubtedly known by reputation if not direct contact. More specifically, those who were not near to him (or actually opposed him) didn’t really know his pastoral heart and his upright character. To that extent he was “unknown.” And furthermore, he wasn’t the kind of person who easily exposed his inner thoughts and feelings (as he does in this epistle). But to those to whom he ministered in tangible and personal ways, he was well known. His motives were well known, his message, his ethics, his principles, his way of life, his devotion to God, his unswerving preaching of the gospel.
Now the antithetical paradoxes switch to complementary paradoxes…
“...as dying, yet see – we live” (6:9b). Death was always a imminent reality in Paul’s ministry - it was a vocational hazard. It was the consequence of the hardships which he faced (2 Cor. 4:8-10; Acts 11:24-25; 16:19-26). It was also the reality of living in the “fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, being conformed to his death” (Phil. 3:10; 2 Cor. 4:11).
“…as being disciplined, yet not killed” (6:9c). The hardships and opposition and persecution that Paul had experienced throughout his ministry are regarded by him as God’s “discipline” (1 Cor. 11:32; Heb. 12:6). These trials which God caused him to pass through, severe though they were, stopped short of death itself. In the context of this passage, it seems that Paul is citing these extreme experiences as those in which “commendable” ministers demonstrate who they are by their distinctly Christ-like response, accepting such circumstances as the chastening hand of God for their benefit and growth.
“...as grieving yet always rejoicing” (6:10a). Despite Paul’s positive outlook on life and ministry, that does not mean that he did not experience sorrow. (e.g. 2 Cor. 2:1-3; Rom. 9:2; Phil. 2:27). But he was able to face grief with an unshakable joy.
“...as poor yet making many rich” (6:10b). Paul plied his trade of tent maker in order to live. No doubt such a trade did not make him a rich man. Nor did he get rich from preaching the gospel (2 Cor. 2:17; 4:2; cf. Phil. 4:12). In fact he chose to be poor in order not to be indebted or a burden to anyone (2 Cor. 11:9;12:6) nor to discredit the gospel (Acts 20:33-35). But he made many others rich spiritually through his ministry to them (1 Cor. 4:8; 2 Cor. 1:6).
“...as having nothing and yet possessing all things” (6:10c). Despite his poverty, he isn’t crying foul. He possesses everything in Christ. He is rich (Phil. 4:12).
Final Remarks
The purpose of Paul’s description of these characteristics of a commendable ministry and a commendable minister is that “the ministry will not be blamed” (6:3). Commendable ministry can withstand the light of scrutiny by anyone because such ministers conduct themselves admirably in a variety of difficult and oppressive circumstances, such as sustaining physical suffering (6:4-5), maintaining ethical standards (6:6-7), and enduring paradoxical realities (6:8-10).
By inference Paul is contrasting genuine and commendable ministers with disingenuous and fraudulent ministers. As one commentator puts it, “Paul assumes that the gospel is discredited by those ministers who are lustful, impure, ignorant, overbearing, indignant, rude, unkind, and hypocritical in their love, cultivating those whom they think can benefit them in some way. Such ministers have neither the Holy Spirit nor power of God” (David E. Garland, 2 Corinthians, 310).
May we be challenged by this study to ensure that our own ministries are blameless and without offense by conducting ourselves in a way that brings glory to God.
Title: Learning from Jesus, Being Influential Christians, Pt. 1 (Matt. 5:13)
Theme: Influential Christians are those who make a difference for God in the world
Point 1: We fulfill our mission when we influence the world for God (5:13a)
“You are the salt of the earth.”
1a. We are to be a life-giving influence in a corrupt and dying world
(i) … by preserving the world against the decay of sin
(ii) … by purifying the world from the infection of sin
1b. We are to be a distinct influence in an immoral and irreligious world
(i) … by permeating the world without losing our identity
(ii) … by flavoring the world without being distasteful
Point 2. We fail in our mission if we become unusable in the world by God (5:13b)
“But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet”
2a. We can become unusable if we lose our purpose for God in the world
– i.e. by becoming like salt that “loses its taste.”
2b. We can become unusable if we lose our value for God in the world
– i.e. by becoming “good for nothing.”
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
This series on “Strengthening Expository Preaching” started with the Fall 2018 edition (Issue 29) of this NET Pastors Journal. The purpose of this current series is to build on what we learned in the previous series (“The Essentials of Expository Preaching,” Issues 1-28, Fall 2011 to Summer 2018). So far in this current series we have covered the following topics:
1. Strengthening sermon introductions (Fall 2018)
2. Strengthening sermon conclusions (Winter 2019)
3. Strengthening sermon illustrations (Spring 2019)
4. Strengthening sermon applications (Summer and Fall 2019)
5. Strengthening biblical interpretation (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall 2020)
6. Strengthening preaching Hebrew narrative (Winter and Spring 2021)
7. Strengthening preaching Hebrew poetry (Summer and Fall 2021).
8. Strengthening preaching N.T. Gospel (Winter 2022).
In the Winter 2022 edition, I covered Section A, “The Gospel Genre: Its literary style, structure, and characteristic.” In this edition I will continue with the same topic, moving on to section B…
I have been particularly helped in this section by the work of Graeme Goldsworthy (“Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture,” 222-232), Sidney Greidanus (“Handbook of Contemporary Preaching,” 329-343), and J. Scott Duval and J. Daniel Hays (“Grasping God’s Word,” 249-253).
1. Be aware of differences in perspective. Interpretation is affected by perspective. Our perspective differs from that of the Gospel writers due in large part to the cultural, chronological, theological, and linguistic gaps between them and us. When we preach the Gospels, therefore, we need to be aware of these differences and interpret them appropriately.
The first question to ask ourselves is: “What is the theological thrust or intent of the Gospel writer?” I think we are safe to say that the overall message of all of the Gospel writers is the kingdom of God. Indeed, as Sidney Greidanus writes, “all four Gospels tie this central message of the kingdom of God to the person and work of Jesus Christ…This all-encompassing good news – that in Jesus Christ the kingdom of God is coming near, has come, and will come - calls for a theocentric-Christocentric interpretation of each individual preaching-text from the Gospels” (“Preaching in the Gospels,” 332).
2. Start with textual analysis. Textual analysis helps you gain a better understanding of the structure and content of the story.
As to structure, typically, the Gospel stories are structured around four progressive sections:
(1) The life situation, context, or background.
(2) The problem or issue at hand.
(3) The conflict or climax.
(4) The resolution.
(5) The conclusion - an application, lesson, or challenge.
In the structure, you want to learn what drives the story forward – is it questions, fear, opposition to Jesus etc.?
As to content, you can fairly easily analyze its context, characters, places, and events by asking six standard questions of the text:
(1) Who are the characters involved? – either named or unnamed.
(2) What takes place?
a) The background of the story.
b) The issue involved (e.g. a healing or a storm etc.).
c) The progression of events.
d) What the characters said or did or how they reacted etc.
(3) When did this take place? – the time of day or season of year, during a Jewish festival or at a wedding etc.
(4) Where did this take place? – on the lake, at a private home, in a city, in the synagogue etc.
(5) Why did the events of this story take place? – to perform a miracle, to expose someone’s faith or lack of faith, or because of doubt about who Jesus was etc.? In this analytical step, look for any clues the author may give as to the purpose of the story. These clues may be given at the beginning or end of the story. Take the example (from Duval and Hays) of Mark 4:35-41 where the final question by the disciples indicates that Mark included this event to teach and reinforce who Jesus was. He was not merely a rabbi but God himself, who alone controls and directs his creation.
(6) How does the story unfold? – to answer someone’s need or question, to show Jesus’ power over nature or his intervention in a crisis etc.
Another helpful analytical tool is to take note of the use of repetition in the story. This is an interpretive pointer in all biblical literature not just Gospels - the repetition of a word, phrase, or theme. Repetition is used by the author to drive the point home unmistakably.
3. Determine the universal, theological principle of the story. Once you have carefully analyzed the story’s structure and content, then you need to draw it together into the overall principle it is teaching. Here you are answering the question: “What is the point of the story?” In particular, what is the theological point the author is making by including this story and telling it as he did? Is it about relationships or faith or unbelief etc.? Is there a lesson in the story that we need to learn? Is our reaction to Jesus mirrored in the reactions described in the story?
Sometimes the Gospel writers emphasize a point through a series of stories. For example, Luke 15 contains three parabolic stories: (1) The lost sheep; (2) The lost coin; and (3) The lost son. Our job is to determine the common theological point that connects them. That one story is connected thematically to the one before or the one after can often be determined by the setting, the characters, the themes (e.g. the common theme in Lk. 15 is “lost” and “found”).
Once you have determined the theological principles, try to state them in ways that are relevant, applicable, and personalized to your audience today. This is what we need to preach – the theological point that is applicable to all audiences for all time. It’s easy to retell the story itself for your audience, but our job is to tell them more than that. Our job is to flesh out the principles of the story, not only as they relate to the characters in the story but more particularly as they relate to us. We need to answer the question: “What does this have to do with me?” In so doing, be sure to be faithful to the text itself within the context of the larger story of Scripture.
Final Remarks. These steps are critical when you are preparing to preach a Gospel narrative. It is not acceptable to merely retell the story and draw some moral applications from it. You must understand the Gospel writer’s theological perspective and Christocentric focus, analyze the story’s structure and content, and determine the theological principle of the story as a whole as well as of each scene of the story. Then you are ready to prepare your sermon and appropriately apply the story’s principles to life today.
The subject of the ministry of reconciliation unifies the entire section from 2 Corinthians 5:18 to 2 Corinthians 7:16, as follows:
A. The reconciliation of all people (2 Cor. 5:18-21).
B. The reconciliation of God’s people (2 Cor. 6:1-7:16)
(1) Their reconciliation to God (2 Cor. 6:1-2).
(2) Their reconciliation to God’s ministers (6:3-7:16) - for reconciliation to God can only be fully and properly accomplished by reconciliation to the pastor as well, for he is God’s ambassador (5:20).
In this study we will examine 2 Corinthians 6:11-18 and continue our study of this section in following editions.
First, let me make some introductory comments here about the structure of the passage we are about to study (2 Cor. 6:11-7:16) because there has been extensive debate among textual critics as to whether this was written by the apostle Paul and, if it was, whether it contains a fragment from another letter. The reason for this debate is that the language of 6:11-13 changes so abruptly in 6:14-7:1. Indeed, 7:2 seems to carry on from 6:13, with 6:14-7:1 as an unconnected insert. But in fact, the flow of thought can be traced throughout the passage without any need to conjecture that 6:14-7:1 is a fragment from some other document or an editorial insert. Indeed, the phrasing of 7:3 (“for I have already said that you are in our hearts”) is a clear reference back to 6:11-13 and infers that he has said something else in between.
This section, then, is the climax of an integrated treatise about Paul’s apostolic ministry that began in 2:14 and finishes in 7:16. As David Garland astutely points out, rather than being a digression, this final section that we are studying sums up his whole argument with a climactic appeal. Hence, the list of imperatives: (a) “Be reconciled to God “(5:20); (b) “We appeal to you ‘Don’t receive the grace of God in vain’” (6:1); (c) “Open your heart to us” (6:13); (d) “Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe” (6:14); (e) “Come out...be separate...do not touch” (6:17); and (f) “Make room for us in your hearts” (7:2) [see David Garland, 2 Corinthians, New American Commentary, 322-323].
First, Paul’s appeal to them is based on…
1. A Pastoral Appeal of Love (6:11-13). “11 We have spoken openly to you, Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide. 12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13 I speak as to my children; as a proper response, open your heart to us.”
This address to the Corinthians is unique in Paul’s letters to them. Perhaps he uses this mode of address to express the love he feels for them in his heart and to make his appeal particularly personal by calling them by name. Paul has been frank and transparent with them not only in his speech but also in his affections. He has spoken openly to them because of his love for them. No doubt his straightforward speech is motivated by the danger that they faced if they pursued the course they were on. The greater the danger, the more overt and frank are our warnings, as we know when we supervise children. The openness of his heart toward them has never changed despite their sinful practices which needed stern rebuke. His love for them and his rebuke of them are not mutually exclusive – he does not express and feel love for them only when they are going on perfectly and properly for the Lord (although that would undoubtedly be his preference).
In appealing to them as their pastor, he stresses his love for them - “our heart has been opened wide” (6:11). But love must be reciprocal. While “we are not withholding our affection from you,” he says, “you are withholding yours from us” (6:12). Thus, Paul further appeals to them to reciprocate his love – “open your hearts to us” (6:13). The fervency and genuineness of his affection for them had not wavered; whereas their love for him had dissipated, or at least was not evident. This is not unusual for someone who has been severely rebuked and who is living a lifestyle that is the polar opposite of the one who has rebuked them.
It is instructive how Paul communicates this rebuke to them. He does so in the context of expressing and assuring them of his love for them (6:11-13; 7:2-4). This is a timely reminder to us, that in order for rebuke to be accepted and effective, it must be done in the spirit of love. When dealing with believers who are sinning, while we must discipline them if there is no repentance (cf. 1 Cor. 5), nonetheless we must balance discipline with Christian affection lest we engage in some sort of legalistic chastisement, effectively making them stand in the corner until they repent, or cutting them off until they change. In all cases, we must “speak the truth in love.”
Paul appeals to them as a father to his “children” (6:13) that they reciprocate his love. It is natural and normal for children to love their parents. They were his spiritual children. To them, he had preached the message of reconciliation and they had received it. They were the beneficiaries of Paul’s ministry, both in terms of their salvation and their on-going church ministry. Now they were in danger of throwing back in his face this great blessing as having been in vain. Hence, this pastoral appeal of love is followed by…
2. A Pastoral Appeal of Admonition (6:14-18). “14 Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15 What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, as God said: ‘I will dwell and walk among them, and I will be their God,
and they will be my people. 17 Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you. 18 And I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
This appeal of admonition seems to spring out of nowhere in the flow of thought of this passage. And yet, as I mentioned earlier, it seems from the context to be directly related to (a) the preceding verses (6:11-13) concerning the withdrawing of the Corinthians from Paul (and their coincident drawing near to the false apostles or, at least, coming under their influence - cf. chapters 10 and 11); and (b) the issues that had been raised in the first epistle that were marked by worldliness. For, if anyone needed to heed this admonition for holiness it was the Corinthians, who were dividing into parties (1 Cor. 1), boasting about sexual immorality in the church (1 Cor. 5), suing one another in court (1 Cor. 6), practising sexual immorality with prostitutes (1 Cor. 6:15-20), engaging with idolatry (1 Cor. 8 and 10), and abusing the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 11:17-34). These issues and what they needed to do about them were the substance of his first letter and this exhortation in 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 is another iteration of those instructions concerning their sinful, worldly lifestyle and practices.
In order for the relationship of the Corinthians with Paul to be fully restored, they would need to demonstrate that they had separated themselves completely from evil. Their love for Paul could only be fully expressed by them if they demonstrated it by their obedience to him, specifically, by their separation from the world (6:14-7:1), for love and holiness go together; love can never overlook sin. The most genuine expression of their love for him would be to do what he instructs them, for as Jesus said, “the one who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me” (Jn. 14:21).
It is quite reasonable, then, to assert (and indeed it fits with the whole tenor and subject of both epistles) that 6:11-7:16 is Paul’s final pastoral appeal to these people to now be reconciled to him, especially since they had evidently taken at least some of the steps necessary to separate themselves from evil (e.g. disciplining the man guilty of incest in 1 Cor. 5). And it makes sense that this kind of appeal would come at the end of his entire argument, which is concerned with the reconciliatory nature of pastoral ministry.
The problem is that the Corinthians were “yoked together with those who do not believe” (6:14), an association from which they must separate (6:15-18). Perhaps, and quite probably, this whole issue of unequal yoke was at the root of the problems in Corinth, causing such division and ungodliness. To be “yoked together” with a non-Christian is to be mismatched (lit. mis-mated) – to be joined with an unsuitable partner, as when oxen or horses in harness are mismatched and, therefore, do not (indeed, cannot) pull together in the same direction. They cannot work together, for how can two walk together unless they are agreed (Amos 3:3)? The yoke of the believer is Christ’s yoke, which is easy and light for those who are united with him (Matt. 11:30).
This admonition is not specifically alluding to marriage, although that would certainly be included. This is talking about any inappropriate association between believers and unbelievers. A “yoke” is a relationship or agreement that binds people together in close association with one another, a relationship that can only be harmonious and lasting if the parties are in agreement. Obviously, this is speaking specifically of agreement on spiritual things, but the principle surely applies in any relationship – it will not be happy and productive if the parties are not agreed (philosophically, spiritually, economically etc.). And typically, if one of the parties is a believer and the other an unbeliever, the influence of the unbeliever in the “yoke” overpowers that of the believer. As David Garland poetically puts it, “Those who harness themselves together with unbelievers will soon find themselves plowing Satan’s fields” (Garland, 331).
In this context, to be yoked to an unbeliever means an alliance - hence, the choice of words:
(a) “partnership” (14a) - sharing, participation (μετοξη)
(b) “fellowship” (14b) – communion (κοινωνια)
(c) “accord” (15a) - harmony, lit. “symphony” (συμφωνησις)
(d) “have in common” (15b) - share, part, portion (μερις)
(e) “agreement” (16a) – union (συγκαταθεσις)
For a Christian to be “yoked” together with a non-Christian is to form an intimate alliance between someone on the one hand who professes to be righteous in Christ, and someone on the other hand who lives in opposition to and in violation of the righteous law of God - i.e. “lawlessness” (6:14b). It is like trying to merge “light and darkness” (6:14c) into a common entity – impossible. It is like trying to force an accord between polar opposites, between “Christ and Belial / Satan”(6:15a), between a “believer” and an “unbeliever” (6:15b), between “the temple of God” and the temple of “idols” (6:16).
The rhetorical question in the text is: “How can a believer enter into a relationship that pretends to be a united, equal, common agreement with someone whose basic worldview and practice militate against it?” And the implicit answer is: “You can’t do it!” – at least you can’t do it and maintain a consistent Christian testimony or live a happy, productive Christian life. No, surely…
(a) We “share” in the Holy Spirit (Heb. 6:4) and, as God’s children, we “participate” in God’s chastening (Heb. 12:8).
(b) Our “fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ” (1 Jn. 1:3b; cf. 1:6), not with law breakers. Our “fellowship” is with “Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9) and with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:13), not with darkness or demons (1 Cor. 10:20).
(c) Our “agreement” is with the word of God (Acts 15:15) and with the church of God (1 Cor. 1:10-11; Matt. 18:19-20).
(d) Our “part” (share) is in “the saints’ inheritance” (Col. 1:12), not with unbelievers whose part is in the lake of fire.
(e) Our “agreement” (lit. union, common cause) is with the church of the living God (1 Tim. 3:14), not the temple of dead demons (2 Cor. 6:16b).
While Paul does not explicitly say what he is referring to here, an analysis of the contrasts that he draws (the fellowship of righteousness with lawlessness; the communion of light with darkness; the agreement of Christ with Satan; the commonality between a believer with an unbeliever; the agreement of the temple of God with the temple of idols) would seem to indicate that he has in mind primarily any association of Christians with pagan idolatry and sacrifices (cf. 1 Cor. 8:1-13; 10:14-33).
The whole imagery of a “yoke” eliminates applying this teaching to casual relationships, or else Christians would have to go out of the world altogether, which, as Paul says elsewhere, we do not have to do (1 Cor. 5:9-10). We are not to live in isolated communities separate from any contact with the world. Indeed, to do so would run counter to all Christ’s teaching regarding being salt and light in the world. What Paul is insisting on here is that Christians keep their Christianity (their spiritual values, ethical standards, relationships, practices, beliefs) separate and apart from worldly values, standards, relationships, practices, and beliefs. Indeed, to be yoked to an unbeliever is to form the closest and most permanent of relationships with someone who is, in fact, an enemy of the cross of Christ (Phil. 3:18).
The back-up support to Paul’s argument (6:16-18) comes in the form of miscellaneous, pieced-together quotations from the O.T. (Lev. 26:11-12; Ezek. 37:26, 27; Isa. 52:11; 2 Sam. 7:14; cf. also Deut. 32:18-19), which reinforce…
(a) The unity and exclusive relationship of God with his people: “I will dwell and walk among them and I will be their God and they will be my people” (6:16), which unity and relationship excludes anyone else.
(b) The call for separation from those among whom God does not dwell or walk: “Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you. And I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty” (6:17-18).
These O.T. quotations have to do with the worship of God, which must be done in complete separation from any “unclean thing” (Rev. 17:4; Lev. 5:2; 10:10). In other words, the worship of God and the worship of idols cannot under any circumstances be joined together. Since believers are “the temple of God”(1 Cor. 3:16) we cannot be joined to the temple of idols (2 Cor. 6:16). Only when we separate ourselves from such things and persons can and will “I welcome / receive you. And (then) I will be a Father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.”
Final Remarks. There is a delicate balance between separating from the world for the purpose of maintaining holiness to the Lord, and connecting with the world for the purpose of evangelization. Evidently, the Corinthians were well integrated into the world and not separate from it. Perhaps that is why we read nothing of persecution against the Corinthians. Instead, they were accepted as participants in pagan temple worship (1 Cor. 8:10) and engaged in sexual immorality (1 Cor. 5). Believers have no place in idol worship nor in any immoral or impure behavior, which, as Paul says, should not “even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints” (Eph. 5:3).
The balance seems to be that, on the one hand, we must separate ourselves so that we are neither “yoked” to unbelievers (i.e. do not come under their influence; not obligated to them; not indistinct from them; not corrupted by them; do not adopt their immoral practices), and yet, on the other hand, we must endeavour to develop relationships with them based on Christian kindness, honesty, love, purity, and grace such that they are receptive to our witness of Christ and the Gospel.
Title: Learning from Jesus, Being Influential Christians, Pt. 2 (Matt. 5:14-16)
Subject: Living effectively for God in the world
Theme: Influential Christians are those who make a difference for God in the world
I. Only Jesus’ disciples transmit the light of God throughout a spiritually dark world (5:14-15)
A. Only Christians transmit the light of God throughout the world... by virtue of who we are (14a)
1. We alone are His disciples (cf. Jn. 1:9; Jn. 8:12)
2. We alone are his representatives in the world (cf. 1 Jn. 4:17)
B. Only Christians transmit the light of God throughout the world... by virtue of what we know (14a)
1. We alone know what is hidden in the darkness (cf. 1 Cor. 4:5; Eph. 5:13)
2. We alone know the cause of the darkness
a) We know that we are living in the last days (cf. 2 Tim. 6:1-5)
b) We know that this is the time of deceiving spirits and doctrines of devils (1 Tim. 4:1)
c) We know that any false prophets are in the world (1 Jn. 4:1-3)
d) We know that “all have sinned...” (Rom. 3:23; Jn. 3:19)
3. We alone know the solution to the darkness
a) The solution to the darkness is the truth of God (cf. 1 Jn. 1:5-10; 1 Jn. 4:6; Jn. 1:17; Jn. 8:32)
b) Only Christians can answer the ultimate questions of life – who we are, where we came from, why we are here, where we are going
C. Only Christians transmit the light of God throughout the world… by virtue of why we exist (14b-15)
1. We exist to fill a specific position (5:14b)
2. We exist to fulfill a specific purpose (5:15)
Point 2: Only Jesus’ disciples transmit the glory of God throughout a spiritually dark world (5:16)
2a. By obeying Jesus’ command to let our light shone (5:16a)
2b. Bu doing good deeds that point to God as the source (5:16b)
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
Parables are not exclusive to the Gospels. Nathan, for example, used a parable to alert David to his sin (2 Sam. 12:1-10). Isaiah used a parable to indict the house of Israel (Isa. 5:1-7. Note that the parable is found in Isa. 5:1-6 and the application in Isa. 5:7). However, for the purposes of this article, I will deal with parables as a subgenre of “gospel.”
1. Definition And Structure Of Parables. A parable is a short story in which certain everyday experiences and characters represent certain moral or spiritual truths. Jesus frequently used parables to make a point. Typically, a parable begins by describing events or characters in a particular situation, and ends with a direct application or explanation of the story such that the hearers recognize its relevance to their lives. That’s why you often find strong negative reactions to Jesus’ parables, because they touch the consciences of the hearers.
2. Literary Forms Of Parables. In simple terms, a parable is a form of figurative language. Let me make the following distinctions…
(1) “True” Parables. By “true” parables I mean parables that follow the structure and definition that I have outlined above. Examples of “true” parables are: (1) The good Samaritan (Lk. 10:25-37); (2) The lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son (Lk. 15:1-32); (3) The great supper (Lk. 14:15-24); (4) The laborers in the vineyard (Matt. 20:1-16); (5) The rich man and Lazarus (Lk. 16:19-31); (6) The ten virgins (Matt. 25:1-13).
(2) Similes. Some parables take the form of extended similes where the subject and the thing with which it is being compared are distinct from one another and made explicit by using comparisons such as “like” or “as” - e.g. “The kingdom of heaven is like…” (Matt. 13:44-46). Examples of parables in the form of extended similes are: (1) Leaven in the meal (Matt. 13:33); (2) The sower (Matt. 13:1-23); (3) The mustard seed (Matt. 13:31-32).
(3) Metaphors. Some parables have features of an extended metaphor, in which, unlike an extended simile, the comparison between the subject and the thing with which it is being compared are implicit and inseparable – e.g. “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world,” (Matt. 5:13-14). While it could be argued that such statements are simply metaphors (and that would be true), nonetheless, in the context in which they are used I think it fair to classify some as having parabolic features in their structure and purpose.
3. The Purpose Of Parables. Despite the apparent simplicity of the parable form and content, there has been a lot of debate over what they mean. And indeed, there are parables which are difficult to understand, such as the parable of the dishonest business manager (Lk. 16:1-13). We read a story like that and ask ourselves: “What exactly did Jesus mean? Is he really commending the man’s dishonesty? Or, is there more to this story than initially meets the eye?” Even the disciples themselves questioned what some of Jesus’ parables meant (Mk. 4:10; Lk. 8:9).
Unfortunately, Jesus’ explanation of the significance of parables is itself a difficult statement to understand: “The secret of the kingdom has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven’” (Mk. 4:11-12; quoting Isa. 6:9-10). While this statement does not necessarily imply that this was the purpose for all Jesus’ parables, it does explain why he used some parables to present the divine secret concerning the nature of the kingdom of God, a secret whose meaning is revealed to those with divine life but withheld from those who adamantly refuse the truth.
Perhaps Jesus’ explanation is better understood in the context that his ministry had two diametrically opposite effects. As the apostle Paul puts it, for some hearers Jesus’ message in the parables was the “aroma of life leading to life” but for others the “aroma of death leading to death” (2 Cor. 2:14-16). Or, as the apostle Peter puts it, for “you who believe” Jesus is presented in the parables as “the stone that the builders rejected – the One who has become the cornerstone” but for unbelievers He is “a stone to stumble over, and a rock to trip over” (1 Pet. 2:7-8). In other words, Jesus’ parables forced people to take sides. You were either for him or against him. This was clearly the effect of many parables – they divided the people and in so doing revealed the truth of their hearts. As, Moises Silva points out, “The parables…when addressed to those who have set themselves against the Lord, become instruments of judgement. Thereby, ‘whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him’ (Mk. 4:25).” (Silva, An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics, 111).
Parables, then, serve the purpose of discriminating between those who heard Jesus - on the one hand to obscure the truth from those who rejected his words, and on the other hand to clarify the truth for those who responded positively to his words. For those who responded positively to his words, Jesus’ parables revealed God, his truth and his purposes for his people. For those who rejected Jesus and his words, parables were used by Jesus as instruments of judgement and a means of concealing the truth from them (e.g. Matt. 13:10-15; Mk. 4:11-12; Lk. 8:9-10). As Henry Virkler puts it: “The same parables that brought insight to faithful believers were without meaning to those who were hardening their hearts against the truth” (Virkler, Hermeneutics, 165). This is a similar teaching to 1 Corinthians 2 concerning the ability of the regenerate person to understand spiritual truth compared to the inability of the unregenerate person. The difference is that one has spiritual sight and the other is spiritually blind. Thus, parables have two objectives, or focal points – first to believers and second to unbelievers.
The purpose of parables is twofold: (1) to instruct the hearers about spiritual truths such as prayer, giving, etc. (e.g. Matt. 13:10-12; Mk. 4:11), and (2) to challenge them about improper, sinful, or hypocritical living (e.g. Lk. 7:36-50). In general, the purpose of parables is to reveal the truth about the listeners’ character and identity – who and what they are.
4. The Nature Of Parables. Probably the characteristic of parables that explains why Jesus used them so much in his teaching is that they were simple interesting stories about everyday life, which ordinary people could understand, with which they could identify, and from which they could learn.
Parables, therefore, reveal, clarify, emphasize, and apply spiritual truth to both the heart and conscience. The nature of parables is such that they make an impression on people’s minds and consciences which is far more dramatic, effective, and enduring than merely stating the point - e.g. the persistent widow and the unjust judge (Lk. 18:1-8), or the Pharisee and the publican (Lk. 18:9-14).
The nature of parables, then, is that they are a true-to-life short stories about familiar situations, persons, and events that compare one situation, person, or event to another in order to illustrate, illuminate, and teach an unfamiliar or unrecognized but important spiritual truth. By their nature, parables are indirect and demand a response from the hearers.
5. Understanding And Interpreting Parables. The parable is the message. It is told to address and capture the hearers, to bring them up short about their own actions, or to cause them to respond in some way to Jesus and his ministry. It is this feature that makes interpretation of parables difficult because it is somewhat like interpreting a joke - if you have to interpret it, it fails to be funny and intuitively obvious. As with the immediate appeal of a joke, the hearers of parables would have had an immediate identification with the points of reference that caused them to get the point of the parable.
Since we may not immediately get the point because of our distance from the time, culture, and language of the parables, they do not function in quite the same way for us as they did for the original hearers. However, by interpreting the parables properly we can understand what they understood.
Generally, the interpretation and application of the story comes at the end of the parable and is distinct from the story itself. For example, Luke 7:40-42, the three points of reference are: the money lender and the two debtors. The identification is immediate: (1) God is like the money lender; (2) the harlot and Simon are like the two debtors. The parable is a word of judgement calling for a response from Simon. The force of the parable is such that Simon could not miss the point. It should be noted that the points of reference themselves do not constitute the parable. They serve only to draw hearers into the story and to provide a point of reference with whom or with which they are identified. The point of the story is in the intended response. In this instance, a word of judgement to Simon and his friends and a word of acceptance and forgiveness to the woman.
Remember that all of Jesus’ parables are, in some way, the means Jesus chose to describe and proclaim the kingdom. Hence, we must be very familiar with the meaning of the kingdom in the ministry of Jesus.
6. Guidelines For Researching And Interpreting Parables. When the parables were first spoken they rarely needed interpretation since their point was intuitively obvious to the hearers. But because we were not there and because they are only in written form, we lack the immediate understanding of some of the points of reference that the original hearers had. Through the exegetical process, however, we can discover their point with a high degree of accuracy. What we need to do is translate that point into our own context (as Matthew did – e.g. 18:10-14; 20:1-16). One way you can do this in your preaching is to insert into the story contextually and hermeneutically appropriate contemporary points of reference.
While all the normal, traditional exegetical tools, procedures, and principles must be used in studying the parables in their context in order to deduce authorial intent, the parable genre seems to be so fluid, to have such variety, and to contain such multiple levels of meaning that they leave a great deal of flexibility in preaching. We should remember that our congregations today love the parable stories and usually find them as fascinating as the original audiences undoubtedly did. This underscores the power of narrative.
The golden rule (as with all exegetical research in preparation for preaching) is to not make the parables mean something that they were not intended to mean. This is a common mistake in interpreting parables – namely, trying to make every detail have a parallel alternative meaning (i.e. to allegorize your interpretation). The problem with allegorization as an interpretive method is that it is so subjective. Ten different people could come up with ten different meanings for each detail. A general rule for understanding and preaching parables is that, as a pastor friend of mine used to say, we should not try “to make parables walk on all fours” – i.e. not try to assign meaning to every little detail unless it is obvious from the parable itself.
Furthermore, allegorization, by trying to assign meaning to every little detail, often misses the overall point of the parable. In order to counter the allegorization method of interpretation, some scholars allege that each parable only has one point and that the details are merely narrative window dressing. But this is surely an oversimplification. For example, in the parable of the prodigal son, do not the son, the father, and the older brother each represent a different person? Parables can make a single point or multiple points, just as they can have multiple purposes, forms, and applications. However, though a parable may have multiple points of reference, each parable (like any other passage of Scripture) only has one theological point or principle that it is conveying.
7. A Balanced Approach To Interpreting Parables (adapted from Craig Blomberg, cited in Duval and Hays, 260f.).
(a) Look for the main point for each main character. All other details merely enhance the story. For example, in the parable of the prodigal son (Lk. 15:11-32), the prodigal son clearly represents sinners who turn to God in repentance and faith. The father represents God’s willingness to extend mercy and forgiveness. The older brother represents religious people – the Pharisees and scribes to whom Jesus was addressing the parable (Lk. 15:2), who think they alone are worthy of God’s grace.
Again, in the parable of the good Samaritan (Lk. 10:29-37), the man beaten by a robber represents the neighbor in need (this is the subject that Jesus is addressing, Lk. 10:29). The priest and Levite represent religious leaders whom you would expect to love their “neighbors” unconditionally but who may not truly do so. The Samaritan represents those whom you would not expect to love their “neighbors” with a different religious and cultural background but who may actually do so in a practical and public way.
(b) Determine the main point that the original audience would have understood. Do not read or interpret parables in isolation from what is going on around them. Check their literary context carefully. Invariably Jesus’ parables illustrate what was going on in the immediately foregoing issue or circumstance.
When trying to determine the main point of a parable, it is helpful to ask yourself some questions, like: (1) What response is being called for and generated? (2) Is there a surprise, a twist, a shock in the narrative? (3) How or what does the parable teach us about the kingdom – either directly or indirectly? (4) What is the Christological and theological focus and teaching? (5) What type of parable is it - a true parable, a simile, or a metaphor? (6) What are the various scenes and movements of the parable? (7) Who is the audience? (8) Who are the prime characters and whom do they represent? (9) What is the central theological point?
8. Some Further Hints for Interpreting Parables.
(1) Listen to the parable over and over. Identify the points of reference that would have been picked up by Jesus’ hearers. Try to determine how the original hearers would have identified with the story - what they would have heard and how they would have interpreted and applied it. Sometimes the meaning is stated explicitly in the parable; other times it is implied through the application (cf. Matt. 5:13; 18:21, 35; 29:1-16; 22:14; 25:13; Lk. 12:15-21; 15:7, 10; 18:1, 9; 19:11).
(2) Examine the context carefully. As with all solid interpretive methodology, examine carefully the context of each parable from the perspective that the writer has chosen to present his material. For example, the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (Matt. 20:1-16) comes immediately after the story of the rich young ruler (Matt. 19:16-22). After making the point that riches can be a great obstacle to entry into the kingdom, Peter says: “See, we have left everything and followed you. So what will there be for us?” (Lk. 19:27). Jesus assures Peter that they will receive their due reward (Lk. 19:28-30), but follows that assurance with this parable about the “landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard” (Matt. 20:1), in which parable Jesus rebukes Peter’s self-righteous attitude: “See what we have done for you Jesus, how much we have given up for you…” Peter was talking like the laborers in the vineyard who thought they were entitled to more pay than those who had not worked as long as they had, rather than being content with serving Christ out of love. That’s the perspective from which the writer has chosen to present this parable.
First, look at the historical and cultural context – its specific setting. For example, Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son specifically to reprove the scribes and Pharisees who murmured against him, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Lk. 15:1-2). Then, Jesus tells the parable in which the Pharisees and scribes are portrayed as those who “complain rather than rejoice when a sinner is ‘found’…The point to appreciate is the role of the elder son, whose only brother – not one in hundred or even one in ten – had been lost. This elder son represents the grumbling Pharisees, who seem unable to share in the joy of God and the angels of heaven” (Moises Silva, 112-113).
Understanding the cultural context requires that we study the first century customs so that we understand the impact of what is being said and done. For example, when the prodigal son requested that his father give him his portion of the inheritance, he was asking for something that normally does not take place until the father’s death. By doing so he is inferring that he wished his father dead. Understanding this makes the father’s love and grace in receiving this son back the more remarkable.
We continue with this passage again in this edition of The Net Pastors Journal. Last time, we covered 2 Cor. 6:11-18 in which we addressed the first two sections of the passage:
1. A pastoral appeal of love (6:11-13).
2. A pastoral appeal of admonition (6:14-18).
Now we continue with the third section…
3. The Application of the Pastoral Appeal (7:1-4). “So then...” (drawing a conclusion from what has just been said), based on the promises contained in the O.T. (6:16-18) that God will be their Father, restoring His people to their proper relationship with him, if (notice that the promises are conditional) they separate themselves from evil (viz. pagan religious practices; in particular, idol worship) then Paul’s injunction is: “So then, dear friends, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (7:1).
For Paul, the overriding principle of holiness among God's people is that we “not be yoked together with those who do not believe” (6:14), and the practice of such holiness among God's people is that we “cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit” (7:1). The principle is that “the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? (1 Cor. 6:9-10). God's people have been “washed…sanctified…justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11) and are, therefore, in principle and in standing cleansed “from every impurity of the flesh and spirit..”
The principle must be evident in their practice in order for it to be true of them. In other words, positional sanctification must be demonstrated in practical sanctification. We have been sanctified by God – that’s positional sanctification (e.g. Acts 26:18; Heb. 10:14; 13:12; 1 Pet. 1:2; Eph. 5:26; Jn. 17:17) - and we must sanctify ourselves – that’s progressive, practical sanctification (1 Cor. 1:18; 1 Pet. 3:15; ) so that our union with Christ becomes more and more evident and real in our lives. Having been freed from the bondage of sin (Rom. 6:11-18) and able now not to sin (1 Jn. 3:9), God works in us (1 Thess. 5:23; Tit. 2:14) so that we become more and more like Christ (2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 8:29; Heb. 13:20-21; 1 Jn. 2:6; 3:7). The Holy Spirit particularly is the divine agent active in our sanctification (1 Thess. 4:3; 2Thess. 2:13; Gal. 5:16-18, 22-23).
There is no conflict here in the twin concepts of passive and active sanctification. Not only is sanctification a work of God in us by which we are sanctified, set apart, called saints, holy ones (1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1), and not only has God in Christ granted us sanctification (Rom. 1:30; 2 Thess. 2:13), but also we sanctify ourselves, striving to avoid sin (1 Cor. 6:18; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Jn. 3:6-9), seeking to practise what God declares to be true of us (1 Cor. 7:34; 1 Thess. 4:3-8; Rom. 6:19), and desiring to be more like Christ (Rom. 8:13; Heb. 12:1; Phil. 2:12; 3:13-14; 2 Pet. 1:5ff.).
The “impurity” (defilement, filthiness) that results from being “yoked together with those who do not believe” (specifically, in the worship of other gods) is total in that it defiles both the “flesh and spirit.” Therefore, the “cleansing” that is consequently required of the “flesh” (physical, outward cleansing - who we are on the outside) and the “spirit” (spiritual, internal cleansing - who we are on the inside) is also total.
“Bringing holiness to completion” certainly implies that our sanctification is progressive as we strive here and now toward holiness, all the while understanding that the perfection of holiness will only be actually experienced at our glorification. But even though the ultimate completion of this sanctifying process will take place in the eschaton (1 Thess. 3:13; Jude 24; 2 Cor. 11:2), nonetheless we still continue striving now to bring that process to completion. Again, the use of the phrase “bringing to completion” indicates that this is something that we must do for ourselves. As it applies to the Corinthians, they must perfect their holiness by separating themselves from any defilement by, or association with, unbelievers - specifically, but not limited to, idol worship.
Just as “the fear of God” was one of the motivating factors in Paul’s ministry (5:11; cf. 1 Cor. 2:3; 2 Cor. 7:11), so it ought to be one of the primary factors in motivating God's people to holiness – “to cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit.” We live under God's all-seeing and all-knowing gaze. We cannot escape his scrutiny and judgement.
Continuing his flow of thought from 6:11-12, Paul continues with his pastoral appeal to the Corinthians. “Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, corrupted no one, taken advantage of no one” (7:2). He pleads with them to “make room in their hearts” for him. He had brought them the good news of the gospel in the first place, so their hearts should be open to him and, conversely, shut to the false apostles (who were gaining an influence over them) and the unbelievers whose pagan practices they were adopting (David E. Garland, 2 Corinthians, 344). After all, there was nothing on his part that would cause them to act towards him the way they had. Despite his harsh rebukes and strong directives, he had not wronged anyone, he had not corrupted anyone, or cheated anyone. So, why would they treat him this way; why would they close him out?
“I don’t say this to condemn you, since I have already said that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together” (7:3). Paul wants to be sure that they do not misconstrue his statement of defence in 7:2. Someone reading it, especially in the spiritual condition of the Corinthians, might infer that Paul was not defending himself but accusing them. Hence, he clarifies his statement with, “I don’t say this to condemn you” and he reconfirms his love for them, “you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.” He wants no misunderstanding on this.
The expression “to die together and to live together” could be translated “so that we die together with a view to (“εις” in Greek) living together.” Thus this is really a purpose statement in which Paul may have in mind here either a reference to his and their present Christian experience and devotedness (i.e. dying with Christ and living in and for Christ), or perhaps he is referring to their common future when they will die together as believers in Christ and be raised together in their common destiny of living together in heaven with Christ, such is the closeness to them that he wants to communicate to them.
“I am very frank with you; I have great pride in you. I am filled with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in all our afflictions” (7:4). This verse could be construed as either the last verse of this excursus (2:14-7:4) or the first verse of the next section (7:4-16) which is a continuation from 2:13 concerning finding Titus and hearing his report about them. Rather than trying to decide where the verse fits, it is probably safer to consider 7:4 a hinge verse ending the one section and beginning the next since it relates nicely to both. It concludes Paul’s positive reinforcement of his attitude toward them (7:3) and it introduces his positive reaction to Titus’ report (7:5-16), which, in turn, relates back to the opening of the epistle (2:2-3 cf. 7:4, 13).
His former boldness of speech toward them (redressing them on various issues) had brought about the godly repentance and corrective action that he wanted and that was needed (7:9-10). Thus, his forthright speech for their rebuke and correction had achieved its intended result and produces now his “pride” in them. His boldness of speech that could have severed their relationship permanently (for no one likes being corrected) in fact turned out well through their positive response so that now he is able and delights to boast about them. Indeed, he is “filled with encouragement…overflowing with joy” even in (and despite) “all our afflictions.” The afflictions that he refers to are evidently what he encountered in Macedonia when he went there looking for Titus (7:5).
Title: The Gospel According to Jesus (Matt. 7:13-14)
Subject: Two roads to eternity.
Theme: You must choose the narrow, hard way of truth if you want to enter into God’s kingdom.
Point 1: One road starts easy but ends hard (7:13).
1a) It starts easy because the entrance is wide and the road is spacious.
1b) It ends hard because its destination is eternal destruction.
Point 2: The other road starts hard but ends easy (7:14).
2a) It starts hard because the entrance is narrow and the road is difficult.
2b) It ends easy because its destination is eternal life.
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
While preaching N.T. narrative is not nearly as complex from a homiletical standpoint as preaching O.T. narrative, there are still some pitfalls, which sound hermeneutical principles and homiletical methodology will help us avoid.
1. Text Selection. As with any text selection, always preach a complete unit of thought within its context and in line with what the original author intended to communicate. I recommend preaching through entire books of the Bible, rather than picking and choosing unrelated passages each week. In this regard, it is a good practice to write out the structure of the entire book. This gives you a road map for where you are going with your series of sermons and where each unit of thought starts and stops.
Since the Gospels are a collection of episodes, one way to find units of thought in them is to look for a change of place, change of audience, change of message or activity. Those are good indicators of the beginning and end of a unit of thought. Another approach is to ask yourself whether the passage you have selected has a specific, complete, and clear theme within its context.
Generally, it is best to preach an entire unit of thought in one sermon. But, if a unit of thought is too large to cover in one sermon, you might be wise…
Either: To subdivide the entire narrative into episodes and connect each episode to the previous one as you preach them.
Or: To highlight the main points in the passage
Or: To preach the message of the entire episode based on one particular verse or a few verses that encapsulate the idea of the entire passage.
However you decide to preach a unit of thought (whether as a whole or in smaller segments), be careful to still interpret and preach it in a way that is consistent with that entire section of the book and the larger framework of the book as a whole. This is where a structural outline of the book will stand you in good stead.
2. Sermon Series. In some cases, the Gospels can be broken down into separate sermon series very nicely – e.g. …
(1) The Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7).
(2) The three “sevens” of John’s gospel…
a) Seven significant dialogues (discourses) - Jn. 3:1-21; 4:1-42; 7:53-8:11; 13:1-17; 18:33-19:11; 20:1-31; 21:15-25.
b) Seven supernatural deeds (miracles) – Jn. 2:1-11; 4:46-54; 5:1-47; 6:1-14; 6:16-21; 9:1-41; 11:1-44.
c) Seven self-declarations (“I am” statements) – Jn. 6:22-71; 8:12; 10:1-9; 10:10-18; 11:25-27; 14:1-6; 15:1-6.
This way, you can be faithful to the intent of the author but not feel obligated to preach the whole book.
As with any series which doesn’t necessarily follow the author’s sequence, care must be taken to still interpret and apply these messages in accordance with the Gospel as a whole. Goldsworthy suggests that “the structure of the Gospel should at least be in our thinking when planning a series. The series might aim to highlight this structure by showing the succession of emphases and critical points. A series on a group of parables or miracles should bring out their function in the overall plan and purposes of the Gospel” (Goldsworthy, Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture, 231).
3. Articulating the Theme. Narratives have themes, just as didactic passages do. The theme of a text is a statement that expresses the entire theological point of the passage, usually in a single sentence. The theme statement (sometimes called a propositional statement) of a unit of thought then directs the development of the sermon, keeping it consistent with the theme of the selected passage and the theme of the Gospel as a whole. Sometimes the Gospel writers explicitly state the point of a narrative (e.g. Lk. 16:13; Lk. 19:10).
4. The Gospel Narrative Sermon Structure. As with other genres, it is a good principle to structure your sermons in Gospel narratives in a way that respects the literary form of the text such that the literary form shapes your sermon form. Just as every biblical passage has structure, so our sermons must have structure. The structure of the text dictates the structure of the sermon. Thus, just as the form (in this case, narrative form) of the text controls the structure of the text, so the form of the text controls the structure of the sermon. As with other narratives in the Bible, Gospel narratives derive their structure from the “movements’ (or, “scenes”) in the text.
Whatever approach you decide to take in preaching Gospel narratives (including parables), I recommend that you structure your sermons in the same way that you structure any other expository sermon – i.e. with a theme statement that summarizes the narrative as a whole and a sermon outline that expresses the theological points of the narrative as it progresses.
5. Suggestions for Preaching Parables. There are different ways in which you could preach parables such as:
(1) Grouping them by type - e.g. …
(a) Evangelistic parables (e.g. Matt. 7:24-27).
(b) Life in the kingdom parables (e.g. Matt. 13:1-9; Matt. 13:24-30).
(c) Eschatological parables (e.g. Matt. 25 :1-13).
(2) Grouping them by a common theme - e.g. …
a) One’s preparation for eternity - as in the rich farmer (Luke 12:16-21) and the dishonest manager (Lk. 16:1-13).
b) God’s joy in saving lost people - as in the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son (Lk. 15:1-32).
(3) Parallel and contrasting parables – that is, parables with a common subject told from different perspectives. For example, the subject of serving God with the spiritual resources he has given us – e.g. …
a) The ten servants and the ten minas (Lk. 19:11-27).
b) The three servants and the talents (Matt. 25:14-30).
Your overall approach to preaching parables should be to duplicate the original intention of the parable (i.e. to illustrate a particular need or issue) by firstly drawing the audience into the story (i.e. by clarifying their understanding of the parable), and then applying the point of the story to your audience by exposing a contemporary equivalent need or issue with the intent of provoking an appropriate response.
Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself when preparing a sermon on a parable:
(1) What is the overall point / thrust of the parable?
(2) What new perspective or truth does it expose?
(3) Who is the audience - the disciples, the crowd, the religious leaders?
(4) When and how do the hearers see themselves in the story and what reaction does it produce in them?
(5) What literary device does it use? Is it allegorical or metaphorical in its structure and, if so, what is its purpose?
(6) Does the parable present a contrast or comparison? If so, what is the contrast or comparison about and what is its purpose?
(7) What aspect of Jesus’ teaching on the kingdom of God does the parable address?
(8) What are the interpretive challenges in the parable?
(9) What are the progressive scenes in the parable that help you structure your sermon? For example, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Lk. 16:19-31) develops through two contrasting scenes and discourses:
(i) The contrast of earthly lifestyles (19-21) and eternal destinies (22-23).
(ii) The contrast of eternal rewards and realities (24-31)
Another example is the parable of the prodigal son (Lk. 15:11-32) which develops through four scenes:
(i) The division of the inheritance and departure to a far country (11-13a).
(ii) The plunge into poverty and ignominy (13b-16).
(iii) The realization and return (17-21).
(iv) The repentance and reception (22-32).
(10) How is the story of the parable relevant to your contemporary audience?
After doing all your exegetical and hermeneutical work, start to prepare your sermon. There is great flexibility in form and style for preaching parables. All the options available for preaching narratives apply to preaching parables since they are a subset of narratives, progressing from the setting, to the problem, to the climax, to the resolution.
Given the complexity of parables (i.e. their context; their multiple levels of meaning both literal and allegorical; their purpose; and their application), and given the creativity of the parables themselves, it is wise to preach them with an open mind and some degree of creativity as to sermonic form – e.g. dramatic monologue; identification with a point of view; paraphrase in contemporary language.
Typically, the effectiveness of a parable is due to the fact that the “punch line” doesn’t come until the end, by which time those who might react negatively to its point have been drawn into the story. Because parables hold their “punch line” until the end, it would make sense to preach them that way.
This is the final installment of our study of this passage. In the last two editions of this Journal we have covered 2 Corinthians 6:11-18 (Edition 43, Spring 2022) and 2 Corinthians 7:1-4 (Edition 44, Summer 2022) in which we addressed the first three sections of the passage:
1. A pastoral appeal of love (6:11-13).
2. A pastoral appeal of admonition (6:14-18).
3. The application of the pastoral appeal (7:1-4).
In this edition, we continue with the final section…
4. The Background to, and Outcome of, the Pastoral Appeal (7:5-16). It now becomes clear that the entire passage from 2:14 to 7:4 has been a digression in the flow of thought from 2:13. Let me illustrate it by putting the two sections together: “2:12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though the Lord opened a door for me, 2:13 I had no rest in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus. Instead, I said good-bye to them and left for Macedonia” … 7:5 In fact, when we came to Macedonia, we had no rest…”. So, picking up the flow of thought from 2:12-13, Paul now explains that when he did not find Titus at Troas as he had expected and having no rest in his spirit, he left Troas for Macedonia hoping to find Titus there, which he did (7:5-6). Paul was anxious to meet up with Titus in order to receive news from him about his own well-being and that of the Corinthians, including, most importantly, their response to his “sorrowful / grievous letter” which Titus had delivered to them. He now recounts his reunion with Titus in Macedonia and the comfort he received from Titus’ report (7:7-16).
A question that arises is: Why did Paul take such a long digression from 2:14 to 7:4? Some have proposed that 2:14 to 7:4 is, in fact, an insertion from another letter, but such, I think, is not the case. Others argue that this is the way letters are written – they do not necessarily follow a systematic, logical pattern. While this is true, it is not, I think, the case here. While the extended passage from 2:14 and 7:4 is a digression, it is by no means disconnected, as some would assert, from the main flow of thought. Indeed, Paul’s account of his meeting with Titus forms the background for his appeals and instructions to the Corinthians in the digression. It helps our understanding of this digression to remember that it was written after the fact as this background to the pastoral appeal makes clear. Paul already knew what Titus had reported back to him when he wrote the digression. So, the digression shows us that, on the one hand Paul is elated by Titus’ report, but, on the other hand he evidently still had issues to resolve at Corinth. God certainly provides the minister with joy and victories in ministry, but at the same time victory in ministry is not without its challenges.
Ultimately, Paul learns from Titus that his sorrowful letter to the Corinthians achieved a wonderfully positive outcome as follows:
(a) Paul’s dejection about his circumstances turns to comfort by Titus’ fellowship (7:5-6). “5 In fact, when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest. Instead, we were troubled in every way: conflicts on the outside, fears within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the arrival of Titus.” Paul’s bodily and mental tribulations continued when he arrived in Macedonia (cf. 4:8-9; 11:22-33). He faced external “conflicts” (perhaps spiritual attacks; perhaps physical) and internal “fears” (perhaps anxiety about how the Corinthians may have received Titus and Paul’s letter, especially since Titus had not returned as expected.
Ministers are not immune to calamities, opposition, and worries, “but God” makes all the difference. He “comforts the downcast” (cf. 1:3-7; cf. Ps. 34:18) and he comforted Paul in this instance. In the midst of his external conflicts and internal fears, Paul was comforted “by the arrival of Titus” (6b) – by the knowledge of his safety and by the personal reunion with his colleague in ministry, especially in the light of the opposition and loneliness that he had experienced. It is a great encouragement in ministry to have colleagues from whom you can receive comfort in hard times and with whom you can enjoy fellowship.
Thus, Paul’s dejection about his circumstances turns to comfort by Titus’ arrival and fellowship with him. And…
(b) Paul’s sorrow about their sin changes to joy by their response (7:7-13a). “…and (we were comforted) not only by his arrival but also by the comfort he received from you. He told us about your deep longing, your sorrow, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more” (2 Cor. 7:7). Paul was encouraged by their response to Titus – “…by the comfort (consolation) he received from you.”
Paul was comforted (7:7a) by the fact that Titus and the letter he brought from Paul had been well received by the church at Corinth, that his colleague in ministry had been well treated by them, and that their response to Titus’ mission (viz. the delivery of Paul’s letter) was positive. This was a source of great comfort to Paul. And Paul “rejoiced even more” in their response to him.
First, he rejoices even more because of their response to him personally (7:7b) as indicated in:
(i) “…your deep longing… for me.” They wanted to see Paul and, presumably, put things right, renew relationships.
(ii) “…your mourning… for me.” They were evidently sorry for what had happened.
(iii) “…your zeal for me.” Now their relational distance from Paul is replaced by a zeal for him - to do what he had instructed them and, perhaps, even to defend him.
Second, he rejoices even more because of their response to him spiritually (7:8-12). Paul seems to have struggled with how to handle this: “For even if I grieved you with my letter, I don’t regret it. And if I regretted it—since I saw that the letter grieved you, yet only for a while – I now rejoice…” (7:8-9a). On the one hand Paul seems to have initially regretted writing them the “sorrowful” letter, for he did not want to cause them grief. Why is this? Perhaps he did not want them to respond the wrong way to his letter. Perhaps he was afraid of being overly harsh and losing their ear. Perhaps he struggled, as their pastor, with addressing the issue on the one hand, and yet not wanting to lose their relationship on the other hand.
These are always the risks of confrontation and the struggle that pastors face - knowing what needs to be done and yet risking rejection. That’s why we always need to “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15), never “lord it” over others (1 Pet. 5:3), never trample on people either in anger or in spiritual superiority. But once he had written to them, he was glad that he had done so because their sorrow was short-lived, “only for a while” (7:8b), and because their sorrow led to repentance - “I now rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance” (7:9a).
Why did their grief lead to repentance? “For you were grieved as God willed” (7:9b). Their sorrow over what had happened (in the sin that was allowed among them and in their relationship with Paul) was sorrow that was according to God's will, produced by God. This wasn’t just a momentary feeling of regret, but a deep work of God in them. The result of grieving as God willed was “so that you didn’t experience any loss from us” (7:9c). Sorrow that is according to God is not without purpose - it does not have a negative effect; it does not result in severed relationships (as Paul may have worried); it does not deprive them of anything but rather gives back what was lost. No, it is in every way beneficial – it gives hope, restores joy, reconciles relationships etc. “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death (7:10). This is the ministry of reconciliation, which has as its object “godly grief” that results in “repentance that leads to salvation without regret.”
“Godly grief” has an entirely different cause and result than “worldly grief.” Worldly grief leads to death (cf. 2 Cor. 2:16) whereas godly grief leads to life. That’s the contrast. Worldly grief is caused by circumstances (loss, failure etc.); godly grief is caused by sin. Worldly grief results in severed relationships, despair, perhaps even death (e.g. suicide); godly grief results in salvation, life, peace of conscience, joy, restored relationships, reconciliation.
“Godly grief” is sorrow not for self but toward God. It is (lit.) “grief according to God” – “as God wills” (7:11a) - grief produced by God and in response to God. Hence, godly grief leads to genuine repentance for sin - a turning away from sin that causes disruption in our relationship with God and a turning toward God in faith - and it seeks reconciliation with God and with one’s fellow human beings. This type of grief and repentance is the foundation of our salvation.
“Worldly grief,” on the other hand, is non-restorative. It cannot restore what is lost. It cannot undo what is done. It cannot give rest of conscience and peace. It cannot give spiritual life. It only produces bitterness, guilt, despair, and regret. But godly grief is a sorrow over sin which produces repentance and leads to salvation, which one never regrets, because it results in a restored relationship with God. Moreover, the result of godly grief is that you do not live the rest of your life in a state of regret for what might have been. Rather, the salvation and restoration of your relationship with God and each other is of such a nature that you never regret making that decision.
But why does Paul speak of such repentance in terms of leading to “salvation” when he is addressing believers? He is speaking of the “repentance” of these believers, the nature of which “leads to salvation.” Though they were Christians and were saved, their repentance was of the same nature as that which they originally expressed when they were saved. Paul is not suggesting that they were saved and lost and now saved again, but rather that their repentance was a true indication of their salvation; it fully restored them to a right relationship with God.
A minister of reconciliation works toward and looks for godly sorrow expressed in genuine, saving repentance. He deals with confrontation in such a way that it produces godly sorrow which (i) does not sever their relationship; and (ii) effects a permanent, spiritual result.
Now Paul describes what grief according to God (in a godly manner) is truly like; what changes it produces; what the nature of true repentance looks like: “For consider how much diligence this very thing—this grieving as God wills—has produced in you” (7:11a). Genuine repentance produces an entire transformation in the way one thinks and acts. The Corinthians now have an earnestness to do what is right before God. Instead of passively observing sinful behavior among them and boasting about it, they are now energized to act for God. How is that earnestness, this diligence expressed in their practice and attitude? Paul gives seven characteristics…
i) “What a desire to clear yourselves” (7:11b) – the church is cleared of complicity in this sin.
ii) “what indignation” (7:11c) – anger at sin. They now saw it for what it was and they were righteously indignant that it had happened among them and they had tolerated it. That’s what we should be angry about – sin!
iii) “What fear” (7:11d) – fear of God's chastisement; fear that God's holiness had been offended; fear of what they had done to “God's minister”; fear of where their course of action may have led.
iv) “What deep longing” (7:11e) – a longing to be reconciled with God and with Paul face to face; to see him, to be submissive to him, and to be obedient to his teaching. They longed for the former days and their relationship with God and Paul.
v) “What zeal” (7:11f) - probably zeal for doing what they should have done in the first place, namely, eagerness to exercise discipline in the church; readiness to put things right; a passion for holiness and obedience.
vi) “What justice!” (7:11g) – the action taken against the sin done among them. This carries on from “zeal” to put things right in the church. This is consistent with Paul’s comment in 2:5-11 that they were so zealous of punishing the offender that now they needed to forgive him.
vii) Indeed, “in every way you showed yourselves to be pure in this matter” (7:11h) - probably the matter in 1 Cor. 5:1ff. but Paul does not state it explicitly. They had done what was necessary in the exercise of discipline in the assembly and this “cleared” them. They were no longer partakers of that man’s sin.
Picking up on his remarks in 7:8 about the sorrowful (grievous) letter, Paul now explains why he wrote it in the first place: “12 So even though I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong, or because of the one who was wronged, but in order that your devotion to us might be made plain to you in the sight of God. 13a For this reason we have been comforted” (7:12-13a).
First, he explains why he did not write the severe letter. He did not write the severe letter for the sake of “the one who did wrong” - the son who had committed incest with his stepmother; the one whose excommunication Paul had ordered (1 Cor. 5:13); the one who had caused so much pain but who had subsequently repented (2 Cor. 2:1-8). And he did not write the severe letter for the sake of “the one who was wronged” – presumably, the husband of the stepmother. Notice that, with pastoral wisdom and grace, Paul does not use names – the issue is over and there is no benefit in dragging people’s names through the mud. He merely refers to them as “the one who did wrong” and “the one who was wronged”.
Then, he explains why he did write the severe letter. He wrote the severe letter so that, in the presence of God, they might become aware of how much they really cared for Paul, their earnestness for him. That is exactly the result his severe letter achieved. And because of all this (his letter, their response, the impact on the church, Titus’ report etc.), “we have been comforted.”
(c) Paul’s boasting about them proves true by Titus’ encouragement (7:13b-16). “13b In addition to our own comfort, we rejoiced even more over the joy Titus had, because his spirit was refreshed by all of you. 14 For if I have made any boast to him about you, I have not been disappointed; but as I have spoken everything to you in truth, so our boasting to Titus has also turned out to be the truth” (7:13b-14).
Throughout this section, Paul is looking on the positive side of things (their response, Titus’ encouragement, his joy etc.), despite the underlying evidence that he still had issues to deal with at Corinth - e.g. their challenge to Paul’s authority etc. (see chapters 10-13). Despite all of that, Paul is comforted by what has happened at Corinth (particularly, their response to his severe letter) and even more comforted by Titus’ joy over the refreshment he received from them while delivering the letter.
Paul’s grace and pastoral love for the Corinthians becomes very evident. One would hardly expect him, in view of everything they had done and said about him, that he would actually boast about them to Titus. But rather than send Titus to them with a bad impression of them or to carry out harsh measures, he had sent Titus to Corinth with a positive commendation of them (boasting), which had proved true, just as everything he had said to them was true. As a result (i) Titus’ love for them is deepened: “And his affection toward you is even greater as he remembers the obedience of all of you, and how you received him with fear and trembling” (7:15); and (ii) Paul’s confidence in them is strengthened: “I rejoice that I have complete confidence in you” (7:16). After having strengthened their mutual relationship and expressed his confidence in them, he then takes up the matter of the offering for the poor believers in Jerusalem in chapters 8-9.
Title: Learning from Jesus - The Treasure of the Kingdom (Matt. 13:44-46)
Subject: Discovering the eternal riches of God's kingdom
Theme: You discover eternal riches when you enter the kingdom of heaven through Jesus Christ.
Point I. Some people unexpectedly stumble on the treasure of Christ’s kingdom (13:44).
Point II. Some people diligently search for the treasure of Christ’s kingdom (13:45-46).
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
The epistles generally have fairly similar characteristics...
1. The Structure of Epistles. The epistles are fairly standard in their form and features. The literary structure of the epistles follows the letter form, which was common in the ancient world, as follows:
a) The opening (greeting, identification of the author and the recipients, thanksgiving).
b) The body (dealing with specific issues, exhortations, pleas, complaints etc.).
c) The close (greetings etc.).
2. Common Features of the Epistles. Like all letters, New Testament epistles have certain common features.
a) They are direct. While they are not as direct as oral communication, they are the next best thing.
b) They are personal. They draw on a personal relationship (“I / we” and “you”) but one that is slightly removed by virtue of the physical separation between the writer and the recipient. Nonetheless, unlike the coldness and sterility of a legal brief, they evoke a personal warmth and relationship. They exude the personality, emotion, mood, attitude, perspective, and opinion of the writer.
3. The Function and Form of Epistles. The function of New Testament letters is not simply to relay information, but, like a sermon, to relate truth to life. And, since the writers address many sensitive, real-life issues, the letter form provides them with a way of communicating ideas that are sometimes easier written than said.
Because of the nature of their structure, their topical content, and the logical flow of their arguments, we often read them like an encyclopedia when we want to know something about a specific topic (“what does Paul say about this or that?”). But, as Moises Silva points out, “we should read the New Testament letters as wholes” (An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics, 120). Only then can we understand properly what the author’s motivation for writing is and the response he makes to a specific situation.
While a New Testament letter is a rhetorical form in itself (i.e. it appeals to the readers’ emotions, logic, and character), it may also contain other literary forms within it (such as dialogue, poetry, even narrative [e.g. Gal. 4]) each of which requires its own rules of interpretation.
4. The Historical Context of the Epistles. Unlike other types of biblical literature, the epistles were written to respond to the specific needs, situations, problems, and questions of specific churches and localities (e.g. Romans, Corinthians, Galatians) and individuals (e.g. Titus, Timothy, Philemon). Nonetheless, the N.T. epistles are not restricted to ancient history. Tom Long comments: “The Letters of the New Testament are like almost all other letters: connected to a specific set of circumstances but inherently capable of speaking beyond those immediate conditions” (Preaching and the Literary Forms of the Bible, 110.)
The historical context of the epistles is very important for our understanding of their meaning and application. We need to try to deduce what is the issue being addressed or the question being answered before we can adequately explain and apply it to our contemporary audience. In doing so, we need to be careful to make an appropriate transition from the “then” of the text to the “now” of our hearers, seeking to be faithful both to the text in its ancient context and its application in our contemporary context. This can be a tricky transition since the epistles address issues that were specific to that day, which may be difficult to see how they apply to us today (e.g. eating meats offered to idols). Nonetheless, I think those issues can and do have relevance for us. We just need to be careful to not necessarily make direct transfers from “then” to “now” nor to make invalid presumptions about how to apply them today.
Despite the challenge of bridging the gap from “then” to “now,” the great benefit of preaching the epistles is that they give us concrete instruction for specific situations, both in the function and responsibilities of the church and our individual lives. Our task as theologians, exegetes, and preachers is to determine what that instruction is for us today.
So, if these are the main literary characteristics of the epistles, how do we understand and preach them? What process should we follow?
Following are some guidelines to help you in preparing to preach from the epistles…
1. Analyze The Literary Structure. I have dealt with this topic before in previous editions of The Net Pastors Journal (e.g. editions 18-23) but let me briefly emphasize here a few essential components in the process of analyzing the literary structure of a passage.
Given the specific nature of the epistles (specific problems, questions etc.), it might be tempting to try to figure out the historical and cultural context before understanding the text. However, it is important that we not bring to the text a preconceived notion of its meaning based on our reconstruction of the historical-cultural context which gave rise to the text. So, before engaging in this reconstruction, start with the exegetical analysis of the text within its literary context in order to answer the following questions:
a) What is the author saying?
b) What does he mean?
c) What is his flow of thought or argument?
Then, determine the structure of the text and its assertions. That’s what the epistles are - structured arguments around propositional assertions. So, you need to identify the structure in the text and the argument of the text, which then determine the structure of your sermon. This is simply being sensitive to the text as it is written and its genre.
Epistles have a logical flow to them as the author unfolds his argument in well thought-out steps, points, topics, and assertions. The key to understanding the epistles is to figure out the flow of thought (the argument) in each section of the epistle and the epistle as a whole and preach the epistle accordingly.
Therefore, when analyzing the literary structure of the passage, I suggest the following methodology:
a) Determine the literary structure of the entire epistle – i.e. the main sections of the epistle.
b) Identify the dominating theme (the subject) of the specific section (passage) you are studying (i.e. a paragraph or series of paragraphs). Ask yourself: What is the author’s overriding point in this section?
c) List the integrating thoughts (individual assertions or “points”) that the author is making to support the dominating theme of the section.
d) State the motivating thrust of the passage (i.e. what is its purpose?).
This completes your basic syntactical analysis. By following this procedure, you will study the passage in its context in the epistle and how it relates to the passage before and after it (i.e. flow of thought). Only at this point are you ready to do detailed grammatical research and word studies.
Be sure that you can state the dominating theme of the passage in one sentence. This keeps unity and focus to your sermon (i.e. stops you wandering all over the place). It also enables you to structure your sermon around the flow of thought of the passage itself (i.e. the supporting assertions that the author makes about his dominating theme).
Identifying the dominating theme (subject) of the passage and the integrating thoughts (assertions) about that theme is difficult for many preachers. Perhaps that’s why so many preachers talk so much in generalities. But you must be specific just as the author is specific. If the subject of the passage is “God’s love,” you need to first determine what aspect of God’s love the author is addressing. Be specific – “love” on its own is too general. Is it the love of God for the world? Is it the scope of God’s love? Is it the faithfulness of God’s love? Once you have defined the specific subject of the passage, then what you are going to preach is what the author says about the subject.
Your audience should be able to put their finger on the text and see where you are getting your points, principles, and applications from. By structuring your sermons this way you will “preach the Word” (2 Tim. 4:2), and when you preach the Word you can count on the Holy Spirit to use what you say in powerful ways in the lives of your hearers.
Typically, you will preach one section of Scripture (i.e. a passage that is unified by one subject). If a passage is too long for one sermon (e.g. Eph. 1:3-14), then break the passage up into suitable segments (i.e. certain assertions / points about the subject), but make sure that each sermon relates to the overall theme (subject) of the paragraph.
When dealing with epistles, it really helps to know biblical Greek, since diagramming the Greek text is the best way to determine the structure of the passage as a whole and the various assertions (points) the author makes about the overall theme of the passage. If you are not able to work with biblical Greek, then use a translation that preserves as much as possible the structure and meaning of the original language (English translations of this sort include ESV, NASB, NKJV, CSB).
2. Research The Historical Context. After analyzing the literary structure of the passage you are preaching, then research the historical and cultural context to further develop your understanding of the passage - who it was written to, why it was written, any cultural or traditional aspects etc.
The historical context is important in interpreting and applying any Scripture, but it is particularly so in the case of the epistles. When preparing a sermon from a passage in an epistle, we need to be very aware of the specific issue which the author is addressing and what gave rise to it in order to answer the following questions:
a) Why did the author say this?
b) Why did he respond in this way?
c) Was the author responding to a question? If so, what was the question?
d) What were the cultural conditions that surrounded this passage? What elements of the passage are culturally influenced (e.g. head coverings, perhaps)?
e) What were the historical circumstances (the problem, need, situation) that gave rise to the epistle or passage in the epistle?
I am not suggesting that you preach all the historical data that you uncover in your research. You need only to preach what is pertinent to your explanation of the theological truths, implications, and applications of the passage. As Scott Hafemann points out: “Preaching is the proclamation of the theological truth of the text and its constituent implications, not a lesson in the circumstances and politics of the New Testament era, its language, or social problems and customs” (Preaching in the Epistles in “Handbook of Contemporary Preaching,” 365).
Discovering the occasion that gave rise to the epistle (and / or the question to which the epistle is responding) is not always easy, since often it can only be arrived at by inference. For example, Paul does not explicitly state in 1 Corinthians what the questions were from the Corinthian assembly to which he is replying. Therefore, sometimes we have to read between the lines in order to reconstruct the historical context. Since this exercise is somewhat subjective or, at least, inferential, Moises Silva suggests that we test any theories we (or other scholars) make by ensuring that the text itself is “ultimately determinative” not the inferences we may make (An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics, 126-128).
In the last edition, we completed our study of 2 Corinthians 2:14-7:16, Paul’s wonderful digression on pastoral leadership. Throughout our study of this passage we have learned much about pastoral ministry on the following topics:
1. Confidence in ministry (2 Cor. 2:14-3:6).
2. The nature of authentic ministry, Parts 1 and 2 (2 Cor. 4:1-16).
3. The motivation for ministry, Parts 1, 2, and 3 (2 Cor. 4:16-5:17).
4. The pastoral ministry of reconciliation, Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (2 Cor. 5:18-7:16).
Before we leave this study in 2 Corinthians 2:14-7:16, I thought it might be helpful for you if I write out my literary analysis and structure of 2 Corinthians so that you can see the kind of research I do for this type of exegetical study in preparation for teaching it to others. You will not have time to do this kind of research every week in your sermon preparation, but you can find help with this from commentaries.
In 1 Corinthians, among other matters, Paul deals with the case of an individual who was involved in incest. The news that the church at Corinth had taken disciplinary action against this individual produced in Paul the relief and joy which are expressed in 2 Corinthians 1-7. In these same chapters, however, there is a growing sense that the opposition Paul is now facing at Corinth is wider spread. This second wave of opposition becomes very clear in chapters 10-13, where Paul responds vigorously to the attacks of those whom he calls “false apostles.” This phase of opposition only seems to have become evident after Paul had succeeded in securing disciplinary action against the original individual offender in 1 Corinthians. Whether there is a connection between the disciplinary action taken against the individual and the spawning of an unruly group opposed to Paul is not explicit.
In any event, certain false teachers who claimed to be apostles had infiltrated the Corinthian church. In so doing they were attempting to discredit Paul, who wrote this letter largely to refute their accusations and to expose them as impostors. Paul is defending his character and apostleship in order to protect the Corinthian church from being deceived by false doctrines and false teachers.
At the same time, Paul needed to explain to the Corinthians the reason for the change in his travel plans (1:15ff.; cf. 1 Cor. 16:5ff.), and to urge them to prepare for his third visit (13:1ff.) by completing their collection for the poor Christians in Jerusalem, a collection that they had begun but not completed (see chapters 8 and 9).
Having sent Titus from Ephesus to Corinth to deliver a previous letter (1 Corinthians), Paul had arranged to meet Titus on his return at Troas. On arriving at Troas, however, Paul did not find Titus there and decided to journey on to Macedonia, where he ultimately met him, probably in Philippi or Neapolis (2:12f., 7:5ff.).
Titus brought Paul both good news and bad. The good news was that the Corinthians had responded properly to Paul’s letter and had taken steps to correct the problems he had addressed. This caused Paul to rejoice (7:5ff.). However, the bad news was that there was still an unruly group in the Corinthian church, incited no doubt by the false apostles. Here are some of their accusations against Paul:
a) They alleged that Paul’s word could not be trusted (because he wrote one thing about his travel plans but did another). In reply, Paul writes that his change of plans was not because he was fickle or unreliable but because he did not want to come to the Corinthians again in severity (2:1).
b) They charged Paul with being proud, unimpressive in appearance and speech, dishonest, and unqualified as an apostle of Jesus Christ.
c) They threw suspicion on Paul’s genuineness as an apostle because he had come to Corinth without letters of commendation (3:1). Concerning these and other charges against his apostleship, Paul reminded them of all that he had endured as a minister of the gospel (chapters 4 to 6).
d) They insinuated that Paul had possibly been responsible for slowing down the collection for the poor in Jerusalem (see chapter 8 and 9).
e) They asserted that Paul was brave from a distance through his impressive letters, but in person he was weak (10:10; 11:6).
f) They argued that since Paul did not charge for his preaching services, he was not worth listening to (11:7ff.). They even insinuated that because he would not take money from them that perhaps he did not love them (11:11; 12:15).
These divisive, false apostles had to be exposed for who they truly were - intruders. They were not true apostles at all. Thus, Paul’s reply to all of this revolved primarily around the contrast of his apostleship to that of these pretenders, showing that his apostleship was one of continuous suffering and self-abnegation. His own weakness left no room for self-glorification but rather magnified the power and grace of God (11:21-12:12). Advising them of his impending third visit, he warns them that if necessary he will come and exercise his full apostolic authority (13:1ff.), but his hope is that they will be fully restored to him.
The literary structure of 2 Corinthians seems to revolve around Paul’s itinerary. His original intention for his next journey to Greece had been to pay the Corinthians a sort of double visit by crossing over by sea from Ephesus and staying for a short time with them before travelling north to Macedonia, and then, on his return from Macedonia, spending another period with them before journeying on to Jerusalem with the collection for the poor believers there. However, his plans had now changed – he would now travel north from Ephesus to Macedonia, and from there go down to Corinth (1 Cor. 16:5ff.; 2 Cor. 1:16), after which he would travel on to Jerusalem. In this way he would pay them one longer visit instead of two short visits.
This “itinerary” framework thus forms the unity of the epistle. It can be traced through the epistle as follows:
1. The Past: the Change of Plans (chapters 1-7). Paul explains his integrity (1:12ff.) and explains the reason for the change in his itinerary (1:15-2:4). He describes how he had journeyed from Ephesus to Troas, expecting to meet Titus there, and how, when he did not meet Titus there, he traveled on to Macedonia (2:12f.). At this point there is an extended parenthesis (2:14-7:4), as far as this framework is concerned but not as far as the purpose of the epistle is concerned. The account resumes at 7:5, where Paul recounts his meeting with Titus at Macedonia, and the joyful news that Titus brought to him there concerning the Corinthians’ positive response to his letter (i.e. 1 Corinthians).
2. The Present: Sending Titus to Complete the Collection (chapters 8-9). Chapters 8 and 9 deal with the matter of the collection for the Jerusalem relief fund. This is not a digression but fits the overall scheme of the letter – Paul’s itinerary may have changed but his purpose in visiting them has not. It is Paul’s wish that the collection for the poor believers in Jerusalem be carried out before he gets there. To this end, he is sending Titus and two other brothers ahead of him (bringing with them the present letter, 2 Corinthians) to supervise this matter.
3. The Future: The Certainty and Imminence of Paul’s Third Visit (chapters 10-13). Chapters 10 to 13 are an exposure and repudiation of the “impostor-apostles” who have entered the Corinthian church, attempting to undermine Paul’s credibility and authority. Paul warns them that he will deal with any who continue to trouble the church when he arrives there for his third visit.
This framework, then, provides the literary structure and unity for the epistle, whose sections display diversities in subject matter and mood. As Zahn states, “In spirit the reader follows Paul from Ephesus through Troas to Macedonia (chaps. 1-7); then he lingers with him for a moment in the churches of Macedonia (chaps. 8-9); finally he is led to the consideration of conditions in the church at Corinth from the point of view of Paul’s coming visit there” (T. Zahn, Introduction to the New Testament, Vol. 1, 312, cited in Philip E. Hughes, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, xxii).
4. The Connection with 1 Corinthians (“the painful letter”). It is not hard to conceive that 1 Corinthians is being referred to when Paul says that he wrote “out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears” (2 Cor. 2:4). It is our contention, therefore, that the “painful letter” is 1 Corinthians and that 2 Corinthians should be explained out of 1 Corinthians as far as possible. Those that assert that 1 Corinthians was not the “painful letter” ignore the anguish and distress that writing such a letter to the church, which he had founded, would have caused the apostle. This is particularly noticeable in his sharp rebuke of their party spirit and schism; their carnality and lack of spirituality; his admonition to judge the sin amongst them; his reproof of their lawsuits against one another; his condemnation of their defilement of the Lord’s supper through drunkenness; his rebuke of their disorderliness in public worship through the inappropriate use of spiritual gifts; his correction of the doctrinal error concerning the resurrection of the dead.
How could such a letter have been written otherwise than out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears?
5. Unity of Theme: “Strength in Weakness.” It is on this theme that the apostle builds his whole argument for the genuineness of his apostolic authority, which had been maligned by his opponents at Corinth. It is in his human weakness that God uses and empowers him. Thus, the power for his ministry is evidently from God. For this reason, this epistle is full of references to Paul’s sufferings, perils, and hardships which he endured in carrying out his ministry, and this in contrast to God’s mighty power which was also manifested in his ministry. Paradoxically, human weakness and divine strength go hand in hand. The assaults upon his apostolic credentials focused on his human weakness without giving credit to the power of his ministry as it had been demonstrated in Corinth.
This unity of theme weaves its way throughout the epistle (e.g. 1:5f., 1:8f., 2:12f., 3:5f., 4:7f., 4:16-18, 5:1f., 6:4f., 7:5f., 11:23f., 12:5-10, 13:4).
6. The Integrity of the Last Four Chapters. The change of the apostle’s tone in the last four chapters has given rise to much debate as to whether they belong to a different letter. But I think it is more imaginary than real since they easily fit into the overall unity and framework of the epistle. Furthermore, they harmonize with the overall theme of the epistle, namely, the theme of strength in and through weakness.
Apart from the integration of the last four chapters by way of unity of theme, other points of affinity between the letter’s earlier and later parts are evident. Compare, for example, the following: 1:13 cf. 10:11; 1:17 cf. 10:2; 2:1 cf. 12:14, 21 and 13:1f.; 2:17 cf. 12:19; 3:2 cf. 12:11; 6:13 cf. 11:2 and 12:14; 8:6, 18, and 22 cf. 12:17f.).
Section 1: Introduction (1:1-14). Following the salutation (1:1-2), Paul engages in a lengthy thanksgiving (1:3-11). The many sufferings and hardships that Paul had endured were, for him, sharing in “Christ’s sufferings” (1:5) in the midst of which he had experienced Christ’s “comfort” (1:5). These experiences though unsolicited and painful have taught him to rely on the “Father of mercies and the God of all comfort” (1:3). The value of such experiences is that he now can “comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (1:4). Ministry is rooted in suffering (viz. the sufferings of Christ and the sufferings from Christians) and borne along by God’s comfort. To partake in suffering is to also partake in comfort.
This thanksgiving section seems to lay the foundation on which he will build his case that both his afflictions and his comfort are the result of his work as an apostle on their behalf (1:6), which gives rise to his hope for them that “as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort” (1:7). Even the prospect of dying only served to teach him to “not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (1:8-10). Not only did he attribute his rescue from death to the deliverance of God but also to the prayers of the Corinthians, the result of which is that many give thanks to God for “the blessing granted us” (1:11).
Section 2: Paul’s Defence (1:12-7:16). From this, Paul transitions into a defence of his travel plans, denying that he has acted in a worldly or fickle manner (1:12-14). To Paul’s critics, his change of travel plans indicated a lack of trustworthiness. After reviewing what happened (1:15-22), he explains that the reason he changed his plans was actually because he loved them and did not want to cause them as much grief as he had on his earlier visit, when he sternly rebuked them concerning the incestuous man (1:23-2:4). This leads to an exhortation that they forgive and show love to the one in the congregation whom they had disciplined (2:5-11; cf. 1 Cor. 5) and about whom he had written to them before “out of much affliction and anguish of heart” (2:4).
This, in turn, leads to a recital of the events that led to his writing the present letter - i.e. his meeting with Titus (2:12-13 and 7:5-16) - a recital that is interrupted by a long excursus on the nature and purpose of his ministry (2:14-5:15) and a plea for reconciliation (5:16-7:4).
a) The nature and purpose of ministry (2:14-5:15). This is Paul’s first defence of his ministry against his critics, as he explains to them his adequacy and credentials for ministry.
First, his success in ministry is from God (2:14-16a). The triumphal leading of God in his life dispenses an “fragrance” to all with whom he comes in contact – to those who are perishing “a fragrance from death to death,” and to those who are being saved an “a fragrance from life to life” (2:16).
Second, his sufficiency for ministry also is from God (2:16b-3:6). His competence for such a task does not come from himself, in which case he would be like the false apostles, “peddlers of God’s word” for personal gain; rather, his competence comes from God in whose sight he speaks (2:17). Thus, he does not need to prove himself (3:1-3) for his confidence is not in himself but in God, “who has made us sufficient to be a minister of a new covenant (3:4-6).
Paul then develops a comparison and contrast between ministry under the old covenant and under the new (3:7-18). The ministry of the new covenant gave him courage to “renounce disgraceful, underhanded ways… (to) refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word,” but to proclaim openly to all men in the “sight of God” the truth of “the gospel of the glory of Christ” (4:2, 4). He preaches Christ Jesus the Lord (4:5) through the power of God, who commanded “light to shine out of darkness” and who has now, by that same power, “shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (4:6). Since the treasure of the gospel (i.e. Christ) is contained inside a merely earthen vessel (i.e. Paul and all his human weakness, 4:8-11), the evident power does not belong to him but to God (4:7).
However, this weak, human vessel will not always be subject to decay and death (4:10-12). Human weakness is associated with the temporal and visible, but this will one day be replaced with the eternal and invisible (4:16-18), which will take place when “our earthly home is destroyed” and replaced by “a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (5:1-4).
Of this transformation God has given us his Spirit as the guarantee (5:5) and, as a result, we have confidence to “walk by faith and not by sight” (5:6-8). Living in the light of such an eternal prospect, Paul’s aim is to please God (5:9) by persuading others concerning the “judgement seat of Christ” and “the fear of the Lord” (5:10-11). Though his motivation in ministry is not to please those to whom he ministers through letters of recommendation and the like (5:12; cf. 3:1-3), yet he is not by any means indifferent; indeed, he is compelled by the love of Christ (5:14).
b) A plea for reconciliation (5:16-7:4). It is, therefore, as Christ’s ambassador, that he preaches a message of reconciliation on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice for sins (5:16-21). He pleads with them “not to receive the grace of God in vain” (6:1) and to respond to his self-sacrificial ministry (6:1-10). He urges them to have an open heart to God and to him as God’s minister (6:11-13), recognizing that a proper relationship with God is exclusive in nature (6:14-7:1). In closing this appeal, Paul reminds them of the confidence that he has in them (7:2-4).
Paul now resumes (from 2:13) the account of how he ultimately met Titus in Macedonia, the comfort he received from seeing Titus again, and the joy from hearing his report about the Corinthian church’s positive response to Paul’s earlier letter (7:5-16). Paul is delighted and relieved that the Corinthians had responded with repentance and godly sorrow (7:10) to his earlier rebukes.
Section 3: The Collection for the Poor Jerusalem Saints (8:1-9:15). Having expressed his relief and joy at the Corinthians’ repentance and “zeal for me” (7:7), Paul now introduces another outstanding matter that needs to be dealt with by them, namely, the collection for the poor Christians in Jerusalem. Fittingly, the churches of Macedonia, where he met Titus, were a prime example of the sacrificial giving required (8:1-6). Paul urges the Corinthians to follow their lead and in so doing to demonstrate Christ’s supreme example of self-sacrificial giving (8:7-9). Indeed, it is to their advantage to finish this collection, which they had begun a year earlier, and to complete the entire project (8:10-11). This would be an opportunity for them to supply out of their “abundance” what the Jerusalem church lacked at this time; at another time the situation may be reversed (8:12-15). To administer this collection in advance of Paul’s arrival, Paul sends Titus and two other brothers to Corinth (8:16-24) urging the Corinthians to cooperate with them (8:24) and to be ready when Paul himself came so that he would not be embarrassed (9:1-5). Finally, he teaches them the principle of Christian giving (9:6-15), namely, to give generously and cheerfully (9:6-7) for “God is able to make all grace abound to you” (9:8) and “to multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness” (9:10). As a result of their liberality, therefore, not only will they be enriched but God will be thanked and glorified (9:11-15).
Section 4: Paul’s Response to Ongoing Criticism (10:1-13:4). Possibly referring back to those mentioned in 2:17 and 4:2, Paul now deals directly with criticism being leveled against him (10:1-18). He does not deny that he is “in the flesh” but he denies vigorously that he acts “according to the flesh” (10:2-3). Rather, the weapons of his warfare “have divine power to destroy strongholds” (10:4).
He also denies the false accusation that he made up for his lack of personal authority by being bold in his letters. No one had more authority than he did and he would demonstrate that when he visited them next time (10:7-11). Unlike those who unwisely boast about their authority, he would not boast “beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us,” which sphere included the Corinthian church (10:13-15). The basis of his argument with respect to authority is this, “let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord, for it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends” (10:17-18).
Launching now into an attack rather than a defense, Paul exposes the false apostles who have usurped authority in the church (11:1-15). He fears that the Corinthians will be deceived by those who come preaching “another Jesus…a different spirit…a different gospel” (11:1-4). He is not at all inferior to “these super-apostles” (11:5), nor was he acting independently just because he did not accept financial support from them (11:7-9). His best defense is an offense, which he will engage in by cutting off the false apostles who oppose him (11:12-15).
Then, answering fools according to their folly, Paul engages in a little boasting of his own (11:16-21). If others could be bold, so could he (11:21). He boasts of his Jewish lineage (11:22), his trials and sufferings as a minister of Christ (11:23-28), and he boasts in things that others would consider weaknesses (11:29-12:10), such as his escape from the city of Damascus (11:32-33), and his thorn in the flesh to keep him humble (12:1-9a). It is this paradox of strength in weakness that is the basis of Paul’s boasting “that the power of Christ may rest upon me…for when I am weak, then I am strong” (12:9b-10). He apologizes for having boasted - they ought to have stood by him, not forced him into this boasting (12:11), since they had seen the signs of an apostle that he did amongst them (12:12). If they considered themselves inferior to other churches, it could only be on one account, namely, that he was not dependent upon them for financial support, and for this he asks their forgiveness (12:13).
Section 5: His Third Visit (12:14-13:6). When he comes for a third visit he will, again, not be dependent upon them or in any way take advantage of them (12:14-18). He wants them to be built up (12:19), but his fear is that he will not find them as he wished, nor will they find him as they wished (12:20-21). Hence, he warns them that this time he will take strong action, since they seem to want evidence that “Christ is speaking in me” (13:1-4).
Section 6: Closing Remarks (13:5-14). In a final attempt to arouse them to spiritual awareness, he charges them to examine themselves as to whether they are really Christians (13:5-6). His plea is that they do no wrong and, thus, vindicate themselves (13:7), much preferring that they be strong and he weak (13:9). His purpose in writing this letter is that they would respond to it positively and become strong, so that when he arrives for his third visit he would not have to use sharpness (13:10).
I. Introduction (1:1-14)
A. Greetings (1:1-2)
B. Thanksgiving (1:3-11)
II. Paul’s Defense (1:12-7:16)
A. His changed travel plans (1:12-2:13)
B. His apostolic ministry (2:14-5:15)
1. His sufficiency for ministry (2:14-3:6a)
2. His ministry of the gospel cf. Moses’ ministry of the Law (3:6b-18)
3. His message cf. the message of his opponents (4:1-12)
4. His motivation (4:13-5:15)
C. A plea for reconciliation (5:16-7:4)
D. The long-awaited response to his earlier letter (7:5-16)
III. The collection for the poor Jerusalem saints (8:1-9:15)
IV. Paul’s polemic against his opponents (10:1-13:14)
A. His response to criticisms (10:1-11)
B. The false “apostles” exposed (11:1-15)
C. Paul’s “fools” speech (11:16-12:13)
V. Paul’s third visit (12:14-13:5)
VI. Closing remarks (13:5-14)
This is a brief structural outline. For my own purposes I add many more subdivisions of the text, but this is sufficient to show you the process.
Title: Learning from Jesus – Confessing Jesus’ Identity (Matt. 16:13-23)
Subject: Who Is Jesus?
Theme: When we know Jesus, we must be prepared to confess who he is and what he has done.
Point I. Jesus asks a question about his identity (16:13-20)
1. “Who do people say that I am?” (13-14)
2. “Who do you say that I am?” (15-20)
a) Peter’s great confession about Christ (16)
b) Jesus’ great revelation about the church (17-20)
Point II. Jesus prophesies about his sufferings (16:21-23)
1. Peter’s rebuke of Jesus (22)
2. Jesus’ rebuke of Peter (23)
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
We are continuing our study of how to preach various literary genres of the Bible. In the last edition of this Journal (NPJ46), we began to study the subject of “Preaching the Epistles.” In that edition we covered the following topics…
A. The literary characteristics of the epistles.
1. The structure of epistles.
2. Common features of the epistles.
3. The function and form of epistles.
4. The historical context of the epistles.
B. Guidelines for understanding and preaching the epistles.
1. Analyze the literary structure.
2. Research the historical context.
Before continuing with the last two points (B3 and B4), I would like to illustrate what I mean by “researching the historical context” in four case studies…
Question: What was the historical setting or occasion of the epistle to the Philippians?
Answers:
a) Paul was writing them a thank you note for their financial support (2:25; 4:10-14), which support had been regular and generous right from the beginning (1:5; 4:15-16) but had been interrupted because of “lack of opportunity” (4:10), perhaps because they were experiencing some kind of financial constraint at that time.
b) The Philippian assembly was divided into factions (1:27; 4:2).
This explains Paul’s exhortations…
1. That God will supply their needs (4:19).
2. To not be anxious (4:6-7) but to be joyful (1:26; 2:18, 28; 4:4 etc.).
3. To be likeminded (1:27; 2:2; 4:2), humble (2:3), and gentle (4:5).
From this analysis you can see that, contrary to the interpretation many preachers put on this epistle, the Philippians were not an example of Christian joy. This only becomes clear when you study the historical setting and occasion. The fact is that they were lacking joy because of the disunity among them: hence, Paul’s repeated exhortations to rejoice.
Question: What was the historical setting or occasion of the epistle to Philemon?
Answer: Onesimus was a slave who had run away from his master, Philemon, after stealing from him. Subsequently, Onesimus had become a Christian through Paul (Phil. 1:10) who was a prisoner in Rome. Under the social conditions of that time, a runaway slave could be put to death. The letter is designed to persuade Philemon to not take punitive action against Onesimus but to be reconciled to him for the following reasons…
a) Because of Christian love, not social customs (5-7).
b) Because Onesimus was Paul’s son in the faith (10).
c) Because their new relationship was brothers in Christ, not slave and master (15-16).
d) Because Philemon had certain moral obligations to Paul (18-20).
Question: What was the historical setting or occasion of the first epistle to the Corinthians?
Answer: There were several issues that prompted this letter…
a) Their internal quarreling had led to divisions in the church, each group following a different prominent person in the church (ch. 1-4).
b) They had an instance of incest that required church discipline (ch. 5).
c) There were certain brothers suing other brothers in the public courts (ch. 6).
d) There were a number of practical and theological issues that needed addressing, about which they had written to Paul looking for answers (ch. 7-14).
This explains Paul’s many injunctions and the tone of his letter concerning…
a) Their need…
i) To be united in following Christ and him crucified (ch. 1-2).
ii) To grow up spiritually (ch. 3).
iii) To carry out public church discipline (ch. 5).
iv) To judge disputes between brothers in the church not in the courts (ch. 6).
b) Paul’s answers to their questions about…
i) The principles of marriage (ch. 7).
ii) Matters of conscience (ch. 8).
iii) Fleeing from idolatry (ch. 10).
iv) Women showing submission to men (ch. 11).
v) Proper conduct at the Lord’s table (ch. 11).
vi) The use of spiritual gifts (ch. 12-14).
Question: What was the historical setting or occasion for the epistle to Ephesians?
Answer: The overriding issue that Paul is dealing with here is how an ethnically diverse church (Jews and Gentiles) could exist together in harmony. Paul’s answer to this dilemma is…
a) To explain the new relationship in Christ between Jews and Gentiles in the church (ch. 1-3).
b) To exhort them to adopt new practices which reflect this new relationship (ch. 4-6).
So far, then, in preparing for preaching the epistles, we have learned the importance of (A) The literary structure of the epistles: (1) The structure of the epistles; (2) Common features of the epistles; (3) The function and form of the epistles; and (4) The historical context of the epistles. And we have proposed (B) Some guidelines for understanding and preaching the epistles: (1) Analyze the literary structure of the epistle; and (2) Research the historical context of the epistle. Now I would like to add items 3 and 4 to these guidelines for understanding and preaching the epistles…
3. Identify The Theological Ideas (the Timeless Truths and Principles). While determining the historical situation of the epistles is fundamental to understanding them correctly, nonetheless, as Graeme Goldsworthy rightly points out...
“as important as that is…the preacher is always left with the task of trying to grasp the theological principles being expressed so that they might be transferred to our contemporary situation…The specific situation, while illuminating the meaning of the text, is not itself the message. In a sermon we need to hear more than an analysis of what Paul said to the Galatians in chapter 1 of the epistle, and what motivated him to say it” (Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture, 243).
Thus, the theology of the epistles gives unity to our sermons, concerning, for example, the nature and character of God, God’s works and his ways, God’s relationship with and expectations of his people etc., with a view to bringing about the continuing transformation of God’s people to the image of his Son. So, the more we learn of God, the more we will be obedient to him, serve him, love him, speak for him etc. This theme, of course, is common to all biblical genre, since the subject of the entire Bible is the rule of God among his people – a rule that was marred by the Fall and which is now being restored (re-created) on the basis of the atoning work of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit through and in God’s redeemed people.
As we search for the theological emphases of each epistle, we should ask ourselves questions like: Why is this epistle in the Scriptures? What is its place in, and contribution to, our understanding of redemptive history? What do we learn about God’s revelation from this epistle? What does it tell us about God? What is the specific theological focus of the epistle as a whole and the passage in particular? What aspect of the nature, character, actions, expectations, and demands of God is this epistle addressing? How does all this affect and change our lives, our relationships, our beliefs etc.?
More specifically, we need to focus on what the epistles tell us about Christ - his person and his saving work, as Paul puts it: “Christ crucified…Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God…Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 1:23, 24; 2:2). Indeed, all our sermons should seek to focus on the person and work of Christ, for he is the central theme of the Scriptures (Lk. 24:27). Goldsworthy puts it this way: “No one sermon should ever be allowed to stand apart from the whole gospel-based thrust of the epistle” (Goldsworthy, 244).
The fourth step in preparing to preach the epistles is…
4. Work Out The Implications And Applications From The Passage. Having reached this stage of sermon preparation, now you are able to think about the implications of the truths in the text. By implications I mean truths derived from the text, any indirect or inferred suggestions, associated teaching, connotations, significances.
While it is vital that, as we prepare our sermons, we make sure that we understand the historical situation of the text, the theological issues being addressed and the reason why it was written, our preparation doesn’t end there. Now we need to work out how these theological truths and their implications apply to contemporary life. It is very important that we not leave any sermon in the realm of abstract concepts or ancient history. Theology properly explained is eminently practical. If the theology we preach does not lead to changes in how we live, then our sermons have failed. Our audience needs to understand the theological truths in the passage first, but then they also need to learn how to put those concepts into practice in their lives.
To do this we need to ask and answer some probing and insightful question: What is the significance of this instruction? What are the implications of this instruction? What difference does this make in my life? How does this apply to me? This is sometimes referred to as overcoming the “so what” hump – that barrier to understanding how the biblical truth connects to life, how this instruction in our contemporary context makes a difference in people’s lives.
Thus, we can see in these epistles where theology intersects with the practical needs of the recipients. Despite the fact that every epistle (as we have seen in the case studies above) was written to a specific recipient (church or individual) in a specific historical-cultural context in response to specific issues both theological and practical (i.e. real-life issues), our task as preachers is not to simply state general truth-principles but to show how those principles apply to the lives of the real people living in our generation now and in our culture, by showing how those broad theological principles affect and make a difference to all aspects of our lives– our beliefs, our attitudes, our speech, thoughts and behaviors, our relationships, the family, our values, our goals and priorities, our morality, our Christian witness and ministry etc. So, from the culturally specific issues in the passage, we derive general principles and implications and we show how those principles are applicable to all generations on matters of contemporary relevance both in the past, in the present, and in the future. Otherwise it remains words on a page rather than truth to be lived.
Let me take this one step further before we end this section. In order for our application of the truth to be effective in the lives of our hearers, we need to “concretize” the principles and issues in the text. By concretize I mean make the truth real, living, tangible, visible in such a way that people can identify where they need to change and how they will comply with these truths in their own situation. Someone has poignantly written, “A truth well-stated is excellent, but a truth well-lived is priceless” (Os Guiness, “Carpe Diem: Redeemed,” 79). Let’s make sure that our preaching is truth well-stated and well-lived by showing how it makes a difference in people’s lives.
In the next edition of this journal we will begin to study in detail the epistle to the Ephesians in order to demonstrate how understanding its literary structure, historical context, and theological ideas is fundamental to uncovering its implications and applications to contemporary life, all for the purpose of preparing to preach.
Over the next several editions of this Pastors Journal, I will be studying parts of Paul’s pastoral letters to his young protégé, Timothy. These letters are fundamental to our understanding of the scope and responsibility of pastoral leadership. Paul’s first letter to Timothy is structured around five points (charges) of pastoral instruction regarding order in the church…
A. Concerning Pastoral Responsibilities (1:3-20)
B. Concerning Public Worship (2:1-15)
C. Concerning Pastoral Leadership (3:1-16)
D. Concerning Personal Devotion (4:1-6:2)
E. Concerning Pastoral Motives (6:3-21)
We begin in this edition with the first point of instruction on order in the church…
Following a fairly standard introduction that names Paul as the author of this letter and Timothy as the recipient, Paul immediately launches into the first aspect of his charge to Timothy concerning pastoral responsibilities…
1. Maintain pure doctrine. The first way to maintain pure doctrine is…by combatting false doctrine (1:3-7). “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than stewardship from God that is by faith” (1:3-4).
Having previously encouraged Timothy to remain in his pastoral role at the church in Ephesus, Paul repeats that charge here, the express purpose of which is to combat false doctrine. Specifically Timothy was to “charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine.” False doctrine includes any teaching that changes the one true gospel or mixes it with other teachings. While Paul is not explicit about what these false teachings were, it seems from the context to include those listed in 1:4, the basis of which was the misuse of the Mosaic law (1:7).
There were certain men in the church who had “devoted” themselves to false teachings such as “myths and endless genealogies” (1:4a). Part of Timothy’s pastoral responsibility was to charge them to stop promoting such false teachings, which were nothing more than idle, fictional fabrications. Presumably these men were misinterpreting and misapplying the O.T. genealogies, thus promoting “speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith” (1:4b). These false teachings bred mere speculations in the place of biblical truth, which is what genuine stewards of the gospel teach. These false teachings delude people into becoming occupied with things that are speculative and outright false. They do not engender or promote saving faith in the one true gospel, which is the responsibility of all true ministers of the gospel.
Lest Timothy should admonish these false teachers in the wrong manner or with the wrong goal, Paul quickly points out that “the aim of our charge is love” (1:5a). While myths and genealogies promote speculations, which usually produce division in the church, Timothy’s aim must be to produce in these false teachers “love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1:5). The threefold foundation of such love is (1) a “pure heart,” (2) “a good conscience,” and (3) “a sincere faith.” You cannot have a good conscience without a pure heart, nor can you have sincere faith without both a pure heart and a good conscience. These three characteristics of genuine teachers of biblical truth are inextricably tied together. You cannot have one without the other, as Hebrews 10:22 affirms: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” A true (sincere) heart, a good conscience, and genuine faith go hand-in-hand. A person with a true heart is one who is transparent, straightforward, upright, and thoroughly genuine. Such a person also has the “full assurance of faith” – faith that is confident of what they believe, fully trusting the work of Christ and the security of their salvation. Furthermore, their hearts are washed clean from an evil conscience – i.e. they have a good conscience. The conscience is spoken of in the Bible as part of the function of the heart because the heart in the Bible is where moral choices are made. The conscience can be either clean or defiled, either guilty or clear, either pure or evil. Only the blood of Christ can cleanse our consciences (Heb. 9:14). Only he can give us that internal cleansing from sin, a conscience that is at peace with God, a conscience that is set free from the burden of guilt.
When these spiritual and moral characteristics are not present in teachers, all kinds of aberrant doctrines can easily and quickly spread throughout the church. Such was the case at Ephesus where “Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions” (1:6-7). There were some false teachers in Ephesus who had “served away” from the standard required of them – namely, “a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” At one time they evidently were men of upright character and pure motives, but there came a time when they swerved off course. Instead of teaching the one true gospel and pure biblical doctrine, they “wandered away into vain discussion.”
Notice that the process that led these teachers off course was gradual - they “wandered away” from the truth they once held and taught. This is what can happen when teachers in the church take their eyes off biblical truth and get caught up in “vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.” They became enamored with matters that have no spiritual value, such as “myths and endless genealogies” (1:4) and “vain discussion.” It seems to have started with their “desire.” Perverted interpretations of the Scriptures, specifically the law and its relation to the gospel (cf. 1:8-11), start with the perverted “desire” of the human heart. It seems that these were teachers who loved the prominence that their position in the church and their teachings afforded them. What makes such false teachings so insidious is that these same men assumed the position of “teachers of the law” but who, in reality, did not understand what they were teaching and who, nonetheless, spoke with utter confidence about their assertions. In other words they made up for their lack of understanding of the law by verbal persuasion, by asserting that what they taught was unquestionably true.
So, Paul’s charge to Timothy concerning pastoral responsibilities is to maintain pure doctrine, first by combatting false doctrine and second…by promoting correct doctrine (1:8-11). The way to combat false doctrine is to refute it with correct doctrine. In contrast to these false teachers who didn’t know what they were talking about, genuine teachers of Scripture are those who “know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully” (1:8). While the term “the law” probably includes the law in general, it most probably refers specifically to the Mosaic law which the false teachers were falsely interpreting and applying. But, Paul says, the law does not need to be reinterpreted to suit contemporary society or new philosophies, or academic studies. No, “the law is good,” but there is a condition attached to its use and application, namely “if one uses it lawfully.” Simply put, teachers of the law of God must interpret and apply it in accordance with the author’s original intention and meaning. That’s how we are to use the law. We are not permitted to reinterpret it to suit modern thinking and behavior.
To properly teach the law we need to understand its purpose (1:9-10). “The law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient” (1:9a). Here is the contrast in the purpose of the law. It is not for “the just” - those who live uprightly before God and civil authorities - nor is the law “a terror to good conduct” (Rom. 13:1-7). Rather the law is designed for those who are “lawless and disobedient” – those who disregard and disobey the law. This general group for whom the law was designed is divided into four subcategories…
First, the law was meant “for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane” (1:9b). This subcategory describes those who, in general, oppose God, who blaspheme his name, who have no place for God in their lives.
Second, the law was meant “for those who strike their fathers and mothers” (1:9b). This subcategory describes those who rebel against common decency and the law of God, those who rebel against and thoroughly ignore the natural relationship between family members. They have not only lost any sense of decency and affection for their parents but have abrogated God’s law (cf. Ex. 20:12; 21:15).
The third subcategory describes those who are a danger to society, “murderers” (1:9c). This egregious expression of utter lawlessness violates the sixth commandment, for which the punishment was death (Ex. 20:13; Num. 35:16).
The fourth subcategory describes those who pervert society in general: “The sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers” (1:10a). This fourth and final grouping includes all who practice obscene sexual offenses (like fornication and homosexuality), those who enslave other human beings, liars and perjurers who cause chaos in society, especially those societies which rely on the rule of law in order to function properly. And just to ensure that the list doesn’t miss anyone, Paul embraces every other activity, behavior, relationship, and attitude in “whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine” (1:10b). Anything that fails to manifest goodness, uprightness, honesty, and purity is contrary to the law and sound doctrine. Sound doctrine is always “in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted” (1:11). There is always perfect consistency between lawful behavior and gospel truth.
Final Remarks. This, then, is Paul’s first charge to this young pastor Timothy. We learn here that those in church leadership are responsible to combat false doctrine, which requires not only (on the negative side) opposing and correcting false teachers, but also (on the positive side) teaching and promoting biblical truth.
One of the reasons our ministry here at IBP exists is “To strengthen the church in biblical preaching and leadership.” We are thoroughly committed to the discipline of expository preaching, which we promote and teach whenever and wherever possible. In order for the church to function properly, expository preaching goes hand-in-hand with biblical leadership. We are convinced that the most authoritative aspect of church leadership is the exposition of God’s word, which not only explains and applies the truth to the congregation, but also rebukes those who are opposed to the truth and corrects those who are in error (1 Tim. 5:20).
As we work our way through certain passages in 1 Timothy, may the Lord use these studies to encourage and equip you in your role as a leader in the church of Christ.
Title: Learning from Jesus – Seeing Jesus’ Glory (Matt. 17:1-9)
Subject: The transfiguration of Jesus
Theme: What may seem good to us may not be the best – the best thing is to focus on Jesus only.
Structure: This episode in Jesus’ ministry is structured around (1) what we see and (2) what we hear.
Point I. We see a glorious transformation (17:1-2)
1. The glory of God is reflected in Jesus’ face (17:2a)
2. The holiness of God is displayed in Jesus’ clothing (17:2b)
Point II. We hear a revealing conversation (17:3-9)
1. It’s a conversation about who Jesus is (17:3)
a) He is the fulfillment of the law (Matt. 5:17)
b) He is the fulfillment of the prophets (Matt. 5:17)
2. It’s a conversation about what’s most important (17:4-6)
a) It’s not about us and what we can do for Jesus (17:4)
b) It’s about Jesus and what he has done for us (17:5-6)
3. It’s a conversation about listening to Jesus (17:7-9)
a) When we listen to Jesus, he banishes our fear (17:7)
b) When we listen to Jesus, he becomes all-absorbing (17:8-9)
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
This is part 3 of “Preaching the Epistles.” For the previous studies, please go to Issues 46 and 47 of this Net Pastors Journal on this website at https://bible.org/net-pastors-journal. In this issue, I want to outline some of the areas that are helpful for you in preparing to preach an epistle by way of a case study of the epistle to the Ephesians.
In John 17 Jesus prayed that all his disciples throughout the history of the church would be united together as “one” (17:21-23). The strength and testimony of the church comes from its unity: “That the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (17:23). Sadly, many church congregations are not united. Consequently, they do not have the power and testimony in their communities that they ought to have. The epistle to the Ephesians deals with the subject of unity in the church.
Despite some who contest the Pauline authorship of this epistle, internal evidence in the epistle points strongly to his authorship, such as, (1) The outright claims of his authorship (1:1; 3:1); (2) His personal connections with the recipients (1:15-16; 4:1; 6:19-20); and (3) Specific ministry to the Gentiles (3:6-8).
This epistle was written from prison (4:1) to the church in Ephesus. The fact that it is a prison epistle probably dates it around the year 60 AD, toward the end of Paul’s life. Paul had ministered in Ephesus for several years. His farewell speech to the elders of that church and his evident affection for them is recorded for us in Acts 20. Later, the apostle John also wrote a letter to this same church in Revelation 2, in which he commended them for their Christian works and their doctrinal purity, but condemned them for their lack of love for Christ.
The city of Ephesus was an important city economically and religiously. Economically it was a prosperous city because of its ideal location in Asia Minor and its easy access by land and sea: (1) by land, because it was connected by highway to all the other major cities of that province; and (2) by sea, because it was on a river not far from the ocean and had an inland harbor. Religiously, Ephesus was famous for its pagan worship, particularly its great temple to the pagan goddess Diana.
The Christians in the church at Ephesus were Gentile believers (3:1). While the epistle is written to Gentiles, its teaching for Jewish believers is also very important. Some think that the letter was intended to be a circular letter for more than only the church in Ephesus because (1) he makes no reference in the letter to his labors among them, a reference which surely would have been included if it was written solely to those among whom he had labored in Ephesus; and (2) he makes no specific reference to any doctrinal or practical problems, nor controversies or questions, which he usually would if he was addressing a specific church. However, these arguments are not persuasive and, in any event, throughout history the letter has become associated with the church at Ephesus. Nonetheless, it is important to note that though Paul is addressing a local church, he embraces the universal church throughout, not just the local church.
The primary thrust of this letter is to explain the new concept of the church as the body of Christ, composed of ethnically and religiously diverse people, namely, Jewish and Gentile believers together. How these two peoples could be united was something previously considered impossible, an incomprehensible mystery. This letter explains that such unity has been made possible through Christ’s work of reconciliation on the cross, reconciling them not only to God but to each other. The letter underscores the privileges of their new position as well as their new attendant responsibilities as they live out their Christian calling both in the church and in the world.
First, what they needed was greater understanding. To live in this new relationship with their Jewish brethren in the church they needed to progress in their understanding of who they were in Christ. This becomes very apparent from Paul’s two prayers in the first half of the letter, which stress (1) their need for wisdom and revelation, knowledge, understanding, and enlightenment (1:17-23), and (2) their need for the inner strength of the Holy Spirit and the indwelling of Christ so that their comprehension of spiritual realities may be strengthened (3:14-21).
Second, what they needed was to change the way they lived. They needed to live as new people in Christ, in a way that is consistent with their Christian calling and position. They needed to walk together in unity in the church, progressively moving toward “the unity of the faith” (4:1-16), and they needed to live as new people in the world, in a way that is radically different from their previous way of life as unsaved Gentiles (4:17-6:20; cf. 2:1-3). This, too, is made possible because of what Christ has done in transforming power.
Even though the letter makes no specific mention of particular doctrinal or practical problems in the church there, evidently, from his farewell speech to the elders of this church in Acts 20, Paul saw some potential dangers from false teachers and false doctrines (Acts 20:28-30). Subsequently, from Revelation 2, we discover that the leaders of the church at Ephesus protected the church from false teachers and false doctrine, but in the process they became a cold, formal church which was more concerned about programs and processes than about their relationship with Jesus Christ. No wonder, then, that Paul emphasizes not only doctrine but also love and relationships in this epistle.
In accordance with its purpose, the theme of the epistle is Christian unity both as a biblical principle and as a reality. Thus, I have titled this study, “United We Stand: The Mystery of the Church.”
The lack of unity today in our churches may spring from many sources such as: (1) ethnic diversity, (2) the members of the church not spending much time together, (3) poor personal relationships between various members of the church, (4) lack of a common spiritual motivation and goal, (5) arguments over how church should be done, or (6) certain persons wanting the power and control of the church. There are many reasons why disunity occurs in a church. But it should not be so.
Whatever the reason for disunity in a church, I believe that this study in Paul’s letter to the Ephesian Christians addresses this fundamental problem. We are going to see that this letter addresses the issue of how and why Christians of diverse backgrounds are united through Christ and the Holy Spirit, and how they should demonstrate that unity in their practice. This is my overriding burden in bringing this study to you. I want to be able to make the teachings of this epistle to the Ephesians on the subject of unity relevant to our culture today, no matter where you live.
We live in a day when individualism is predominant not only in the world but in the Christian church. Everybody wants to do things their own way. This brings discord, perhaps not in terms of doctrinal matters but in terms of what the body of Christ ought to be as a functional, living, interrelated entity, which exists to glorify God, sustain each other, and withstand the attacks of the enemy. All of the lessons in this study tie into the title and basic thrust of the epistle, namely, “United we stand: The mystery of the church.”
For the purposes of this study, I am going to outline the epistle’s teaching on the subjects of the church (ecclesiology), salvation (soteriology), God (theology), and final things (eschatology).
1. The doctrine of the church (ecclesiology). As I mentioned before, the emphasis in this epistle is on the universal church of which Christ is the head, a headship that foreshadows his ultimate cosmic headship over all things (1:22).
The “mystery” that God has brought about through Christ is that both Jews and Gentiles have been united into the church, which is the fullness of Christ (1:23). They are now fellow citizens (2:19), a new household (family) of faith (2:19), one holy temple (2:20-22), one body (4:4), the bride of Christ (5:23-27).
The church is a unique, dynamic entity, whose members are continually growing in spiritual maturity and progressing toward the unity of the faith as they utilize their gifts (4:1-16), live in a way that is consistent with their calling (4:17-6:9), and as they unitedly fight against satanic forces which attempt to break the church apart (6:10-20).
The church is presented in three pictures in Ephesians:
a) A building which is growing (2:19-22) into a holy temple in the Lord and which is united through its Chief Cornerstone.
b) A body (4:4) which is the “fullness” of Christ (1:23), formed through his reconciling work on the cross (2:16-18), into which both Jews and Gentiles have ben incorporated as equal members (3:6; 5:20), in which each member is equipped for and performs the work of the ministry (4:12), and which is uniquely joined to Christ as its head and its Savior (4:15-16; 5:23).
(3) A bride for whom Christ died, whom he has made glorious and holy, and whom he will present to himself as his own (5:23-27).
The unity of the church has been made possible because of the atoning work of Christ (1:6-8), which has not only brought about vertical reconciliation with God and horizontal relationships with each other (2:11-18), but which also makes possible the eschatological reconciliation of all things under Christ (1:10).
Just as the church is a holy temple, made so because Christ has sanctified and cleansed her “by with the washing of water with the word so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (5:26-27), so also its members are to be holy people (1:4; 4:20-5:14) in contrast to the unholy people that they once were (2:1-10; 4:17-19).
One of the church’s present duties and purposes is to make known the manifold wisdom of God to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (3:10). The picture, then, of the church in Ephesus is one of a people who are diverse in their backgrounds and gifts but united in their relationship in and activity for Christ, as they strive together toward the same goal (to reach the stature of the fullness of Christ), fulfilling their united purpose in the world. This is the church that we should strive for in our communities, churches that are made up of a diversity of people who are united in their relationship in Christ, in their way of life in the world, and in their progress in the knowledge and defense of the truth.
2. The doctrine of salvation (soteriology). Salvation is presented in Ephesians from three perspectives:
a) A past event. Salvation is a completed event, the benefits of which are presently possessed by every true believer (1:7; 2:4-5, 8-10). Through the cross Christ has reconciled Jews and Gentiles to each other by creating from two nations one new humanity, a new community of faith. And by the cross, he has reconciled all believers to God through his blood, thus establishing peace and granting access by the Spirit to the Father (2:11-18).
b) A future event. Salvation is a future event from two perspectives: First, it is future in that our sealing by the Holy Spirit is the present guarantee of the future redemption of our bodies (1:13-14). Second, it is future in that, in the ages to come, our glorification with Christ will be a permanent display of God's grace toward us in Christ (2:6-7).
c) A universal event. Salvation is viewed as universal in its scope, since one day, on the basis of Christ’s death and resurrection, all things both in heaven and in earth will be gathered together under Christ’s headship (1:10, 21-22). This has in view the restoration of Christ’s universal headship.
Salvation, then, is solely the product of God's redeeming grace in Christ and nothing which we merited for ourselves. Indeed, no human works could ever merit our salvation. Good works are a consequence of salvation not the cause. We are saved “by grace… through faith” and then we are capable of good works(2:8-10).
3. The doctrine of God (theology). This doctrine is presented from the perspective of Christology and the Trinity.
Christology. The lordship of Christ is most clearly presented. God has raised Jesus Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of highest power and praise, even at his own right hand (1:20-21). He is the supreme One. Jesus Christ is lord of all things, whether heavenly or earthly, rulers of the earth or demonic powers. His headship is presently acknowledged and manifested in the church and will be acknowledged and manifested cosmically in the coming age (1:10, 21-23; 3:10-11). It stands to reason, therefore, that the primary reason for our existence is to praise and glorify him as the supreme One (1:6, 12, 14).
The Trinity. While it might be going too far to say that Paul structured this epistle around the doctrine of the Trinity, nonetheless the doctrine of the Trinity is so obviously portrayed here that it surely underlies the basic tenets of this letter. Hence, the unity, nature, and character of the Trinity that are repeatedly presented here provides a theological and practical basis for the unity, nature, and character of God’s people. Note the following explicitly trinitarian references:
a) The Trinitarian aspect of our spiritual blessings (1:4-14). “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (1:3) and “chose us in him” for salvation before time began (1:4-6). “In him” (the Son) we have redemption (1:7-12) and we are sealed with promised “Holy Spirit” who is the guarantee of our inheritance (1:13-14).
b) A Trinitarian prayer (1:15-23). The God of our “Lord Jesus Christ” is “the Father of glory” who gives us “the Spirit of wisdom” (1:17).
c) Trinitarian access to God (2:16-18). God is the trinitarian God to whom we have been reconciled in one body through “the cross” (of Christ), through whom we have access by “one Spirit to the Father.”
d) The Trinitarian church structure (2:19-22). We are members of “the household of God” of which “Christ Jesus” is the chief cornerstone and which is a dwelling place for “God by the Spirit.”
e) Trinitarian prayer structure (3:14-19). God “the Father” is the one to whom we direct our prayers (14), who strengthens us with power “through his Spirit” (16), so that “Christ” may dwell in our hearts through faith (17).
f) Trinitarian church unity (4:3-6). The church derives its unity from the unity of the Trinity, namely, “one Spirit...one Lord...and one God and Father of all.”
g) Trinitarian ethics and instructions (4:17-5:24). We have “learned Christ” (4:20-21), must not “grieve the Spirit“ (4:30), and must “be imitators of God” (5:1). We are to be filled with “the Spirit” (5:18) and give thanks to “God the Father” in the name of “our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:20).
4. The doctrine of final things (eschatology). Ephesians addresses the two ages – this age and the age which is to come (1:21). Paul teaches both a “realized” and future eschatology. Believers now enjoy and participate in the blessings of the age to come to some degree (1:3). Through faith in Christ we no longer live under and walk in accordance with the course of this world (2:2), but we are even now in a spiritual sense seated with Christ in heavenly places (2:6). Thus, even now we participate in the benefits of Christ’s position of power and exaltation over the powers of this world. What will be physically true in the eschaton is true spiritually now for believers.
Nonetheless, Ephesians also recognizes that the physical enactment of the eschaton is still future. The redemption of our bodies is still future, even though we are now sealed for that day (1:14; 4:30). The physical establishment of the kingdom, into which no unholy person will enter, is still future (5:5). Thus there is a certain tension in Ephesian eschatology between the present position and blessings of believers by virtue of our union with Christ, and our present struggles, even warfare (6:10-18), as those who live in the present age. Hence, the exhortation to believers to “walk worthy of (our) calling” (4:1; cf. 4:17ff.) in accordance with the “new man” and not the “old” (4:22, 24).
Ephesians and Colossians are considered to be twin epistles because of their similarities in literary style (phrasing and wording), theme, and content.
The first section of both epistles stresses typically Pauline themes, such as justification by faith, dead in sins-alive in Christ, alienation-reconciliation, and holiness. The special ministry of Paul concerning the “mystery” of the gospel is common to both epistles and both epistles stress the headship (supremacy) of Christ.
The second section of both epistles are also similar in their exhortations concerning putting off the old man and putting on the new, sexuality, anger, speech, truth, love, and household relationships.
The distinction between the two epistles lies in two areas. First, there is a difference of focus. Ephesians focuses on the body of Christ (in particular, the unity of the body), whereas Colossians focuses on the head of the body. Second, there is a difference in that Ephesians does not deal with any specific false teaching, whereas Colossians addresses the Colossian heresy (3:16-23).
In Ephesians, notice the repetition of certain words and phrases. Apart from the obvious repetition of the key word “in” - e.g. “in Christ” (1:3-14) – the following words and phrases need to be noted: Good pleasure (1:5, 9), knowledge, understanding, and wisdom (1:8, 17-18), power (1:19-21; 3:20), grace, mercy, and love (2:4-8), riches (1:7, 18; 2:7; 3:8, 16), praise and glory (1:6, 12, 14, 17, 18), chosen, predestined (1:4, 5, 11), his will and purpose (1:5, 9, 11), redemption (1:7, 14), and hope (1:12, 18). You will also notice the extensive use of superlatives: riches of his grace (1:7; 2:7), riches of his glory (1:18), exceeding greatness of his power (1:19), surpassing knowledge (3:19), and exceedingly abundantly above all (3:20).
We will continue this study in the next edition of this Pastors Journal (Fall 2023) in which we will examine the textual structure of the epistle and a few comments on preaching the epistle. I hope that these studies help you in your own preparation for preaching the epistles.
We are studying the instruction of the apostle Paul to Timothy regarding order in the church, which has to do with church leadership. I have structured these studied around Paul’s five charges to Timothy as follows:
A. A charge concerning pastoral responsibilities (1:3-20)
B. A charge concerning public worship (2:1-16)
C. A charge concerning pastoral leadership (3:1-16)
D. A charge concerning personal devotion (4:1-6:2)
E. A charge concerning pastoral motives (6:3-21)
Last time we began studying…
This section concerning pastoral responsibilities divides itself into three points:
1. To maintain pure doctrine (1:3-11)
2. To testify to God’s saving grace (1:12-17)
3. To fulfill your mandate (1:18-20)
In the last edition of this journal, I covered section A, point 1 (1:3-11) concerning the pastor’s responsibility to maintain pure doctrine. In this edition I will cover section A, point 2 (1:12-17) concerning the pastoral responsibility…
2. To testify to God’s Saving Grace (1:12-17). Paul’s first charge to Timothy concerns his pastoral responsibilities, the first of which is to maintain pure doctrine by (1) combatting false doctrine (1:3-7) and (2) promoting correct doctrine (1:8-11), specifically correct doctrine regarding the law. In contrast to “the just” (1:9) who know the correct meaning and application of the law, there are others “who are lawless and disobedient” (1:9), as evidenced in their behavior (1:9-10). Paul sums up this first charge with an all-encompassing statement that Timothy is to withstand “whatever is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted” (1:10-11). This mention of the gospel leads Paul naturally into a wonderful personal testimony of his own call to salvation through the gospel with which he had been entrusted and for which he gives thanks (1:12-17). His testimony focuses on three areas…
a) Thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus Christ (1:12-14). This expression of thanksgiving divides into two areas. First, thanksgiving for present ministry (1:12). “I give thanks to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service” (1:12). The spiritual strength (and perhaps even physical strength) for the daunting task of gospel ministry was granted to him by Christ Jesus his Lord, and for this Paul is deeply and eternally grateful. Such strength was granted to him “because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service” (1:12b). To be “faithful” implies steadfastness and trustworthiness on the basis of which he was appointed to Christ’s service, specifically the gospel ministry. Such an appointment by such a Savior was never far from Paul’s mind, for the miracle of conversion was always a marvel of God’s grace to Paul, something that he spoke about whenever he gave his personal testimony.
Second, thanksgiving for past mercy (1:13). Paul is thankful not only for his appointment to gospel ministry, but even more so for the mercy he received. That Christ Jesus considered him “faithful, appointing me to his service” was unfathomable when he considered who he once was: “… even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man” (1:13a). Here, Paul looks back on his pre-Christian life and confesses that his was a life characterized by violence and anger against God and against Christians.
In Christian terms, blasphemy may be committed in word or behavior. Blasphemous behavior might be, for example, deliberately defying or disobeying God’s laws (Num. 15:30-31). Blasphemous words are those that speak irreverently or disrespectfully about God (Lev. 24:10-16) as in, for example, attributing the work of Spirit of God to Satan (Matt. 12:31-32). You will remember that both our Lord and Stephen were falsely condemned to death by the Jews for blasphemy (Matt. 26:65; Acts 6:11). But Paul acknowledges that before he met the risen Christ on the Damascus Road, he was a blasphemer both in word and deed. As a zealous Jew he rejected Christ’s claim to be the Messiah and he persecuted Christians for turning away from Judaism and following Christ (Acts 9:1-2, 22:4; Gal. 1:13; Phil. 3:6).
Despite, and in contrast to, such a violent background, Paul says, “But I received mercy because I had acted out of ignorance in unbelief (1:13b). For Paul, God’s grace and mercy blend together (see 1:1) for they both flow out of God’s essential nature of love. Indeed, God’s mercy is a consequence of and flows directly out of his unfathomable grace and love which He extended to Paul “through Christ Jesus,” thus replacing the anger and violence that once consumed him. The transformation of his life rested solely on the atoning work of Christ on the cross. That was the foundation to which Paul constantly came back. He freely admitted that he was wholly undeserving of God’s grace and mercy, but he received mercy, he says, “because I had acted out of unbelief.” Paul is not here trying to minimize or justify his previous sinful actions, but to explain that what he did before he came face to face with Christ was done out of a genuine zeal for God (Gal. 1:13-14), misdirected as it was. Yet, despite such an egregiously violent past, “I received mercy.”
To him, this was astounding, beyond comprehension, how God could love and forgive someone with his history. It wasn’t that God reluctantly extended his grace to Paul. It wasn’t that he got saved, but only just. No, he says, “the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1:14). God’s underserved favor “overflowed” for him. It was like a river that flooded over its banks. It was like a tidal wave that crashed ashore, pushing aside everything in its way. That was the power and effect of God’s grace in Paul’s life. The power was overwhelming such that he had to submit to it. The effect was the complete transformation and redirection of Paul’s life. And the evidence was “the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” which accompanied this experience.
In other words, true saving grace in a person’s life always results in changed belief and behavior. Paul’s newfound “faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” were evidence that the work and call of Christ had been effective in his life. No longer was his life characterized by violence and hatred against the people of God but by faith and love. Thus, immediately upon his conversion, he became like Christ in the reality and manifestation of grace and love.
b) Affirmation of the gospel (1:15-16). First, Paul broadens out his personal testimony to the general scope and purpose of God’s salvation (1:15a). The work of Christ on the cross was not limited to persons of prominence or distinction or to people whose conversion was outstanding in its character and circumstances. Christ Jesus did not come into the world to save only Paul or others like him. No, he says, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1:15a).
Paul seems to be quoting a commonly known Christian confession (or “saying”) concerning the universal scope and need of salvation - “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” – a confession which Paul endorses as being “trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.” On the basis of his own experience, Paul recommends this succinct statement as being thoroughly reliable and one which ought to be fully accepted by all, for the same salvation that rescued Paul is available for everyone. As he says elsewhere, “There is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Whether a person has lived a rebellious and hate-filled life like Paul or a profligate life like the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), Christ Jesus came into the world to save them. This is the general scope and purpose of God’s salvation which was accomplished in Christ’s work of atonement.
Yes, there is undoubtedly a certain marvel to the salvation of the apostle Paul and others like him because of their background and the circumstances of their conversion, but we should not idolize their experience, nor consider, for example, the salvation of those who have been raised in Christian homes and who have not rebelled against the gospel in such a flagrant way as being less important. We give thanks to God for the salvation of anyone and everyone who confesses the name of Christ. Indeed, everyone who repents of their sin and turns to Christ for salvation is a marvel of God’s grace. Paul affirms this again when he writes, “4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:4-9).
Nonetheless, though the general scope of God’s salvation is universal, the apostle Paul never lost sight of the particular scope and purpose of God’s salvation (1:15b-17), of which his own conversion is a case in point. While “God commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30), all do not do so. Those who do respond positively to God’s offer of salvation through repentance and faith (Acts 20:21) are those whom God has particularly and purposefully chosen in Christ for salvation (Eph. 1:4). Otherwise, because all human beings are thoroughly sinful, no one would be saved.
The apostle Paul constantly marveled at God’s grace in his own life in particular, never covering over or ignoring who he was before he came to faith in Christ. No, he freely confesses that of all sinners “I am the foremost” (1:15b). You see, the acknowledgement of sin is always personal and specific and one that should never be minimized. In this case, Paul describes himself as “the foremost” of sinners. The depths of sin into which he had fallen were never far from his mind, even while, at the same time, he rejoiced in God’s saving grace and mercy in his life. He never forgot what he once was and the awesome conversion that God wrought in him.
While recognizing the object of God’s grace to sinners in general through Christ, and while acknowledging his reprobate history from which God saved him in particular, Paul confesses that there was a larger purpose for his personal salvation: “But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life” (1:16). Paul recognizes that, probably because of the radical nature of his pre-Christian life, his conversion, and his subsequent prominence in the church, God’s mercy to him in particular “as the foremost” of sinners served a larger purpose in the ways of God, namely to “display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” If someone whose life prior to his conversion was as deviant and rebellious as his, then surely that is a wonderful display of God’s “perfect patience” and “an example” to those who would subsequently believe in Christ “for eternal life.”
Here, then, are two wonderful truths about God’s grace and mercy in saving sinners. First, God’s grace is longsuffering and extended to sinners in general. He does not quickly condemn sinners and execute their punishment without warning. Nor does he exclude any. Rather he waits patiently for sinners to repent and turn to Christ in faith. Second, God delights to save even the worst of sinners. This brings the gospel and the truth of salvation down to a very personal level and specific purpose in God’s saving ways and purposes.
What an example and encouragement this is. If anyone doubts God’s patience and grace, we can point them to Paul’s conversion which still stands as an example to the world that “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). If God did that for Paul, then he can and will do that for anyone. In Paul’s conversion we see a powerful example of God’s mercy and grace poured out abundantly to the chief (or, foremost) of sinners.
c) Praise to God (1:17). In contemplating his own sordid history and what God had done in his life, Paul bursts into a doxology: “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1:17). This section (1:12-17) began with thanksgiving and ends in praise to God.
God is “the King of the ages” - the One who was and is and is to come, the sovereign Lord of history. He is “immortal” – timeless, eternal, imperishable, unchanging, the Lord of life and death. He is also “invisible” – he cannot be seen because he is spirit in his essential being. And he is “the only God” - there is no other God beside him (Isa. 45:5). To him, in this outburst of praise for the grace and mercy of Christ shown to him, Paul ascribes “honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” This will be our occupation throughout eternity. And to that we all say, “Amen - so let it be.”
Final Remarks. This is a brief but powerful personal testimony by the apostle Paul (see also Acts 22:3-21; 26:1-23) to the immense grace and mercy of God in the life of one who once hated the name of Christ and did whatever he could to get rid of the followers of Christ in the early church but who, through the miraculous saving grace of God and his resulting faith in Christ, had become one of the strongest and most influential leaders in the church.
What, then, does this teach us about the responsibility of pastors to testify to God’s saving grace through their own personal testimony? Personal testimonies give such credibility to church leaders because by them they acknowledge that they are no different from anyone else as to their past and they give praise to God for what he has done in radically transforming their lives. Personal testimonies remind us that God is gracious and merciful. Personal testimonies illustrate how God can change a person’s life, transforming them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God. Personal testimonies declare publicly the saving power of God, that no one is beyond his redemption. Personal testimonies show that God can and does take the worst of sinners and make them into strong leaders to accomplish his purposes. Personal testimonies encourage others, that if God can do this for someone else, he can do it for others as well. Personal testimonies are vivid, living examples of the source, scope, and object of God’s saving grace.
Title: Learning from Jesus – Praising Jesus Our King (Matthew 21:1-11)
Subject: The kingship of Jesus.
Theme: The kingship of Jesus at his first coming points us to his kingship at his second coming.
Point I: Jesus’ kingship is recognized in his divine authority (21:1-13)
Point II: Jesus’ kingship is proved in fulfilled prophecy (21:4-6)
1. The prophecy of Daniel 9:25 was fulfilled
2. The prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 was fulfilled
Point III: Jesus’ kingship is demonstrated in humble majesty (21:6-11)
1. Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem was clothed in humility (21:6-7)
2. Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem was clothed in majesty (21:8-11)
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
As with many of Paul’s writings, the epistle to the Ephesians is divided into two sections:
1. A doctrinal section: “Our Common Position in Christ” (1:3-3:21).
2. A practical section: “Our Common Practice in Christ” (4:1- 6:24).
The connection between the two sections of the epistle is the concept of their “calling” (4:1). Where the first section of the book reminds them of their calling into a new relationship with Christ and with his people, the second section of the book instructs and exhorts them to live in a way that exemplifies and reflects that calling.
The tone of the first section is that of thanksgiving to God for our spiritual position and riches in Christ - (1) for our blessings in Christ (1:3-14); (2) for our transformation in Christ (2:1-10); (3) for our relationship in Christ (2:11-22) – which position and riches form the basis for the practical instructions in the second section as to how to live in unity together as Christians in one body. The tone of the second section changes noticeably to one of exhortation, as Paul “beseeches” them to “walk worthy of the calling” with which they had been called.
In chapter 3, the epistle is interrupted by an important parenthesis (3:2-13) in which Paul reflects on his ministry and the revelation given to him by God concerning the “mystery” that was made known to him uniquely, the mystery of the unity of Jews and Gentiles in the church according to the purposes of God worked out in Christ.
After reminding them of their spiritual riches in Christ and the position for which they had been redeemed and to which they had been called, in chapters 4 to 6 Paul challenges them to live in such a way as to reflect that reality through their unity:
1. Unity in their ministry (4:1-16).
2. Unity in their behavior (4:17-5:21).
3. Unity in their relationships (5:22-6:9).
4. Unity in their spiritual battles (6:10-20).
Noticeably, the epistle contains two significant and instructive prayers from which we can learn how to pray and what to pray for: (1) A prayer for their enlightenment (1:15-23); (2) A prayer for their empowerment (3:14-21).
PART ONE: OUR COMMON POSITION IN CHRIST |
1:1–3:21 |
|||
Introduction to the Epistle |
1:1-2 |
|||
I. Our Common Blessings in Christ |
1:3–23 |
|||
|
A. The blessing of our election |
1:4-6 |
||
|
|
1. The nature of election is God’s choice (He “chose”) |
1:4a |
|
|
|
2. The object of election is God’s people (“us”) |
1:4b |
|
|
|
3. The foundation of election is God’s Son (“in Christ”) |
1:4c |
|
|
|
4. The time of election is God’s eternity (“before the foundation...”) |
1:4d |
|
|
|
5. The purpose of election is God’s glory (“to the praise of his glory”) |
1:4e-6 |
|
|
B. The blessing of our redemption |
1:7-10 |
||
|
|
1. The source of redemption is God’s “Beloved” |
1:7a-b |
|
|
|
2. The means of redemption is Christ’s “blood” |
1:7c |
|
|
|
3. The result of redemption is our “forgiveness” |
1:7d |
|
|
|
4. The motivation for redemption is God’s “grace” |
1:7e-8 |
|
|
|
5. The consummation of redemption is Christ’s “headship” |
1:9-10 |
|
|
C. The blessing of our inheritance |
1:11-14 |
||
|
|
1. Our inheritance is assigned by God’s sovereign plan |
1:11 |
|
|
|
2. Our inheritance is secured with all God’s chosen people |
1:12-14 |
|
|
D. Prayer #1: A Prayer for Enlightenment |
1:15 - 23 |
||
|
|
1. Thanksgiving to God for their salvation |
1:15-16 |
|
|
|
|
(1a) For their faith in the Lord Jesus |
1:15a |
|
|
|
(1b) For their love for all saints |
1:15b |
|
|
2. Petition to God for their comprehension |
1:16-23 |
|
|
|
|
(2a) For the instruction of the Spirit |
1:16b-17 |
|
|
|
(2b) For the full knowledge of the gospel |
1:18-23 |
II. Our Common Transformation in Christ |
2:1–10 |
|||
|
A. Before we knew Christ...we were condemned to spiritual death |
2:1-3 |
||
|
|
1. To be spiritually dead means...that our behavior is worldly |
2:2 |
|
|
|
2. To be spiritually dead means...that our nature is corrupted |
2:3 |
|
|
B. When we know Christ...we are transformed to spiritual life |
2:4-10 |
||
|
|
1. Our transformation is... a marvel of God’s mercy |
2:4-6 |
|
|
|
2. Our transformation is... a monument to God’s grace |
2:7-10 |
|
III. Our Common Relationship in Christ |
2: 11–22 |
|||
|
A. A distant relationship is made near |
2:11-13 |
||
|
|
1. Our former relationship was one of complete distance |
2:11-12 |
|
|
|
2. Our present relationship is one of complete nearness |
2:13 |
|
|
B. A hostile relationship is made peaceful |
2:14-18 |
||
|
|
1. A hostile relationship is made peaceful through the person of Christ |
2:14a |
|
|
|
2. A hostile relationship is made peaceful through the work of Christ |
2:14b-18 |
|
|
C. A foreign relationship is made familiar |
2:19-22 |
||
|
|
1. Through Christ...we are all citizens of the same country |
2:19a |
|
|
|
2. Through Christ...we are all members of the same family |
2:19b-22 |
|
|
D. A Parenthesis: Paul’s Unique Ministry |
3:1–13 |
||
|
|
1. The Revelation Given to Paul of the Mystery of Christ |
3:1-7 |
|
|
|
|
(1a) The channel of this revelation was uniquely through Paul’s ministry |
3:1-5 |
|
|
|
(1b) The substance of this revelation was unique to Paul’s ministry |
3:6-7 |
|
|
2. The Declaration Made by Paul of the Mystery of Christ |
3:8-13 |
|
|
|
|
(2a) To proclaim to the Gentiles Christ’s riches |
3:8 |
|
|
|
(2b) To clarify to everyone God’s plan |
3:9 |
|
|
|
(2c) To display to the evil powers God’s wisdom |
3:10-11 |
|
E. Prayer #2: A Prayer for Empowerment |
3:1, 14-21 |
||
|
|
1. Ask for Strengthened Spirituality |
3:16-17a |
|
|
|
|
(1a) By the Spirit’s power |
3:16b |
|
|
|
(1b) By Christ’s indwelling |
3:17a |
|
|
2. Ask for Strengthened Comprehension |
3:17b-19a |
|
|
|
|
(2a) To grasp of the immensity of Christ’s love |
3:18 |
|
|
|
(2b) To know the incomprehensibility of Christ’s love |
3:19a |
|
|
3. Ask for Strengthened Godliness |
3:19b-21 |
|
PART TWO: OUR COMMON PRACTICE IN CHRIST |
4:1-6:24 |
|||
I. Our Common Walk in Unity |
4:1-6 |
|||
|
A. Our common walk in unity is demanded by our common calling |
4:1 |
||
|
|
1. We have been summoned to a calling that is heavenly |
4:1b |
|
|
|
2. We have been urged to a walk that is worthy |
4:1a |
|
|
B. Our common walk in unity is displayed in our common character |
4:2-3 |
||
|
|
1. The character of Christian unity is produced internally |
4:2 |
|
|
|
2. The character of Christian unity is practiced externally |
4:3 |
|
|
C. Our common walk in unity is driven by our common confession |
4:4-6 |
||
|
|
1. Unity of formation: One body and one Spirit |
4:4a |
|
|
|
2. Unity of destiny: One hope of your calling |
4:4b |
|
|
|
3. Unity of headship: One Lord |
4:5a |
|
|
|
4. Unity of belief: One faith |
4:5b |
|
|
|
5. Unity of sacrament: One baptism |
4:5c |
|
|
|
6. Unity of Godhead: One God and Father |
4:6 |
|
II. Our Common Walk in Maturity |
4:7-16 |
|||
|
A. We grow in our maturity through Christ’s servants |
4:7-11 |
||
|
|
1. The church was built by the apostles and prophets |
4:11a |
|
|
|
2. The church expands through the work of evangelists |
4:11b |
|
|
|
3. The church matures through the ministry of pastors and teachers |
4:11c |
|
|
B. We grow in our maturity for Christ’s service |
4:12 |
||
|
|
1. We mature for Christ’s service as we are trained for ministry |
4:12a |
|
|
|
2. We mature for Christ’s service as we work in ministry |
4:12b |
|
|
|
3. We mature for Christ’s service as we edify others in ministry |
4:12c |
|
|
C. We grow in our maturity in Christ’s likeness |
4:13-16 |
||
|
|
1. Maturity in Christ’s likeness is doctrinal |
4:13a |
|
|
|
2. Maturity in Christ’s likeness is relational |
4:13b |
|
|
|
3. Maturity in Christ’s likeness is total |
4:13c-16 |
|
III. Our Common Walk in Purity |
4:17- 5:21 |
|||
|
A. Contrasting principles for living |
4:17-24 |
||
|
|
1. Don’t live like the ungodly... in corruption that stems from deceit |
4:17-19 |
|
|
|
|
(1a) The ungodly live in intellectual darkness |
4:17-18a |
|
|
|
(1b) The ungodly live in spiritual deadness |
4:18b |
|
|
|
(1c) The ungodly live in practical wickedness |
4:19 |
|
|
2. Live like Jesus... in purity that stems from truth |
4:20-24 |
|
|
|
|
(2a) You live like Jesus...by changing your way of living |
4:22, 24 |
|
|
|
(2b) You live like Jesus...by changing your way of thinking |
4:23 |
|
B. Contrasting practices of living |
4:25-32 |
||
|
|
1. Practice truth…not lying |
4:25 |
|
|
|
2. Practice righteous anger…not unrighteous |
4:26-27 |
|
|
|
3. Practice sharing…not stealing |
4:28 |
|
|
|
4. Practice constructive speech…not destructive |
4:29-30 |
|
|
|
5. Practice virtues…not vices |
4:31-32 |
|
|
C. Contrasting programs for living |
5:1-21 |
||
|
Program #1: Live a God-centred life…not self-centred |
5:1-7 |
||
|
|
1. Live a God-centred life |
5:1-2 |
|
|
|
|
(1a) A God centred life imitates God’s holy nature |
5:1 |
|
|
|
(1b) A God centred life imitates God’s holy love |
5:2a |
|
|
2. Don’t live a self-centred life |
5:3-6 |
|
|
|
|
(2a) A self-centred life is defiled by perversion |
5:3-4 |
|
|
|
(2b) A self-centred life is doomed for punishment |
5:5-6 |
|
Program #2: Live as light…not darkness |
5:8-14 |
||
|
|
1. Live as people of light |
5:8b-10 |
|
|
|
|
(1a) People of light live to produce light |
5:9 |
|
|
|
(1b) People of light live to please God |
5:10 |
|
|
2. Don’t live as people of darkness |
5:11-14 |
|
|
|
|
(2a) People of darkness produce deeds of darkness |
5:11a |
|
|
|
(2b) People of light expose the deeds of darkness |
5:11-14 |
|
Program #3: Live carefully...not recklessly |
5:15-21 |
||
|
|
1. Be careful to live wisely…not foolishly |
5:16-17 |
|
|
|
|
(1a) In the use of your time |
5:16 |
|
|
|
(1b) In understanding God’s will |
5:17 |
|
|
2. Be careful to be filled with the Spirit...not wine |
5:18-21 |
|
|
|
|
(2a) Spirit-filled people worship with one another |
5:19 |
|
|
|
(2b) Spirit-filled people give thanks with one another |
5:20 |
|
|
|
(2c) Spirit-filled people submit to one another |
5:21 |
IV. Our Common Walk in Harmony |
5:22-6:9 |
|||
|
A. The harmony between wives and husbands |
5:22-33 |
||
|
|
1. Spirit-filled wives submit to their husbands |
5:22-24 |
|
|
|
|
(1a) What is the nature of submission? |
5:22 |
|
|
|
(1b) What is the basis for submission? |
5:23 |
|
|
|
(1c) What is the conclusion of the matter? |
5:24 |
|
|
2. Spirit-filled husbands love their wives |
5:25-33 |
|
|
|
|
(2a) A Spirit-filled husband’s love…is like Christ’s for the church |
5:25b-27 |
|
|
|
(2b) A Spirit-filled husband’s love…is like his love for his own body |
5:28-31 |
|
B. The harmony between children and parents |
6:1-4 |
||
|
|
1. The obligations of children to their parents |
6:1-3 |
|
|
|
|
(1a) To obey their parents |
6:1 |
|
|
|
(1b) To honour their father and mother |
6:2-3 |
|
|
2. The obligations of fathers to their children |
6:4 |
|
|
|
|
(2a) To not anger their children |
6:4a |
|
|
|
(2b) To train their children |
6:4b |
|
C. The harmony between servants and masters |
6:5-9 |
||
|
|
1. The obedience of Christian employees |
6:5-8 |
|
|
|
|
(1a) Christian obedience is shown in your attitude |
6:5 |
|
|
|
(1b) Christian obedience is shown in your diligence |
6:6-8 |
|
|
2. The example of Christian employers |
6:9 |
|
|
|
|
(2a) Do to others as you would have them do to you |
6:9a |
|
|
|
(2b) Don’t misuse your power |
6:9b |
|
|
|
(2c) You’re accountable yourself |
6:9c |
V. Our Common Walk in Victory |
6:10-20 |
|||
|
A. Our victory through spiritual protection |
6:10-12 |
||
|
|
1. The protection of God’s power |
6:10 |
|
|
|
2. The protection of God’s armor |
6:11a |
|
|
|
3. The protection against God’s enemy |
6:11b-12 |
|
|
B. Our victory through spiritual preparation |
6:13-20 |
||
|
|
1. Prepared with all the spiritual armor |
6:13-17 |
|
|
|
|
(1a) The truth |
6:14a |
|
|
|
(1b) Righteousness |
6:14b |
|
|
|
(1c) The gospel |
6:15 |
|
|
|
(1d) Faith |
6:16 |
|
|
|
(1e) Salvation |
6:17a |
|
|
|
(1f) The Word |
6:17b |
|
|
2. Prepared with all the power of prayer |
6:18-20 |
|
|
|
|
(2a) The variety of prayer |
6:18a |
|
|
|
(2b) The frequency of prayer |
6:18b |
|
|
|
(2c) The means of prayer |
6:18c |
|
|
|
(2d) The manner of prayer |
6:18d |
|
|
|
(2e) The objects of prayer |
6:18e |
|
|
|
(2f) The specifics of prayer |
6:19-20 |
Concluding remarks |
6:21-24 |
As you can see from my “Structure of Ephesians,” I have divided the epistle into its two major sections (“Our Common Position in Christ” and “Our Common Practice in Christ”) and the titles of these sections reflect the thrust and theme of the epistle concerning our unity as believers in both our position in Christ and our practice.
In the first division of the book (Our Common Position in Christ, 1:3 – 3:21), I would preach a series of messages which reflect the unity we have as believers in our common spiritual position in Christ – where we have come from, the transformation that has taken place in us, and the new relationship we now enjoy in Christ.
After this, I would preach a series of sermons on the second major division of the book (Our Common Practice in Christ, 4:1- 6:20), which reflect the unity of believers in our spiritual practices if we are walking in the truth of our united spiritual position.
Since this epistle contains so much instruction on both doctrinal issues (such as predestination and election, redemption, the sealing of the Spirit etc.) and practical matters (such as forgiveness, reconciliation, the control of the tongue, the roles of the spiritual leaders in the church etc.), I suggest that when you preach this book to your church that you devote separate additional sermons to some of the subjects which need to be developed in greater detail. For example, if you have Sunday evening services, you could give these separate messages at that time, or you could give them at your mid-week prayer meetings or Bible study. These messages would be topical in nature and deal with other Scripture passages which expand on the ideas presented in your series of sermons from Ephesians.
1 Timothy is structured around five “charges” (points of instruction) that the apostle Paul issues to the young pastor Timothy, who was Paul’s son in the faith and his protégé. These five charges are as follows:
A. A charge concerning pastoral responsibility (1:3-20): “Wage the good warfare.”
B. A charge concerning public worship (2:1-15): “The men should pray…the women should learn quietly.”
C. A charge concerning pastoral leadership (3:1-16): “How one ought to behave in the house of God.”
D. A charge concerning personal devotion (4:1-6:2): “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.”
E. A charge concerning pastoral motives (6:3-21): “Keep the commandment unstained…guard the deposit entrusted to you.”
Paul’s first charge to Timothy in the opening of this first epistle has to do with the pastor’s responsibility to “wage the good warfare” (1:18), as follows:
A1. To maintain pure doctrine (1:3-11).
A2. To testify to God’s saving grace (1:12-17).
A3. To fulfill your pastoral mandate (1:18-20).
In the previous two editions of this Journal (NPJ 47 and 48), we covered the first two points concerning pastoral responsibilities: A1 (to maintain pure doctrine) and A2 (to testify to God’s saving grace). In this edition we will address point A3…
A3. To fulfill Your Pastoral Mandate (1:18-20). These verses summarize and emphasize Paul’s first charge to Timothy that we have already studied.
Timothy’s pastoral mandate was to defend the truth by maintaining pure doctrine through his teaching (1:3-11) and by testifying to God’s saving grace through his personal testimony (1:12-17). By way of emphasis, Paul now says, “This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child” (1:18a). These pastoral responsibilities (doctrinal purity and gospel clarity) had first been entrusted to Paul himself and he is now handing them over to Timothy to exercise in the church at Ephesus. As a good mentor, Paul had modelled these pastoral responsibilities and Timothy is exhorted now to continue them unabated in his own ministry. This charge and its attendant responsibilities are serious undertakings, which Paul entrusts to Timothy like a precious asset for safe keeping and exercise in his pastoral ministry.
The confident consignment of these duties reflects “the prophecies previously made about you” (1:18b), Paul writes. Evidently, the pastoral role which Timothy had now reached and the assignment of these responsibilities to him is the culmination of what had been previously recognized and anticipated in the church, where his spiritual gifts and calling into ministry had been prophesied and where he had been set aside for just such a ministry as this in Ephesus where he now served. Timothy had lived up to their expectations of him and he had grown into the practice of ministry under the tutelage of his father in the faith and mentor, Paul, who is now affirming him in this ministry.
By way of further commendation and encouragement for the days ahead, Paul refers to those previous prophecies about Timothy as the basis on which “you may wage the good warfare” (1:18c). There is no doubt that pastor Timothy would face hard days ahead – that is inevitable in pastoral ministry – days of spiritual warfare that he would be required to fight. That is what pastoral ministry is in its essence – a spiritual battle against forces of evil who would seek to discourage and turn aside from the faith those under the pastor’s care. Notice that this warfare is described as “good.” We think of military warfare as bad, which it usually is. But spiritual warfare is good in that we are withstanding the forces of evil as we seek to advance the cause of the gospel and defend the truth of God.
In this battle Timothy would have to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). For himself and on behalf of the members of his church, Timothy would have to wrestle with the forces of evil who constantly bombard the people of God (Eph. 6:12-20). He would have to rebuke those in the church who hold false doctrine and correct those who are in error (2 Tim. 3:16). He would have to publicly rebuke those who persist in sin (1 Tim. 5:20). These and many other attacks can become wearisome and discouraging, but they are part and parcel of pastoral ministry. While being transparent about these challenges and not shying away from these realities, Paul here is encouraging Timothy that all that had taken place in his life - the position which he now occupied in the church and the gifts God had given him - was sufficient to enable him to wage this spiritual warfare.
In so doing Timothy must be sure to continue “holding faith and a good conscience” (1:19a). These are two fundamental, inseparable requirements in the Christian life and even more so in pastoral ministry. In fact they are so important that Paul mentions them together in 1:5, here in 1:19, and again in 3:9, thus emphasizing that, to wage this spiritual battle, our faith in Christ and our moral uprightness must be uncompromised. Faith and practice go together. Faith is the starting point - knowing Christ as our Savior and then progressing in our understanding of and confidence in what we believe, as revealed in God’s word. Such truth must be coupled with a good conscience through upright living. Belief and behavior go together, forming an impregnable barrier against the attacks of our spiritual enemy. Days of discouragement would surely come for Timothy, but Paul encourages Timothy that he can face and overcome these spiritual attacks by clinging firmly to the faith that he professes and teaches, and by consistently living in such a way that his conscience is clear, that his conduct and character reflect his confession.
By way of contrast, and to further reinforce his exhortation, Paul mentions two men who failed to hold faith and a good conscience and which resulted in utter defeat in this spiritual battle: “19b By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, 20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme” (1:19b-20). These two men evidently rejected the principle that a consistent, strong Christian life is one that is firmly established on the foundation of “faith and a good conscience.” Consequently they failed to wage the good warfare and instead “made shipwreck of their faith.” When your love for Christ and your faith in him fades, when you fail to live by and uphold the truth of Scripture, when you no longer enjoy a clear conscience before God because you have abandoned upright Christian conduct, then you no longer have a firm foundation on which to live and to “wage the good warfare” against our spiritual adversary.
Once you begin to waver in your faith in Christ and your trust in God’s word, and once you turn away from the moral standards which define a true Christian, then you open up yourself to making shipwreck of your life. Notice the two types of imagery that Paul uses here – “warfare” (1:18) and “shipwreck” (1:19). As Christians, we are soldiers engaged in a spiritual war against the enemy and we are travelers participating in a spiritual journey that is like crossing the ocean - one that is fraught with dangers like rocks and storms. Both the war and the journey will be won or lost based on the firmness of our faith and the reflection of that faith in the uprightness of our conduct. Those who become weak in their commitment to and conviction of the truths of Scripture risk defeat in spiritual battle. Worse yet, those who abandon their faith in God and his Word will face spiritual shipwreck, which may result in utter disaster as in the cases of “Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme” (1:20).
Who were these men and what does Paul mean by “whom I have delivered over to Satan”? The identity of the men cannot be determined, except to say that most likely they were leaders in the church, possibly those mentioned indirectly in 1 Timothy 1:3-7. As to the expression “whom I have delivered over to Satan,” Paul uses the same expression in 1 Corinthians 5:5 concerning the man who was guilty of sexual immorality. It’s unlikely that Paul would have used the same expression in similar contexts – to describe reprobate persons (spiritual and sexual) – with different meanings. Thus, in both cases, Paul must mean that, by putting such delinquent persons out of the protected and holy sphere of the church into the unprotected and unholy sphere of the world, they would experience the unmitigated attacks of Satan from which they would “learn not to blaspheme.” Now remember, in our study earlier in this chapter (NPJ 48), Paul characterizes himself prior to his conversion as being a blasphemer (1:13), because he willfully defied God’s laws both in word and deed. Similarly here, these men undoubtedly denied the truth about Christ, promoted false doctrine and speculations in the church, argued about myths and endless genealogies, wandered off into vain discussions without any understanding about what they were saying, and by so doing tried to draw away others to follow them, thus generating division in the church. For this reason, Paul “delivered them to Satan” with a view to their restoration once they had learned their lesson.
Title: Learning from Jesus – Sharing his suffering (Matthew 26:36-46)
Subject: Closeness to Jesus
Theme: We need to stay close to Jesus by watching and praying.
Point I: Jesus expresses his distress (26:37-38)
Point II: Jesus prays for deliverance (26:39-41)
Point III: Jesus accepts his destiny (26:42-46)
A ministry of…
Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]
Since it is impossible for me to deal with all aspects of preaching doctrine, I have decided to focus particularly on the application of doctrine since that, it seems to me, is one of the big challenges in preaching. How do I make doctrine relevant to life and not simply a concept to be understood? How can I teach doctrine in my preaching in such a way that people recognize its importance and value to their lives, such that it shapes their thinking, behaviour, decisions, relationships, values etc.?
In addressing this topic, I will try, in this and subsequent editions of this Journal, to give you…
A. Some factors in our contemporary culture that impact the preaching of doctrine.
B. Three important steps in preaching doctrine.
C. Some specific examples of the application of doctrine in preaching.
D. Helpful hints for preaching doctrine.
E. Some concluding reminders about preaching doctrine.
First, then, by way of an introduction to this topic let me comment on…
A1. The Impact of Contemporary Christian Music on Doctrine. The music we hear and sing in church now is influenced greatly by secular music. You could argue that such has always been the case, but that doesn’t make it right nor does it mean that it should continue to be the case. Many contemporary Christian songs could just as easily be songs played on secular radio programs since they sound the same and contain, in some instances, no references that would easily identify them as Christian.
Christian music genre is not just a matter of preference. It’s not just a matter of whether you like traditional hymns or contemporary worship music. That’s a very superficial way of looking at music. Surely, the music we choose for our worship services must be selected on the basis of…
1. The theology of the lyrics - their theological integrity and instruction.
2. Its connection to the theme of the sermon, for all aspects of a church service, I would argue, should be unified. Indeed, a kaleidoscope of music totally unrelated to the theme of the sermon produces a disjointed service and disconnects the worship in music from the worship in the Word.
3. Its expression of worship to God
4. Its connection with Christian life experience
5. The style of the musical composition and the instrumentation played.
6. Its connection with our evangelical history. This criterion is often overlooked but vitally necessary because the advent and popularity of contemporary Christian music lays the emphasis on “contemporary” and contributes to the disconnection from the past that has arisen in our churches, so much so that we are actually raising a generation of young people now who have no connection to our theological traditions, doctrines, or history.
So, as we talk about preaching doctrine, be aware that preaching and teaching doctrine is not limited to the sermon. We should teach doctrine in our music as well. Sadly, much of the contemporary music (not all) either contains no doctrinal content whatsoever or doctrine that is rooted in other ecclesiastical traditions that may be contrary to what we believe and practice. Thus, the proliferation of church music that is from the contemporary genre only, without some traditional music, exacerbates the movement away from preaching doctrine and contributes to the biblical and theological illiteracy of so many of our congregants, particularly our young people.
A2. The Impact of a Contemporary Worldview on Doctrine. The way our society in general thinks usually makes its way into our congregations. Contemporary cultural thinking rejects the notion that there is knowable, absolute, authoritative truth. Instead, those who hold this philosophy consider all truth to be relative and situational, depending on your personal worldview and experience, which, they think, is more relevant to and authoritative in their lives than abstract concepts. Thus, this contemporary philosophy has affected the attitude with which people listen to sermons, particularly sermons on biblical doctrine.
Closely connected to this way of thinking is the cultural emphasis today on individual rights and freedoms, which similarly impacts the preaching of doctrine. Individualism not only stresses private preference but also personal, individual authority that says, “What I believe is my business and no one else is going to tell me what is right or wrong.” Rather than preaching to people whose basic assumption is that the Bible is true and accurate in all that it affirms, many people today come to our church services with the attitude, “Since when was biblical doctrine the ultimate authority for my faith and practice? Who gives you the authority to tell me what is true and what is not?” As a result we have pews filled with people of diverse theological persuasions, many of which have no sound biblical basis, and, in many cases, people with no theological persuasion at all.
Added to this, many Christians view the church, its ministry, and programs, much like choosing from a menu in a restaurant or buying your groceries: “Which one do I like best, suits my needs best, delivers the most benefit to me?” This emphasis on individualistic preference manifests itself in the erratic attendance levels in many evangelical churches today. As one pastor said to me, the congregation seems to change weekly. If the schedule of another activity (e.g. sports) conflicts with and is considered to be more attractive than attending a church service, then that activity gets priority.
Part of this consumer-oriented, self-centered mentality is the drive for instant gratification, from fast foods to pain killers. Undoubtedly this is why so many popular Christian books that fill the Christian bookstores are so superficial. They are responding to the demand for a “five easy step solution” to life’s complex questions, all the way from raising children, to handling debt, to knowing the future.
All this to say that the demand for instant solutions and the emphasis on private preference manifests itself in the general attitude to biblical doctrine. Church, for much of the current generation, is just another item on the list of things that they can purchase and when assessing which church or church service to purchase from they are driven by a materialistic view: “What’s in it for me? What’s the benefit for my children?”
Undoubtedly, television and movies have had a great impact on the seeming inability of people in general to interact with and think through philosophical and theological issues. TV and Hollywood are bombarding the culture with their philosophy and people are subconsciously absorbing it. So, the challenge for us, as preachers, is to make sure that the theology we teach is not left in the realm of an abstract concept but is directly related to practical living.
Sadly, many preachers have fallen captive to this materialistic culture and, in response, preach sermons that satisfy the contemporary worldview, such as “how-to” sermons, “felt-need” sermons, and Christian psychology and counselling, all of which are designed to deliver a tangible, take-home value to the listener’s perceived needs, but which, in the final analysis, are by-and-large anthropocentric sermons devoid, in many instances, of any focus on God and the doctrines of his Word. We must remember that theology is and must be fundamentally practical, otherwise it fails to make a difference in people’s lives. Thus, when preaching doctrine, preachers must be sure to make clear how this should affect lives – our relationships, values, priorities, beliefs, morality etc.
So, the challenge for preachers in this contemporary context is: How do you preach to people whose largely secular thinking drives every part of their lives, including what they want out of church? How do you effectively preach to people who are more attuned to feelings, sights, sounds, touch, and experience than they are to thinking with their minds about propositional truth? How do you preach to people who do not believe that there is absolute truth? How do you preach to people, many of whom think that what is true for you is not necessarily true for them?
I would argue that as postmodernism gradually deconstructs society’s worldview (through concepts such as moral relativism, social pluralism, evolutionary humanism), the more Christian doctrine becomes relevant in helping people put their lives and worldview back together again. Furthermore, before we can teach people the “how” of Christian behavior, we must teach them the “what” of Christian doctrine. If they don’t know “what” we believe and “why” we believe it, they cannot possibly understand “how” to apply it to their Christian lives. As B. B. Warfield expresses it: “The universally acknowledged principle that what a person believes will determine how he behaves underscores the importance of preaching correct doctrine” (“The Indispensableness of Systematic Theology to the Preacher,” in The Masters Seminary Journal, Fall 1996). This is one of the problems with “how-to” or “felt-needs” anthropocentric sermons. They try to change the way people live without first changing the way they think based on biblical truth.
A3. The Impact of Contemporary Biblical Illiteracy on Doctrine. Not that long ago (perhaps only as far back as the early to mid-20th century), preachers could count on the majority of their congregation knowing the biblical narratives and understanding and affirming biblical doctrines, at least to varying degrees. But you can’t count on that now. Fewer and fewer church-goers know their Bibles or biblical doctrine.
As preaching doctrine becomes more and more of a necessity, many preachers find it more and more of a challenge and less and less attractive to do so, perhaps because they themselves do not know or adequately understand biblical doctrine, or perhaps because preaching doctrine might impact their relationship with their congregation, many of whom may not accept what they preach. Thus, this issue of the biblical illiteracy of many church-goers has the effect of rendering many preachers fearful of preaching doctrine lest they be misunderstood, or worse lest they offend their congregations. Thus, in many cases, they shy away from doing so.
Life seems to be advancing at such a pace that what was accepted even 10 years ago is now redundant and tossed aside to make way for the new. In this culture of high speed change, history and tradition are not important to the younger generation anymore. They live for the present in isolation from the past and without much concern for the future. Evolution, which is being fervently preached in schools, on TV and other forms of entertainment, has probably had one of the greatest impacts on this type of thinking as it effectively detaches people from any significant past and leaves them confused about any significant future.
We must maintain a connection to our evangelical roots and recognize their impact on the church. I mentioned it earlier with regard to the church music scene, but its impact is more far-reaching than just music. It impacts doctrinal traditions as well. The doctrines we teach in conservative, evangelical churches has grown out of a long history of theological debate and study by individuals, churches, and denominations. What we believe today is, in large part, due to the theological scholarship of people whom God has gifted to analyze, articulate, and promote sound biblical doctrine, and we thank God for them.
Concluding Remarks. This short background survey is designed to highlight some of the secular influences on our contemporary evangelical churches that underscore the necessity of getting back to basics through the preaching and teaching of biblical doctrine. As Timothy George argues, “The recovery of doctrinal preaching is essential to the renewal of the church ... The presupposition of doctrinal preaching is that the God who has once and for all come in Jesus Christ and once and for all spoken in Holy Scripture still comes and still speaks to His people through the faithful proclamation of His Word in the power of the Holy Spirit” (“Doctrinal Preaching” in Handbook of Contemporary Preaching, ed. Michael Duduit, pages 93 and 95).
Though many people would say that they want sermons that address their “felt needs,” our task is to deliver sermons that address their “real needs.” Their real needs are spiritual and their spiritual needs must be addressed first and foremost with sound biblical teaching, including doctrine.
This concludes my discussion of the first item (“A”) above: “Some factors in our contemporary culture that impact the preaching of doctrine.” I will continue discussing various other aspects of doctrinal preaching (see “B” to “E” above) in subsequent editions of this NET Pastors Journal.
As we noticed last time, 1 Timothy is structured around five “charges” (points of instruction) that the apostle Paul issues to the young pastor Timothy, who was Paul’s son in the faith and his protégé (pupil, apprentice). These five charges are as follows:
A. A charge concerning pastoral responsibility (1:3-20): “Wage the good warfare.”
B. A charge concerning public worship (2:1-15): “The men should pray…the women should learn quietly.”
C. A charge concerning pastoral leadership (3:1-16): “How one ought to behave in the house of God.”
D. A charge concerning personal devotion (4:1-6:2): “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.”
E. A charge concerning pastoral motives (6:3-21): “Keep the commandment unstained…guard the deposit entrusted to you.”
In the previous three editions of this Journal (NPJ 47, 48, 49), I covered the first charge (“A”) concerning pastoral responsibilities:
A1. The responsibility to maintain pure doctrine (1:3-11)
A2. The responsibility to testify to God’s saving grace (1:12-17)
A3. The responsibility to fulfill your pastoral mandate (1:18-20).
In this edition we will study the second charge in 1 Timothy…
Paul now proceeds to lay out certain specifics and procedural details about the general charge to Timothy to fulfill his mandate (1:18-20). The first item is…
B1. An exhortation to congregational prayer (2:1-7). “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people” (2:1).
a) The primacy of congregational prayer (2:1a). By saying “first of all, then, I urge…” Paul evidently wants Timothy, in his leadership of the church at Ephesus, to give first priority to the public, collective, and regular practice of prayer. Paul is not exercising his apostolic authority here by way of command but rather he is appealing to the congregation (urging them) to engage in what should be of primary importance.
b) The nature of congregational prayer (2:1b) is described here in four terms - “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings” - all of which should be expressed in the church’s public prayers. It is difficult to make clear distinctions between these various descriptions of prayer, but, without trying to be too definitive, I think there are subtle differences in these terms, perhaps as follows…
“Supplications” - requests presented to God concerning specific needs.
“Prayers” – a general term of speaking to and hearing from God.
“Intercessions” – petitioning God on behalf of someone else.
“Thanksgivings” – expressing to God our gratitude for blessings received, strength provided, clarity given, opportunities presented, responses awaited etc. Surely, thanksgiving should be our attitude in all our prayers.
Prayer, then, should not only have priority and regularity among us as to its practice and include different aspects as to its nature, but notice also…
c) The scope of congregational prayer (2:1c-2a) is to be universal: “…for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions.” Public prayer is not to be limited to our needs or our locality but is to be universal (“all people”) including those in positions of authority (“for kings and all who are in high positions”). Indeed, those who hold higher official positions in government, in law enforcement, in the law courts etc., and in our places of employment surely need our prayers today more than ever.
This exhortation should challenge us as to whether prayer in the churches in which we minister is so characterized. It is so easy for us to become myopic in our prayer life, isn’t it? Do we engage in serious supplication and intercession in the spirit of thanksgiving, not only for ourselves but for all people? Do we remember to pray publicly for world affairs, the spread of the gospel, the salvation of the lost? Or are we more concerned about our own needs and wants?
d) The objective of congregational prayer (2:2b) is “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” Our rulers, leaders, and authorities make a significant difference in the conditions under which we live congregationally and individually. Those who rule over us can impact the quality and freedom and testimony of our lives. Our earnest prayer should be that we be allowed to live “peaceful and quiet” lives, unopposed by our neighbors and authorities and undistracted from our Christian responsibilities, such that our Christian testimony would be “godly and dignified in every way.” Collective prayers of this nature and with this objective would have as their ultimate goal the spread of the gospel through the freedom and peace that we would enjoy.
e) The reasons for congregational prayer (2:3-7). Paul gives three reasons why the practice of congregational prayer, as he has described it, is so important.
First, congregational prayer is important because … prayer for “all people” (2:1) is “good and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior” (2:3). It is always “good” to engage in practices that are “pleasing” to God, and prayers that are pleasing to God are efficacious because they accord with God’s desire for “all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2:4). This is a marvelous truth, that the heart of God, expressed in its fullness at the cross of Christ, has as its objective the salvation of all people.
The saving purpose of God is universal in its scope – no one can ever say that God did not love them or that Christ did not die for them. Nonetheless, sadly, some will not be saved, not because of any deficiency on God’s part but because of their stubborn refusal to accept the salvation he has provided for them and offers them in Christ. Indeed, God’s desire is not only the salvation of all people, but that once saved they will “come to the knowledge of the truth.” This is surely one of the primary responsibilities of pastoral leadership – to ensure that believers are taught the Scriptures accurately and clearly and trained in upright Christian living, so that they progress in their knowledge of the truth and their relationship with God (2 Tim. 3:16; Eph. 4:13-16).
Second, congregational prayer is important because … prayer for the salvation of all people has a profoundly doctrinal basis concerning the essential nature of the godhead and God’s relationship with the human race. The truth that “there is one God” (2:5a) eliminates any pagan notion of multiple gods or that all roads lead to heaven. And since there is only one God, there can only be “one mediator between God and humanity,” and that person is “the man Christ Jesus” (2:5b). Only Christ Jesus, being truly God, could provide the way by which rebellious people can be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:14-21), which purpose he mediated when, at the cross, he “gave himself as a ransom for all” (2:6a).
Notice again, that salvation is provided for and available to all people through Christ, “which is the testimony given at the proper time” (2:6b), the time when Christ came into the world, lived a perfect life and died as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world, all at just the right time in world history (Gal. 4:4). This short statement of Christian doctrine sets out very succinctly the basis of salvation and the underlying motivation to pray for the salvation of all people.
Third, congregational prayer is important because … prayer for the salvation of all people is a continuation of the apostle Paul’s ministry. “For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth” (2:7). Paul himself was called by Christ (Gal. 1:15) and appointed as an apostle to preach and teach the Gentiles based on his personal faith and the objective truth of the gospel, which ministry he exhorts pastor Timothy (and us) to continue.
B2. An instruction on congregational conduct (2:8-15). The apostle’s exhortation to congregational prayer leads to this instruction regarding a distinction between the participation and conduct of men and women in the church.
a) The participation and conduct of men in congregational prayer (2:8). “Therefore, I desire that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.” That the apostle addresses this instruction specifically to “the men” is notable and relevant for our day in which there seems to be much confusion about who may participate in public worship and how.
As to the participants in public prayer, the apostle Paul instructs the men in the church to be active in this aspect of congregational worship. This raises some obvious questions, such as whether he means that only men exclusively may pray in public services or whether the women may pray as well, since in 1 Corinthians 11:5-6 he states that a woman who prays publicly must either have her head covered or have her hair cut off. It also raises the question as to whether Paul is addressing the men in the Ephesian church only or all men in every church.
My sense is that in 1 Timothy 2, Paul is not assigning public prayer to men exclusively any more than he is ordering proper deportment for women only. Rather, here in 1 Timothy 2:8, he is simply speaking to the men, urging them to take their proper responsibility and role in public worship services, one of which is public prayer. Perhaps the men in the Ephesian church were failing in this responsibility. Then, in 2:9-10, he is speaking to women, urging them to adorn themselves with appropriate apparel and godliness. These are the specific issues he is addressing in Timothy’s context. Furthermore, the introductory “likewise…” (2:9) seems to imply that women also may pray publicly, but that isn’t his focus in this chapter. This does not in any way contradict his instructions in 1 Corinthians 11, since orderly deportment and relationship between men and women in public worship is always to be maintained.
The manner in which the men pray publicly is also of importance to the apostle. They were to pray “lifting holy hands,” which in the first century church was a demonstration of reverence. I think it reasonable to suppose that such a mode of praying is not necessarily binding on all cultures for all time. Indeed, the emphasis seems to be not on the outward mode of public prayer but rather on the man’s inner holiness of life as manifested in his outward conduct - “without anger or quarreling” (2:8).
The behavior of an angry person is not conducive to holiness. Anger is the internal root of external quarreling. Anger is a lack of emotional self-control, usually in the person’s attempt to dominate others, to persuade others to submit to their will and their opinions. If left unjudged, this attitude often spills over into sinful behavior like quarreling. An angry, quarrelsome man is usually known by all in the congregation to be such, rendering him incapable of effectively praying on behalf of the congregation, some of whom have probably been negatively impacted by his behavior.
b) The participation and conduct of women in congregational worship (9-15). Here there are two aspects to the apostle’s instruction:
The first aspect is their modest deportment in congregational worship (2:9-10): “9 Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with good works, as is proper for women who profess godliness.”
Here the apostle focuses not on the woman’s participation in prayer (as you might expect, following what he has just said to the men), but on their general decorum. The reason for this instruction is not given, so we will not speculate. Nevertheless, it seems self-evident that some of the women in the church at Ephesus were presenting themselves in ways that drew attention to themselves. Paul addresses this practice by instructing the women that their behavior and dress be characterized by “modesty and self-control” both in dress and behavior, which, given the context, have a direct impact on congregational worship.
Lest you think that Paul is focused on the externals only, note that with both the men and the women he links the external directly with the internal. As to the men they are to “pray, lifting holy hands” (external) and to do so “without anger or quarreling” (internal). As to the women, they are to dress “in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly attire” (external) but “with good works, as is proper for women who profess godliness” (internal).
As with the men (2:8), what goes on internally in a woman’s mind, heart, and attitude, is manifest outwardly in her dress and behavior. This is something that is largely forgotten in today’s culture, in which outward dress and conduct is often not connected to inward attitude and reverence. But surely, how we present ourselves outwardly when we gather as a church must be consistent with the occasion of worshipping God - our dress and conduct are a reflection of our attitude to the place and the person we worship, from which nothing in our deportment should be a distraction. This, according to the apostle Paul, should be clearly manifested by both Christian men and women in public worship.
Rather than drawing attention to themselves in the place of public worship by their external adornment, the women should adorn themselves with “good works” as is “proper for women who profess godliness.” Thus, internal holiness of character is always reflected in external modesty and reverence.
The second aspect of the apostle’s instruction to women is their quiet attitude in public worship (2:11-15): “11 A woman must learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet (2:11-12).
Here, Paul personalizes his exhortation - “a woman” (rather than “the women”) must learn quietly with all submissiveness” (2:11). The deportment of a woman in a public worship service is to be that of a quiet, submissive learner, specifically in relation to the men. Paul goes on to qualify what he has just said: “But I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet” (2:12). That’s what he means by a quiet, submissive learner – it’s all in relation to the men who are assigned the role of leadership in the church. This instruction appears to support the idea that there must have been some women in the church at Ephesus who were anything but quiet and submissive to the men.
Paul supports his instruction here by citing two factors…
1. The order of creation: “For Adam was formed first, then Eve” (2:13). Eve was created after Adam, from Adam, and for Adam (Gen. 2:7; 2:20-23; 1 Cor. 11:8-9). Adam was her head, not vice-versa, and this order in creation is to be recognized in the assembly of God’s people in public worship. Thus, before sin entered the world, God had already established a distinction in the relationship and functions of the man and the woman at creation.
2. The order of the fall: “…and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and has come to be in transgression” (2:14). This is most instructive as to how Paul states this. On the one hand, Eve was the first to sin, being thoroughly deceived by Satan. On the other hand, Adam, following Eve’s initiative, also sinned, but knowingly and voluntarily. He was not deceived as Eve was; he knew exactly what he was doing, choosing to be disobedient to God’s instruction. The point is that by usurping Adam’s God-appointed role as the leader in their relationship, Eve became a transgressor and for that she came under God’s judgement so that despite her desire to rule over her husband he would rule over her (Gen. 3:16). This forms the basis for Paul’s instruction concerning the position of women in public worship – a position of subordination and submissiveness, not leadership and authority.
Nonetheless, a woman is not consigned to a position of insignificance: “Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control” (2:15). As a direct result of Eve’s transgression, the woman (Eve specifically but all women by extension) was cursed with pain in childbirth (Gen. 3:16). Nevertheless, in spite of introducing sin into the world and despite the consequent curse of pain in childbirth, women are not beyond the reach of salvation. Rather, “she will be saved through childbearing.” There are several interpretive difficulties here…
a) What does childbearing have to do with a woman’s salvation? The reference to childbearing is connected to the curse on women because of sin – namely, pain in childbearing. The overall sense seems to be that despite the curse, Eve’s sin was not irredeemable. Rather, even though the consequence of her sin was pain in childbearing for all women, women can and are saved and the evidence of their salvation is their continuance in “faith and love and holiness…” This qualification is consistent with the doctrine of perseverance, that those who are truly saved will manifest a godly life and persevere to the end.
Since this verse is contrasted to the previous verse (“nevertheless” or “yet”), contextually it seems that Paul is saying that the primary role of married women (whom he has been addressing in the church at Ephesus) is to bear children (obviously, only if they are able), not to lead in the church. That is, a married woman’s “leadership” role is bearing children, something for which women are uniquely gifted and which men cannot do.
“Through childbearing” here does not mean that childbearing is the means of a woman’s salvation, but rather that as a consequence of childbearing she provides leadership and derives fulfillment in the home through giving birth to and raising godly children.
b) To whom does “they” refer? The switch from singular “she” to plural “they” is simply the way Paul is switching from his reference to Eve specifically to all women generally. Thus, “they (all women generally) will be saved in childbearing if…”.
c) What does “if they continue in faith…” mean? A married women’s contribution to the building up of the church is through their godly example to their children – hence, “if they continue in faith.”
Title: Learning from Jesus – Witnessing his deity (Matthew 27:45-54)
Subject: Five testimonies of Calvary.
Theme: God has given ample evidence at Calvary that Jesus Christ is his Son.
Point I: The testimony of the midday darkness (27:45).
1. The peculiarity of the darkness.
a) It extinguished the sun.
b) It enveloped the land.
c) It exposed God’s hand.
2. The portrayal of the darkness.
a) The darkness portrayed the sufferings of Christ.
b) The darkness portrayed the identity of Christ.
c) The darkness portrayed the isolation of Christ.
d) The darkness portrayed the blackness of sin.
e) The darkness portrayed the wrath of God.
Point II: The testimony of the temple veil (27:51a).
1. The veil of the temple was a warning to stay away from God because he is holy and men are sinful.
2. The torn veil of the temple was an invitation to come near to God…
a) … because the debt of sin had been paid.
b) … because access to God had been opened up for all.
Point III: The testimony of the earthquake (27:51b).
1. The earthquake testified to the significance of Christ’s death.
2. The earthquake fulfilled Jesus’ prophecy (Lk. 19:40).
3. The earthquake was Calvary’s answer to Sinai.
4. The earthquake was Calvary’s response to Eden.
Point IV: The testimony of the opened graves (27:52-53).
1. The opened graves symbolized the final resurrection of the saints.
2. The opened graves were a public exhibition.
Point V: The testimony of the soldiers (27:54).
1. What they saw caused them to fear.
2. Their fear caused them to testify.